USA > New York > Wayne County > Landmarks of Wayne County, New York, Pt. 1 > Part 42
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
In 1890 the population was 2, 107, or 137 less than in 1880. In 1893 the assessed valuation of land aggregated $716,450 (equalized $1:1,- 654); village and mill property, $109,595 (cqualized $103,308); rail- roads and telegraphs, $91,590; personal property, $51,250. Schedule of taxes 1893: Contingent fund, $1, 407.08; town poor fund, 8520; roads and bridges, $1,205; school tax, $931.19; county tax, $2, 227.98; State tax, $1,227.74; State insane tax, 8316.73; dog tax, $40.50. Total tax levy, $8,621.33; rate per cent., .00889819. The town has two election districts, and in 1893 polled 302 votes.
The first regular school was taught by Sally Bishop in 1813; she used for a school house an old vacant log dwelling about a mile and a half north of Rose Valley, and was succeeded by Maria Viele, and she by Rev. David Smith; following them came Abigail Bunce, Catharine Robinson, William H. Lyon, Gibson P. Center, John S. Roc, George W. Ellinwood, George Seeley, George Paddock, Jackson Valentine, Wallace St. John, and Isaac and John W. Robinson. The first school house in Rose Valley was a log building on the site of Pimm's Hotel, and in it Rev. David Smith taught the opening term. This primitive school building was superseded by a frame structtire in 1824 on a site donated for the purpose by Thaddeus Collins. This in turn was re- placed in 1846 by a stone school house, which was abandoned in 1861 and the unused Presbyterian church purchased. In 1867 the present building was completed and opened, the total cost being $4,000. The district including North Rose was organized June 27, 1821. A school house had doubtless been erected prior to that date. In 1827-8 it was replaced by a new one, of frame. The present fine graded school building was built a few years since. School District No. 2, known as Stewart's, was the first one organized in town, and here Alvin Clark was a very early teacher. The original school house in District No. 7, after the stone building was erected, was converted into a dwelling and
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occupied by Jacob Tipple, a shoemaker, who died in 1853, and whose wife lived to be over 100 years old, dying July 2, 1888. The stone school house, built in 1840, and in which Arvine Peck was the first teacher, was succeeded by the present building about 1876.
In 1826 Rose was divided into nine school districts. The town now has twelve school districts, each having a school house, which in 1892-3 employed fifteen teachers and were attended by 504 scholars. The buildings and sites were valued at $10,690 and the districts are assessed at $981,340; public money received from the State, $1, 868.08; raised by local tax, $2, 427.50.
The first burial place in the town was that in the Stewart neighbor- hood. In a similar plat in the north part of Rose Valley many of the earlier interments were made, but encroachments of the village caused it to be abandoned, and the bodies were removed to a new cemetery one mile north. The first burials in the Ellinwood burying ground were those of Samuel Ellis Ellinwood and wife.
During the War of the Rebellion the town of Rose contributed a large number of her brave sons to fight the nation's battles. Each and every one did valiant service at the front, and were distinguished by heroism and fidelity. To their memory the grateful citizens have erected a town hall, in which the John E. Sherman Post, No. 401 G. A. R., has a permanent home. This post was organized September 28, 1883, with eighteen members.
Some fifty-five years ago a peculiar event transpired in Rose in the Stewart neighborhood, the central scene being the present farm of Silas Lovejoy. The occurrence is best told, as follows, from a former pub- lication.
A number of people in this part of the county worked themselves into the delusion that " money chests" of gold and precious stones lay buried beneath the surface in this town, to which they were guided by invisible spirits through a " medium." On several farms northeast of Rose Valley they assembled at night and silently dug for the treasure. A single word spoken before it was found was fatal; the treasure would disappear and the evil spirits would rise against them. In this way the delusion was fed and kept ablaze by those interested, who were always sure to break the silence, when the deluded would run frightened away. On one occasion a kettle was pre- viously buried, and when struck with a spade an exclamation caused the treasure in it to vanish. To these ignorant men this supplied the most absolute proof, and the effects of this foolish delusion are still visible in many places by partially filled exca- vations, where they labored with a zeal and energy worthy a better cause.
"The interpreter of the " money diggers," as they were called, pretended to see the "money chests," or hidden treasure, through a large, peculiar stone, which he always
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retained with him. He held it to his eyes, and claimed the power to see through it into the earth. Several visionary citizens of this town, with more strangers who came here regularly, united in their mystic meetings previous to all their diggings. As an inducement to persons predisposed to the marvelous, it was related that the son of a certain minister, then living in town, who was eighteen years of age and of good habits, saw, one evening, in his father's granary, which was lighted up by super- natural light, an image in the form of a "little child." Then again it appeared in his bed-chamber, and, when addressed by the young man, replied that it was from the " Court of Glory," and had come to reveal to him the hidden treasures of the earth, and that if he would pray for the span of seven days it would appear the next time in the form of a " beautiful young lady." In due time the " beautiful young lady" appeared and made the promised revelation, the circle was formed, one of the number was made captain, and the digging commenced. Night after night was passed in hard labor under the particular direction of this invisible spirit. Circles were carefully marked out around the pit to keep the devil out. The money, or a portion of it, was to be used for charitable purposes, and to alleviate the suffering's of humanity. But after many fruitless attempts and much disappointment. the cap- tain, becoming incredulous, and losing confidence in the invisible guide, through the interpreter, denounced the "beautiful spirit" as being the devil. Of course this rebellious action could not be tolerated, and must be put down. Accordingh the captain was notified in writing to appear on a certain day to a trial before the spirits and the circle. On the back of the notice he wrote " protested," but named a day one week later, when the circle convened and the trial began. Innumer- able spirits were seen by the minister and his son, and from ten A. M. to four p. M. the patriarchs of old were called as witnesses, and everything was going against the captain. The last witness was the spirit of Samuel, the prophet. The cap- tain with all his power conjured Samuel to tell the truth and reveal the devil's work. He was just ready to give up his case when, to his astonishment, and the dismay of the circle, the prophet began performing under his own control. The preacher and his son burst into tears to see poor old Samuel hopping about the room on one foot, then down on the floor, playing bear with a great load on his back. The captain, having absolute control of the spirit, conjured him to faith- fully answer such questions as he should put to him. "Cap you at pleasure trans- form yourself into a 'devil,' 'lamb,' or ' young lady ?'" .Answer, " I can." " Have you been the only witness here to-day in the form of all the old patriarchs ?" Answer, " I have." "Are you the devil himself ?" Answer, "I am." The captain was triumphant. The deluded parson, son, and all the circle were ready to give up that it was all the work of the devil. Yet to such an extent did the cap- tain believe in the power of the devil that he related, as a real occurence, that a friend of his, while riding, was seized and taken up by the devil, carried through the air seven miles, and, after a terrible struggle and fright, was released and dropped in a barnyard. The captain was sent for, who, with the aid of a physi- cian, restored him. It is stated that many a time while the others were in the pit digging for their " gold" and "money chests" the devil would appear to the sentry on the watch in the form of a bellowing bull or by heavy sounds of groan- ing, or shrieks, which would put the whole party to flight.
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ROSE VALLEY .-- This village is located a little southeast from the center of the town at the intersection of the roads leading to Wolcott, North Rose, and Clyde, and maintains a daily stage communication with these points. The post-office was established in 1827 as Valen- tine's with Dr. Peter Valentine as postmaster. The name was subse- quently changed to Albion, then to Rose Valley, and in 1834 to Rose, and as such it has ever since remained. June 17, 1829, Charles Thomas became postmaster and kept the office in his tavern; he was succeeded by his sons, Nathan W. and Eron N. Thomas, the latter serving from 1832 to 1841, from 1845 to 1849, and from 1853 to 1861. Other post- masters have been Hiram Salisbury, Benjamin Hendricks, Charles S. Wright, Jackson Valentine, Daniel B. Harmon, George W. Ellinwood (from 1869 to 1885), Joel S. Sheffield, E. F. Houghton, and George A. Collier, the present incumbent. The first mail carrier was Timothy Smith.
The village was first settled by Capt. John Sherman and the Collins family in 1811. The former located opposite the lower hotel, where he built in 1815 a double log house, half of which he opened as a tavern. This was the first public house in the town, and finally passed in turn to Charles W. Thomas, Nathan W. Thomas, John J. Dickson, Ira Mirick, and others. . The present lower hotel was erected by Lorenzo C. Thomas. The upper tavern, long known as Pimm's Hotel, was built on the site of the first village school house, by Ira Mirick, the first proprietor, who was succeeded by Hiram Mirick. Their father, Solomon Mirick, died here in 1839. Ezra T. Pimm, the longest time landlord, was elected president of the Wayne County Veterans' Asso- tion in 1889. The first blacksmith was John Barrett, who built a shop . on the site of the Vanderoef residence about 1813. The first shoe shop was opened by Robert Andrews. The first store in the place was started in 1831 by John Barber, jr., who moved to Clyde one year later. His successor was a former clerk, Eron N. Thomas, who continued business until 1859. Other merchants have been Dr. Peter Valentine, C. B. Collins, I. & H. Mirick, Charles S. Wright, Jackson Valentine, George A. Collier, George W. Ellinwood, Joel S. Sheffield, and Charles Wright.
The first physician was Dr. Peter Valentine, who was also the first supervisor. He settled here in 1819, and among his professional fol- lowers have been Drs. John J. Dickson, Henry Van Ostrand, A. F. Sheldon, George D. Whedon, James M. Horn, Lewis Koon, Richard S. Valentine, and Romaine C. Barless.
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The carriage and wagon shop of M. T. Collier was started by Collins & Lakey, who sold to William H. Thomas. He conducted it until 1861, when it came into the possession of the firm of Thomas & Collier (M. T. Collier), by whom it was continued till the death of Mr. Thomas. Since then Mr. Collier has been sole proprietor. The grist inill of William A. Mix was burned in July, 1872, and was rebuilt as a saw and cider mill.
In 1857 the Rose brass band was organized with twelve pieces, the successive leaders being Z. Deuler, E. B. Wells, and D. B. Harmon. It then went into the army and remained in the service as a band until the war closed, when it disbanded. In 1868 it was reorganized and continued many years. It finally went down, and the present Rose Cadet Band was formed.
Rose Valley now contains four general stores, a hardware store, one newspaper and two printing offices, three blacksmith shops, a carriage and wagon shop, a saw and cider mill, two hotels, a meat market, four churches, a public school, a town hall, three physicians, and about 500 inhabitants.
NORTH ROSE is a station and post-village on the R. W. & O. Railroad in the north part of the town. It owes its growth and present propor- tions mainly to the railway, which gave it a new impetus and awakened numerous business interests. It was originally known as Lamb's Cor- ners from the family of that name who settled the site at an early day. The post-office was established about 1860 with David Lyman as post- master; the present incumbent is Thomas B. Welch. Soon after the completion of the railroad John York erected a large malt and store house, which was burned with two stores, in May, 1891, entailing a loss of over $60,000. It has never been rebuilt. While drilling an ar- tesian well on the premises a pocket of natural gas was struck. In Oc- tober, 1880, a cooper shop, house, barn, and other property were de- stroyed by fire, causing a loss of $3,000. The village now consists of three general stores, one hardware and one drug store, an hotel, a lum- ber and coal yard, etc., a fine graded school, one church, and about 250 inhabitants.
WAYNE CENTER, so named from its close proximity to the geograph- ical center of Wayne county, is a postal hamlet in the extreme west part of Rose; the post-office was established in 1863 with Joel HI. Put- nam as postmaster. The present incumbent is J. W. Trimble. It lies on the same meridian as Washington, D. C. The place contains a store,
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