USA > New York > Steuben County > Landmarks of Steuben County, New York > Part 17
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In this chapter not more than a passing allusion has been made to the pleasant and progressive village of Hammondsport, nor to any of the institutions of the corporation. In accordance with the plan of this work, such mention is reserved for another department, to which the attention of the reader is directed. (See Municipal History.) In the same manner, also, in the Ecclesiastical history will be found men- tion of the several church organizations of the village and town.
WAYLAND .- This town is one of the younger civil divisions of the county, and was formed from Cohocton and Dansville, April 12, 1848. A part of Fremont was taken off in 1854, and as now constituted Way- land contains 23,400 acres of land. Its surface is an upland, rolling in the north and moderately hilly in the south, yet possesses natural re-
MARTIN PINNEY.
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sources far superior to many of the interior towns of the county. The highest ridges approximate 1,800 feet above tide, and form a portion of the watershed between Lake Ontario and the Susquehanna. Loon and Mud Lakes are situated in the rich valley in the south part of the town, but their waters flow in opposite directions. Loon Lake has a sub- terranean outlet for half a mile and when it comes to the surface the volume of water is sufficient to form a valuable mill stream. The.town was named not in honor of Rev. Dr. Francis Wayland of Rhode Island, as has been stated, but in allusion to the hymn called "Way- land," which Mr. Patchin sang at a fortunate moment.
Many of the early settlers in this town were Germans, the pioneer being Adam Zimmerman, who in 1806 settled where the railroad depot now stands in the village. The other pioneers were Capt. Thomas Bowles, Mr. Bowen and John Hume, who came in the year 1808, also Mr. Hicks, in 1810, and Thomas Begole in 1814, all locating in the north part. The Loon Lake vicinity was settled in 1813 by Salmon, James and Elisha Brownson, Isaac Willie, Osgood Carleton and Solomon Draper. The central portion was settled at the same time, its pioneers being Demas Hess, John Hess, Samuel Draper, Benjamin Perkins (for whom Perkinsville is named), Walter Patchin, founder of the settlement known as Patchin's Mills ; and others whose names are now forgotten. Peter Shafer located on the road leading to Dansville, and for many years kept tavern and did blacksmithing.
Among the early settlers, as we have intimated, was a strong con- tingent of Germans ; hardy, determined, and active men, not easily dis- mayed or discouraged by obstacles, for half-hearted pioneers could never have gained a substantial foothold in Wayland, as we are told that this region was hard to settle and develop. In the early popula- tion was also a fair proportion of New Englanders and a few Pennsyl- vanians, and all seem to have worked earnestly and unitedly, and to-day the results of well expended energy is apparent, for in point of resources and general productiveness Wayland ranks well up among the towns of the county. Circumstances, too, have done much for our town, as the railroads have afforded facilities for the shipment of products which the majority of towns do not possess. Small wonder is it, therefore, that in this extreme northwest corner of the county we find as early as 1825
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a stable and progressive settlement, with mills and fine farms in active operation and an era of prosperity prevailing on every hand.
Referring briefly to some of the early institutions of Wayland, we may state that the first saw mill was built by Benjamin Perkins; the first grist mill by Dugald Cameron and Abijah Fowler, in 1816. Samuel Taggart kept one of the first taverns, in 1827 ; the first store- keeper was James L. Monier, in 1830; the first school was taught by Thomas Wilbur, in 1811. Erastus Ames was the noted hunter of the region. Dr. Warren Patchin built a hotel at Patchin's Mills in 1824, and for him the hamlet was named. The grist and saw mills here he also built, and they were kept in operation by his son for many years. The saw mill was built in 1820; the grist mill two years later. The plank road from Patchinville to Dansville was constructed about 1842. Outside of these old industries Patchin's Mills, or Patchinville, has not attracted any considerable attention to the history of the town. The same may also be said of the locality known as Loon Lake, although in connection with the latter, during recent years, an attempt was made to establish a summer resort, but with indifferent success. Wayland in the north part, and Perkinsville near the center of the town, are thriving villages, and are the centers of rich agricultural regions. The town at large yields well in farm products, potatoes being the special crop grown and affording excellent returns.
In pursuance of the act creating the town the meeting for the elec- tion of officers was held at the house of Cameron Patchin, May 2, 1848, and resulted as follows : John Hess, supervisor; Samuel W. Epley, town clerk ; M. M. Patchin, Amos Knowlton, Chauncey Moore and Gardner Pierce, justices; R. M. Patchin, David Poor and David Brownson, as- sessors. The statement may be made that Supervisor Hess and Justices Patchin and Knowlton were previous officers of the mother town, and were continued in the new creation under the erecting act.
The succession of supervisors in Wayland is as follows : John Hess 1848-50, 1852 and 1855-57; Daniel Poor, 1851; David Poor, 1853 ; M. M. Patchin, 1854 ; James G. Bennett, 1858-63, 1866 and 1875-76; James P. Clark, 1864-65 and 1867 ; James Redmond, 1868 and 1870- 71 ; H. A. Avery, 1869; Martin Kimmel, 1872-73 and 1879-80 ; Jacob Morsch, 1874 ; F. E. Holliday, 1877 ; John M. Folts, 1878 ; G. E. Whit-
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man, 1881-83 ; H. J. Rosenkrans, 1884-85; J. P. Morsch, 1886-87 ; Andrew Granger, 1888 ; W. W. Capron, 1889; J. B. Whitman, 1890- 92 ; H. S. Rosenkrans, 1893 ; John P. Morsch, 1894-95.
The officers for 1895 are John P. Morsch, supervisor ; George Nold, town clerk; Peter H. Zimmerman, H. S. Rosencrans, Peter Didas, jr., and Wm. Schuts, justices ; John E. Bennett, F. E. Holliday and Wm. Wolfanger, assessors; Henry Schumaker, collector ; John A. Schwingle, overseer of the poor ; Martin Kimmel, jr., highway commissioner ; G. D. Abrams, Sylvester Dodge and C. S. Fults, excise commissioners.
Notwithstanding the fact that Wayland is regarded as one of the most progressive towns of the county, the truth remains that the population in 1892 was not so large as in 1860. Then the inhabitants numbered 2,809, as against 2,375 at the last enumeration. This somewhat un- natural condition is accounted for in the fact that the young men have left the farms for city life, and that all agricultural interests during the last twenty-five years have materially declined ; and whatever growth has been shown is confined chiefly to the villages of Wayland and Perkinsville, both enterprising municipalities within the limits of the town.
During the war of 1861-65 Wayland contributed to the regiments of this State a total of 239 men, certainly a splendid record, though many of the volunteers enlisted in adjoining counties.
Previous to 1848 the schools of Wayland were a part of the history of the towns from which it was formed, and when this town was organ- ized its territory was divided into nine districts, in each of which a school was provided. Then the school population was about 1,000 children. There are now eleven districts, with 400 children attending school, outside Wayland village. There are also employed fourteen teachers. In 1893-4 the town raised by tax for school purposes the sum of $3, 104.83, and received of public moneys the sum of $1,635.85.
WAYNE .- In 1793 Frederick Bartles, or Bartels, built a mill on the outlet of Mud Lake, and the grateful agent, Charles Williamson, in whose employ Bartles was, caused the original town of Frederickstown to be named in allusion to the industrious German pioneer. The town as formed March 18, 1796, comprised all that is now Wayne, Bradford, Barrington, Starkey, Tyrone, Reading and Orange. On the 6th of
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April, 1808, the name Frederickstown was dropped and Wayne adopted in its stead ; and so called in honor of General Wayne, better known, however, as " Mad Anthony " Wayne, the famous Indian fighter whose deeds of valor are recorded on the page of history.
By frequent reductions in its territory, caused by the formation of various towns, Wayne now has an area of only 12,400 acres, and is the smallest in size of the civil divisions of Steuben county. Its location in the extreme northeast corner of the county, though somewhat remote from the county seat, is nevertheless favorable, as it has a desirable water front on Lake Keuka on the west and Lake Waneta on the east. The entire western slope forms almost one vast and entire vineyard, while the hill tops and eastern portions have excellent agricultural lands. The soil is a gravelly and slaty loam underlaid with hardpan.
The pioneers of this locality made their improvements as early as the year 1791, the first settlers being Zepaniah Hoff, Henry Mapes, Widow Jennings and Solomon Wixson, while Enos, Jonas and James Silsbee, Abraham Hendricks, Joshua Smith, John Holdridge, Elijah Reynolds and Ephriam Tyler came at such an early day as to entitle them to mention as pioneers. Among the other early settlers we may recall Ephraim Sanford, from Pennsylvania, a former Revolutionary soldier, also Anthony Swarthout, Jabez Hopkins, Aaron Olmstead, the black- smith and tool-maker, Thomas Bennett, Thomas Margeson, Henry Houck, Isaac Northrup, Edward Baker, Israel R. Wood, Joseph Bailey (another old Revolutionary survivor), George Hunter, John Earnest, blacksmith, Simeon Hackett, John Teeples and others.
Charles Williamson, agent for the Pulteney Association, expended considerable money in improving farms in this locality, and in the progress of his work gave employment to a number of men. He also placed tenants on several of the farms in the hope of ultimately effect- ing a sale of his lands, but the action of his proprietors in stopping his operations was the cause of much feeling, and the abandonment of the improvements, in many cases, to the great loss of merchants doing busi- ness in Bath who had " trusted " these tenants for goods sold them. But, notwithstanding the embarrassments and obstacles against which the early settlers of Wayne were obliged to contend, the town increased quite rapidly in population and the development of the resources of the
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region, and the year 1800 found the number of inhabitants in the district to be 258. Ten years later the number was 1,025, and in 1820 was 3,607. However, during years following, the frequent divisions of the original territory of Wayne reduced the population very materially, and in 1830 the number was only 1, 172. In 1840 it was 1,377; in 1850 was 1,347 ; in 1860 was 944; in 1870 was 891 ; in 1880 was 827, and in 1890 was 889.
As has been stated the town was set off as a separate jurisdiction, March 18, 1796. although it appears that no organization was effected until 1801 ; at least the records disclose no town meetings previous to that time. The first supervisor was Benjamin Wells, and the first clerk was Joshua Smith, the latter holding office continuously for seven years.
The succession of supervisors has been as follows: Benjamin Wells, 1801-3 ; John Dow, 1804; Jacob Teeple, 1805-7; John Teeple, 1808- 16; William Kernan, 1817-18 ; John Teeple, 1819-21 ; David Hall, 1822; Wm. E. Wells, 1823-26 ; Geo. Hunter, 1827-29 ; Wm. Birdsall, 1830-31 ; Geo. Hunter, 1832-33 ; Matthew McDowell, 1834-35 ; Or- lando Comstock, 1836-37 and 1840; Jno. P. Lozier, 1838; Jacob Teeple, 1841 ; Levi Knox, 1842 ; Daniel W. Sunderlin, 1843; Harvey Hill, 1844; Andrew D. Swarthout, 1845-47 ; Jno. B. Mitchell, 1848- 49 ; Geo. Schuyler, 1850-51, 1854 and 1861; Joseph Eveland, 1852; Joseph Roat, 1853 and 1867-68 ; Ansel H. Williams, 1854; Robert Biggars, 1855 ; Amos Wortman, 1856-57 ; Jno. B. Birdseye, 1858-59; Jno. J. Earnest, 1860; Bela Bonny, 1862; Joel Wixson, 1863-64; Chas. D. Wells, 1865-66 ; Thos. E. Walsh, 1869-70; Chas. K. Miner, 1871-74 ; James Wixson, 1875 and 1877 ; Solomon R. Wixson, 1876 and 1878; Madison Cameron, 1879-82 ; D. Swarthout, 1883-84; Ly- man Aulls, 1885-93 ; Anson Wright, 1894-95.
The officers of Wayne for the year 1895 are as follows : Anson Wright, supervisor ; James M. Washburn, town clerk ; D. Hover, Thomas Bailey, George P. Lord and James H. Pitcher, justices ; Chas. C. Campbell, Thomas Anderson and W. E. Swarthout, assessors ; Frank Covel, collector ; Solomon R. Wixson, highway commissioner ; Thomas Best, overseer of the poor ; Hiram Rapplee, Arthur D. Graw and Almon Barrett, excise commissioners.
As at present constituted Wayne is one of the most interesting and
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favorably situated towns of Steuben county, and in the development of its natural resources it has become one of the best vineyard districts in the region. Added to this is its value as an agricultural town, while the building up of large hotels and pleasure resorts along the Keuka front have combined to increase local prosperity. In the early history of the county the town was hardly more than a passive factor, yet the people of Wayne have ever enjoyed the reputation of making their presence felt in all measures tending to the public good. In the great anti-rent conflict of 1830, and about that time, the local inhabitants took a prominent part in the passing events, and they were worthily represented in the Bath convention by Latham Fitch, John H. Sher- wood and Thornton F. Curry. During the war of the Rebellion, as commonly known, where true patriotism as well as loyalty and states- manship were essential elements of success, the town proved equal to every demand made upon it and furnished for the service a total of eighty-five men ; a record certainly praiseworthy when we consider the fact that in 1860 the inhabitants numbered only 944.
During the period of its history, there have been built up within the town two small hamlets, known as Wayne village and Wayne Four Corners, while the chief importance of Keuka is derived from its ship- ping advantages during the warm months. In winter it is an almost deserted locality. These villages, with their respective interests, are mentioned in another department of this work.
WEST UNION .- On the 25th day of April, 1845, the State Legisla- ture divided the town of Greenwood, and taking substantially township one, of range six, erected it into a separate jurisdiction under the name of West Union. Then, and now, the new creation contained 23,900 acres of land, being nearly as large as the mother township from which it was formed. It was the design of the promoters of the new town scheme to adopt the name Green, in allusion to the mother town, but as Chenango county had a town named Greene the petition was changed and the name of Union adopted. This also was found to be in conflict with the name of an existing town in Broome county, therefore West Union was accepted as the designation of the new formation.
The town occupies a position in the extreme southwest corner of the county, Pennsylvania line being its south boundary with the Allegany
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county line on the west. Rexville, the only village of any note in the town, is distant thirty miles from Bath and nineteen miles from Hornells- ville. The land surface is hilly and broken, the highest summits being about 2,500 feet above tidewater. Bennett's Creek is the principal stream. The soil is a heavy, slaty loam.
The pioneer settlement of the town of West Union, then, however, known as Troupsburg, was begun about the year 1821, when Abraham V. Olmstead came from Delaware county and made a clearing on the site of the present village of Rexville. Later on Mr. Olmstead erected the first tavern in the town, and his son Walter B. was born November 4, 1823, also the first event of its kind in the town. About the same time, probably in 1821, came Jonathan and John Mattison and David Davis, and located in the east part. The other pioneers were William Burger, also from Delaware county, Frederick Hauber from Pennsyl- vania, Uriah and B. Ingley, Vencent Compton and his sons William and Vincent, Adam Young, William Bray, John Wiley, William Fisher, Benjamin Wilkes, William and Ephraim Young, Henry Young, Daniel Hamilton, David Baker, Stephen Boyd and others whose names are now forgotten. Henry Young settled at West Union Corners. John Wiley settled near where the hamlet of Wileysville was afterward built up.
In the north part of West Union there settled about the year 1840 a number of hardworking Irishmen, from whose coming there eventually grew a strong settlement. Among the first of them were John Sheehan, Dennis Malone, Luke Fox and others. Some of the later settlers in the town at large were Philip Failing, Mr. Bigelow, Abel Mattison, David Sherman (the pioneer dairyman of West Union, and also first supervisor of the town) Alvin Chapin, Alexander Keenan, Daniel Hamilton, Charles and Daniel Rexford and others now forgotten.
It is a well known fact that settlement in this particular locality was materially delayed, a large share of the land being owned in England and by heirs who were under age, The settlers in this township in 1830 were somewhat affected by the distress prevailing among the occu- pants of the Pulteney and Hornby estates, but at that time this territory formed a part of Troupsburg, and the settlers in that town were the most active in all local proceedings. The delegates to the Bath con-
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vention were Samuel Cady, Samuel Griggs, Joshua Slayter, Jesse Wil- den and Nathan S. Hayes.
Referring briefly to the first events of town history we may mention that Walter B. Olmstead was the first white child born; Abram Olm- stead kept the first tavern in a log house on the village site; the first marriage was that of John Hauber and Jane K. Hauber, May 18, 1832 ; Uriah Stephens taught the first school, about 1830; Jesse Jones and Dr. Cyrus Knight were about the first storekeepers ; John Wiley built the first saw and grist mill in 1849-50.
The erection and organization of a new town in the southwestern part of Steuben county was an absolute necessity. In the old town of Greenwood, the center of population and business lay in the northern part of that jurisdiction, and nearly all the principal officers chosen for the town also lived in the same locality. The result was the inhabitants of what is now West Union were denied privileges and improvements to which they were justly entitled. This being the case, the residents in the neglected locality petitioned for the erection of a new town, and West Union was the result of that action. The first election of town officers was held at the house of John Hauber on May 6, 1845. The officers elected were David Sherman, supervisor; Moses Forbes, town clerk ; Jeremiah B. Millard, Cornelius Rosa and William H. Olmstead, justices of the peace ; David Collins, Peter A. McLean and Marcina Cummings, assessors ; Jeremiah B. Millard, Jeremiah Ingley and Alvin Chapin, commissioners of highway; Thomas F. Hubbard and Henry B. Baker, overseers of the poor; Walter B. Olmstead, collector.
David Sherman held the office of supervisor twelve years, and Moses Forbes was town clerk for six years. A succession of the several town officers would be interesting in this connection, but unfortunately in 1881, at the time the cheese factory was burned, the town records were also destroyed.
The officers for the year 1895 are as follows : W. P. Cary, supervisor ; U. E. Vanfleet, town clerk; A. W. Barney, George Dennison and Andrew Boucher, justices of the peace; Palmer Warfield, Norman Haseltine and Josiah Sanders, assessors ; Hiram Barney, collector ; Philip R. Sanders, overseer of the poor; Archie McAllister, highway commissioner ; David Smith, John Lewis and William Anderson, com- missioners of excise.
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West Union had a population of 1, 150 in 1892. When organized in 1845 the inhabitants numbered 539. Five years later the number was 950, and in 1860 had increased to 1,392, the greatest population in the town's history. In 1870 the number was reduced to 1,264, and in 1880 was 1,271. The population in 1890 was 1, 167.
Among the civil divisions of Steuben county, this town has not occupied a position of special prominence, nor have her inhabitants ever sought to establish a condition of things other than for their own gen- eral welfare and for the benefit of their descendants. Still, the region is the comfortable abiding-place of a hardy, thrifty and persevering class of people, whose chief pursuits in life is agriculture, while lumber- ing for many years has also engaged the attention of a strong con- tingent of the local population. In fact, in this part of the county set- tlement was much delayed and not until within a comparatively recent period have the lands been generally cleared ; and even now there still remains considerable areas of excellent timber lands. In farm crops the land yields well in return to proper cultivation, while the dairy pro- ducts of West Union are recognized as standard throughout the county. But notwithstanding the disadvantages of location and the many other obstacles which the inhabitants of West Union have had to contend against, they have ever shown themselves to be a loyal and patriotic people. During the period of the war of the Rebellion the loyalty of the people displayed itself, and we find that the town sent to the service a total of sixty men. They were divided among several regiments, principally the 86th, the 107th and the 14Ist.
During the period of its history, there has been built up in the town one small yet progressive village, known as Rexville, and two other settlements of less note, and known respectively as West Union and Wileyville. West Union is but a post-office station in the northwest corner of the town, postmaster, Alvin C. Barney. Wileyville is in the southwest corner of the town, the postmaster, also merchant, being Frederick Stebbins. The village of Rexville, and also its churches, will be mentioned in another department of this work.
WHEELER .- In 1820 a large portion of land was taken from Bath and Prattsburg and erected into a separate jurisdiction by the name of Wheeler ; and so named in honor of Capt Silas Wheeler, the pioneer
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of the locality, and one of the most worthy men of his time. Captain Wheeler came from Albany county in 1799, and brought to the new region a splendid record of military service during the Revolutionary war. At the famous battle at Quebec he stood near the brave Mont- gomery when he fell. During the war Captain Wheeler was four times taken prisoner but generally managed to effect an escape with little difficulty. In this region, especially during the pioneer period, the Wheeler family occupied a position of importance and prominence, and was identified with many works of progress. Therefore the name of the new town was worthily bestowed.
However, other worthy pioneers and families came into this region soon after Captain Wheeler, and the names of many of them can be re- called. Nathan Rose came in 1804 and married Ruth Wheeler, and about the same time came William Holmes, who married Sarah Wheeler. Levi Gray was another early settler and was the first postmaster in the town. Turner Gardiner settled in this part of the then town of Bath in 1799, soon after the Wheeler family, while Col. Jonathan Barney and Thomas Aulls came in 1800. Philip Myrtle settled here in 1802, and Otto Marshall and others named Bear, Ferval and Rifle in 1803. Daniel Marshall, a Prussian, came to the locality in 1810. Gen. Otto F. Marshall, for many years a prominent man in county affairs, was a son of Daniel Marshall.
George Reuchan also came from Albany county and settled in the town. He died in the service during the second war with Great Britain. John Casper Overhiser came from Otsego county in 1811, and settled on West Creek. He died in the town in 1817, in his ninetieth year, and was specially noted for his large family, he having had eighteen children by his two marriages ; and all these sons and daugh- ters grew to maturity. Seth Wheeler settled in the town in 1819. Furman Gardner came with Captain Wheeler, then being only seven years old. Albertus Larrowe was also an early settler.
Among the other early residents of Wheeler may be recalled the names of Herman Lewis, William Rowley, Mr. Lakin, George Ray- mond, Jenks Youngs, Thomas Cumming, Philip Beemer, Uriel Chapin, Andrew Harris, Noah Stephens, John Clark, Reuben Montgomery and others. Among the early designated localities, in which some of these settlers lived, were " Mutton Hollow " and South Hill.
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