USA > New York > Orleans County > Landmarks of Orleans County, New York > Part 5
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ORLEANS COUNTY.
general and local agents, who in their behalf carried out one system in dealing with settlers, though apportioning the expenses among the three sets according to their respective interests and paying to each the avails of their own lands. At the first transfer by the trustees the whole tract excepting 300,000 acres, was conveyed to Wilhelm WVil- link, Nicholas Van Staphorst, Pieter Van Eeghen, Hendrick Vollen- hoven, and Rutger Jan Schimmelpennick. The 300,000 acres were conveyed to Wilhelm Willink, Jan Willink, Wilhelm Willink, jr., and Jan Willink, jr. Two years later the five proprietors of the main tract transferred the title of about 1,000,000 acres so that it was vested in the original five, and also in Wilhelm Willink, jr., Jan Willink, jr., Jan Gabriel Van Staphorst, Roelif Van Staphorst, jr., Cornelius Vollen- hoven, and Hendrick Seye. Pieter Stadnitski was also made a part- ner in some sense.
In the hands of these three sets of owners the title remained during the most active period of settlement, only, as men died their shares passed to the survivors and their names were dropped from the deeds. Some twenty years later, new proprietors were brought in, but the three sets remained as before. The first general agent of the company was Theophilus Cazenove, a Hollander, and he employed Joseph Ellicott as surveyor. The survey system adopted was substantially the same as had before been followed on the Phelps and Gorham Pur- chase. The tract was divided into ranges six miles wide, running from the Pennsylvania line to Lake Ontario, and numbered from east to west, beginning, of course, at the transit line in what is now Orleans county. These ranges were subdivided into townships six miles in width, numbered from south to north. These were sold in parcels to suit purchasers. The townships in Orleans county are all subdivided into lots and the towns of Carlton and Yates into sections and lots. The county of Orleans contains the north parts of ranges I, 2, 3, and 4, and the east parts of townships 14, 15, and 16, and the part of the Connecticut tract before described, and contains about 405 square miles. (See outline map.)
The survey, in Orleans county, commenced in the summer of 1798. From the minutes of the surveyors it appears that the transit line was followed and measured by a surveyor named Geo. Burger, in July,
LAKE ONTARIO
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HOLLAND CO.
HOLLAND TRACT
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Sandy Cr.
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15
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NIAGARA
14
14
Range IV Range III
Range II
Range I
TRANSIT LINE, EAST
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ON
14
14
BARRE TO ELBA - 1852
ROAD
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R
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MON
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THE TRIANGLE
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16
ROAD - 1805
T
Oak
BOUNDARY
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ORLEANS COUNTY.
1798. No encampments were made along this line, which had been previously established
Amzi Atwater surveyed the shore of Lake Ontario, beginning at the east transit line and continuing west. July 26 his party encamped at the mouth of Oak Orchard Creek, which was their stopping place during some days. Their next place was at a provision camp which had previously been established at the mouth of Johnson's Creek. This was their home for a long time ; for the next camp was made September II, 1798, on the shore of the lake just west from the fifth meridian, or line between the fourth and fifth ranges.
The next line surveyed was the one between the third and fourth ranges. This line was run by Warham Shephard, in November, 1798. On the IIth of that month the party encamped at the corner of the thirteenth township and third range. On the 12th they encamped on lot 3, fourth range, fourteenth township, in the town of Shelby. November 13, 1798, they made their camp on lot 9 of the same town- ship and range, within the limits of the present village of Medina. On the 14th their camp was on lot 47, town 15, range 3, in Ridgeway ; and on the 15th, it was a short distance north from Yates Center, in the third range.
The next range line run was that between the second and third ranges, the third meridian, by Amzi Atwater. The party encamped November 25, 1798, on lot 57, fourteenth township, range 2, in the southwest corner of the town of Barre; on the 26th on lot 8, third range, fourteenth township, town of Shelby ; on the 27th and 28th, on the site of the present village of Knowlesville; and on the 30th on the shore of the lake, in the northwest corner of the town of Carlton.
The second meridian, or line between the first and second ranges was run by Amzi Atwater, in July, 1779. On the 18th of that month the camp was in Elba, Genesee county, near the second meridian and the county line, in the first range. On the 19th they encamped on lot 5 of the Second Range, just south of Barre Center. July 22, 1779, the camp was located on the west side of the second meridian, just north from the village of Albion, and on the 25th in Carlton, at Two Bridges. 6
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The west line of the fourth range and the west line of the county was run by Amzi Atwater, in September, 1799. His camp on the Ist of that month was just opposite the southwest corner of the town of Shelby, in Genesee county. On the 2d, it was in the town of Shelby, near the southwest corner ; from the 4th to the 6th in Niagara county, near the northwest corner of Shelby; on the 7th, in Niagara county, near Jeddo ; on the 9th in the northwest corner of Ridgeway ; and on the 10th on the lake shore in the northwest corner of Yates.
The township lines in this county, running west from the east transit line, were surveyed by Amzi Atwater in the summer and early autumn of 1799; but it does not appear that any one of those lines was com- menced at that line and run through the county in regular sequence of time. Across the first range they were evidently run by Mr. Atwater while he was surveying the second meridian. In running the line between townships 13 and 14, the south line of the county, the first camp was on an island (in Tonawanda swamp) on lot I, of township 14, range I, in the southeast corner of Barre, July 17, 1799. July 18 and August 12 they encamped in Genesee county, on the east side of the line between the first and second ranges. August 9, 11, and 13, they encamped in Genesee county, opposite the southeast corner of Shelby. August 10 the camp was in Genesee county, just across the line from lot 17, fourteenth township, third range, and August 15 and 17, near the southwest corner of Shelby.
July 23 and 24 the camp was in Gaines, on lot 12, fifteenth township, first range ; and August 2, in the same town on lot 16, fifteenth township and second range. August 1, 3, and 4, they encamped in the south- west corner of Carlton; September 8, in Ridgeway, on the north border of lot 28, town 15, range 4; and September 9, in the northwest' corner of the same town and township.
The price at first charged for the company's lands was $2.75 per acre, one-tenth to be paid down. It was found very difficult to obtain ten per cent advance payment. It was extremely desirable to secure settlers for the tract, for every pioneer who located made the country more attractive to those who contemplated a similar movement. Lands could be had very cheap in parts of the State nearer the centers of population, and also in Ohio, while farms in Canada were offered by
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ORLEANS COUNTY.
the British government at sixpence per acre. The competition among owners of large tracts was thus so strong that the proprietors of the Holland Purchase often waived all advance payment by actual settlers, and reduced the price to an average of $2 per acre. Even so their lands at first. were sold but slowly. The rate of sales, however, con- stantly increased. In 1801 there were 40; in 1802, 56; in 1803, 230; in 1804, 300; in 1805, 415 ; in 1806, 524; in 1807, 607; in 1808, 612 ; in 1809, 1160
The Holland Land Company's policy in selling lands at a high price and giving long credits has often been criticized, both in its bear- ing on the company's interests and those of the settlers on these lands.
It has been insisted that a lower cash price would have brought to this region a different class of settlers having money with which to pay for their lands, and that the relations between the company and the settlers would have terminated sooner, and that the difficulties that arose be- tween them would have been averted. It has been held that this policy caused Western New York to be settled by a poorer class of emigrants, and that the development of its resources was thus many years retarded ; that easy terms of payment tended to encourage laxity and indolence among the settlers, and that more active and energetic pioneers went beyond the Holland Purchase, where lands could be purchased much cheaper for ready cash or shorter credits.
The reply to this has been that though the settlers in Western New York were in many cases poor young men, a larger proportion of them possessed that energy and self reliance which fitted them for successfully grappling with and surmounting the difficulties and obstacles which they encountered in the untamed wilderness where they sought to make their homes, than of those who had been reared in the midst of comfort and luxuries which they did not create, who were not inured to hardships and privations, and whose energies stern necessity had never called forth.
It has also been stated that the company gave longer credits, thus enabling a poorer class of immigrants to procure homes and lay the foundations of future independence. It is not true that the average price at which the lands were sold was greater than that charged by the government. It is unknown to many that the price of government
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lands in the States west of New York was at that time $2 per acre. No one could purchase less than a quarter section (160 acres). An immediate payment of $80 was required, and an annual payment of $80 thereafter, and the land was forfeited if the whole were not paid within five years. In the depression which succeeded the War of 1812 the lands of many settlers were forfeited, and though Congress passed acts for the relief of such, many lost their lands.
According to the books of the company, the settlers were very dila- tory in making their payments, and many, without doubt, forfeited their lands. Many others, after remaining some time on the lands which they had purchased, sold their " betterments" and went else- where. The process of "natural selection " was not, in the end, detri- mental to the country.
It must be remembered that many of the settlers on the Holland Land Company's land were poor young men, who, from their scanty wages, had saved a sum barely sufficient to purchase teams, defray the expenses of their journey hither, and make small payments on their purchases. They had then to encounter the stern realities of pioneer life. The heavy timber that grew on their lands was to be cut and cleared away with little help, beyond that of their brave and hopeful young wives. When their farms came to produce a small surplus beyond their domestic wants, this found no market except among new settlers.
In their dealings with the early settlers the agents of the Holland Land Company often displayed great kindness and generosity. An instance of this was seen in this county, where an area of a few hundred acres was covered with excellent pine timber. A portion of this land they refused, during many years, to sell. Applicants were uniformly told that it was not in market, and when the agents were informed that the settlers were stealing the timber they replied, "They ought not to do that " or, "We must see to them." One applicant, on being refused said, "If you won't sell me any of this land I shall be compelled to steal timber there." "I hope you will steal no more than you want," replied the agent laughingly. It was afterward learned that this land had been withheld from market that settlers might procure timber from it for their buildings, and the only prosecution for trespass on this land that was ever instituted was in the case of a man who attempted to cut and carry away timber for sale.
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ORLEANS COUNTY.
Another instance of liberality was the donation of lands to religious societies. In a note to his history of the Holland Purchase, Mr. Tur- ner says :
In the fall of 1820 Mr. Busti was visiting the land office at Batavia. The Rev. Mr. R. T. Rawson, of Barre, Orleans County, of the Presbyterian sect, called on Mr. Busti and insisted on a donation of land for each society of his persuasion then formed on the Holland Purchase. Mr. Busti treated the reverend gentleman with due courtesy, but showed no disposition to grant his request. Mr. R., encouraged by Mr. Busti's politeness, persevered in his solicitations day after day until Mr. Busti's patience was almost exhausted. And what finally brought that subject to a crisis was Mr. R.'s following Mr. Busti out of the office when he was going to take tea at Mr. Ellicott's and making a fresh attack on him in the piazza Mr. Busti was evidently vexed, and in reply said : "Yes, Mr. Rawson, I will give a tract of 100 acres to a religious society in every town on the Purchase, and this is finis." " But," said Mr. Rawson, "you will give it all to the Presbyterians, will you not ? If you do not expressly so decide the sec- tarians will be claiming it, and we shall receive very little benefit from it." "Sectar- ians, no," was Mr. Busti's hasty reply. "I abhor sectarians. They ought not to have any of it, and to save contention I will give it to the first religious society in each town." Mr. Busti hastened to his tea and Mr. Rawson home (about sixteen miles dis- tant), to start runners during the night or the next morning to rally the Presbyterians in the several towns in his vicinity to apply first, and thereby secure the land to them- selves.
The land office was soon flooded with petitions for land from societies organized according to law and empowered to hold real estate, and those that were not; one of which was presented to Mr. Busti before he left, directed to General Poll Busti, on which he insisted it could not be from a religious society, for all religious societies read their Bibles and knew that p o double I does not spell Paul. Amid this chaos of appli- cations it was thought best not to be precipitate in granting these donations, the whole responsibility now resting upon Mr. Ellicott to comply with this vague promise of Mr. Busti ; therefore conveyances of the "Gospel land" were not be executed for some space of time, notwithstanding the clamor of petitions for d' eds of "our land," during which time the matter was taken into consideration and systematized, so far as such an operation could be. Care was taken to ascertain the merits of each application, and finally a tract or tracts of land, not exceeding 100 acres in all, was granted free of expense, to one or more religious societies regularly organized according to law in each town on the Purchase where the company had land undisposed of, which embraced every town then organized on the Purchase, except Bethany, Genesee county, and Shel- don, Wyoming county ; the donors always being allowed to select out of the unused farming land of each town. In some towns it was all given to one society, in others to two or more societies separately, and in a few towns to four different societies of different sects, twenty-five acres to each.
Though at first the policy of the company toward the settlers was very generous and lenient, as time went on the relations between them
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LANDMARKS OF
came to be less cordial. Evidence of the disposition on the part of the company to assist the settlers in making their payments was seen in the fact that in many instances cattle and grain were received on their con- tracts, as appears by the credits on the old books of the company. To those greatly in arrears the offer was made to deduct a portion of the money due in case of prompt payments. This was looked on by those who had met their payments as a sort of premium on the slackness of their thriftless neighbors.
Another measure adopted was that of charging, at the end of ten years, where but little had been paid, " increase," or a sum added to what was due. The addition was sometimes greater than the original purchase price. This was regarded by the settlers as a charge for improvements which they had made, and it gave great umbrage.
It has been stated that the members of the Holland Land Company were compelled to make their orignal purchases through trustees, because of their alien disabilities. Not only were these disabilities removed by an act of the Legislature, but the company was exempted from taxa- tion. The opinion came to prevail that this discrimination in favor of a foreign company was unjust, and that this company, that had grown rich under the protection of the State that had favored them above its own citizens, should contribute something toward the expenses of the government of the State. It was held that the Erie Canal, in the con- struction of which the company had not aided, had enhanced the value of their property to the amount of some millions ; and that the realiza- tion of this and the nature of the securities which the company held were involved in the stability of laws toward the support of which that company contributed nothing. With this feeling prevalent the Legis- ture was asked to pass an act repealing this exemption, and such an act was passed in 1833.
Pending the passage of this act the threat was made, by one who represented the interest of the company, that if it passed "it would be worse for the settlers." After the act was passed the company, through their agents, served notices on delinquents that they must either pay or " satisfactorily arrange" their indebtedness or vacate their premises within a specified time (two months). This measure was regarded as retaliation on the settlers, and it intensified their hostility toward the
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ORLEANS COUNTY.
company. Articles were published in the newspapers, meetings were held and measures for resistance were discussed. About this time the company sold their interest in portions of the purchase, and the new proprietors announced their policy to be an advance of from one to three dollars per acre on lands, the articles for which had expired or should expire with arrearages due on them. The settlers deemed this advance on the prices of their lands unreasonable, and in Chautauqua county their indignation found vent, on the 6th of February, 1836, in the demolishing of the land office and burning of the books, records, etc., by a mob of about 250 men.
The excitement did not terminate with the demolition of the land office at Mayville. Encouraged, probably, by the success of the raid on that office; the malcontents prepared for and attempted an assault on the one at Batavia.
For this purpose a mob that has been variously estimated at from 300 to 1,000 men, mostly armed with rifles, gathered in the town of Alexander, whence they proceeded to Batavia on the 14th of May, 1836. Information of the approaching mob preceded them and the citizens prepared to offer determined resistance. Aid was requested and came from Le Roy and other villages, and a large force rallied to the defense of the land office and court house. When the mob reached Batavia, their number was about 300. As they entered the village they were met by a number of the leading citizens of the place and earnestly en- treated to disperse; they were at the same time informed that any attempt to destroy public property would be met with prompt re- sistance and blood would be shed. Meanwhile the court house, land office and other buildings had been prepared for vigorous defense. The mob proceeded after their short halt to a point near the land office, the windows of which bristled with bayonets. Mr. Evans, the agent of the land company, was in one window with a loaded gun. The company of militia, which had been hastily organized, marched down on the flank and near the mob and halted. At the same time the sheriff and others, mingled with the mob and ordered them to disperse. Several rifles were raised to shoulder to fire upon the land agent. The situ- ation was most critical. After a few moments' suspense, four of the mob came out and asked for an interview with the agent. He replied
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LANDMARKS OF
that he would hold no converse with them under the circumstances, and defied them. The crisis was passed and in a short time the mob withdrew a distance of half a mile, and soon afterwards dispersed.
After this attempt the people of Batavia procurred cannon for their defense, and built and garrisoned two block-houses, covering the land office ; apprehending another possible visitation, they induced Governor Marcy to issue a proclamation by which they were provided with ad- ditional artillery and ammunition.
On being informed that Captain Norris, of a military company in Bennington, had said that he with his company and gun-a brass three pounder-were ready at a moment's notice to turn out and attack Batavia, the governor directed that Captain Norris be ordered to deliver the gun to the keeper of the arsenel at Batavia forthwith. To this order he at first demurred ; but, fearing the consequences of diso- bedience, he finally obeyed. These precautionary measures effectually extinguished all hopes on the part of the malcontents of obtaining a redress of their greviances by a resort to lawless violence, and allayed the fears of the people of Batavia.
An interesting exhibit of business in Western New York in 1804 is afforded in "A Description of the Genesee Country" by Robert Munroe. From it the following is extracted :
Trade is yet in its infancy and has much increased within a few years. Grain is sent in considerable quantities from Seneca Lake and the Conhocton, Canisteo, Cowanesque, and Tioga Rivers to markets on the Susquehanna River, and flour, potash, and other produce to Albany, and a considerable quantity of grain has for some years past been exported by sleighs in winter to the west of Albany. Whisky is distilled in con- siderable quantities, and mostly consumed in the country and is also exported to Canada and to Susquehanna. The produce of the country is received by shop keepers in payment for goods, and, with horses and cattle, is paid for land. Several thousand bushels of grain have been purchased in the winter beginning this year, 1804, for money at Newtown (Elmira), and at the mills near Cayuga Lake. Hemp is raised on Genesee River, and carried to Albany. Droves of cattle and horses are sent to differ- ent markets, and a considerable number of cattle and other provisions are used at the markets of Canadarqua (Canandaigua), and Geneva, at Niagara, and by settlers emi- grating into the country. Cattle commonly sell for money at a good price, and as this country is very favorable for raising them they will probably become the principal article for market ; many being of opinion that the raising of stock is more profitable as well as easier than any mode of farming. The following is a list of prices of articles and the rate of wages since January, 1801.
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ORLEANS COUNTY.
Wheat, from 62 cents to $1 a bushel ; corn, from 37 to 50 cents a bushel ; rye, from 50 to 62 cents a bushel ; hay, from $6 to $12 a ton ; butter and cheese, from 10 to 16 cents a pound; a yoke of oxen, $50 to $80; milk cows, from $16 to $25; cattle for driving, $3 to $4 a hundred pounds; a pair of good working horses, $100 to $125; sheep, from $2 to $4; pork, fresh killed, in winter, $4 to $6 a hundred, and salted, in spring, $8 to $10; whisky, from 50 to 75 cents a gallon ; salt, $1 a bushel, weighing 56 pounds; field ashes, 4 to 9 cents a bushel. 600 bushels have been manufactured into a ton of pot or pearl ash, which has been sold at market at $125 to $150, and some persons, by saving their ashes or by manufacturing them have nearly cleared the cost of improving land ; the wages of a laborer, $10 to $15 a month and board ; a suit of clothes made, at $4 to $5; a pair of shoes, $1.75 to $2.50. Store goods are sold at very moderate prices, the expense of carriage from Albany to New York being about $2 a hundred weight.
The War of 1812 almost entirely arrested sales of land by the com- pany, and at that time it was said that more settlers went out than came into the Holland Purchase. The war closed in 1815, and the tide of emigration again set in this direction, and from that date until 1820 the increase of population was large, coming particularly from the New England States.
On the return of peace a surplus of labor, which the current prices of produce would not remunerate, flooded the land. The heavy duties which had been imposed for the support of the war had stimulated domestic manufactures. On the removal of these imposts the country was flooded with foreign goods, manufacturing industries became stag- nant, the country was depleted of specie, and the currency greatly depreciated. Under such circumstances it was not wonderful that the company's clerks were not fatigued by entering credit in the books, or that the early snows of winter showed the tracks of many little naked feet.
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