Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 7

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

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The territory of Bath was divided by the first board of commissioners into five school districts, and each district had three trustees. Later records are imperfect and defective, but from the results of Mr. Kings- ley's research we learn that a school was early established at Kanona, and that in the " White School house " in old district No. 2, William Howell taught in 1826. The first school house in the southeast part of the town was built of logs, near the four corners, where the Marshall Stewart house stands. John Wicks was one of the earliest teachers in that section. In 1847 the number of school districts in the town was twenty-seven, of which sixteen were entire and eleven joint with districts of other towns. As at present constituted the districts number twenty- five, located and known, respectively, as follows : No. I, Savona, organized 1891 ; No. 2, Harrisburgh Hollow ; No. 3, Irish Hill; No. 4, Unionville ; No. 5, Bath ; No. 6, East Union; No. 7, Chamberlain's ; No. 8, Kanona ; No. 9, Mt. Washington; No. 10, Wolf Run; No. II, Babcock Hollow; No. 12, Eagle Valley ; No. 13, Spaulding's Bridge ; No. 14, Sonora ; No. 15, Freeman Hollow ; No. 16, Veley District ; . No. 17, no distinguishing name ; No. 18, Oak Hill; No. 19, Cossville ; No. 20, Campbell Creek ; No. 21, West Union ; No. 22, Knight's Settle - ment ; No. 23, Buck's Settlement ; No. 24, Moore Settlement ; No. 25, Bowlby District.

The total value of school property in the several districts is estimated at $56,745. During the last current year the town received public moneys to the amount of $5,660.51, and raised by local tax for school purposes $6,547.13. Sixty trees were planted by pupils in 1894.

THE CIVIL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY.

The villages and hamlets of the town are subjects of special mention in another department of this work. However, we may state in this connection that the town has two incorporated villages, Bath and Savona, both conveniently situated on the line of the Erie and Delaware and Lackawanna Railroads, and well known among the municipalities of the county. Kanona is in the northwest part of the town, also on the railroads and a place of importance in the region. Unionville is a small hamlet situated about three miles southwest of Bath.

In the department of this work devoted specially to ecclesiastical history, will be found a record of each of the church organizations of the town.

BRADFORD .- On the eastern border of Steuben county, lying north of Campbell, south of Wayne, and east of Bath and Urbana, is a district known as Bradford, having an area of 14,500 acres of land. This town was created as a separate division of the county on the 20th of April, 1836, and was formed from the old town of Jersey, now known as Orange in Schuyler county. The surface is a hilly upland, broken by the valley of Mud Creek. Mud Lake is a small though pretty little body of water situated in Schuyler county, near the Steuben line, and it was on the outlet of this lake that Philip Bartles and John Harvey made a settlement in 1793, and two years later, at the suggestion of Charles Williamson, built both saw and grist mills. These industries had much to do with the development of the region. During the early period of the history of the region the outlet was a navigable stream, and in 1798 Mr. Bartles rafted one hundred thousand feet of lumber to Baltimore. Benjamin Patterson and one Brocher were noted hunters in this locality and supplied many of the settlements with both bear and deer meat. They were said to have killed during a single season as many as two hundred deer and a dozen bears.

Among the other pioneers and early settlers in this then wild and un- inviting region were John Hemiup, Samuel S. Camp, Abram Rosen - berg, Capt. John N. Hight, Henry Switzer, John Schrinner, Thomas Rolls, Michael Schott, Daniel Bartholmew, Henry Axtelle, Ezekiel Sackett, George Schnell, Stephen Edwards and a Mr. Smith, the christian name of the latter having been forgotten. These pioneers were chiefly lumbermen, though their ultimate purpose was the de-

LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

velopment of the land for farming purposes. Several of them built mills and became proprietors. Nearly all were from the lumber regions of Pennsylvania and came to the new region hoping to better their condition. They were chiefly Germans by birth or extraction, and were, withal, a hardy, persevering and industrious class of men and women. The descendants of many of them still live in the county, but the pioneers are all gone.

Another element of the early settlers were New Englanders, while still others were from New Jersey. Lacy Hurd, John Moore and Jesse Munson were Vermont Yankees; Capt. John Phelps came from Con- necticut ; James Longwell was from New Jersey, though an Irishman by birth. Still other settlers were John Zimmerman, David Woodward, Caleb Wolcott, John Inscho, Abel Eveland, Elias Thomas, James D. Morris, Rumsey Miller, David Dennis, Evan F. Thomas, John Kish- paugh, Charles and Benjamin Whithead, Daniel Taylor, John Stilts, Caleb Roch, Philip Morse, and others perhaps equally worthy of men- tion but whose names are lost with the lapse of years.

The land being at length cleared of its valuable timber growth, good farms were developed, and this part of the old town of Jersey became an agricultural region, and while it produces well in return to the proper efforts of the husbandman, it has never been noted for superior excellence in this respect. However, the farmers are generally prosperous and many fine farms are found in the town.

During the early history of the town, and while its lands formed a part of the older town of Jersey, the inhabitants felt the serious effects of the so-called anti-rent war. In the Bath convention Jersey was rep- resented by her strongest men, a portion of whom lived in the district afterward forming Bradford. They were Abraham M. Lybolt, Gilbert Reed, Caleb Wolcott, Peter Houck and Henry Switzer.

Six years after this event, or in 1836, the town was set off and made a separate division of Steuben county, and was named in allusion to and in honor of General Robert Bradford. A portion of its territory was an- nexed to Orange, April 17, 1854. The first town meeting was held at the dwelling of John Zimmerman on the fourth Tuesday in May, 1836, at which time these officers were chosen : Supervisor, S. Snell ; town clerk, Charles McFane; collector, Thomas Rowles; justices, James Wolverton and James Bradley.

THE CIVIL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY.

The supervisors of Bradford, from the time of its organization to the present, have been as follows : S. Snell, 1836-37 ; William H. Seybolt, 1838-39; J. C. Cameron, 1840; Joseph S. Fenton, 1841; James Barkley, 1842-43, and 1849; Hosea Longwell, 1844; William Bovier, 1845-46, and 1848 ; John Phelps, 1847 ; Charles Hubban, 1850; Will- iam Phelps, 1851-52 ; John D. Seybolt, 1853-54, and 1860-61 ; John F. Havens, 1855-56; Lewis Bennett, 1857, '67, and '71 ; Jesse Mun- son, 1858-59, and 1863-66; Edgar Munson, 1862; B. B. Switser, , 1868 ; Frank Aulls, 1869-70; Theron Cole, 1872; Alonzo Eveland, 1873-74, and 1881-86; J. M. Gilmore, 1875-76; Isaac Esterbrook, 1877; Ephraim Bennett, 1878-80 ; Frank Aulls, 1887 ; Philip Yawger, 1888 and 1891 ; Frank Hedges, 1889-90 ; S. A. Zimmerman, 1892-95.

The officers of the town for the year 1895 are S. A. Zimmerman, supervisor ; David Whitehead, Albert W. Dodge, W. C. Stetler and L. E. Bartholmew, justices; John C. Switzer, Arthur Gilmore and John O. Dennis, assessors.

Bradford is one of the few towns of Steuben county in which there has been a noticeable decline in population, indicating clearly that the agriculturists of the region have suffered in common with those of the whole country. When first set off from Jersey in 1836 the inhabitants numbered about 1,500, and increased to 1,885 in 1860. From that time until the present there has been a general decline in population, hence in productiveness and value of property, and the population of the town in 1890 was only 765 ; a less number than any town in the county, save Hartsville. Notwithstanding all this, Bradford possesses natural resources equal to many other outlying towns, and her people are energetic, thrifty and persevering. The institutions of the town are as firmly rooted and as substantial as in other similar districts. During the period of its history there have been built up two small villages, Bradford, in the northeast part of the town, and South Bradford in the southeast, both of which are elsewhere mentioned in this volume.

The early settlers were fully mindful of the educational and spiritual welfare of their families, and made generous provision for schools and the support of the public worship. A flourishing school was main- tained as early as 1814, and after the separation of the town from Jersey the new territory was arranged in convenient districts and schools pro-

LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY

vided for in each. From this beginning has grown the present system of the town, more complete in arrangement than ever before, yet possi- bly not as strong in point of number of pupils attending school. There are now five districts having school houses, and during the last current year six teachers were employed. Of public moneys the town received $720.70, and raised by local tax $1,006 90.

CAMERON .- Within its present boundaries this town contains 27,700 acres of land ; as originally formed on April 16, 1822, it included all its present area, and also the 22,000 acres set off to Thurston, as well as a portion of Rathbone. The former was created in 1844, and the latter in 1856. Geograpically, Cameron is located a little south of the center of the county, and its surface is high rolling upland, broken by the deep and quite narrow valley of the Canisteo, which stream crosses southeast through and near the center of the town. The soil is a clayey and gravelly loam, fertile and reasonably productive in many localities, but quite barren in others by reason of the stony and rocky character of the slopes.

When created, Cameron was named in allusion to and honor of Dugald Cameron, an early settler of Bath, at one time agent of the Pulteney estate, and withal one of the foremost men of the county dur- ing the period of his active life.

Directly, this town was formed from the original town of Addison, and its early settlement was made while the territory was a part of that jurisdiction. The pioneers of this locality were Richard Hadley, who afterward became known by the odd title of " The Second James," and Phones Green. Hadley first settled on the village site, near the rail- road crossing, and is said to have been ousted from his domicile by a landslide. He built the first saw mill, while the honor of building the first grist mill fell to Capt. Samuel Baker, who came to the town in 1816. Phones Green made his improvement about a mile below Baker's mill. Both these pioneers made their settlement in 1800, and it seems they must have been alone in this wild region for some time, for the next settlers, Joseph Butler, John Sauter and John Hollet did not reach here till several years later. Hollet kept the first tavern, while the first storekeeper was Andrew G. Erwin of still later settlement. James B. Wheeler was the grandchild of Mr. Baker, and was but seven years

THE CIVIL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY.

old when he came to the valley. He lived to witness wonderful changes in the town, and was himself afterward owner of the mill, which he rebuilt several times. About 1816 Amos Caldwell built a carding mill which was later on operated by John Place. John Dean soon came in and also located near the mills, the latter being a center of trade and settlement.

Still later settlers were Isaac Santee, in 1820, followed by the Hal- letts from the North of Ireland, originally, but hardy and enterprising men, whose descendants are still numerous in the valley. Silas Wheeler, a Scotchman, was here early, as also were Joel Clark, Amasa Downs, Isaac Jones, James Lawrence, Capt John White, William Moore, Skel- ton and Joseph Robinson, Nathaniel Bundy, and others.

On South Hill Elisha Leach settled in 1825, and Reuben Drake in the Swale about the same time. James and Henry Knickerbocker set- tled on the north ridge in 1826 and Elias Mason came about the same time. Thomas Allen came in 1827, Richard Smith in 1831, John W. Barrows in 1832, and so on until even early settlement ceased. Still, in the same connection, justice demands mention of Andrew Bates, John Shaw, Timothy Carpenter, Joseph Plaisted, N. Rouse (the fiddler and an important functionary on all public occasions), Samuel Pugsley, John Barber, Harley Sears, Hiram Averill, John French, David Ames and Amos White as early and worthy residents, all willing to brave the dangers and privations of pioneership in a new and then certainly un- inviting region. Some of these men were farmers while many others were lumbermen, and in fact the latter pursuit prevailed for many years. Indeed, this whole valley was primarily covered with a splendid forest growth and the lumber shipped down the Canisteo from Cameron and vicinity amounted to millions of feet annually. But as the lands were cleared the town became an agricultural region, while the water power of the river turned the wheels of many mills of various kinds.

The advocates of a new town project became earnest in their discus- sion as early as 1820 although it was not until two years afterward that the matter took definite form. The act was passed April 16, 1822, and the first town meeting was held at the house of Samuel Pierson, a mile and a half north of Cameron village, in February, 1823. Unfortu- nately, the early town records have been lost or destroyed. However,

LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

it is known that Elias Mason was the first supervisor ; Moses L. Pierson town clerk and collector, and James Brownell, constable. At this time the local population could not have exceeded 400, as in 1825 the num- ber of inhabitants was but 553. As evidence of later rapid growth we may state that in 1830 the population had increased to 924, and in 1840 to 1,359. Ten years later the greatest population in the town's history was reached, being 1,701 in 1850. In 1860 it had fallen to 1,569, and in 1870 to 1,334. The next ten years, however, showed an increase to 1,611, but in 1890 had decreased to 1,564. In 1892 the population of the town was 1,455.

The anti-rent conflict, as it has been commonly called, was not with- out its disastrous effects upon the people of this town, though local interests suffered no more seriously than did those of other localities whose settlers held their land under the Pulteney and Hornby titles. The delegates to the Bath convention from Cameron were Jacob Thayer, Joseph Loughry, Isaac Santee, Sheldon Porter and Hiram Averill, the latter serving on the committee which prepared the memorial presented to the agents of the proprietary. However, after the period of disturb- ance had passed, and after the settlers had become quieted in the posses- sion of their lands, all affairs resumed their natural channels, and thence- forth the history of the town was uneventful.

During the period of the Rebellion the town of Cameron furnished eighty-three men for the service, who were scattered through the vari- ous companies and regiments recruited in the county, notably the 86th, 23d, the 107th and the 189th regiments of infantry.

The supervisors of Cameron, in succession, have been as follows : Elias Mason, 1823-27 ; Joseph Loughry, 1828-30; Moses L. Pierson, 1831 ; Andrew G. Pierson, 1832 ; Isaac Santee, 1833-36; C. P. Hub- bard, 1837 ; James H. Miles, 1838; Joseph Loughry, 1839-40; Moses De Pue, 1841 ; James Lawrence, 1842-44; H. L. Swift, 1845 ; Luther White, 1846-47 ; H. J. Hyatt, 1848 ; John Miles, 1849-50; H. J. Hyatt, 1851 ; William N. Smith, 1852-53 and 1856-59; Peter Chase, 1854; John Mitchell, 1855 ; Samuel D. Sellick, 1860-61 ; Orange W. Hinds, 1862-64; Luther White, 1865 ; Heman S. Swift, 1866-67 ; Jesse Santee, 1868 and 1881 ; A. J. Lawrence, 1869-70; Charles A. Bateman, 1871 and 1877-78 ; Lucius C. Pierson, 1872-73 and 1882-85 ;

THE CIVIL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY.

Grattan H. Wheeler, 1874-75 ; S. A. Gardner, 1876; John E. Dicky, 1879-80; Royal S. White, 1886-88; Joel Clark, 1889-90; Almon Waters, 1891 ; Joel Clark, 1892-95.

Half a century ago Cameron had more and greater industries than dur- ing recent years, for the lumbering operations were of great magnitude in this valley and brought to the town a class of people who possessed means and circulated it freely. Taverns and public houses were num- erous and each arriving stage coach brought its contingent of new- comers and buyers. In 1850 the New York and Erie railroad was built through the town, but even this great thoroughfare of travel had not the effect of keeping alive the interest of former years. Cameron village, West Cameron and North Cameron were places of note and importance at that time, yet only one has maintained its standing to the present day. West Cameron is now a hamlet of half a dozen dwell- ings, a church and a school, and its post-office was discontinued in 1874. Here was once the home of Isaac Santee, David Ames and Luther White. North Cameron now consists of a few dwellings, and other evidences of the days of stage travel, especially the old buildings once used as hotels, for there were four of them on the old Bath road, The post-office, however, has been maintained here, the present postmaster being Galen A. Clark. Cameron Mills is also a post station on the railroad, in the east part of the town. The postmaster is James Craw- ford.

The town of Cameron has several organized church societies, being four Methodist Episcopal and located at Cameron, West Cameron, South Hill and North Hill; also a Baptist church at Boyd's Corners, and a Christian church located in the Gardner district, so called.

Cameron has thirteen school districts, with 355 children attending school. For their instruction fourteen teachers are employed annually. The public moneys apportioned to the town in 1893-4 was $1,628.53, and there was raised by town tax $3,533.88.

The town officers of Cameron for the year 1895 are as follows : Joel Clark, supervisor ; J. D. Wheeler, town clerk; James A. Smith, W. E. Ferguson, Mowry Stuart and G. M. Reese, justices of the peace ; P. P. Mason, M. G. Dickey and J. Halliman, assessors ; George Gunderman, highway commissioner ; R. K. Wilson, overseer of the poor; F. E. Mckenzie, C. E. Stuart and Z. D. Stuart, excise commissioners.

LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

CAMPBELL .- Adjoining the town of Bath on the southeast is a dis- trict of land containing 25,500 acres, known by the name of Campbell, though previous to white settlement and civil organization the same district was called township 3, range 2, Phelps and Gorham purchase. The proprietary just mentioned sold this township to Prince Bryant, a Pennsylvanian, and conveyed it by deed dated September 3. 1789, in consideration of £1,000, New York currency. On October 2d, follow- ing, Bryant sold the township to Elijah Babcock, and the latter in turn sold in parcels, and at divers times, to Roger Clark (7,680 acres), Samuel Tooker, David Holmes and William Babcock. However, by some process of law the title to a large portion the township reverted to Oliver Phelps, who afterward sold Joshua Hathaway, Zalmon Tousey, Robert Campbell and Gideon Granger. Campbell purchased half the entire tract, his deed bearing date November 21, 1801. Tousey had 1, 132 acres, under deed dated December 2, 1801. Hathaway became possessed of 2,037 acres, paying therefor $5,092.52, his deed bearing date October 2, 1801. Under these land operators the first settlements were made.

The pioneers of this town were Joseph Wolcott, Elias Williams, Samuel Calkins and David McNutt, who came in 1801 or '82, Pre- vious to this, however, Abram and Isaac Thomas had built a cabin in the town, but they were hunters and trappers rather than pioneer settlers. James Pearsall and one Sailor are also said to have been among the earliest settlers. In addition to these, many of the pur- chasers mentioned in the preceding paragraph also became settlers in the town, and were among its most inflential and useful men.

Conspicuous among the pioneers were the Campbell family, of whom Rev. Robert Campbell was the recognized head, and while the town was named after the family in general, he was regarded as the leader of them all and was in the minds of the organizers of the town when that event took place. Robert Campbell and his nephew, Samuel Campbell, the latter having served with credit during the Revolution, came to the Conhocton valley from Saratoga county in 1803. Robert brought with him four sons, Robert, jr., Miner, Bradford and Philo. Bradford died in 1804, and was the first person buried in the Campbell cemetery. Joseph Stevens settled in the town in 1805, and his sons, Joseph and John, were also early settlers.

THE CIVIL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY.

The Mead Creek colony, as it has been called, was brought to the town in 1816, through the influence of David and William Holmes, who traded lands here for Vermont farms, thus inducing settlement by several sturdy sons of the Green Mountain State. They were Jonas and Jacob Woodward, Hinsdale Hammond and Stephen Corbin, all from Windham county. They were followed by Sampson and Amasa Bixby, and still later by others now forgotten. These Vermonters were chiefly Baptists, and as early as 1823 organized the "First Baptist Church of Painted Post," Rev. Jonathan Stone, pastor. Later on they were also instrumental in organizing the Baptist church at Cooper's Plains.

Recalling briefly the names of some others of the early settlers in Campbell, we may mention Selah Hammond, who built an early saw mill on Mead's Creek ; also Samuel Besly, Reuben W. Millard, Capt. John P. Knox, an extensive lumberman ; John D. Hamilton, who with others built a tannery in 1854, and the Campbell tannery in 1857, and was also an early storekeeper ; Daniel B. Curtis, also a tanner ; and Joel Orlando Comstock, Clark Bassett and others. The first birth in the town was that of Bradford Campbell ; the first marriage that of Asa Milliken and Rachel Campbell, and the first death that of Fred- erick Stewart, in 1806. Campbell & Stephens built the first saw mill, and Campbell & Knox the first grist mill. Robert Campbell kept the first tavern, and Frederick Stewart the first store.

In local history in the county Campbell has always been regarded as one of the rough, mountainous towns, but notwithstanding this it was as early settled, and by a class of inhabitants as thrifty and determined as found in any town in the entire region. The first settlers here found the timber as good and as abundant as they could desire, hence gave their first attention to lumbering. The more important tribu- taries of the Conhocton, such as Wolf and McNutt Runs, Mead's Creek, Dry Run, and Stephens's and Michigan Creeks, together with the main stream, furnished abundant water power and rafting facilities, and dur- ing the first quarter of a century of the town's history the business in- terests were equal to those even of the present day. As the forests were cleared away fine farms were developed, for the bottom lands are a rich alluvium, while the elevations have a strong clay and gravelly soil.

LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

In 1830 this township, then and previously a part of Hornby, con- tained about 500 inhabitants, and measures were soon taken for the erection of a new town. The desired act was passed April 15, 1831, and Campbell was brought into existence. At the first town meeting held in the spring of 1832, these officers were elected: Daniel Clark, supervisor ; Milo Hurd, town clerk; William Stewart, Samuel Cook, Daniel Horton, assessors ; Adin J. Pratt, collector. The first justices were Parley Seamans and Alvin Corbin.

The supervisors of Campbell have been as follows : Daniel Clark, 1832 ; William D. Knox, 1833-34 ; Benjamin Farwell, 1835-37 ; Will- iam Stewart, 1838-39 ; S. A. Campbell, 1840-42 ; William Stewart, 1843-44 ; Willis McNeil, 1845-46; J. P. Knox, 1847-48 ; S A. Campbell, 1849; W. P. Knox, 1850; Willis McNeil, 1851-52 ; Joseph Hammond, 1853 ; S. J. Teeple, 1854; Alson Pierce, 1855; Daniel Curtis, 1856 ; Samuel Balcom, 1857-60; George W. Campbell, 1861- 65 ; Charles Cass, 1866-69 ; Charles H. Bemis, 1870-72 ; E. J. Arm- strong, 1873-74; G. R. Sutherland, 1875-77; Elias A. Overhiser, 1878 ; John D. Hamilton, 1879-84; George R. Sutherland, 1885-87 ; N. H. Platt, 1888; E. B. Ross, 1889-91 ; H. B. Willard, 1892-93 ; John S. Curtis, 1894-95.

The town officers for 1895 are John S. Curtis, supervisor ; Ira M. Platt, town clerk; Daniel A. Stark, Harmon Stevens, John Wilcox and and Obed Nute, justices of the peace ; Myron A. Beard, Miles J. Wood- ward and Benjamin Balcom, assessors; W. Bradley McNeil, collector ; James Greek, overseer of the poor ; John King, highway commissioner ; Thomas A. Sawyer, Josiah T. Burrows, Floyd Fuller, excise commis- sioners.

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Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 7

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