USA > New York > Erie County > Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1) > Part 32
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was derived from Seth Abbott, brother of Samuel, both of whom were pioneers in this town. Samuel was the second supervisor of Hamburg in 1813, but soon moved into the town of Boston, where he was chosen the first supervisor; he subsequently returned and occupied the farm afterwards owned by his son, Chauncey Abbott. Soon after the war Deacon Ezekiel Cook and others built a school house, which was used also for a Baptist meeting house. The First Presbyterian church of Orchard Park was organized in January, 1817, by Rev. John Spencer and Rev. Miles P. Squier, afterwards pastor of the church in Buffalo. This society is still in existence.
The close of the war in the town of Aurora found a few dwellings, mostly of logs, at each end of what is now the village of East Aurora, while scattered over the town were the log houses of the settlers already named. When peace was restored immigration was rapid. Robert Persons, in the spring of 1815, opened a store in an unfinished building which he purchased of Gideon Lapham; it stood on what became the corner of Main and Olean streets and was the first perma- nent store in the town. The building of General Warren's frame tavern has been mentioned, which was soon sold to Calvin Fillmore. In 1816 Adijah Paul, Jedediah Darby and John C. Darby, all young married men from Vermont, settled on farms in the southwest part of the town near the site of West Falls. William Boies settled about the same time in the south part; he had six brothers, all of whom lived in the town. Thomas Thurston, John Hambleton and others settled on the Big Tree road soon after the war, and three brothers, Samuel H., Hawxhurst and-Isaac Addington were settlers of that period. Henry P. Van Vliet settled in 1817 east of Griffin's Mills. James Griffin was a man of prominence and held the office of supervisor; he was brother of Robert and both were sons of the pioneer, Obadiah Griffin. About the same time that the Griffins became owners of the Smith mills Adam Paul opened a store near them and was in business nearly thirty years. Besides the mills, the Griffins operated a distillery and ashery, and Robert Griffin kept a tavern. They moved away about 1825. About the year 1818 Abram Smith built a grist mill at West Falls and Lawrence Read opened a store there about the same date. For a num- ber of years the place was known as Crockershire, from a few families named Crocker who settled in the neighborhood.
Among the settlers in the town of Wales after the war were John Cole, father of Niles Cole, who was long a prominent citizen. Isaac
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Wightman came into the town in 1817; in the late years of his life he resided in Aurora and lived to a great age. Ira Hall settled in the town in 1818, and established a tannery and shoe shop near the mills of his brother Isaac. Stephen Patch came in the same year and settled about a mile southwest of Wood's Hollow; he was accompanied by his sons, Thompson, Stephen W. and Oliver, who were all well known citi- zens. Jacob Turner built a grist mill at Wood's Hollow before 1818. From that time forward small business interests centered around the mills and tannery of the Hall brothers, which place began to be known as Hall's Hollow; also around Warner's store and tavern, now called South Wales, and at Wood's Hollow. At the time of the formation of the town in 1818 there were six or seven distilleries on Buffalo Creek within the town limits. Other prominent citizens of Wales in the early years were Nehemiah Smith, Helim Taber, Elon Virgil, Abner Nutting; Henry B. Stevens, John Carpenter. The first post-office was not established until 1821; it bore the name Wales, and was located at Hall's Hollow. About the same time Isaac Hall established a line of four-horse stages through the town on the Big Tree road; when James Wood was made postmaster, a few years later, he removed the post- office to Wood's Hollow, which ultimately took the name, Wales Center. There David Norton early had a carding mill, and William A. Burt kept the first store ahout 1815. The first hotel was built by Isaac Hall in 1816.
Immigration to the town of Evans was brisk after the close of the war and the region was soon quite fully occupied. A saw mill and grist mill were built on the site of Evans Center in 1815-16, around which gathered a small hamlet which took the name of Wright's Mills. About 1818 a post-office was established on the lake shore with the name Eden, in which town Evans was then included. The town of Evans was erected March 16, 1821, comprising the present town of that name, with the exception of a small tract taken from Hamburg in 1826, and a part of the town of Brant. The town was named after David E. Evans, the Holland Company's agent. The name of the post-office above mentioned was soon afterward changed to Evans.
One of the first attempts to establish business in the town of Eden was the opening of a tavern by Dr. William Hill, who had been a sur- geon in the Revolutionary army and who came into this town in 1814, making his home near that of his son John. He was too old to engage in his profession and therefore began keeping tavern in a log house on
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the site of Eden Center; the place was then called Hill's Corners. In the same year the first school house was built, for which a Mr. Gail agreed to supply the necessary nails. They were a scarce article at that time and as he had little money his neighbers wondered how he would obtain them. When they were wanted he took a sack, walked to Buffalo and soon returned with a supply of nails which he had picked out of the ruins of that village. Almost immediately after peace was declared Simeon Clark set up a small lathe on a brook near the site of East Eden and began making spinning wheels and other household articles. At about the same time other settlers in that vicinity were John Dayton, long a justice of the peace, Joseph H. Beardsley, John Kerr, Hiram Hinman, Nathan Grover, and Joseph Blye. Hinman was the first hatter to locate south of Buffalo. A man named Harris had previously opened a store, and about 1816 he built a frame structure, the first one in the town, and placed his goods therein. Col. Asa Warren moved into the town from Willink in 1816 and built mills two or three miles east of Eden Center, on Eighteen-mile Creek. Obed Warren, Orrin Babcock, Elias Babcock, and David Wood were pioneers of that period. About 1818 a Mr. Ensign built a small grist mill near East Eden. The town of Eden was erected March 16, 1821, six days before the formation of Erie county. Small hamlets soon gathered at Eden Center, Eden Valley and Clarksburg.
The town of Boston was set off from Eden in April, 1817, and imme- diately following the close of the war the Torrey family settled on the site of Boston Corners. The oldest son of Captain Torrey, as he was called, was a prominent citizen, as also was Capt. Uriah Torrey, a younger son. Quite a number of Quakers were pioneers in this town, among them Matthew Middleditch, John Kester, Stephen Kester, Will- iam Pound, David Laing, Thomas Twining, jr., Aaron Hampton and James Miller. In 1818 there were 153 taxable inhabitants. In the spring of 1820 a new mail route was established, extending from Buffalo south through Hamburg, Boston and Concord to Olean, and a post- office was opened at Torrey's Corner's with the name Boston. At about the same time Talcott Patchen built a tannery near Boston Center, and Edward Churchill settled a little south of Torrey's Corners; he lived to be one hundred years of age.
In Colden one of the earliest pioneers, Richard Buffum, and a Mr. Bloomfield built a grist mill near the saw mill of the former, and the locality was known as Buffum's Mills. There was no settlement in
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the northwest part of the town until about the time of the erection of the county, when Wheeler, James and Joseph Buffum, sons of the pioneer, settled there on land taken up by their father. Samuel B. Love was another pioneer in the town.
The first business enterprise in Holland was a grist mill which was built during the war by some person now unknown ; this was purchased by General Warren and Ephraim Woodruff while it was still unfinished in 1814. Warren bought out his partner in the following year and erected a saw mill; he also built and occupied the first house there. In 1816 Caleb Cutler came in from Vermont, accompanied by his son, William C. Joshua Barron opened the first tavern very soon after the war, probably in 1816. In the next year Leander Cook opened the first store near Orr's Mills. After the formation of the town in April, 1818, George Burzette came on in 1819, settling on the south part of Vermont Hill, and about the same time Stephen Parker settled on Hunter's Creek, and near by were John and Rufus Sleeper. Samuel Johnson located on West Hill about 1821. The Orr mills were on the site of Holland village and took their name from Robert Orr and his son Alvin.
In the town of Concord E. A. Briggs settled on Townsend Hill in 1815; he was father of Erasmus Briggs, who was a prominent citizen of the town. Other settlers who came in directly after the war were the Vaughn, Pike, Frye, Needham, Stanbro and other families. John Battles located at what became Morton's Corners in 1818. Very soon after the war Frederick Richmond opened the second store at Spring- ville, where perhaps a dozen houses were clustered. David Stanley opened the second hotel in a frame building in 1818, and Dr. Daniel Ingalls and his brother, Dr. Varney Ingalls, settled there about 1818 as the first regular physicians in Concord. The post-office at Spring- ville was opened in 1820, with Rufus C. Eaton postmaster. Morton's Corners took its name from three brothers, Alanson, Elijah and Jere- miah Morton, who settled on farms at that point in 1814.
Among the settlers after the close of the war in Brant were John Roberts, John West and Major Campbell, who located there in 1818. Ansel Smith and Robert and William Grannis came soon afterward. In the next year Reuben Hussey, a relative of Moses Tucker, the pioneer in the town, settled near Mr. Tucker. Samuel Butts moved from Hamburg to Brant in 1820 and in 1822 built the first saw mill. There was very little business in this town until later years.
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Smith Bartlett settled in Collins soon after the war and built the first tannery in the town at what became Collins Center. John Law- ton already had a saw mill there and built a grist mill soon after peace was declared. Nathan King opened a tavern at the same place in 1816, which was probably the first one in the town, though John Han- ford kept one at about that time at Taylor's Hollow. Many Quakers settled in this town and about 1817 they erected a double log meeting house. Nathaniel Knight, long a prominent citizen, settled in the town in 1818. There was very little business in the town until later than 1820.
Among the newcomers to the town of North Collins directly after the war was Humphrey Smith, who lived to a great age. John Law- ton came in a little later and became a prominent citizen. Settlement in that region was not active until after the formation of the county, as shown in later chapters.
The first business enterprise in the town of Sardinia was a store opened in 1816 by George Clark & Co .; the second was another store opened in the same year by Samuel Hawkins, which he sold to Reuben Nichols in 1818. Andrew Crocker settled in the town in 1817. In 1820 Dr. Bela Colegrove located at the place subsequently known as Colegrove's Corners; he was the first physician in the town. In the next year Chauncey Hasting located in the village (where there were then only three houses) and built a store; about two years later he built a hotel and was in business more than twenty-five years. Soon after his arrival George S. and Thomas Collins began operating a carding mill south of Sardinia village. A Baptist church was organized in the town soon after the close of the war.
The fact of the appointment of Gen. Peter B. Porter as a member of the boundary commission has been already noted. In the early part of 1819 this commission came on from the east to establish the boundary between Canada and the United States in this vicinity. The principal surveyor on the part of the Americans was William A. Bird, a promi- nent resident of Black Rock. The sovereignty of Grand Island, though previously claimed by the United States, was definitely settled by this commission. The island was purchased by the State in September, 1815, the price being about $11,000. Very soon after this purchase numerous squatters located there and built cabins along both shores, and began cutting timber for staves for the Canadian markets. Up to
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the year 1819 these squatters held undisputed possession of the island. The boundary commission found, through proper investigation, that the main channel of Niagara River was on the Canadian side of the island, which therefore belonged to the United States. In the same year a vigorous and successful attempt was made to drive the squatters from their habitations. Sheriff Cronk, of Niagara county, armed with a requisition from the State authorities calling out a company of the local militia, made a descent on the squatters. The sheriff had al- ready given them a few days' notice to leave the island and a few had obeyed. The militia was commanded by Lieut. (afterwards Colonel) Benjamin Hodge, of Buffalo. With about thirty militiamen, on the 9th of December, he marched to a point opposite the head of the island to which they crossed in boats late in the afternoon. The muskets of the militia were loaded with ball cartridges, pickets were stationed and the militia encamped for the night. Most of the squatters were on the west side of the island, and thither the soldiers marched the following morning. The boats were sent around the head of the island to be ready to transport the families of the squatters to either Canada or the United States, as they might choose; with one exception they all pre- ferred Canada. During the succeeding two days the squatters were all removed, without serious resistance, and about seventy of their houses were destroyed. About 100 acres of the island had been cleared. The later survey and sale of the island is described farther on.
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CHAPTER XIX.
1821-1825.
Division of Niagara County and Creation of Erie County-Provisions of the Legisla- tive Act-New Act of Incorporation of Buffalo Village-Boundaries of the Village- Bright Anticipations in Erie County - Further Harbor Improvements at Buffalo and Black Rock-A Memorable Meeting in Buffalo-Continued Rivalry between Black Rock and Buffalo-Subscriptions for a Canal between these Villages-Final Settlement of the Terminus of the Erie Canal-Waning Importance of Black Rock -Dam in Tonawanda Creek-Inception of Tonawanda Village-Final Work on the Erie Canal-Opening of the Great Waterway-Celebration of the Event in Erie County-New System of Collecting Land Payments by the Holland Company- Joseph Ellicott's Resignation as Agent-New State Constitution-General Progress in the Towns of the County-La Fayette's Visit to Buffalo-Mordecai M. Noah's Operations on Grand Island-Murder of John Love-Comparative Descriptions of Buffalo in 1820 and 1825-Maps and Views.
On the 2d day of April, 1821, Niagara county was divided by an act of the Legislature and Erie county erected, comprising all of the territory of the old county lying south of the middle of Tonawanda Creek ; the boundaries of the new county are described in Chapter I. Erie county included much more than half of the area of the old county, about two thirds of the population, the county seat, county records, and most of the county officers. Hence, in all but the name, the new county was merely a continuation of the old one erected in 1808. It was, however, eminently proper that the historic name of Niagara should be retained for the county in which is situated the great cataract.
The act creating Erie county contained, among other provisions, one making it lawful to confine all prisoners in the jail in Niagara county until one could be erected in Erie county. Also, justices of the Supreme Court were directed to not hold a circuit court in Niagara county until the expiration of one year, unless in their judgment it should be necessary.
A new act of incorporation for Buffalo was passed April 17, 1822, which gave the village the following boundaries:
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Beginning on the shore of Lake Erie at the south-easterly corner of the mile-strip denominated the New York State reservation, adjoining the other lots in the village of Buffalo; thence along the easterly line of said reservation to the northwesterly corner of lot number 51, including the said lot; thence easterly on the line of said lot 51 to the main street leading from Buffalo village to Batavia; thence across said street and on the northerly line of lot number 28 one hundred and fifty rods from said main street; thence south fourteen degrees west to the shore of Lake Erie and along the shore of Lake Erie to the place of beginning.
The act of incorporation provided for the election of five trustees, who were given the powers usual for such officers; provision was made, also, for the election of not less than three nor more than five asses- sors, one treasurer, one constable, one collector, and not less than three nor more than five fire wardens. The ensuing election was ordered held on the 1st of the following June. The village officers are given in later pages.
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In no part of the State of New York in the early years of the third decade of the present century was keener interest felt in public affairs, or more hopeful anticipations entertained of the future, than in Erie county, if we except the uninfluential minority who at that period still doubted the successful completion of the Erie Canal. Through an act of the Legislature of April 17, 1822, both Buffalo and Black Rock were given aid and encouragement for harbor construction, and the citizens of both villages believed that the one which finally provided the safest and most commodious port would be chosen as the terminus of the canal. In that year and the next the bloodless warfare between the two places was at its height. In Buffalo the Patriot championed the cause for that village, with the aid of the younger Buffalo Journal, while the Black Rock Beacon maintained a sturdy defense of the supe- rior advantages of that point. Both villages had friends in the boards of canal commissioners and in the engineer corps, and no effort was spared to profit by their influence. In June, 1822, the canal commis- sioners adopted a resolution to the effect that if Peter B. Porter and his associates in Black Rock succeeded in constructing ten or more rods of their proposed pier " by the 1st of May or June following," in a satis- factory manner, then the commissioners would either provide for the construction of the canal basin desired, or else recommend that the State refund the money that had been expended. This resulted in the organization of the Black Rock Harbor Company, through whose efforts what was called the Experiment Pier was built. These pro-
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ceedings inspired the Buffalonians to renewed energy, and they freely asserted and published statements that the first run of ice would destroy the proposed Black Rock pier.
In the summer of 1822 a meeting was held in Buffalo, the proceed- ings of which were fraught with influence upon the future of the village. It was a memorable assemblage that gathered in the old Eagle tavern. De Witt Clinton, then chairman of the Board of Canal Commissioners, presided; his associates were Stephen Van Rensselaer, Henry Seymour, Myron Holley and Samuel Young. Gen. Peter B. Porter was present in the interest of Black Rock, while Buffalo was represented in an able manner by the enthusiastic Samuel Wilkeson. Both of these men were devoted heart and soul to their respective villages, and each advocated to the best of his ability the merits of either place as a canal terminus. Finally, the rugged eloquence of Mr. Wilkeson, and the apparent facts in the case, prevailed, and after a summing up by Mr. Clinton, the commissioners selected Buffalo for the terminus of the great waterway.1 But the controversy did not end there. In the spring of 1823 the pier at Black Rock withstood the ice, the outgoing being watched by a crowd of citizens from both villages. This fact caused some of the canal commissioners to express themselves farther in favor of improve- ments at that point, and the war of words went on with renewed activity. The question of the canal terminus, it should be stated, was not definitely and officially settled until the issue of the annual report of the canal commissioners for 1823. One interesting feature of the contest between the rival villages, and one that already indicates the extremities to which either place was willing to go for victory, is the fact that at one period, probably early in 1823, it was fully understood and believed in Buffalo that the commissioners had selected Black Rock for the canal terminus. The citizens of Buffalo thereupon issued a subscription paper headed with the following :
WHEREAS, The late decision of the Canal Commissioners, terminating the canal at Black Rock, upon the plan proposed by Peter B. Porter, will be injurious to the commerce of Buffalo and, in a great measure, deprive the inhabitants of the benefits of the canal-in order, therefore, to open an uninterrupted canal navigation upon the
" The report of the commissioners contained the following : " It is important to have at that end a safe harbor, capable, without much expense, of sufficient enlargement for the accommoda- tion of all boats and vessels, that a very extensive trade may hereafter require to enter and ex- change their lading there. The waters of Lake Erie are higher at the mouth of the Buffalo creek than they are at Bird Island, or at any point further down the Niagara, and every inch gained in the elevation will produce a large saving in the expense of excavating throughout the Lake Erie level."
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VIEW OF BUFFALO HARBOR, 1825.
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margin of the Niagara river, on the plan proposed by David Thomas,1 from the point where the line established by him will intersect Porter's basin, to the point where it is proposed to dam the arm of said river to Squaw Island, the undersigned agree to pay to Henry B. Lyman, the sums annexed to their respective names to be for that purpose expended under the direction of the trustees to be appointed by the subscribers. The sums subscribed to be paid in such monthly installments as the said directors shall think it expedient and proper to direct, not exceeding 30 per cent. per month on the amount subscribed; no part, however, of any subscription is to be called for until the expenditure of the whole shall be authorized by the canal com- missioners, upon the plans herein proposed.
Dated Buffalo, July 2, 1823.
The subscriptions to this paper showed a total of $11,415, and the names of the subscribers are here given, with the amount of each sub- scription, both for its interest in connection with this important sub- ject and as indicative of who were prominent in business in the village at that time :
Joseph Dart, jr., $150,
E. Hubbard, $150,
R. W. Haskins, $100,
G. & T. Weed, $250,
Joseph Bull & Co., $150,
J. Sweeney, $100,
B. Fowler, $25, James Miller, $40.
B. I. Staats, $50,
Johnson & Wilkeson, $1,500,
E. C. Hickox, $500,
Joseph Stocking, 8600,
Ruxton & Hamilton, $100,
Ebenezer Walden, $500, Joseph D. Hoyt, $500, Henry Kip, $50,
Sheldon Chapin & Co., $500, Burt & Goodrich, $500, Jonathan Sidway, $500, Oliver Forward, $400, Royalton Colton, $200, S. A. Fobes, $100, G. B. Webster, $250, William Mason, $25.
In addition to these liberal sums Louis Le Couteulx gave a half acre of land "bounded on the canal and extending to the highway." This land was on outer lot No. 1.
With this important matter permanently settled, Buffalo entered upon a period of rapid growth. During a few previous years Black Rock had grown faster than Buffalo, but it reached the zenith of its prosperity with the completion of the harbor improvements described. Its pier was gradually destroyed, a large part of it being carried away in May, 1826, and all hope of the place becoming an important com- mercial port was lost. All lake and river craft now put into Buffalo
1 This plan was substantially the one finally adopted by the canal authorities.
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