USA > New York > Wayne County > Landmarks of Wayne County, New York, Pt. 1 > Part 23
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The Presbyterian Church of Sodus Center was organized March 16, 1863; Rev. Chester Holcomb was moderator. The first trustees were: John F. Proseus, Lewis Crane, Harrison Cottrell, Robert Shepardson, and John F. Peeler. , They erected a house of worship in Sodus Center in 1866, at a cost of $1,000. A commission of the Lyons Presbytery, consisting of Revs. William L. Page and William Young, constituted the church October 26, 1870, with nine members. The society now has forty members, and a Sunday school of fifty scholars, with C. M. Clapp, superintendent. The pastor of this church and also of the church at Joy is Rev. E. J. Bulgin.
Episcopal Churches .- Probably the first clergyman of this denomina- tion to visit Wayne county was Rev. Davenport Phelps, that pioneer of Episcopalianism in Western New York. He was the first officiating minister in Geneva in 1806, or before, and frequently visited Sodusand other towns. July 25, 1826, the first parochial meeting in this town was
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held at the old brick school house, and in August St. John's Church, Sodus Ridge (now Sodus village), was organized by Rev. John A. Clark. Thomas Wickham and Elijah MeKinney were elected wardens, and Elisha Mather, Oren Gaylord, Henry Jones, Bennett C. Fitzhugh, John O'Bryan, Joseph Williams, William Dolloway, and William N. Lummis were chosen vestrymen. The certificate of incorporation was acknowledged and recorded in the county clerk's office August 20, 1826. The corner stone of the present edifice was laid with Masonic ceremonies September 26, 1826. It was completed and dedicated September 8, 1834, by Rt. Rev. Bishop Coxe, of Buffalo. It contains several memo- rial windows. The parish has fifty-five communicants under the rector- ship of Rev. F. W. Beecher, who is also superintendent of the Sunday school.
Christ's Episcopal Church of Sodus Point was organized May 3, 1851, with B. C. Fitzhugh and William S. Malcolm, wardens, and William Edwards, William P. Irwin, William Preston, William Robinson, Charles B. Hallet, David Rogers, and Elida Petit. The certificate was acknowl- edged before Hon. Thomas A. Johnson, of the Supreme Court, and re- corded November 24, 1851. It united with the Sodus church in the support of a clergyman. The parish has about twenty communicants and a Sunday school of about twenty scholars. They have a neat frame church edifice.
St. Luke's Episcopal Church of Sodus Center was established as a mission about 1875 and a small chapel erected on a lot donated by Eli- sha Mather. The parish has about twenty communicants, and a Sunday school with the same number of scholars.
The Free Congregational Church of Sodus was organized October 11, 1843, with thirty-four members. Rev. Samuel R. Ward, then of South Butler, was moderator and Rev. David Slie was secretary. December 24, 1843, Levi Gaylord was chosen leader and Josiah Rice deacon. Rev. Samuel Wire preached for the church regularly for two or three years. This church never filed any certificate of incorporation. The trustees were Kitchell Bell, Isaac Snow, and S. W. Hurlburt. Meetings were held at the school-house in the village, and the organization was continued for eight or nine years.
The Free Methodist Church of Alton was first recognized as a part of Rose circuit November 1, 1861; William Cooley was the first preacher in charge; William Burns, class-leader for Alton, and also elected stew- ard ; other early members were C. T. Cuer, James Stevenson, and West-
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brook Case. A meeting to effect a separate organization was held April 18, 1862, Rev. M. D. MeDougall, chairman, E. D. Bradshaw, secre- tary. The trustees were Aaron Winget, Walter Emery, and James Stevenson. In 1868 the society erected a neat chapel at a cost of $1000, and dedicated in that fall. The society has fifty-five members and a Sunday school of eighty members; G. E. Burn is superintendent.
An organization representing the faith of the Adventists was effected in Alton in 1869 or 1880, by Elder Miles. Mr. Bowers and George Shaver were deacons; William H. Steele, elder, and Taylor Steele, clerk and treasurer. The society held services in the stone meeting house and the Bell school house.
A Protestant Methodist society was organized August 15, 1847, with Lawrence Teall, Ira Drake, Isaac N. Clark, and James Lyle, trustees ; the certificate of incorporation was filed April 7, 1848. This society had been preceded by another organization at Sodus Point in October, 1837, of which the first trustees were John Segar, Henry Doviel, Chauncey Phelps, Rufus Field, E. W. Bliton, and Seth Blanchard. This was never incorporated. The first named organization was renewed in Al- ton in 1869 with Philp Rankard as leader. Services were held there in the stone meeting house.
The Christian Church of Alton was formed in the winter of 1842-43, by Rev. Amasa Stanton and Rev. Mr. Mosher. George Gould was the first clerk and John G. Kelly and John Baker were the first deacons. Rev. Mr. Mosher preached for four years. The stone meeting house belonging to this society was built about 1851. The society made a legal organization June 23, 1851; the trustees were George Leighton, William Walker, John G. Kelly, Frederick Utter, and William R. K. Ilone. The certificate was acknowledged before Nathaniel Kellogg, and recorded September 24. Owing to some informality the organiza- tion was renewed, and the certificate again recorded January 22, 1853, and the Christian church near Joy having been organized in the mean time the name of the Alton society was changed to the "Second Christ- ian Church of Sodus."
A United Society of Believers in Christ's second appearing, popularly known as Shakers, flourished several years at Nichols' Point, coming to Sodus from New Lebanon about 1823. They purchased of Judge Nichols 1,450 acres of land on which they erected large buildings. About fifteen years later they removed, selling their property to Adams, Duncan & Co., promotors of the Sodus canal, for $100 an acre. This
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firm sold it to a Fourierite association, but after a brief existence they disbanded and it fell back into the possession of the canal men. The society removed to the Genesee flats in Livingston county and estab- lished themselves on land which they purchased at $60 an acre. Their old meeting house is now occupied as a dwelling.
The First Christian Church of Sodus was organized in the Wallace district, southwest of Joy, October 1, 1852 .. The first trustees were Joseph Green, John W. Allen, Orville Carpenter and Adam Tinklepaugh. The certificate was recorded February 5, 1853.
The society had religious services at the Wallace school-house for several years, but the formal church organization has not been main- tained.
The Free-Will Baptist society was organized April 6, 1843, with Sam- uel Wire, Benjamin Chapman, John D. Robinson, David Phillips, and Willard Parker, trustees. The certificate was recorded May 6. The society built the meeting-house in the south part of the town, and under the ministry of Rev. Samuel Wire had services regularly for several years. However, finally the organization ceased to exist, and the edi- fice was sold to the German Evangelical Association.
The German Evangelical Association, popularly known as "Al- bright's," belongs to the Newark circuit, and the minister resides at Newark.
CHAPTER XVIL.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN AND VILLAGE OF LYONS.
In the primitive division of Ontario county the town of Lyons, in- cluding Arcadia, embraced the southeast corner of the old district of Sodus. March 1, 1811, it was set off to form a separate township, and on the 15th of February, 1825, Arcadia was created from its territory, leaving Lyons with its present assessed area of 21, 661 acres. It is bounded on the east by Rose and Galen, on the south by Ontario county, on the west by Arcadia, and on the north by Sodus. It comprises the portion of the Gore lying between the old and new pre-emption lines and the southwest corner of town 13, the east part of town 12, and the northeast corner of town IL of the Pultney estate.
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The town was originally covered with dense forests, consisting of beech, maple, hemlock, oak, ash, hickory, basswood, elm, etc., which long gave employment to numerous saw mills. Ganargwa Creek flows southeasterly from Arcadia to Lyons village, where it joins the Canan- daigua outlet, the two forming the Clyde River, which runs thence southeast into Galen. This junction was known in early days as the "Forks," and beyond it boats could run only when freshets prevailed. The river guided the first settlers not only to this town, but to Wayne county, and this became the site of the pioneer habitations. These streams afford excellent drainage and several good mill privileges.
The surface is undulating and broken into sand ridges. The soil is a rich, sandy, and gravelly loam on the highlands and marl on the creek bottoms. It is exceedingly fertile, and yields abundant crops of grain, fruit, hay, peppermint, potatoes, vegetables, etc. It is a note- worthy fact that in Lyons the great peppermint industry of Wayne county had its origin, and with it the name of Hotchkiss is inseparably connected. Its cultivation forms an important agricultural interest of the town and a large area of adjacent territory, and affords to those engaged in the business an immense revenue annually. There are a number of mint stills that extract the oil from the fragrant herb, and local dealers buy and ship it to distant markets. Besides these industries the rearing of live stock is carried on to a considerable extent.
The first town meeting for the old district of Sodus was held at the house of Evert Van Wiekle, within the present limits of Lyons, on the present Rogers farm, on April 2, 1799, and the officers elected on that date are given in the Sodus chapter. The first meeting after the present town was organized was held at the house or Thomas D. Gale on the first Tuesday in April, 1811, and the following officers were chosen: Gilbert Howell, supervisor; Gabriel Rogers, town clerk; Joseph Burnett, Jacob Leach, Jesse Brown, assessors; John Tibbitts, collector; Samuel Soverhill, William Patten, Jesse Brown, highway commissioners; Joseph Burnett and Gabriel Rogers, overseers of the poor; John Tibbitts and Thomas Sutton, constables; and thirty-one overseers of highways. The town records are very incomplete and the names of the supervisors from 1839 to 1855 inclusive can not be ascertained. Excepting that period the following have held the principal town office:
Gilbert Howell, 1811, John Brown, 1812-13, Henry Hyde, 1814,
Ezekiel Price, 1815, Ezra Jewell, 1816, Oren Aldrich, 1817-19,
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Robert W. Ashley, 1820,
Bartlett R. Rogers, 1859-61,
Oren Aldrich, 1821-22,
Miles S. Leach, 1862-68,
Robert W. Ashley, 1823.
Nelson R. Mirick, 1869-74,
James P. Bartle, 1824,
William Van Marter, 1875-77,
Oliver Allen, 1825-26,
George W. Cramer, 1878-79,
Robert W. Ashley, 1827-30,
Bartlett R. Rogers, 1880,
Abel Lyon, 1831,
Leman Hotchkiss, 1881-82.
Eli Johnson, 1832-33,
M. H. Dillenbeck, 1883-85.
John W. Holley, 1834-37.
R. A. Hubbard, 1886-88,
Nelson Peck, 1838,
A. E. Burnett, 1889,
1839 to 1855, unknown,
William P. Mirick, 1890,
Miles S. Leach, 1856,
A. E. Burnett, 1891-93, G. W. Koester, 1894.
John Adams, 1857, C. Rice, 1858,
The town officers for 1894 are: G. W. Koester, supervisor; John Mills, town clerk; J. B. Haynes, collector; Louis Deuchler, L. L. Dickerson, W. E. MeCollum, C. D. Leach, justices of the peace; Ernst Berns, Daniel Barton, George F. Fellows, assessors; Samuel Cronise and Edward Claassen, overseers of the poor; F. H. Miller, highway commissioner; William Bailey, John HI. Young, Louis P. Engel, excise commissioners.
The first settlers in Wayne county as well as the first in this town came in by boats or bateaux on the Clyde River to the junction of Ganargwa Creek and Canandaigua outlet, and there is now standing in Lyons village a celebrated landmark in the form of an elm tree, to which the pioneers fastened their craft. This venerable relie is appro- priately preserved, and around it cluster many interesting events. The earliest records of roads in Lyons were made in 1800, but the first thoroughfare laid out was the "Geneva road " from the village to Sodus Point in 1794, by Captain Charles Williamson, the cutting of which cost him over $250. Within two years this was extended to Geneva at an expense to Williamson of about $180, and subsequently for some time was maintained as a plank road, as was also the highway along the valley. Other roads were opened as settlers came in, and improved from time to time as necessity required. In 1811 the town was divided into thirty-one road districts; in 1817 there were fifty-one, in 1822 the number was fifty-one, and in 1824 there were eighty; at present there are forty-seven.
April 10, 1824, Eli Frisbie, Simeon Griswold, and James Dickson were appointed a committee to built a bridge across Canandaigua out- let (or Clyde River) at Lyons village "where the old bridge now stands,
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or as near as possible," and the supervisor was authorized to raise by tax $1,000 for the purpose. March 26, 1829, the supervisor was em- powered to raise $2,000 to erect two bridges, one over the Clyde River on the road leading from the village to Hecox's mills, and another across Ganargwa Creek and Erie Canal. March 30, 1832, $700 were appropriated for the construction of a bridge over the Canandaigua out- let at Alloway. March 26, 1838, the supervisor was authorized to raise $2,000, of which $1,000 was for the rebuilding of a bridge across the Ganargwa near its junction with the outlet, and the balance for the re- construction of the bridge over Clyde River near Kingman & Durfee's mill. These are the principal early bridges; subsequently all of them, and others, were superseded by substantial iron structures.
In 1825 the Erie Canal was completed and opened through the town and village, and the event was celebrated with appropriate ceremonies. It imparted a new impetus to the pioneer settlement, and ever afterward exerted a marked influence upon the development and commercial ad- vancement of the community. Clyde River immediately lost its pres- tige as a water route, and gave up its commerce to the "great ditch."
In 1841 the canal aqueduct was built over Ganargwa Creek under the supervision of Zebulon Moore, who was afterward appointed superin- tendent of the Wayne county section.
In 1853 the New York Central Railroad was opened with a station at Lyons village, and again an important impetus was inaugurated. The first passenger train passed over the route on May 30th of that year. The present brick depot was built in 1890. May 17, 1872, the town is- sued bonds to the amount of $135,000, and on Feburary 18, 1874, another lot amounting to $15,000, in aid of the Sodus Bay and Corning Railroad, and up to January 1, 1804, all had been paid and canceled except $17, - 000. This is now the Fall Brook Railway, and was built only as far as Lyons. The railroad commissioner is D. S. Chamberlain. The West Shore (originally the New York, West Shore and Buffalo) Railroad was constructed and formally opened through the town January 1, 1885.
The first settlers in Lyons and the first in Wayne county were Nich- olas and William Stansell, brothers, and. John Featherly, their brother- in-law, with their families, numbering in all twelve persons. In the spring of 1789 they built and launched a boat on the Mohawk River, and with an Indian trader named Wemple as a pilot the party came the en- tire distance by water, arriving at the junction of Ganargwa Creek and Canandaigua outlet, the head of navigation and the site of Lyons vil-
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lage, in May, 1789. They settled on what is now the Dunn farm, and their first log house stood on the site of the present residence. They brought with them a number of swine, which were allowed to roam the forests and, becoming wild, were hunted as other game. Mr. Stansell, père, evidently comprised one of the party, for he died soon after their arrival and "was buried without funeral rites," which was doubtless the first white death in town. Nicholas Stansell is said to have been their leader. He was born in Springfield, Mass., September 11, 1755, and while a youth moved with his parents to the Mohawk valley. He was a noted hunter and a typical pioneer, being endowed by nature with a wonderful physique. Uniting their forces with three or four men who had settled in Phelps, Ontario county, a few months previously, they cut a road through the forests to the grist-mill at Waterloo. Nich- olas Stansell was very prominent in the early settlement, and was one of the first trustees of the M. E. Church. He had ten children, and died December 11, 1819; his remains were interred in the Newark cem- etery. John Featherly sold his farm to Daniel B. Westfall and moved to Rose, where he died in 1843, aged eighty years. Daniel Cole died August 25, 1855.
From 1789 to 1794 there is no account of other settlers coming into this town, but in the latter year Capt. Charles Williamson, through his local agents, Charles Cameron and Henry Towar, began improvements at Lyons village and Alloway respectively, and it is said that he ex- pended a total of about $12,000 in the two places. Daniel Scholl was his millwright at Alloway, where a good grist-mill was built.
In 1796 James Otto came to Lyons from Pennsylvania and assisted in building the mill and a warehouse at Alloway; the latter was finally moved to Lyons and became a Presbyterian church and afterward a cabinet shop. In 1798 Mr. Otto married a daughter of Capt. Samuel Dunn, which was the first marriage in town. They had sixteen chil- dren, of whom Samuel was murdered in Rose. He settled on a farm three miles southeast of Lyons village, which he sold after attaining the age of eighty, and removed to Michigan.
In 1797 Rev. John Cole, a native of England and a local Methodist preacher, came to Lyons, and was joined in 1799 by his sons Thomas and Joseph, a daughter Mary, and a son-in-law, Samuel Bennett. Mr. Cole was the first preacher in the town. He bought 263 acres at $5 per acre, which was the first individual purchase in Wayne county east of Lyons village. He had a large library, was a great student, and died
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here in 1808. His daughter married Rev. William Ninde, an Episcopal elergyman, and after his death took up her residence here with four sons and two daughters, one of whom was Thomas, who married a daughter of Evert Van Wickle. Joseph Cole moved to Galen in 1834 and his son Samuel J. inherited the homestead. The latter died in April, 1883.
George Carr settled on a farm of twenty-five acres now within the village limits in 1798. He came from Maryland, was a stone mason, and died January 30, 1841. Adam Learn moved here from Pennsyl- vania as early as 1800. He was a brother-in-law to James Otto. His eldest son John located in Galen on lot 42 and died in 1864.
Amos Gilbert was born in 1752, served in the Revolutionary war, came to Lyons with his family in October, ,1806, and died in Sodus in 1832. He was a carpenter, and had four daughters and six sons, of whom John, David, and Solomon served in the war of 1812. Solomon died in the service. Deacon John Gilbert, the eldest son, was born in Salem, Mass., December 30, 1789. He settled in the village in 1810 and died there July 22, 1882. He was a sergeant in Captain Hull's company on the Niagara fronter, became captain of militia, was an elder in the Presbyterian Church from 1817 until his death, and served as · constable and collector from 1819 to 1829.
Gabriel Rogers started a tannery at an early date in Palmyra, where he married in 1804 a daughter of Samuel Clark, and whence he moved in 1809 to Lyons. He purchased the tannery of William Bond, which he sold in 1817, and in 1818 removed to South Sodus, where he was ap- pointed the first postmaster. He served in the cavalry in the war of 1812, and died in 18C. Hon. Bartlett R. Rogers was long a very prominent citizen of Lyons. He was a captain in the 106th Regiment in the Civil War, supervisor several years, county treasurer, sheriff, and member of Assembly. He died in June, 1880.
Major Ezekiel Price was born in New Jersey and obtained his title in the State militia. He came to Lyons in 1802, was appointed the first postmaster and held the office nearly thirty years, and died in 1845, aged eighty years. He was one of the earliest landlords, and built and kept a frame tavern where Congress Hall now stands, prior to which he had an inn on the east side of Broad street. His son, Ephraim Barton Price, was a prominent citizen, had twelve children, and died in January, 1885. His second son, William H. Price, became a civil engineer, and died in 1870.
WAYNE COUNTY.
Jacob Leach came to Lyons from Litchfield, Conn., in 1809, and operated a distillery on the north side of Ganargwa Creek until the site was wanted for the Erie Canal in 1824. He then became a merchant with Joseph M. Demmon on Water street. He was a canal contractor, and erected a mill on the Ganargwa that was burned and rebuilt in 1837. He was a justice of the peace several years, member of Assembly in 1823, and at one time president of the old Lyons Bank with Thaddeus W. Patchen as cashier. He had ten children, and died in 1853, aged seventy-five years.
Judge Daniel Dorsey commanded a company of volunteers in the Revolutionary war, and was a planter in Frederick county, Md. In 1997 he visited this section, and purchased of Captain Williamson 1,048 acres of land adjoining the village on the south. The next year he moved hither his large family and about forty slaves, and with some goods which they had bought he began trading with the Indians, who camped in large numbers in the vicinity. His mansion stood upon an eminence at the end of a lane leading west from the Geneva road, and on both sides of this lane were the slaves' houses, a store, and an office. Mr. Dorsey was a magistrate, a physician, a member of Assembly, judge of the Ontario County Court, and a Methodist, and in his barn was held the first meeting of the Genesee Conference in this place, the presiding officer being Rev. Francis Asbury, the first Methodist bishop in America. Judge Dorsey died in 1823, aged sixty-five years, and his widow moved to the village, built a house on Broad street, and died there. They had five sons-Upton, Thomas E., Nelson, Andrew, and Caleb -- and seven daughters. Thomas E. Dorsey died December 21, 1870, aged seventy-eight years.
The tax or assessment roll dated October 9, 1802, for the "Town of Sodus," contains eighty-four names of freeholders, enumerates sixty- nine dwelling houses, places the total valuation at $174,312, and calls for a tax levy of $327.29. The items falling within the present town are as follows: William Beaty, 141 acres, assessed 67 cents. George Carr, 25 acres (first farm north of the village), 35 cents. Richard Ely, 223 acres, $1.04 (Mr. Ely sold out and moved to Sodus about 1812). William Bryant, 109 acres, 46 cents. Samuel Brown, 80 acres, 31 cents. Judge Daniel Dorsey, 1,048 acres (between Clyde River and Alloway), $9.53. David Gilson (a river boatman), one house and seven village lots, 28 cents. William Gibbs, one house (the tavern stand, afterward the "Old Museum ") and seven village lots, 36 cents. Richard Jones,
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188 acres, 87 cents. Samuel Mummy, one house and four acres, 82 cents. John Perrine, 553 acres, $4.44. James Walters, 60 acres, 40 cents. William Paton, 101 acres, 54 cents. John Riggs, two houses and 299 acres, $1.77. John Van Wiekle, 224 acres, $1.03. Evert Van Wiekle, house and lot, 39 cents. Thomas Cole (son of Rev. Cole), 50 acres, 31 cents.
Among those living in Lyons village and vicinity in 1808 were: Captain David Gilson, Major Ezekiel Price, Dr. William Ambler (the first physician), John Riggs, Richard Jones (saddler and harness maker), William Bond, (shoemaker and tanner), Joseph Hathaway (proprietor of " The Lick " tavern), Samuel Mummy, George Carr, Henry Beard, Captain John Perrine, Thomas Story, William Duncan, the Stanton brothers, Rev. John Cole and sons, Samuel Bennett, Peter Walker, James Coats, a Mr. Wales, Judge Daniel Dorsey, Benjamin Brink, James Walters, Henry Stansell, John Featherly, Richard Ely, Major Amos Stout, Benjamin Hartman, John Van Wickle, Elisha Sylvester, Captain William Paton, and Simon Van Wickle.
Samuel King settled on 300 acres northeast of the village in 1805. He was the father of Samuel, jr., Esau, Thomas, Jesse, Joseph, and Leander King. Benjamin Brink bought sixty acres of William Gibbs, which he sold to Levi Geer in 1825, and moved to Galen, where he died. Daniel B. Westfall came to Lyons about 1810, and purchased 117 acres of John Featherly, and forty-seven of Matthias Clark, near Alloway, where he lived until his death. He had four sons and two daughters, the former being Benjamin, Abraham, James, and Cornelius; the latter inherited the homestead. Simon Westfall settled three miles south of Lyons, and died there. He had eleven children, of whom the sons were Jacob, Lewis, William, and John.
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