Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 9

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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In the North Cohocton locality were a number of substantial and prominent settlers, among whom was Richard Hooker, from Baltimore, Md., former owner of a plantation and imbued somewhat with southern ideas and notions. He brought several slaves to the town, but when he united with the Society of Friends he manumitted his blacks and made suitable provision for their welfare. Henry and Richard Crouch were also early settlers, and in the same connection may be mentioned the Moultons and Tylers, Daniel Raymond and sons, John and Duty Waite, John Bush, Chauncey Atwell, Elijah Wing, David and Abijah Fowler, John Nicholson, Samuel Salisbury, Dr. F. H. Blakeley, Solomon Hub- bard, an early storekeeper, Benoni Danks, Jerry W. Pierce, " Uncle " Reuben Clason, Caleb Boss, and others whose names are now lost.

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LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

As will be seen from this narrative, the settlement of this part of Bath and Dansville was accomplished rapidly. Indeed, as early as the year 1814 the newly formed town contained 746 inhabitants, hence it is little wonder that they sought the formation of a separate district, for public convenience demanded that they have the same town facilities as were possessed elsewhere in the county. The act erecting the town was passed June 18, 1812, and the first town meeting was appointed to be held at the house of Joseph Shattuck, jr.

The electors met at the designated place on the 13th of April, 1813, and chose these officers: Samuel Wells, supervisor ; Charles Bennett, town clerk; Stephen Crawford, John Slack and William Bennett, asses- sors ; Jared Barr, John Woodward and Isaac Hill, highway commis- sioners ; John Slack and Samuel D. Wills, poormasters ; James Barnard, collector and constable.

The town records in which were kept the proceedings of town meet- ings, between the years 1813 and 1839, have been lost, thus making it impossible to furnish a complete succession of supervisors. However, having recourse to other records extant, a reasonably accurate list can be furnished from 1823, viz .: Paul C. Cook, 1823-26; David Weld, 1827-28 ; Paul C. Cook, 1829-30; David Weld, 1831 ; John Nichol - son, 1832 ; Paul C. Cook, 1833-35 ; Elias Stephens, 1836 ; Paul C. Cook, 1837-38 ; Calvin Blood, 1839; John Hess, 1840-41; Paul C. Cook, 1842; John Hess, 1843-44; Calvin Blood, 1845 ; Zephman Flint, 1846 ; John Hess, 1847; Calvin Blood, 1848; Zephman Flint, 1849; C. J. McDowell, 1850-52 ; David H. Wilcox, 1853 ; C. J. McDowell, 1854; A. Larrowe, 1855-57 ; James Draper, 1858; Stephen D. Shattuck, 1859 ; David Wilcox, 1860-62 ; F. N. Drake, 1863-64 ; D. H. Wilcox, 1865 ; John H. Butler, 1866-67 ; C. E. Thorp, 1868 ; S. D. Shattuck, 1869-70 ; J. M. Tripp, 1871 ; S. D. Shattuck, 1872 ; Thomas Warner, 1873-74; James P. Clark, 1875 ; O. S. Searle, 1876; Myron W. Har- ris, 1877 ; Byron A. Tyler, 1878; Myron W. Harris, 1879-80; C. E. Thorp, 1881; Dwight Weld, 1882-83; James M. Reynolds, 1884; Asa McDowell, 1885 ; W. T. Slattery, 1886; C. E. Thorp, 1887; H. W. Hatch, 1888; Charles Oliver, 1889; Dwight Weld, 1890; A. H. Wilcox, 1891-92 ; H. C. Hatch, 1893-95.

The officers of the town for the year 1895 are as follows: Hyde C.

THE CIVIL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY.

Hatch, supervisor ; W. K. Fowler, J. L. Waugh, J. J. Crouch, and E. A. Draper, justices of the peace; William Craig, William Hammond and Henry Schwingel, assessors; Eugene Slayton, collector ; Martin M. Wilcox, highway commissioner ; Melchoir Zeh, overseer of the poor ; Murray Tripp, Philip Folts and George I. Shoultice, commissioners of excise.

As we have before stated, Cohocton was formed from the still older towns of Bath and Dansville, and was, originally, much larger in area than as now constituted. A part was taken off in 1843 to form Avoca, and a considerable area was taken for Wayland in 1848. In 1874 a portion of Prattsburg was annexed to Cohocton. The town was named in allusion to the principal stream which crosses its territory in a rather tortuous course, but the framers of the town project, either for brevity or euphony, dropped the " n " in the first syllable, from which we have the name " Cohocton " instead of Conhocton.

As at present constituted, this town has an area of 34,600 acres of land, as good, fertile and generally productive as can be found in Steu- ben county. In fact Cohocton has long been classsd among the best towns of the entire valley, and the volume of business, in all branches, exceeds that of some of the larger towns. Cohocton, Atlanta and North Cohocton are villages of some note and shipping points of more than ordinary importance. These villages, however, are made the subject of special mention in another department of this volume, to which the attention of the reader is directed.

When this town was formed in 1812, the public mind was consider- ably agitated by the events of the war then in progress ; and the inhab- itants of this particular region had an additional element of disturbance in their very midst, for the Indians were still in the valley and some attempts were made to incite them to deeds of violence against the set- tlers. A number of the men of the town joined the army and saw service on the frontier, and nearly all the able-bodied men were among the enrolled militia and prepared for military duty on call. However, the storm of war passed without disaster to local interests, and the In- dians were restrained by the determined attitude of the settlers. Soon after 1815 the last remnant of them withdrew from the valley and went to the State reservations.

LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

In 1814, two years after the creation of the town, the inhabitants numbered 746, and in 1820 the number had increased to 1,560. Ten years later, (1830) the population was 2,544, the town then being the most populous in the county, with the single exception of Bath. In 1840 the number had increased to 2,965, but the formation of Avoca and Wayland during the succeeding decade, reduced the number to 1,993, as shown by the census of 1850. The next ten years witnessed a continued increase and the population in 1860 was 2,535, and in 1870 was 2,710. In 1880 the number was 3,346, and in 1890 was 3,444. Thus we note a constant increase in population from the formation of the town, a fact not noticeable in the majority of interior and agricul- tural towns in the State. Yet the statement must be made that much of this enlargement is found in the villages, with their ever-increasing interests, rather than in the town at large.

An interesting and at the same time quite exciting period in local history was that known as the anti-rent conflict, mentioned at greater length in another chapter ; and while of much importance to the settlers in this valley, those of Cohocton felt but little of the unfortunate effects of the event. We refer to this period as one of the incidents of local history, although the controversy with the land proprietors was rampant throughout the Genesee country. The active representatives of Cohoc- ton in the Bath convention of January, 1830, were Paul C. Cook, David Weld, Nathan Wing, Peter Haight and Alfred Shattuck, all " good men and true," and well qualified to represent the interests of our town.

After the settlement of this controversy the inhabitants turned again to the work of clearing and developing their farm lands. At that time no railroads had been built and the Conhocton was the principal thorough- fare of shipment to market of both lumber and farm produce. Lumber- ing, as a distinct feature of local history, began almost as early as settlement itself, but between the years 1830 and 1855 was carried on to a large extent. The older residents well remember the operations of the firm of H. D. Graves & Co., whose first mill was between Liberty and Loon Lake. The later firm of F. N. Drake & Co. were large lum- bermen, as also was Thomas Warner. However, soon after 1850 the railroad was constructed and with the increased facilities for shipping thus afforded, so, also, were lumbering interests enlarged until the de-

THE CIVIL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY.

sirable forest growths were practically exhausted. These operations led to the founding of settlements, with stores, public houses, shops and other adjuncts of villages, and while lumber making is virtually a thing of the past the settlements have remained, and grown, fostered and sup- ported by a rich producing agricultural region, and the latter cultivated by a thrifty and forehanded class of inhabitants.

From somewhat incomplete records the fact appears that during the period of the war of 1861-65, the town of Cohocton sent into the ser- vice a total of two hundred men, who were scattered through the several commands recruited in the county. At that time the town population was about 2,500, from which it is clear that about ten per cent. of the inhabitants were in the service. In another chapter will be found a record of the services of the companies represented by Cohocton vol- unteers, hence a brief mention is all that is required in this connection.

Of the early schools of Cohocton little is known except the fact that Sophia Trumbull opened the first in the cabin built by pioneer Jonas Cleland, also the further fact that the first school house stood on the Dusenbury farm, near the river, and was built about 1810. The loss of town records prevents us from furnishing the action of the early school authorities or referring accurately to the first apportionment of the ter- ritory into districts. However, speaking of the town at large, the state- ment may be made that in the matter of schools, those of Cohocton have kept even pace with others of the county, and to-day there are at least two organized union free schools within its boundaries. As now disposed the town contains twelve districts, each having a good school. During the last year, twenty teachers were employed in instructing the 731 pupils attending school. The value of school property is estimated at $21,095, and the total assessed valuation of the district is $994,943. During the same year (1894-5) the town received $2,592.59 of public school moneys, and raised by local tax the additional sum of $5,436.43.

CORNING .- In the latter part of the year 1789 Frederick Calkins and Ephraim and Ichabod Patterson made the first settlement in the town of Corning. Frederick Calkins, a Vermonter, had, in the summer be- fore, made an improvement in what is now Erwin, but soon learned that he was on Colonel Erwin's lands, consequently he left that locality and

LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

built a new cabin opposite the Chimney Narrows, on the south side of the Chemung. Thus was made the pioneer settlement in the present town of Corning, although many years elapsed before this name was applied to the region.

The town was originally a part of one of the provisional districts of Ontario county, and was organized in 1793 under the name of Painted Post. Three years later Steuben county was created, the old district name was retained, and its territory included all that is now Hornby, Campbell, Erwin, Corning, Caton and Lindley. By reason of important early events the present central portion of the township of Corning was a locality of much note, although no hamlet worthy the name was built up until nearly half a century afterward. The important events alluded to were in the nature of land operations and had a direct bearing on the early history of the town.

In the spring of the year 1790 an association was formed for the pur- pose of purchasing from the Phelps and Gorham proprietary a large tract of land in this part of Ontario county. The members comprised Frederick Calkins, Caleb Gardner, Ephraim Patterson, Justus Wolcott, Peleg Gorton and Silas Wood, and their purchase, substantially, was the present town of Corning, or township 2, of range I. All of these purchasers, except Mr. Wood, settled on the land and began improve- ments as early as the year 1792. However, there appears to have been some dissatisfaction in the company, growing out of what was said to be an unequal division of the land, and on the 15th of March, 1792, a number of the members, with others who purchased from the company, reconveyed to Mr. Phelps 10,040 acres of land ; and on April 4, fol- lowing Peleg Gorton likewise deeded to Mr. Phelps 2,000 acres of land in the town.

During their brief ownership, the proprietors caused a survey of the town to be made, after which the apportionment was effected, and when the feeling of disaffection arose the matter was referred for settlement to William Jenkins, Eleazer Lindley and John Hendy. The adjustment made by these arbiters proved satisfactory to the interested owners, and thereafter the question of land titles in Corning was permanently settled. Then improvements began, one of the first and most needed of which was the erection of a grist mill on Post Creek, near Ephraim Patterson's

DWIGHT A. FULLER.

THE CIVIL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY.

house, by Colonel Henderson and Mr. Payne. Two years later, 1795, Benjamin Eaton opened a store on the highway between Corning and Knoxville. The next year Charles Williamson, ever alert in the inter- est of his estates, purchased a tract of land on the north side of the Chemung and began the erection of a large and well-appointed public house, one which in appearance and size far outstripped any then in the Genesee country ; and one which has withstood the ravages of time for almost a century. This hostelry was long known as the "Jennings Tavern," John Jennings having been its owner and proprietor from 1813 to 1834, but the original landlord was Benjamin Patterson, the famous hunter and guide of the region in after years. Patterson came to the house in June, 1797, and on his arrival found these residents in the vicinity : David Fuller, Stephen Ross, Eli and Eldad Mead, George Mccullough, Howell Bull, afterward prominent in Bath history; Benjamin Eaton, Mrs. Nehemiah Hubbell, widow of Ichabod Patterson ; Jared Irwin, Jonathan and Jeduthan Rowley, Abraham and Dr. Phineas Brad- ley, Eliakim Jones, Enos Calkins, Frederick Calkins, and the Grotons, Wolcotts, Rowleys, the latter three living farther east. Besides these settlers there were in the valley and elsewhere James Turner, William Knox, Hezekiah Thurber, Samuel Shannon, David Hayden, Joseph Grant, Jonathan Cook and David Trowbridge.

Knoxville (now part of the city), says a cotemporary writer, " was founded and named after Hon. John Knox, who came to the place about 1795. He led a distinguished and active life, reflecting the high- est honor upon the community in which he lived. His residence, in which he kept public house, was located on the second lot below the Methodist church (1876) in Knoxville. It was in this house that the original Painted Post Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons occupied rooms, and where it flourished till 1827."

Ansel McCall moved into the town in 1804, and in the next year erected both saw and grist mills, on the south side of the river, near and below the canal dam.

Centerville, according to the same authority as noted above, formed part of the large farm of Judge Thomas McBurney, who, in 1824 or '25, laid out village lots, and also set up a high post which he claimed to be on the site of the original Painted Post. Hon. Philo P. Hubbell kept a

LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

large hotel, while other early business men were Fidelis Ferenbaugh, saddler and harnessmaker ; Z. F. Wilder, blacksmith; John Arnot and H. H. Matthews, storekeepers ; Charles L. Mills and Charles E. Osborne were also prominent business men of the place. At Centerville Judge Thomas A. Johnson began his legal career, and Ansel J. McCall, now of Bath, taught the first school. The old " Mallory House " was built about 1824, and in one of its wings the "Bank of Corning " began business in 1839. The act authorizing the construction of the Chemung Canal was passed April 15, 1829, and the work of building was finished in 1833. A State dam was built across the river at the lower end of the village, and a " feeder " was constructed to Horseheads, a distance of fifteen miles.

Thus have we briefly narrated the events by which this town was brought into existence and subsequently developed and built up, until it became in all respects the most progressive and firmly established town in Steuben county ; not, perhaps, the most populous, but one which from every point of view may justly lay claim to the title of metropolis of the shire. In general fertility of soil, natural advantages, thrift, enterprise and general progressiveness, the town of Corning, in- cluding of course the chartered city within its limits, is one of the best civil divisions in this part of the State.

However, retrospecting briefly, let us note some of the changes in the original territory of the town called Painted Post. The first reduc- tion in area was made in 1826, when Erwin and Hornby (including Campbell and Lindly) were set off, after which the town contained but two townships, numbers I and 2, range I, or, as now constituted, Corn- ing and Caton. The latter was separated from the mother town in 1839, leaving to Painted Post a single township, number 2, range I. The old name was continued until March 31, 1852, and then changed to Corn- ing, in honorable allusion to the enterprise of the " Corning Company," the acknowledged leader in which was Erastus Corning, of Albany, N. Y. This subject, however, will be more fully treated in the history of the city of Corning.

Reduced to its present area, Corning contains (inclusive of the city) 24,200 acres of land ; and land which agriculturists regard as rich and fertile as can be found in all Steuben county. Noting its physical char-

THE CIVIL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY.

acteristics, the wide valley of the Chemung, extending northwest and southeast through the center of the town, together with several lateral valleys, divide the uplands into rounded hills and narrow ridges. Its principal stream is the Chemung River, tributaries of which are Borden, Post, Narrows, Clump Foot and Winfield Creeks, as known a quarter of a century and more ago. The soil on the hills is a heavy, slaty loam, and in the valleys a fine quality of sandy and gravelly loam, occa- sionally intermixed with clay .. These elements are desirable for suc- cessful agricultural pursuits, and in response to the proper efforts of the husbandman yield abundantly in general crops, and as well in vegeta- bles and tobacco. The assessed valuation of the town, in real and per- sonal property, is $761,760; in real, $719,260, and personal, $42,500.

One of the most noticeable incidents of local history in Corning has been the constant and healthful increase in number of inhabitants in the town. In proof of this we may have recourse to the census tables, by which we learn that in 1800 the sparsely settled town of Painted Post had a population of 262, and during the next ten years the number had increased to 950. The census of 1820 gave Corning 2,088 inhabitants, but the reductions in territory which were made in 1826 also took many inhabitants, and the consequence was that in 1830 the town had 974 population. However, during the succeeding ten years the num- ber was increased to 1,674, while the census of 1850 showed the popu- lation to be 4,372. In 1860 it was 6,003, in 1870 was 6,502, in 1880 was 7,402, and in 1890, was 10, 188. The city of Corning was created by act of the Legislature in 1890, and, according to the count of 1892, had a population of 10,025. In the same year the town had 1,838 in- habitants.

As we have noted, the town was organized under the name of Painted Post, in the year 1793, then comprising one of the districts or towns of Ontario county. When Steuben county was erected, in 1796, and its towns formed, Painted Post was continued though somewhat reduced in area. In 1826 still other and greater portions of territory were taken in forming other towns. Previous to this time officers had been regularly elected and were chosen from the township at large. A com- plete succession of these early officers, or at least the supervisors, would be desirable, but it is impossible owing to the absence of reliable records.

LANDMARKS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.

However, having recourse to published documents, and relying some- what upon verified recollections, we are able to furnish a reasonably accurate list of supervisors from the year 1823, as follows ;

Thomas McBurney, 1823-24; John Knox, 1825; Thomas McBur- ney, 1826-27 ; John Knox, 1828-29; Henry H. Matthews, 1830-32; Daniel Gorton, 1833-34; William Bonham; 1835; Samuel K. Wol- cott, 1836; John McBurney, 1837-38; Henry H. Matthews, 1839; Thomas A. Johnson, 1840-41 ; John McBurney, 1842-43 ; John Sly, jr., 1844; Thomas A. Johnson, 1845-46; H. B. Noyes, 1847 ; Jona- than Brown, 1848 ; Benjamin P. Bailey, 1849-50; Daniel B. Cump- ston, 1851; William Irvin, 1852 ; Simeon Hammond, 1853 ; John May- nard, 1854; Charles Packer, 1855; Benjamin P. Bailey, 1856; Stephen T. Hayt, 1857 ; Charles C. B. Walker, 1858; Stephen T. Hayt, 1859- 63; Nelson Cowan, 1864-66; Henry Goff, 1867-68; John Vischer, 1869; Austin Lathrop, jr., 1870-77; Nelson Cowan, 1878; S. C. Robert- son, 1879-80 ; L. C. Kingsbury, 1881-83 ; Stephen T. Hayt, 1884; L. C. Kingsbury, 1885 ; H. C. Heermans, 1886-87 ; L. C. Kingsbury, 1888 ; B. W. Wellington, 1889; James L. Packer, 1890-92 ; R. F. Clark, 1893 ; Myron W. Robbins, 1894-95.

The town offiers for the years 1895 are as follows : Myron W. Robbins, supervisor ; Frank H. Johnson, town clerk ; Egbert Shoemaker, W. H. Sweetland, H. W. Van Etten. and Wm. Goff, justices of the peace ; Henry Teak, commissioner of highways; P. A. Rouse, Peter Coven- hoven, and G. W. Barnard, assessors; J. W. Calkins, overseer of the poor.

About the time the town of Painted Post was divided (in 1826) the in- habitants of the county were much disturbed on account of the feeling of unrest and dissatisfaction occasioned by the attitude of the Pulteney As- sociation in the land controversy just beginning. However, in this par- ticular locality little of the prevailing distress was felt, for the lands of Painted Post generally were very desirable and much sought. Still, act- ing in common with the entire region, this town assembled in meeting and selected representatives to the historic Bath convention, as follows : Robert H. Hoyt, Joseph Gillett, Charles Wolcott, jr., William Webster and Henry D. Smith.

From this time (about 1830) forth no disturbing event occurred to

THE CIVIL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY.

mar the harmony of local growth and progress. Soon after the settle- ment of the controversy the Corning Company was organized and laid the foundation for what is now a flourishing city, and on every hand were evidences of prosperity. All interests were enlarged, railroads, one following another. were constructed through the town and Corning became indeed an important community in the southern part of New York.

The next period of importance in local and general history was that commonly mentioned as the war of 1861-65, during which the martial spirit of this town was put to the test and not found wanting. A reference to the military roster of the town discloses the fact that Corning, town and village, furnished for the service a total of 324 men, who were scattered through the several regiments raised in southern New York. During the war the village was an important seat of operations and its close proximity to Elmira gave an additional interest to rapidly occurring events. In another chapter particular reference is made to the several companies recruited in the town and to their service at the front.

Record and tradition alike are almost silent regarding the early schools in this important town, and the unfortunate loss of town books leaves us quite in the dark as to the time when the town was first ap- portioned into school districts. Yet we know that the pioneers were not neglectful of the educational welfare of their youth, for as early as the year 1793 Samuel Colgrove opened a school in the town. In later years, as the town was divided and other jurisdictions created, it became necessary to as frequently redistrict the remaining portions of Painted Post, or Corning, and when the village assumed proportions of impor- tance excellent academic institutions were established. These naturally drew attendance from the town at large, a condition of things which ex- ists even to the present time, for the superior excellence of Corning's schools is known throughout the southern tier.

As at present disposed, the town is divided into sixteen districts, and during the last school year 2,428 pupils attended school in both town and city. The value of school buildings and property is estimated at $108,230, and the assessed valuation of the town and city is $4,200,445. Forty-eight teachers are employed annually. The joint town and city received public moneys to the amount of $7,981.06, while there was

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Landmarks of Steuben County, New York, Part 9

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