USA > New York > Wayne County > Landmarks of Wayne County, New York, Pt. 1 > Part 35
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MACEDON VILLAGE. -- This village, situated a little southeast from the center of the town, was incorporated in November, 1856, and comprises within its limits one square mile. The charter, relative to municipal officers, was amended May 4, 1868. The original proprietors of the land were Enoch Gannett, and Abiatha Powers, who paid 18; cents per acre, and who in 1828 sold to William Willits, Alexander Purdy, and
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John Lapham, from whom the first village lots were purchased in 1830. When the three last named became owners of the real estate here, the present limits contained only two one-story frame houses, one of which, that owned by Enoch Gannett, has been repaired and is now occupied as a residence by William Van Winklen.
As early as 1815, a carding and cloth-dressing mill was erected near the site of the Biddlecom flouring mill by Daniel Lapham and Mr. Gannett, and continued in operation in 1848, It was the first industry in the place and at one period did an extensive business. Gannett and Lapham also built two log houses here about 1815.
In 1829 Purdy and Williams erected a store building which is now, in a repaired form, used as a harness shop. John Robson opened a blacksmith shop in 1831, and in 1832 Michael Ellsworth built the first tavern. This was afterwards enlarged and was burned in 1882, and on its site the present frame hotel was erected.
In 1831 a small furnace situated at the four corners a mile west of the village was removed to the corporation, enlarged and operated on the site of the present foundry. At the four corners also the post-office was established about 1831, but it soon came to the village with Alex- ander Purdy as postmaster. The present incumbent is John P. Kaiser.
Among the merchants who formerly carried on trade here were Wil- liam Willits, Alexander Purdy, Richmond & Lampson, Hawkins & Brace, Brace & Eddy, Eddy & Underhill, Leonard L. Cramer, William R. Van Wincklen, N. B. Packard & Co., C. B. Herendeen, Ira L. Purdy, Ausman & Ripley, John Little, Mrs. B. F. Wheeler, John McCann, George Gifford, Isaac Cramer and David Cramer. A dry goods store was built by John Lapham in 1834, and for some time. occupied by Albert White; repaired and remodeled, it occupies the same site and is owned by Charles J. Servoss.
The present creamery of W. D. Herendeen was formerly occupied by him as a plaster mill. The cider mill and mint distillery operated by Charles H. Plumb, was originally used as a tannery, which had various proprietors, the last one being Wallace Mumford. In Novem- ber, 1889, Mr. Plumb purchased the property and doubled the capacity of the cider mill and in 1893 added a peppermint distillery.
The firm of Bickford & Huffman, formed in October, 1842, are the pioneer builders of fertilizer grain drills in America. During the first ten or twelve years they did a country jobbing and repair business, making plows, and later some few steam engines, and some mowers
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and reapers. The first grain drills were made in 1849, about twenty in number, and were almost entirely hand made. Their introduction upon the market was very successful, and opened an era of prosperity which culminated in 1860. At the close of that year the firm occupied a leading position as manufacturers in their line. The grain drill trade being confined exclusively to the Southern States, the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion in 1861 caused a complete suspension in trade, and the loss of a large share of the firm's capital. With trade thus destroyed, the company with a little capital saved from the wreck en- gaged in other lines of manufacture, and carried on their business until 1866 and '67, when the demand for grain drills again revived in the South, but with many obstacles that had not been present before. The demand was at first greatly limited by the greatly reduced number of buyers, and second by the lessened ability of the buyers to pay for the goods purchased. During these years a movement was made to secure a portion of the trade in the Northern States, and with limited means and capital the firm was fairly successful. In 1870 Mr. Huffman died, leaving his interest to his widow, who continued the business with Mr. Lyman Bickford as partner, acting as manager. In November, 1885, Mr. Bickford disposed of his interest in the business to his partner, the former Mrs. Huffman, the present Mrs. Kirkpatrick, who thus be- came the sole owner of the plant and business, with G. W. Kirkpatrick as general manager. The new management found the business lack- ing a sufficiently systematized organization, and operated without definite data of the cost of manufacture, sales, collections, or any other department ; and while this change was being effected, vast improve- ments were made in the construction of the drills, which still occupy front rank in their line in the world. In January, 1893, the business was incorporated into a stock company, under the style of Bickford & Huffman Company, which with a business thoroughly systematized, with grain drills combining the latest improvements patented, with a largely extended trade, domestic and foreign, a well equipped plant, with an energetic management, bows to no superiors in the world in their line of manufacture. Officers, G. W. Kirkpatrick, president; II. M. Kirkpatrick, vice president; W. P. Thistlethwaite, secretary and treasurer.
The village of Macedon now containsa newspaper and printing office, one general store, a grist and saw mill, two dry goods stores, one boot and shoe store, a meat market, three harness shops, a lawyer, three
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physicians, a grain drill manufactory and foundry, a jewelry store, one drug store, a cider mill and mint distillery, one hotel, a butter factory, a canal grocery, a lumber yard, an undertaker, two coal and two produce dealers, a union school, three churches, and the usual other shops and artisans. The village has stations on both the New York Central and West Shore railroads.
The first charter election for the village was held December 31, 1856, when the following officers were chosen : James Rice, jr., president ; Daniel Langdon, Henry Huffman, John Lapham, J. J. Acker, trustees ; William E. Willits, treasurer ; H. E. Ripley, clerk. The presidents have been :
P. M. Willits, 1857,
C. E. Langdon, 1858,
Ira L. Purdy, 1873, Lyman Bickford, 1874-78,
M. A. Eddy, 1859,
W. L. Acker, 1879,
W. L. Acker, 1860,
Jesse Halsey, 1880-81,
G. B. Arnold, 1861,
L. L. Cramer, 1882-83,
Lyman Bickford, 1862,
Isaac Dean, 1884,
Alexander Arthur, 1863-64,
George W. Korkpatrick, 1885,
Ansel Perkins, 1865,
C. C. Cramer, 1886,
H. B. Johnson, 1866,
C. C. HIerendeen, 1887,
Jeremiah Thistlethwaite, 1867,
D. C. Brundage, 1888-90,
S. N. Gallup, 1868,
Isaac Dean, 1891,
II. P. Underhill, 1869,
D. C. Brundage, 1892,
Henry Huffman, 1870, S. N. Gallup, 1871-52,
HI. M. Little, 1893-94.
The officers for 1894 are as follows : H. M. Little, president ; H. J. Breese, E. J. Corser, John Simmons, trustees ; C. J. Servoss, clerk ; Fred C. Johnson, treasurer ; David Courter, collector ; E. J. Corser, overseer of the poor ; William Nettleship, street commissioner ; John Simmons and HI. J. Breese, assessors. According to the census of 1890 the village had a population of 533.
MACEDON CENTER. - Regarded from an imaginative standpoint this is the pleasantest village in this town, and being the seat of Macedon Academy it is probably as widely known asany other place of its size in Wayne county. ' At a very carly day Asa Aldridge settled on the two east corners; Ebenezer Still on the northwest corner, and Artemas Ward west of the village ; but a suggestion that this might become a point of considerable importance found no response in their ideas of enterprise and during their holdings they declined to sell lots for building purposes. Mr. Ward is regarded as the first permanent settler on the site of the village. In 1825 Ward and Still died and Aldridge sold his property to
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John Johnson. ' At the request of Durfee Osband in 1826, Benjamin T. Hoxsie came hither from Massachusetts to open a store, which he built on the southwest corner lot, where he continued business many years. In 1840 his old building was converted into a dwelling. This may be considered the substantial beginning of Macedon Center, although it had previously been a stopping place for travelers and boasted a hotel, the Hollister House, afterwards the old Macedon House. One of the early landlords was Levi Camborn, a blacksmith, who was granted a license for one year to sell wine. His successors probably also dispensed liquor, for it is remembered that a rum pole, the last one in this section, was raised in front of this tavern on the site of the present temperance monument. When the tidal wave of total abstinence swept over this State in the latter part of the thirties, the agitation seemed to center in this vicinity, and many were the meetings held to discuss the objection- able traffic. These discussions warmed enthusiasm into action and the movement culminated in 1845 in the erection of a marble obelisk nine feet high, which was procured from Vermont by Ira Lapham. It came by canal and was dedicated to the cause of temperance on July 4, of that year, the oration being delivered by Hon. William C. Bliss, of Roches- ter. The stone bears the inscription, "Total Abstinence-1845."
The first physician to locate here was Dr. Benjamin W. Dean. A man named Post followed Hoxie as a merchant, and among the later traders here were a Mr. Lamb (who built the store now occupied by Frank B. Hicks), Evert Bogardus, William Bloodgood, Elias Hicks (father of Frank B.), from 1868 to 1873, Charles Rowe one year, John N. Brownell (afterwards county sheriff), and Frank B. Hicks since 1883. Opposite the academy was once a stationery store and Ira Odell later had a tailorshop in the same building. The village now has the academy, three churches, a general store, a wagon and blacksmith shop, and a population of about 150.
The post-office was established here between 1830 and 1835, probably in the building now occupied by Rachel Arnold and Judith Post. One of the earliest postmasters was Ira Odell, who served more than twenty years, and was succeeded by Monroe Norton. Elias Hicks had the office from 1866 to 1873. The present incumbent is Lewis II. Dick.
WEST MACEDON, located on the canal in the western part of the town, enjoys the distinction of having had a post-office which by some means got into the presidential class, and which is also said to have been the first money-order office in Wayne county: It was established
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in 1856 with. Ichabod W. Briggs postmaster, who continued in the office until shortly before his death not many years ago, when the office was discontinued. The place has lost nearly all of its former importance as a business point, and is now merely a rural hamlet.
WALWORTH station is situated on the New York Central Railroad in Macedon about four miles south from Walworth village in the town of Walworth.
The Baptist Church of Macedon was organized in 1800 as the First Baptist Church of Palmyra, with nineteen constituent members, namely: William Rogers, Lemuel and Ruth Spear, Noah and Ruth Potter, Benjamin Wood, James and Hannah Fuller, Bartimeus Packard, James Rogers, Abram Spear, William Jones, Elizabeth Jones, Polly Baker, M. Wood, and Joseph Case. Until 1806 meetings were held at Webb Harwood's, but in that year a frame church edifice was built. One of the first pastors was Rev. Jeremiah Irons, from 1804 to 1820. During the pastorate of Rev. Paul S. Prichard, in 1834-35, the church divided, one portion retaining the name and organizing the present Baptist society of Palmyra, and the other forming the Macedon Baptist Church and holding the property. The first pastor of this latter divis- ion was Rev. Peter Turk, under whom the edifice (then standing on the Ranney farm, three miles east of Macedon village) was taken down, removed to the present site, rebuilt and rededicated. During the pastorate of Rev. D. D. Lovell it was remodeled and repaired at a cost of $3,500, and again dedicated in March, 1874. The society now has about sixty members, with Rev. J. M. Bates, pastor. The frame parsonage was bequeathed to the church by one of its prominent members.
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church of Macedon was organized by Rev. William Casey in 1856, with some 200 communicants. The pres- ent frame edifice was erected that fall and consecrated July 4, 1857, by Bishop John Timon, of Buffalo. In 1875 a transept, a sanctuary for the altar, and a vestry were added and the whole reconsecrated Sep- tember 26th of that year by Bishop Bernard J. M. McQuaid, of Roch- ester. The parish now numbers about 500 souls. Rev. Father Casey was in charge from Palmyra until September 1, 1883, when the present pastor, Rev. M. A. F. Holmes, became the first resident priest. The parsonage was purchased of George P. Lapham in September, 1883, for $3,000.
The Church of the Good Shepherd (Universalist) of Macedon, was
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legally organized by Rev. Harvey Boughten, on March 8, 1874, with thirty-five members. The church edifice was finished and dedicated in May, 1873, and Rev. Mr. Boughton was installed the first pastor and remained until 1884; he was succeeded by Revs. C. L. Waite, H. K. White, R. W. MeLaughlin, and the present incumbent, C. L. Paddock. The present church building was remodeled and rededicated in March, 1889, and a pipe organ costing $2,500 placed therein. The edifice is of brick and frame, and is valued at $10,000, and connected is a frame parsonage worth $2,000. The society has eighty-six members. A Sunday school was inaugurated in 1873 with Henry B. Underhill su- perintendent. The present incumbent is Lyman Bickford.
The Society of Friends held meetings at Macedon Center as early as 1800, but when their original house of worship was built can not be determined. It is known that it was a two-story structure with a gallery on three sides, and as the number of members gradually de- creased it was decided to reduce its towering proportions. About this time (1827) the Orthodox branch withdrew. While chipping from the lower ends of the posts the building suddenly collapsed and it was then rebuilt in its present form on the northeast corner. This is known as the Hicksite branch. The Orthodox members, soon after their with- drawal, erected the old house locally called the Orthodox house, which was replaced by the present edifice in 1868, in which the first service was held November 22, of that year. The old house was sold to J. N. Brownell, removed by him to the north side of the street, and is now used by Ansel Clark as a barn.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Macedon Center existed as a class at quite an early date, and among the first class leaders were Abraham Aldrich and Levi Camborn. It appears upon the minutes of the quarterly conference held near Canandaigua October 24, 1812, and is afterwards noticed on the records until 1833, between which date and 1844 it drops out of recorded mention. Prior to 1859 Walworth and Macedon stood together several years, but at that time a change was effected and Macedon and Perinton were united. The first house of worship was built some time previous to 1825, on the premises now owned by J. W. Colburn. In 1847 a new edifice was erected on a new site donated to the society by Durfee Osband, and this was remodeled into the present structure in 1831, at a total cost of about $2,000. The parsonage was purchased in 1863 for $1,500. The original house of worship was purchased by S. V. R. Mallory, removed October 24, 1850,
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and became a part of the dwelling now occupied by Mrs. Henry Tillou. The present pastor is Rev. A. B. Norton. John G. Mead has been recording steward of the society since 1865, succeeding Durfee Osband.
CHAPTER XXIII.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SAVANNAH.
Savannah, the southeast corner town in Wayne county, was formed from Galen on November, 24, 1825. It comprises the eastern part of lot 22 of the Military Tract, and has an area of 21,908 acres, which was originally surveyed into lots of 600 acres each. It is bounded on the north by Butler, on the east by Cayuga county, on the south by Seneca county, and on the west by Galen. The name Savannah is derived from the Latin, Sabanum, and from the Spanish, Savana or Sabana, and means, according to Webster, an extensive open plain or meadow, or a plain destitute of trees, and covered with grass. From the following brief drscription it will be seen that the town was appro- priately named.
In the southern, central, and northern portions the surface is broken into ridges of drift sand, which generally trend north and south .. In the southwest part is an extensive swamp, covering nearly 1,900 acres. It is thickly covered with a coarse grass, which was successfully utilized in 1862 in the manufacture of paper by the two paper mills then con- ducted at Clyde. Efforts have been made to reclaim this immense tract by a system of drainage, but the undertaking was evidently too great for the means obtainable. At one time it was proposed to turn the course of Crusoe Creek to the northeast, but commercial interests at Oswego interfered and the scheme was abandoned. A second plan was to blast out the bed of Seneca River, thus lowering it enough to drain the surface; this also was never carried out. A resident some years since spent several thousand dollars endeavoring to reclaim a small portion, but as soon as the work was suspended it went back to its original condition. The soil is a rich black muck, and a few feet below the surface lies a stratum of valuable marl and shell. In wet
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seasons the whole is covered with shallow water and presents a con- tinuous inland lake. Flowing northeasterly from Galen through the north end of this swamp is Marsh Creek, which empties into a small body of water north of Savannah village, called Crusoe Lake. Through this lake from the town of. Butler flows Crusoe Creek, which forms a junction with Seneca River, a little north of the railroad. The con- siderable body of elevated land thus surrounded, lying between the swamp and Seneca River, is locally termed Crusoe Island; it is nearly six miles long and four miles wide, and extends southward to the Clyde River in Seneca county, but more than one-half of its area lies within the limits of this town. Extensive low swampy lands border Crusoe Creek and Seneca River and form the northwestern portion of the famous Montezuma marshes. Seneca River forms the eastern boundary line of the town and county for nearly five miles. Excepting the large open marsh in the southwestern part, the town was originally covered with heavy timber, nearly all of which long ago disappeared. The soil of the high lands is a sandy and gravelly loam. The whole is very fertile, particularly the portions bordering on the marshes. It is gen- erally susceptible of easy cultivation, and produces excellent crops .of hay, grain, fruit, etc. Agriculture forms the chief industry, and fruit growing is given considerable attention. In 1858 the town produced 15,925 bushels of winter and 113,854 bushels of spring wheat, 1,904 tons of hay, 14,346 bushels of potatoes, 14,907 bushels of apples, 69,- 216 pounds of butter, 2, 290 pounds of cheese, and 1,366 yards of do- mestie cloths. Of domestic animals Savannah then contained 675 horses, 1,348 oxen and calves, 161 cows, 4,947 sheep, and 1,335 swine.
Probably no town in Wayne county ever acquired the degree of prominence among sportsmen that was obtained by Savannah in years gone by. It even yet maintains a respectable reputation in this direc- tion, and fishing and duck hunting have always attracted the most atten- tion; on the marshes along Seneca River grows a species of wild oats which in the fall attracts numerous blackbirds, many of which fall vic- tims to the sportman's gun.
The highest elevation of land in the town is Fort Hill, so named from an ancient earthwork discovered upon its extreme summit. It is sup- posed to have been a work of defense, but aside from this its history is buried in oblivion. . It is situated near Seneca River south of the rail- road. The old Jesuit " Relations " notice a mission as existing on this hill about 1657. It was established by Father Rene Menard.
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"The development of the town in its earlier settlement was slow, yet - it has enjoyed a steady growth and kept pace with other similar subdivi- sions of the county. The extensive marshes have ever menaced the health and comfort of the inhabitants. The pioneers were a sturdy class of people from New England and the eastern part of this State, and imparted to the community their sterling characteristics, indomit- able energy, and native perseverance. They subdued a gloomy wilder- ness and built attractive homes, many of which have passed to their children and grandchildren. The latter have inherited the noble traits of their ancestors, and ably maintain the moral status so thoroughly im- planted by the generation that has passed away. Their pleasant homes and comfortable surroundings seldom manifest a sign of the primitive conditions of frontier life.
Unlike all the other southern towns in Wayne county, Savannah was not destined to enjoy the immediate benefits of the Eric Canal, for that waterway approached it only through the extreme southwest corner; but the advent of the New York Central Railroad in 1854 gave an im- petus to the settlement and caused the village of Savannah to spring up and become incorporated. Prior to this not even a hamlet worthy the name existed within its borders. The completion of the West Shore Railroad in 1884 afforded still better transportation facilities. These railroads run parallel through the southern central part of the town and have stations at Savannah village.
Before settlers began to arrive the Galen Salt Works were established on lot 37 near Seneca River. The original patent of this lot was vested in Dr. James Young, of the Revolution. . A well was sunk 400 feet deep, which produced strong brine; another well was put down which emit- ted inflammable gas. But the manufacture of salt here was unsuccess- ful and the business was finally abandoned. In. 1808 the works were apparently prosperous, but in 1811 they had ceased operations entirely, and Prentice Palmer moved in from Butler to take care of them. The owners opened a highway in the town which led from their works to Great Sodus Bay. This was known as the Galen road, and extended westward to Clyde. The first thoroughfare in this vicinity, however, was an old military trail called the State road, which ran west to the block house (Clyde), but this was impassable when settlers began to ar- rive. The construction of the Montezuma turnpike gave a decided im- petus to immigration. About 1835 a mail route was established from Auburn via Montezuma, through Savannah and Butler to Wolcott, with
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a post-office at Crusoe Lake called "Crusoe." When the New York Central Railroad was completed this route was discontinued and the post-office moved to Savannah village. The eastern plank road was con- structed at an early day from Clyde to Port Byron by way of the old salt works and Howland's Island, the latter points being connected by a bridge, which after a few years was neglected and finally went down. This road was graded to the river, but planked eastward from Clyde only to the highway leading north from the depot. Other thoroughfares were surveyed and opened from time to time, and all are kept in excel- lent condition.
The first town meeting was held at the Crusoe House, one-half mile east of Crusoe Lake, in April, 1825, and David Cushman was elected the first supervisor. The absence of the early town records renders it im. possible to give the other officers chosen at this meeting or of the sub- sequent supervisors until 1845. The supervisors since then have been as follows:
Sylvanus Thompson, 1845. Nelson Payn, 1846. Chauncey T. Ives, 1847-48. Nelson Payn, 1849. Benajah Abrams, 1850. Charles D. Haddon, 1851-52.
R. M. Evens, 1862-63. William G. Soule, 1864-65. William R. Stultz, 1866-71. Charles Wood, 1872-74,
John A. Munson, 1875-78. Ammon S. Farnum, 1879-83.
Alonzo D. Wood, 1884-86.
Ebenezer Fitch, 1853. Frank Knapp. 1854. Benajah Abrams, 1855. James M. Servis, 1856-61.
John A. Munson, 1887-89. E. L. Adams, 1890-92. Addison P. Smith, 1893-94.
The town officers for 1894 are: Addison P. Smith, supervisor; Charles C. Taylor, town clerk; John II. Bixby, W. C. Soule, Charles Reed, HI. C. Rising, justices of the peace; Ebenezer Harrington, highway com- missioner; John L. Spoor aud Gustavus Stuck, overseers of the poor; E. M. Clark, George Anderson, H O. Bagley, assessors; Fred M. Had- don, collector.
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