Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 32

Author: Hakes, Harlo, 1823- ed; Aldrich, Lewis Cass. cn
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1180

USA > New York > Steuben County > Landmarks of Steuben County, New York > Part 32

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HIGHUP is the somewhat characteristic post-office designation of a locality in the northeast part of the town of Troupsburg, which was formerly known as East Troupsburg. Other than enjoying an elevated situation, and being surrounded with thrifty farmers, this place pos- sesses little general importance. The present postmaster is Samuel S. Wyckoff.

HORNBY .- This is perhaps the largest and greatest among the ham- lets of the town of the same name. Its public buildings comprise the Presbyterian and Baptist churches, the district school, and the town hall (for here the town business is transacted). The residences number about thirty. The leading industry comprises the flour, feed and saw

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mills of C. G. Wheat & Son. The merchants are M. A. Eddy, A. W. Howell, and C. L. Smith, proprietors of good, well stocked general stores. The local postmaster is Clark L. Smith.

HOWARD .- This little hamlet is located in the south part of the town, and is perhaps the principal business center. The village begin- ning was made by the opening of a store and the erection of the saw and grist mill mentioned in the history of the town. As settlement progressed other industries were established, an academy was founded, two churches were built, hotels were opened, and the so- called Howard Flats became a place of some importance in local annals. However, the population of the village proper has not at any time exeeded 250 inhabitants, and now has less than that number.

The present business interests of the village comprise the general stores of Goff & Swain and D. Ray Bennett; the saw mill of J. W. & M. M. Bennett; the cheese factory of Bennett & Glover, and the black- smith shops of Frank H. Sharp and Horace Bennett. There are also two hotels, the National, kept by Judson Wells and the Central House, William Burleson proprietor.

INGLESIDE .- This pleasantly situated little hamlet was primarily known as Riker's Hollow, and so-called after an old family in that locality. The merchants here are John D. Avery and Wyman Drake, the latter being also postmaster. Dr. William M. Fulkerson, supervisor, is a resident at this place. Three miles south of this hamlet, in Lyon's Hollow, so-called, is the saw mill of Edward Drake. At Ingleside is an M. E. church.

THE VILLAGE OF JASPER .- This pretty little hamlet of perhaps 350 population, is the chief center of trade in the town, and the story of its early history is best told in the words of another: "The old business portion of Jasper known as the Five Corners, was centered around Adam Brotzman's tavern, and contained, besides the tavern, a saw mill, two stores and a post-office, the latter the first in town, and William Gardner postmaster. The office became an object of contention be- tween the rival corners, and during John G. Marlett's term, became " Marlatt's Corners." Near this place Harvey Phoenix opened the first store, and was succeeded in 1834 by Edward Craig, who moved the goods to Five Corners. Andrew Craig was soon afterward made post-

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master and brought the office to the store. Thus the village was founded, and later interests gradually increased the local population to its present number. The merchants of to-day are D. C. Hunter, gen- eral store; J. W. Wallace, general store; Andrew Murphy, hardware ; Charles B. Hilborn, general merchandise; C. E. Brown, furniture and undertaking ; H. B. Andrews, market, F. S. Viele and M. N. Samett. The village also has a good school, three churches (elsewhere mentioned in this work) and the shops and lesser business enterprises incident to similar hamlets.

KANONA .- According to the recollections of Irving W. Near, the pioneer in fact of the little village called Kanona was Col. Henry Ken- nedy, yet at this point as early as 1794 a tavern was kept by John Mahon. In 1795, the year in which Duke de Liancourt travelled through this region, a small settlement had been built up on the village site. Col. Kennedy, however, made a substantial improvement here, and from him the place became known as Kennedyville. Among the other early settlers here were Brigham, Elijah and John Hanks, in 1804, and Jeremiah Wheeler in 1805. These settlers were Vermonters, drawn to the locality by the cheapness and fertility of the land. Erastus Glass came to Kanona about 1806, and built a saw mill about three- fourths of a mile below the village. Clinton Nixon built a saw mill and tannery in the village in 1830. Among the early prominent men of the locality were Russell Kellogg, George Dawson, Samuel Tyler, Zera Bradley, and Oliver Allen, all of whom are now dead.

Mr. Near also informs us that about 1836, a new class of people came to the locality, many of them from the Mohawk Valley. Also from the same authority it may be stated that Ann Parker taught the first school in this district, in a school house built in 1810, on the site now occupied by business blocks. The Universalists were the first religious denomi- nation in this part, followed by the Christians, and the two built a union meeting-house. The Presbyterian church was built in 1831, but was afterward transferred to the M. E. Society, by whom services have ever since been maintained.

The name of the post-office was changed from Kennedyville to Ka- nona in 1852, through the efforts of Brigham Hanks and Reuben Robie. The name then adopted was the Indian designation of Five Mile Creek,

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and means " rusty water." The first railroad, now the Erie, was built through the town in 1853, from which time everything relating to travel and transportation was changed. The D., L. & W. Road was opened for traffic in 1882, and the Kanona and Prattsburg road in 1889. These thoroughfares of travel have built up Kanona and made it a vil- lage of some note in the Conhocton Valley. Here are about seventy- five dwellings, several good stores, shops and all other industries found in similar villages.

KEUKA .- A hamlet on the lake of the same name derives whatever importance it possesses from its value as a shipping point for grapes and various other kinds of fruit grown in the region of which the hamlet is the center. The Keuka House and the Helvetia are prominent public hostelries, while the nearby resort known as Grove Spring, with its large hotel, adds to local prosperity. The general store at Keuka is owned by A. C. Waggoner, who is also postmaster.

LINDLEY .- When this town was erected from Erwin the center of business was transferred from Erwin Center, or as now known Presho, to Lindley, and the clerk's office has since been maintained there. This event, together with the fact that the hamlet is situated near the center of a rich agricultural region, and is a natural trading point, has given to it whatever importance it has. Here are two churches, Methodist Episcopal and Free Methodist, the town hall and district school. The merchants are H. F. Hill and Dr. J. McManus. Postmaster, Marvin Stowell ; William Hutchinson, blacksmith and town clerk.

LYNN .- This place is hardly more than a post office station, and is located in the southwest part of the town. The postmaster is Aaron Porter Borden. Here is a store, school house, and a Methodist Episco- pal church.

MITCHELLSVILLE is the name of a small hamlet and post-office situated in the southeast part of the town of Wheeler, near the Urbana line. The office was established here for the convenience of the inhab- itants of this part of the town, and naturally a trading center was soon built up. The hamlet contains one general store, a Methodist church, the district school and a few shops. Mail is received by stage from Bath.

NEIL'S CREEK is a post office and hamlet in the extreme western

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part of the town of Avoca ; a convenient center in the heart of a pro- ductive farming community, but of no considerable importance among the villages of the county. The postmaster at this point is Matthew N. Silsbee.

NORTH COHOCTON, the companion hamlet to Atlanta, distant north one mile from the latter, is a pleasant little burg on the lines of railroad which cross the town. Forty years ago the settlement con- tained one church, a store, a few shops, and about thirty dwellings. The first merchant was Solomon Hubbard, succeeded by William A. Gil- bert. At the present time the churches are the Methodist Episcopal and the Wesleyan Methodist, while the business interests comprise at least a dozen substantial stores, about as follows : Wetmore Bros., gen- eral merchandise; E. S. Carpenter, druggist; C. E. Moose; W. L. McDorn & Co., general store; C. A. Greisa, furniture and undertaking ; J. P. Wetmore, clothing; John Wood and M. Peck, blacksmiths; C. B. Stoddard, wagonmaker; H, Nye, flour and feed; Ira Wagner, hotel.

The North Cohocton and Atlanta Union School and district, as now known, was established in 1872, and the academy building, south of the village, was erected in 1874, at a cost of $4,000. About 200 pupils are in constant attendance at this school. The present school board comprises H. W. Hatch, president ; R. P. Moulton, secretary ; A. R. Wetmore, treasurer ; and Beech Drake, W. C. Waite and S. M. Decker. Principal, M. C. Plough.

NORTH URBANA .- This small hamlet is situated in the eastern part of the town of Urbana, near the Wayne town line and about a mile distant from Lake Keuka. As a business center the place has little im- portance, yet its location in a rich vineyard and agricultural region, makes it a convenient post-office point for the people of both towns. Here are generally maintained two churches and a district school. The local postmaster is J. W. Wheeler.

PAINTED POST .- This pretty little village was incorporated under the laws of the State on the 18th of July, 1860, but away back in the early years of the present century a settlement was made on the site and some business was transacted. As early as the year 1801 a post- office was established and Howell Bull was the first postmaster. He

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was succeeded by Thomas McBurney, February 18, 1805, and the latter was in turn superseded by John E. Evans, February 4, 1817.

According to Charles H. Erwin's history of the village, Francis Erwin erected a frame hotel on the village site in 1822, that being the first frame building in the village. During the same year Capt. Sam- uel Erwin built a framed store, and John Arnot, late of Elmira, was its first tenant. In 1812 the Erwin House was erected. "In 1824," says the same authority, "John Wygant cut the sheet-iron Indian," which long graced the village, perched upon a painted post. In 1848 A. H. and E. F. Erwin, with I. P. Bennett and Henry S. Brooks, erected an extensive foundry and machine shop, also a large business block of three stores. This was perhaps the leading enterprise of the village for its time and had the effect to add materially to local growth. Indeed, so vast and varied were business interests at this time that a banking house became necessary, and Asa Foster and Cephas Platt purchased and removed to the village the old Cayuga Lake Bank, of Ithaca. This was in 1851.

In 1850 the New York and Lake Erie Railroad was put in operation between Corning and Hornellsville, and two years later the Buffalo, Conhocton Valley and New York Railroad joined with the Erie at Painted Post. The Western Union Telegraph Company completed its line in 1855, and by this and the railroads the then little hamlet en- joyed commercial advantages equal to any municipality in the southern tier. The "Empire " block was built in 1841 ; a Masonic Lodge was installed in 1850, and the Corning, Painted Post, Cooper's Plains and Monterey Plank Road Company was organized in 1852. Eight years later, or in 1860, the village became incorporated, officers were elected, improvements inaugurated and carried to completion, and the result was a permanent and attractive village, supplied with business and manu- facturing interests, and inhabited by a thrifty, energetic and public- spirited class of people.

However, this prosperous condition has not been established without local misfortunes and disasters, for at least twice in its history has the village been visited with destructive fires; the first in May, 1861, and again in February, 1873. But the burned buildings were in due time restored and the loss was only temporary.

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The Painted Post Gazette was the first newspaper of the village, es- tablished in 1846 by Mr. Fairchild. The second paper was the Herald, founded by Ransom Bennett and B. M. Hawley. The Times made its first appearance in 1870, under the management of W. C. Bronson, H. C. Higman and S. H. Ferenbaugh.

The first school in the village, which was also the first in the town, was that taught by John E. Evans; and the first school house was built of plank on land furnished by Capt. Samuel Erwin. About 1848 or '49, Arthur Erwin built a large frame building on the south side of the river, and this was used for a district school until 1868, when the large and commodious brick school house was erected. About this time a union free district was organized, including the village tract and surrounding territory. The school has always been admirably managed and liberally supported, and now ranks among the best institutions of its kind and grade in the county. The present Board of Education comprises Dr. J. G. Webster, president ; W. F. Bronson, secretary, and F. H. Loomis, T. F. Minier and W. A. Allen.

Referring briefly to the business and mercantile interests of this thrifty little village, it may be stated that all branches appear to be well represented, with little evidence of over competition. However, we are forced to remark that Painted Post is too near the city of Corning for the best results to local merchants, but, notwithstanding all this, we find several substantial business houses here, which may be noted about as follows: D. Forer & Son, and G. J. Blakeslee, large general stores ; S. W. Gorton, grocer ; Orcutt & Loomis, druggists ; Ira Stiles, jewelry ; W. F. Bronson, hardware ; James Berlon and G. Wheadon, meat mar- kets ; B. C. Wood, gunsmith ; A. H. Wood, taxidermist; Wm. Beebe and J. Johnson, shoe shops ; A. B. Hurd and William Hill, wagon shops ; E. A. Stout, G. L. McIntyre and C. Van Gelder, blacksmiths.

The manufacturing interests comprise the widely known Weston En- gine Company, manufacturers of steam heaters and steam engines, without question the leading industry of the town. Stanton & Brew- ster and W. S. Hodgman have lumber mills, and Mr. Hodgman is also proprietor of a good flour and feed mill. F. J. Townsend manufac- tures a wire fence stretcher. The banking house of A. Weston & Co. is the only institution of its kind in the town,

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The village officers of Painted Post are A. E. Gokey, president ; J. D. Orcutt, clerk ; L. B. Hodgman, treasurer ; A. E. Gokey, G. W. Fritts, J. W. Borst and D. H. Lee, trustees.

PERKINSVILLE was so named in compliment to Benjamin Perkins, an early settler and prominent man in the western central part of the town. He built the first saw mill in the town. However, the hamlet did not attain to a position of more than passing importance previous to the opening of the D., L. & W. railroad, which naturally gave impetus to all local interests ; and the still more recent construction of the C. N. Y. & W. road, as now known, added to the prominence of the hamlet. The merchants here are Frank Bricks, Stephen Bricks and Peter Kuhn, gen- eral stores ; John Ritz and George A. Didas, boots and shoes ; Mrs. T. M. Fowler, grist mill. The hotels are the Steuben, the Miller, the Per- kinsville, and the Lackawanna. John Smith is a manufacturer of cigars ; Nicholas Mather has a market, and W. F. Schubmehl and Mr. Schoon- over are local blacksmiths. Postmaster, Peter Didas. One of the Wayland Portland Cement companies has its seat of manufacture at this place. The churches are the Catholic and Lutheran.

CHAPTER XX.

CITIES, VILLAGES AND HAMLETS.

THE VILLAGE OF PRATTSBURG .- In the eastern central part of the town of Prattsburg, at the northern terminus of the Kanona and Pratts- burg railroad, is situated an incorporated village, named for the town, and both in honor of and allusion to the chief promoter and founder in fact of the original settlement, Capt. Joel Pratt. The village, in its hamlet character, antedates the town in name if not in history ; but it is doubt- ful if even Joel Pratt ever contemplated the founding of a village settle- ment, as a part of his chief enterprise, further than to establish a con- venient trading center for the accommodation of the scattered inhabi- tants. Joel Pratt, jr., and Ira Pratt first drew attention to the settlement by opening a store, and in 1806 or '7 Aaron Bull opened a tavern in a

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log house. Judge Porter also built a good mill. A public square was laid out and in 1808 three log houses were built around it. In the same year Prattsburg was designated as a post-office station, and post riders began regular trips betwen Geneva and Bath, passing through the set- tlement. However, through some political maneuvering, the route was afterward changed to the east side of Lake Keuka, to the great sorrow and inconvenience of residents of the village. Still, after a time a sys- tem was re-established and mails came regularly to Prattsburg. But the one event which, above all others, contributed to the welfare of our vil- lage was the construction and operation of the Kanona and Prattsburg railroad ; a recent consummation, to be sure, yet none the less welcome or desirable .. The work of construction was begun July 29, 1888, and the first train passed over the completed road October 9, 1889. Pratts- burg capital made the road possible, and Prattsburg enterprise pushed it to a successful completion ; and the whole of northern Steuben county reaps the benefit of its operation.

Returning again, however, to the early history of the village, we find that in 1803 the inhabitants of the locality organized a religious society, and provision was also made for a primitive school. The road to Bath was laid out in 1805, and two years later roads were built to Crooked or Keuka Lake and to West Hill. From this time Prattsburg became the principal trading point of the region and a future village was assured. A cemetery was also laid out in 1806.

From these humble elements has grown the present village of about 800 inhabitants, and we may say, as does its enterprising newspaper- The News, " it is one of the most beautiful villages of Steuben county, the northern terminus of the railroad, which, by connecting with the Erie and the D., L. & W. railways, renders the place easy of access. Daily communication is also maintained with the Northern Central, and the steamers on Lake Keuka." Still further the same paper continues : " The merchants and business men of Prattsburg are wide-awake and among the most enterprising business men of the State, and are finan- cially safe and reliable. There are four regular church services -Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and Catholic, while various young peoples' societies hold regular meetings."

In 1812 the most important of these four schools of the town was

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that maintained in the village, following which others were opened and thereafter continuously supportd. However, the necessity of a school of more advanced standard became apparent, and as its result there was founded and incorporated, on February 23, 1824, the Franklin Academy. This school at once took rank among the successful academic institu - tions of Western New York and for a period of nearly half a century enjoyed a prosperous existence. In 1868, under the provisions of the Union Free School law, the institution changed its character and thence-

FRANKLIN ACADEMY, PRATTSBURG.

forth became known as the Franklin Academy and Union Free School ; still maintaining, however, its old standard of excellence and promi- nence. Its management and affairs passed from the trustees to the newly constituted Board of Education. The faculty comprises a prin- cipal, preceptress, and four assistants. The members of the present board are H. J. Pinneo, president ; H. G. Skinner, jr., secretary, and Frank Hall, Byron Chisom, Henry Horton, Seymour Coggswell, W. G. Dean and William Howe. Treasurer, E. K. Smith.

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As the village grew in population and commercial importance the necessities of public improvement demanded that the hamlet character be laid aside and that the little berg take upon itself the more dignified title of corporation. To this end a petition was presented to the court of sessions, with result that on the 8th of November, 1848, Judge Mc- Master made an order of incorporation as required by law, subject to ratification by the electors of the described territory. This was done at a subsequently held election.

Still later, on the 20th of February, 1877, at an election held for that special purpose, the freemen voted to procure a village charter, accord- ing to the provisions of the law. This being done, the powers and authority of the corporation were materially enlarged, and by it Pratts- burg became a municipality of the second class. The first trustees and officers under the charter were E T. Watkins, president ; and Wm. S. Foster, A. H. Van Housen, Henry A. Ackerson ; Wm. W. Green, clerk ; A. K. Smith, treasurer.

The village officers for the year 1895 are as follows : Frank Hall, president ; James Coryell, Frank Flaherty and Angelo Walker, trustees ; Charles H. H. Boyd, collector ; W. F. McLean, treasurer ; Benjamin Castor, street commissioner ; W. G. Dean, police justice ; William F. Wilcox, clerk.

The business and mercantile interests of Prattsburg have advanced and kept even step with progress in other directions, although as a manufacturing village circumstances and location have prevented any prominence beyond the supply of domestic demand. In trade circles all branches appear to be well represented, with sufficient competition to prevent the possibility of monopoly and its consequent exactions.

The merchants and other business houses may be mentioned about as follows: Coggswell Bros., John Van Tuyl, W. A. Watkins and J. L. McCarrick, dealers in general merchandise ; G. F. Conine, mens' fur- nishings; Wurth & Flaherty, and Jacob T. Smith, grocers ; Barnum Cole, flour and grist mill ; George W. Peck & Co., and Flynn & Walker, hardware; C F. Hayes and W. G. Look, druggists ; Z. J. Terry and John A. Shea, furniture dealers and undertakers ; D. R. Edmond, jew- elers ; Charles L. Baker and Bailey & Knapp, meat dealers; F. D. Gillett, baker ; Mrs. S. D. Cornell, Miss Lina C. Graves and Mahn &

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Stoddard, milliners ; M. C. Curran, restaurant and bakery; Philip Geiss, tailor ; C. L. Pullar, dentist; Coryell & Clark and W. P. Dean, hay dealers ; Flint H. Lewis, coal dealer ; Frank Hall, general insurance ; H. B. Howe, market gardener ; John C. Clary, cooper ; H. J. Pinneo, painter ; F. H. Cook, wagonmaker; Germain Clark, saw mill; G. H. De Witt, photographer ; D. R. Myers, harnessmaker ; J. H. Keeler, harnessmaker ; B. P. Austin, painter ; George Bancroft, livery; Frank Relyea, landlord. The Plattsburg Creamery, one of the most complete of its kind in the region, was built in the spring of 1895. It is managed by Charles H. Higbee and Frank Flaherty. The attorneys of the vil- lage are James Flaherty (also postmaster), J. K. Smith and Harvey D. Waldo. The banking house of C. P. Smith was originally established in 1861, while that of W. F. McLean has been in operation since 1880.

The society organizations of the village are Prattsburg Lodge, No. 583, F. & A. M .; Prattsburg Lodge, No. 598, I. O. O. F .; Gregory Post, No. 649, G. A. R .; Prattsburg Grange, No. 112, P. of H .; K. O. T. M., Prattsburg Tent, No. 230; Banner Lodge, No. 533, I. O. of G. T., and the Prattsburg Cornet Band, F. F. Neff, leader. Of Protective Fire Company, S. D. Cornell is foreman, and G. W. Howe, secretary.

PRESHO .- This little hamlet was for many years known as Erwin Center, and previous to the division of the old town of Erwin, in 1848, was a place of considerable importance in local affairs. The town meet- ings were held here and other business was attracted to this central part of the town as then constituted. It was also a lumbering center of note forty and more years ago, and after the forest growths were cleared and agriculture became the chief pursuit of the inhabitants, it became a shipping point on the commonly called Blossburg railroad. The recent name-Presho-was given in allusion to a prominent family of that part of the town. T. J. Presho is now the local storekeeper and post- master. Here is located the Methodist Episcopal church, the district school, and the saw mill of H. M. Mccullough.

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Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 32

Author: Hakes, Harlo, 1823- ed; Aldrich, Lewis Cass. cn Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 1180

Author: Hakes, Harlo, 1823- ed; Aldrich, Lewis Cass. cn
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1180