USA > New York > Steuben County > Landmarks of Steuben County, New York > Part 30
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and in the course of time, in fact at a quite recent date, the old name of " Blood's " or " Blood's Station," was discontinued and in its stead the more euphonious designation of " Atlanta " was adopted.
The railroad, and the diverging stage route to Naples, gave Atlanta an importance forty years ago, and from that time to the present there has been no retrograde movement, and to-day the hamlet stands prominent among the several villages of the town. However, a disaster came to local interests during the month of September, 1895, and by it several large buildings were burned to the ground. The principal sufferers from this fire were John Dunn, H. W. Hatch, L. D. Hodgman, L. R. Partridge, Henry Clark, and T. J. Cornish.
The business interests of Atlanta at the present time are represented substantially as follows: D. C. Borden, T. J. Cornish, and J. C. Whit- more, grocers ; J. Radish, drugs ; W. E. Waite, hardware; Wheaton & Wells, meat market; G. Kesler and Frank Davy, blacksmiths; John Spencer and Byron Hayes, feed mills ; F. Parks, clothing ; John Lang- don and John Dunn, hotel keepers.
The Free Methodist church of the town is located in this village, and in the matter of schools there is an association with North Cohocton in a union free school and district. The school house is located between the villages, convenient to both.
THE VILLAGE OF AVOCA .- It is extremely doubtful whether pioneer Buchanan ever contemplated the possibility of an attractive and flour- ishing village near the point where he located in 1794 and opened a public house. Still this worthy frontiersman lived to see a post settle- ment where Avoca now stands, though the locality was then commonly known as "Buchanan's," also as " Eight Mile Tree." It was the begin- ning made by the pioneer that led to the founding of the settlement and subsequent village, and the store opened by George and Alonzo Simons made the latter a fixed fact. Yet the Simons Brothers' stock of goods comprised only a small quantity, the whole amount being brought to the place on two pack horses. In 1818 the settlement had attained sufficient importance to justify a school, hence one was started at that time, and about nine years later the Methodists built a small meeting house in the hamlet.
However, the name Avoca was not given the village until the latter
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was well founded, and was adopted, it is said, at the request of a young lady of the settlement, she at the time being on her death-bed. Among the hamlets of the valley this was for many years one of minor impor- tance; a convenient stopping place on the stage route, a post-office point of some little note, but previous to the construction and operation of the Buffalo, Corning and New York Railroad in 1852, Avoca enjoyed none of its present prominence. But even railway companies are capa- ble of ungenerous actions, and exorbitant freight charges sometimes have a tendency to delay municipal growth. Such was the case with Avoca for many years, but a competing line, as the D., L. & W. Rail- road proved to be, relieved the abuses of the past and gave additional impetus to all local enterprises. Manufactures were established, busi- ness interests were enlarged and increased, and even the farmer reaped a full share of the profits created by this new thoroughfare of travel and transportation.
In 1883 the village was incorporated and its first officers at once made provision for such conveniences and protection as villages require. The ordinances provided for streets regularly laid out, for sidewalks, lights, and also the health of the inhabitants. A good supply of pure and wholesome water was obtained from a reservoir located about two miles northwest of the village, and with this assured increased fire protection was a natural consequence. Thus suitably provided with all the ele- ments of municipal convenience. and with a location in the most beau- tiful part of Cohocton valley, the observer is both pleased and sur- prised at the attractions and business thrift which seem to prevail on every hand. To-day Avoca has a population of about one thousand inhabitants, and is well supplied with business and manufacturing enter- prises. Of the milling interests we may note the Avoca Milling Com- pany, and the firm of Billings, Beals & Company, flour manufacturers, the saw mill of M. A. Hoadley, and the cigar factory of W. N. Clutchey.
The mercantile interests are represented as follows : Smith & Hoad- ley, C. W. Marlatt, and W. R. Sutton, general merchants ; J. M. Willis, grocer ; Robert Gay, grocer and baker ; D. S. Jolly, restauranter ; W. H. Fultz and J. Hall, clothiers ; J. B. and M. A. Sturdevant, hardware dealers; J. W. Griswold and Frank Gilmore, jewelers; Baldwin & Mattice, furniture dealers; E. D. Hess, druggist ; A. White, photog-
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rapher ; Charles Cropsey, druggist ; J. Towner and Gallup & Abbey, meat dealers ; B. Palmer, shoe shop; A. L. Richards, D. Roberts, wagon makers; G. O. Noxon, broom maker ; Milo Sharp and Henry Zignfuss, harnessmakers; W. C. Loucks, L. S. Veeder and J. C. Hovey, hotel keepers. In the same connection may be mentioned the Avoca Advance, an enterprising weekly newspaper, established about 1878, and since March, 1888, owned and published by George C. Silsbee.
The officers of the village for the year 1895, are as follows : J. B. Sturtevant, president ; Walter H. Wood, J. Hall and Oscar C. Billings, trustees ; William R. Sutton, treasurer ; J. H. Shaffer, collector. The Board of Water Commissioners comprises J. Hall, president ; Walter H. Wood, secretary ; Oscar C. Billings, treasurer, and J. B. Sturtevant, commissioner.
The public institutions of the village comprise the graded school, also the Baptist, Evangelical Lutheran, and Methodist Episcopal churches. The history of Avoca religious societies will be found in a later chapter of this volume.
BRADFORD VILLAGE .- This little hamlet is located in the northeast part of the town of the same name, and while it has never attracted any special attention as a business center, it is nevertheless a convenient trading point and sufficient for the needs of the inhabitants of the sur- rounding country. Frederick Bartles was the first settler in the village, the builder of the first mills, and proprietor of the first store. As at present constituted the business interests comprise three or four good stores, and also the hotel, mills, shops and other lesser industries inci- dent to rural villages. Here also are three churches and a good school. The churches are the Baptist, Methodist and Protestant Episcopal, each of which is mentioned elsewhere in this work.
BUENA VISTA .- Buena Vista is a pleasantly situated hamlet located in the south part of the town of Howard, and was established as a post- office and trading center for the convenience of the inhabitants. Its business interests are few, comprising the general store of F. W. Spencer and the blacksmith shop of W. E. Drake. Here is located the Wesleyan Methodist church.
BURNS .- Burns is the name of a small hamlet and station on the line of the Erie and also the C. N. Y. & W. railroads, to the construction of
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which it owes its greatest importance. The merchant of this place is P S. Jones, who also holds the office of postmaster.
CAMERON VILLAGE .- During the early history of the town, the vil- lage was the center of trade and population, and here for many years there assembled the worthies of the vicinity and the numerous lumber- men who operated in the region. In the town chapter we have re- ferred to the primitive industries which led to the founding of a village settlement, and also to its subsequent growth and final decline in im- portance. The first store was kept by Andrew Erwin, an Irishman, and Martin Rumsey was another early merchant at the Corners, as then known. Still later business men were Ebenezer Van Tuyl, John Cherry, S. M. Rogers, Herman Swift, Morgan & McKay, Peter Chase, Swarth- out & Pierson, and others.
The village is built on a narrow strip of land in the Canisteo valley, and is surrounded by high hills. A main street runs through the ham- let, parallel with the river, and along this the buildings and principal residences are built. The present mercantile interests are the stores of J. D. Wheeler, Mrs. William Hallett, and F. L. Hawley. The later industries of this immediate vicinity are the Cameron flour, feed and custom mills and the Boyd saw and feed mills. The Adamson saw mill is located three miles north.
CAMERON MILLS .- The original designation of this hamlet was " Hubbardville," and so named from Daniel Hubbard who came from Broome county half a century or more ago and built the first flour mill in the town. He also opened a store for the accommodation of his customers, and naturally a post-office was established there. This part of the town was in Cameron, and as the milling interests were impor- tant, the name of Cameron Mills was adopted. Furthermore another post-office by the name of " Hubbardsville" was in existence in Madi- son county.
The present Cameron mills are owned and operated by J. T. Beck- with. The merchants here are Crawford Bros., and Watson Northrup. Dr. J. W. Blades has a drug store. Postmaster, James Crawford. The public institutions are the district school and Methodist Episcopal church. A Catholic chapel was built here several years ago. It is at- tended from Addison by Father Noonan.
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CAMPBELL VILLAGE .- This little hamlet is located near the center of the town of the same name, and was brought into existence by the earliest settlers, who built mills on the Conhocton River. The first grist mill was built by Gen. John Knox and Archie Campbell in 1812, and stood across the raceway from the present Bemis mill. In 1846 a com- bined saw and grist mill was built by Marcus Wheelock for Andrew Langdon. In 1855 the business interests of Campbelltown, for the vil- lage was once so called, comprised three saw mills, one flouring mill and two tanneries. At that time there were about twenty dwellings and one church in the hamlet proper. The present industries are the saw mills of John P. Clark and Floyd Fuller; the grist mill owned by the Bemis estate, established in 1860 ; and the hay-press and hay and grain business carried on by R. P. Myhers, the latter established in 1885. The merchants of the village are Bowlby & Platt, A. B. White, J. L. Van Kirk, George C. F. Sharp, John M. Clawson, George N. H. Platt, Mrs. E. B. Williams, H. B. Willard, John Worden (barber), John Eggabroat. postmaster, Emmet B. Ross. The Bank of Campbell began business in July, 1877, with George R. Sutherland, president, and W. S. Clark, cashier.
THE VILLAGE OF CANISTEO .- In the general division of the lands of township 3, range 5, Col. Arthur Erwin drew lot number one, but soon afterward exchanged lots with Solomon Bennett, the latter being the first settler at the place afterward called Bennettsville. Lot No. I covered substantially the present village site, but previous to the white occupancy here stood the Delaware Indian town which had been dig- nified by some writers with the name of "Kanestio Castle." This an- cient village is said to have contained about sixty hewed log houses, with stone chimneys in each, and to have been the home or seat of operations of a noted "Delaware King," known as At-weet-se-ra. The place was destroyed in 1765 by direction of Sir William Johnson.
The honor of having been the pioneer on the village site may be ac- corded to Colonel Erwin or Solomon Bennett, probably the latter, as he opened the first store and kept the first hotel. The first blacksmith was Nicholas Doughty, a well-educated German and worthy citizen. How- ever early may have been the founding of the village, it did not attain a standing of any importance among the municipalities of the county
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previous to the year 1850, at which time the Erie Railroad was put in operation. This gave impulse to the growth of the place, but not until the year 1868 did it become a manufacturing center, when Lawrence Allison built the large boot and shoe factory, furnishing employment to nearly one hundred persons. This was followed by another similar fac- tory, a planing mill, sash, door and blind factory, bent wood works and a chair factory ; and within the next five years the manufactured pro- duct was worth $1,000,000 a year. In 1868 the village proper had but 350 inhabitants; ten years later the population reached 2,000.
The Canisteo Academy was one of the most praiseworthy institutions ever founded in the village, and one which has endured and enjoyed a successful existence to the present day. It was built by popular sub- scription to the capital stock, at an entire cost of $17,500. The insti- tution was chartered March 15, 1868, and its first Board of Trustees, who were also in fact its founders, were Lewis F. Laine, Henry Hamil- ton, Commodore P. Chamberlain, Nathaniel C. Taylor, George Riddell, John H. Consalus, Joshua C. Stephens, Edward P. Bartlett, Mortimer Allison, Lucius A. Waldo, John Davis and Richard Allison. The build- ing is of brick, three stories high and beautifully situated on an eminence overlooking the village. It was finished and opened in September, 1871. The present attendance at the academy averages about 125 pupils annually, the patronage being drawn from the county at large and even beyond its borders.
The present trustees and officers are : Lucius A. Waldo, president ; F. H. Robinson, vice-president; W. E. Stephens, secretary ; George L. Davis, treasurer, and Herman E. Buck, Oran Lathrop, A. N Burrell, N. S. Baker, William H. Ordway, William G. Porter, Charles Mead, William P. Bailey, O. O. Laine, S. P. Marsh, Ira W. Hall, Enos Smith, Mortimer Allison and J. E. Shaut. The academy has an endowment fund of $2,000.
As years passed and the population and business interests of the village increased, there was created a demand for improvements and expenditures in which the town at large were but little interested, and for which the outside taxpayers were not disposed to contribute. To provide the necessary revenues the village residents determined to pro- cure an order of incorporation under the laws of the State, therefore,.
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in 1873, the Court of Sessions made an order incorporating the Village of Canisteo. Thus our interesting little place threw off the hamlet and adopted the municipal character.
The first village election was held May 16, 1873, at which time these officers were chosen : Lucius A. Waldo, president; Mortimer Allison, L. P. Weed, Smith Eason, trustees ; Daniel Upton, collector ; William H. Mead, treasurer. William E. Stephens was the first clerk; Hiram J. Colgrove, police constable; Hiram C. Whitwood, street commis- sioner. One of the first duties of the trustees was to provide sidewalks through the principal streets, which being done, a system of lighting was adopted and a fire department organized, the latter the nucleus of the present efficient body. The present department comprises Canisteo Hook and Ladder Co., No. 1, Waldo Hose Co., No. I, Drake Hose Co., No.2, Weed Hose Co, No. 3, and a company of fire protectives. How- ever, the steamer seems to have lost its usefulness since the construction of the water supply system, hence its company disbanded, and the "Truck" was purchased in its stead. The steamer, a good La France engine, is held in reserve for any emergency. The fire department building was erected in 1880.
The Canisteo Water Works system and company is another of the worthy institutions of the village, and another evidence of local thrift and progressiveness. The works were constructed in 1887, at a cost of about $45,000 Water is obtained from a reservoir on one of the hills outside the corporation limits, while the source of supply is a series of springs in the vicinity of the reservoir. The company has laid seven miles of mains through the streets of the village and have 219 taps and fifty-one fire hydrants The officers of the company are: O. O. Lane, president ; De M. Page, secretary, and W. G. Porter, secretary.
The Canisteo Electric Light and Gas Company, and the Fuel Gas Company, are also worthy of mention among the local improvement companies of the village, and though not yet fully developed, are prom- ising of good results in the future and will undoubtedly add materially to the business importance of Canisteo.
The Union Free School of Canisteo enjoys the reputation of being one of the best and most thorough institutions of its kind in this part of the county. Many years ago the old district system was aban-
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doned and in its stead the people voted for a Union Free School, with an academic department. Tne present Board of Education com- prises H. S. Beebe, Elijah Hallett, W. B. Taylor, A. H. Burrell, William D. Carter, Harrison Crane and I. E. Lyon.
With these and other kindred institutions added to the ordinary local interests, it will be seen that Canisteo is a village of importance among the municipalities of the county. However, still further advances are expected in the near future, for on the roadbed of the old Canisteo and Whitesville Railroad Company there is promised to be built a line of railway from the village up Bennett's Creek to Oswayo, via Rexville and Whitesville. For this enterprise the people of Canisteo have pledged the sum of $20,000.
As at present constituted Canisteo enjoys the reputation of beingone of the most pleasantly situated and best governed villages in the county. As a manufacturing center it has considerable importance and all mer- cantile interests are well represented. It is a temperance village in which there are no saloons. The principal manufacturing industries are the large tannery of Richardson, Crary & Co., formerly Richardson & Shaut, built in 1880; the tannery of Charles Flohr's Sons, established in 1875 by Charles Flohr. Flohr's custom and merchant mills were started about the same time but are now discontinued. The Canisteo Sash and Door Works is a large concern employing about one hundred men, and were originally known as the Vorhis Planing Mills, established in 1868. The present company is comprised largely of non-resident capitalists. W. D. Carter, successor to H. Carter & Sons, is proprietor of an extensive foundry and machine shop. This industry was founded in 1873.
The Canisteo Shoe Co. abandoned the village in May, 1895, thus taking from our little municipality one of its most important industries. L. Allison & Co. began the manufacture of boots and shoes in the vil- lage about fifteen years ago, the firm being succeeded in 1884 by the Allison Boot and Shoe Co. The Levi S. Davis shoe factory was one of the important local industries and was originally established by Isaac Allison. The Weed Saw and Stave mill was established by L. P. Weed in 1854. The Canisteo Spoke Works were started by Stephens Bros. about 1882. John Carroll, the present proprietor, succeeded to the
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business in 1886. Among the other local industries may be mentioned the Hub and Spoke Works of Thomas Slosson; the wagon factory of Alfred Slosson ; the pearl button factory of D. A. Tucker & Son; the chair factory of Taylor Bros., and the planing mill of Shell I. Wilkins.
The village has half a dozen hotels, prominent among which are the Canisteo House, the Commercial House and the Riverside House. The general merchants are E. Clarkson & Bro. and Felix D. Clossey. The dry- goods merchants are William Riddell, C. E. Smith and G. J. San- ders. The grocers are George Walker & Co., T. K. Brownell, James Roblie, L. Davison, L. P. Rice, Charles Mead, Ralph Dunham and Mrs. Baker. The druggists are J. W. Mitchell, E. L. Hess and George P. Reed & Co. Furniture dealers, Stephens & Hitchcock, and E. A. Carter & Son. Hardware dealers, O. O. Laine, W. P. Goff, and Burrell & Carroll. Jewellers, E. H. Miner & Co., Bate Mckean, and William Dudley. Bakers, T. N. Wallace, Miner Merwin and Frank Hallett. Tinsmiths, F. J. Kearns and Wells Trowbridge. Boot and shoe dealers, H. E. Buck, John A. Wirt and T. K. Brownell. Meat markets, John Bailey and J. Bert Williams.
The Bank of Canisteo was established in 1876, and did business in the building at the corner of Main and Depot streets. The officers were Mortimer Allison, president; Lawrence Allison, vice-president, and and. W. W. Ball, cashier. However, in 1883, the banking interests in the village suffered seriously through financial disaster, although the affairs of the bank were not wound up until the next year. The present substantial banking house of Porter & Davis, the members of which are William E. Porter and George L. Davis, began business in the early part of 1884.
Among the fraternal and social organizations of the village may be mentioned Morning Star Lodge, No. 65, F. & A. M., which was char- tered about 1840, although it was the outgrowth of old Evening Star Lodge, the latter being established in this village as early as 1814 or '15. In this connection also, we may mention the Men's Association, a relig- ious organization, entirely informal in its character, yet one of the most deserving and praiseworthy institutions in the village.
The officers of the village for the year 1895 are as follows : Herman E. Buck, president, and O. O. Laine, I. Edward Lyon, A. H. Bunell
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and William E. Flohr, trustees ; John Jackson, clerk ; George L. Davis, treasurer ; Seymour B. King, collector. Population in 1890, 2,071.
CATON VILLAGE .- This pretty little hamlet is attractively set among the hills, near the center of the town, where hardly more than half a century ago was a dense growth of mixed hardwood timber. The first store was opened here in 1849 by W. D. Gilbert, while near the four corners was still earlier established the post office called Worm- ley, Samuel Wormley, postmaster, and also tavern keeper. As a vil- lage Caton has little importance, yet for the convenience of the in- habitants of the vicinity a mill and one or two stores have been main- tained here for many years. The present merchants are C. B. Snyder and A. J. Whitney, the latter also being owner of the mill. The Caton Mill was built by Whitney & Deyo in 1880. The local postmaster is Osceola Gilbert.
THE VILLAGE OF COHOCTON .- On the 4th day of July, 1813, at a general celebration participated in by the inhabitants of the town of Cohocton, at their established trading center, a large liberty pole was raised, and from this event the settlement was named Liberty. This name was continued through all generations and years of progress and de- velopment until July, 1891, when an order of incorporation was pro- cured, by which 941.20 acres of land were declared to be a body cor- porate and politic and to be known by the name of the " Village of Cohocton." Having attained this dignified character the old name of " Liberty " was dropped. However, the new designation, Cohocton, has been the established post-office name from a time far back in local history. At the election at which the voters decided upon the question of incorporation, 141 votes were in favor of such action and eighty-nine against the proposition.
Liberty, or Cohocton, has witnessed many changes during the period of its existence, from the time when Jonas and James Cleland came into the region and made their first improvement, but the real fact or event which led to the founding of the settlement is not disclosed by published record, and tradition (the historian's final resort) furnishes nothing definite upon the subject. However, it is believed that the necessity of a convenient trading center in the town led to the hamlet, and subsequent lumbering, milling and accompanying mercantile inter-
ALBERTUS LARROWE.
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ests, in fact established its permanency. Here, previous to the construc- tion of the railroad, was a central lumber point and the railway com- pany found profit in building a station at the place. One industry led to another and in the course of a few years a hamlet of importance had been built up. Forty years ago the place had half a dozen good gen- eral stores, three public houses, a good school, and several church societies. In 1859 William W. Warner established the Cohocton Jour- nal, through which paper the town and its advantages were widely ad- vertised throughout the county. Between 1840 and 1860 the village enjoyed an excellent reputation as a lumbering and farming locality, hence subsequent growth was natural. In 1875 business interests were increased at least threefold beyond those of a quarter of a century be- fore, and at the present day they are greater than at any time in vil- lage or hamlet history.
Let us note briefly the principal institutions and interests of Cohoc- ton, and otherwise obtain a fair pen view of this enterprising municipal- ity. There are six churches, viz .: St. Peter's Roman Catholic, St. Paul's Lutheran, Zion Lutheran, Universalist, Presbyterian, and Methodist Episcopal. The village has an excellent graded Union Free School, the affairs of which are under the direction of a Board of Education, comprised as follows: P. J. Rocker, president; C. W. Stanton, secre- tary ; and J. L. Goff, Asa McDonnell, A. H. Wilcox, James Fox and W. E. Adair.
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