Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1), Part 35

Author: Truman C. White
Publication date: 1898
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017

USA > New York > Erie County > Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1) > Part 35

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The first steps taken toward providing Erie county with an alms house were under an act passed by the Legislature March 20, 1828, which directed the commissioners of the land office to cause the sale of certain lots of land in the village of Black Rock to the supervisors of the county for a site for the institution. The certificate of sale was directed to be given to John G. Camp, Elijah Leech, and Josiah Trow- bridge, who were appointed commissioners to build the alms house. The numbers of the lots on which the institution was erected were 118 to 125 inclusive, and 135 to 143 inclusive. This institution was com- pleted in January, 1829, and Dr. Josiah Trowbridge, Reuben B. Hea- cock, D). P. White, Abraham Miller, Robert Person, O. R. Hopkins and Joseph Clary were superintendents; Dr. Cyrenius Chapin, physi- cian, and John D. Harty, keeper. For the year 1830 the total expense of conductiug the institution was $3,653.54, an average cost of eighty- three cents per week for each inmate. 1

1 This provision for the care of the indigent poor of the county sufficed until 1861, when the

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FROM 1825 TO 1832.

Between 1825 and 1832 the arrival in Buffalo of a number of German immigrants, with a few French and Swedes, constituted the first phase of change in respect to the nationality of the population as a whole, which in later years rendered it more cosmopolitan in character than that of any other inland city in the country. The reader will learn in another chapter of the later rapid accession of German immigrants, not only to Buffalo city, but to many of the towns of Erie county. In the year 1829 Bishop Dubois visited Buffalo and preached to these Catholic believers and administered the church sacraments. He stated that he found at that time 700 or 800 Roman Catholics, instead of the seventy or eighty he had expected to find. He noted the fact, also, that he heard the confessions of about 200 Swedes, and there were, doubtless, a few Irish. In the same year he sent to Buffalo the first settled Roman Catholic priest, Father Nicholas Merz. A few German Catholics had settled at Lancaster at that time, but none elsewhere in the county, excepting scattered individuals. The pioneer, Louis Le Couteulx, was prominent among the French Catholics and early en . deavored to found a church. To carry out this purpose he donated the now very valuable land on which St. Louis church ' stands, corner of Main and Edward streets; the deed of transfer was made in 1829, soon after which the first house of worship of that society was erected.

The second Presbyterian church organized within the limits of the present city was called the First Presbyterian Church of Black Rock (afterwards the Breckenridge Street and now the West Avenue Pres- byterian church). It was organized on September 18, 1831. The first

buildings became inadequate and measures were adopted to secure more commodious accommo- dations. A tract of land comprising 158 acres, then situated in the town of Black Rock, but now partly within the city limits, on Main street, was purchased and a new structure erected thereon at a cost of about $20,000. The main building was burned in 1855, and rebuilt in the same year. Since that time extensive improvements have been made in the institution. An insane asylum was built in 1865-66, at a cost of $48,000, which was enlarged in 1874 and again in 18.8. A consump- tive hospital building was erected in 1895, and a new boiler house at about the sametime. When the care of insane persons passed to the State in 1898 and they were removed to State institutions, the asylum became the Erie County Hospital. This institution is supplied with a large medical staff and is in every respect efficiently and successfully conducted. The total value of the alms house and property is about $230,000 for the land and about $550,000 for buildings and improve- ments.

1 The St. Louis church was organized by a union of French and Germans and the society still retains that character. The first church edifice was succeeded by a more commodious structure which was subsequently burned, and the present beautiful example of church architecture was erected in 1886. St. Peter's French Catholic society was an outgrowth of St. Louis church and was separately incorporated January 8, 1857, and their house of worship erected on the corner of Washington and Clinton streets. A parochial school is connected with this church.

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elders were Joseph Sill, James German and William Davis.' The present edifice on the corner of West avenue and Ferry street was built in 1889.

1 Since the organization of this church there has been a large extension of this denomination in Buffalo. In 1885 what is now the First United Presbyterian church was formed as a part of the Associate Reformed Church of America. This society expired in 1840, and was reorganized in 1848, with thirty-six charter members. The first regular pastor was Rev. Clark Kendall, who was installed in 1850. In that year the church property was purchased for $5,000. In 1857 the church united with the Associate Church of America and was afterwards considered a part of the United Presbyterian Church of North America.

The North Presbyterian church was organized March 25, 1847, with forty-three members from the First church, and Rev. Charles Rich was the first pastor, beginning October 3, 1847. The elders were George B. Walbridge, Benjamin Hodge and Chauncey D. Cowles. The church edifice was built and dedicated December 29, 1847.

The Central Presbyterian church was organized under the title, Pearl Street Presbyterian church, November 14, 1835. The first officers were James I. Baldwin, Reuben B. Heacock, Alden S. Sprague, George Stowe, Daniel R. Hamlin, James Cooper, H. H. Reynolds and W. G. Miller. Rev. John C. Lord was called to the pastorate. A church edifice, corner of Pearl and Genesee streets, was finished in 1836. A reorganization under the present title was effected in 1848, and in that year was built a second edifice on the northeast corner of the streets named, opposite the first one.

What is now Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian church was organized July 18, 1845, with the title, Park Church Society, with the following trustees: Reuben B. Heacock, George Kibbe, N. B. Palmer, C. A. Van Slyke, Orrin Edgarton, Lovel Kimball, George Howard and T. J. Winslow. The organization was then Congregational, but in 1845 the title was changed and union effected with the Presbyterian denomination. A house of worship was erected, which was burned in 1850, and the second one erected in 1862, on Washington street. This was superseded by the pres- ent edifice on Lafayette avenue, corner of Elmwood, in 1889. Rev. Grosvenor W. Heacock was in- stalled pastor in 1845 and served the church thirty-one years.

Westminster Presbyterian church was organized September 3, 1854 ; the first Board of Trus- tees was composed of Jesse Ketchum, Noyes Darrow, Isaac F. Bryant, James M. Ganson, Moses Bristol, Alanson Robinson, William S .. Vanduzee, Benjamin Hodge and Horace Parmelee. Mainly through the efforts of Mr. Ketchum the lot on which the church stands was purchased and a chapel erected. A new church edifice was built in 1858-59 at a cost of about $20,000. Rev. John Germain Porter was the first pastor.

Calvary Presbyterian church was organized February 22, 1860, with forty-one members, the first elders being Gustavus A. Rogers, M. S. Allen and William R. Allen ; deacons, William E. Lyman and Lorenzo Sweet. The present stone edifice on Delaware avenue was dedicated July 8, 1862 ; with the parsonage it was a gift by George Palmer.

The East Presbyterian church, an offshoot of the North church, was organized July 21, 1889. with sixty-five members, Rev. Henry Ward being the first pastor ; he had been a city missionary under the North church in 1804. A chapel was completed on Seneca street in February, 1865, and was used by the society until 1875, when it was sold, a new church edifice, begun in September. 1872, having been completed on South Division street.

The Wells Street chapel, organized asa Sunday school in August, 1865, and as a church with forty-five members in March, 1874, and the West Side Presbyterian church, organized May 9, 1875, have both gone out of existence or merged with other societies. Other and more recently formed bodies of this denomination are Bethany church, the Church of the Covenant, Bethlehem church, Bethesda church, Park church, South church, Walden Avenue church, and Lebanon chapel. The First Presbyterian church, organized February 2, 1812, with twenty nine members, dedicated an edifice March 2, 1827 ; in 1891-2 the present structure was built at a cost of about $200,000. This church has about 690 members, more than any other society in the Presbytery of Buffalo.

The Presbyterian churches in the county, outside the city, with the dates of their organiza- tion, are as follows: Orchard Park, 1817: Alden, 1817; Lancaster, 1818; Clarence, 18221 ; Gowanda, 1820 ; Akron, 1835; Springville (organized as Congregational, 1816), 1840; South Wales (organized

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OLD FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

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FROM 1825 TO 1882.

Agitation of the subject of city incorporation began in 1830-31. A village census made in 1830 showed a population of 8,653, and local newspapers congratulated the community upon the fact that the num- ber of inhabitants had quadrupled in the preceding ten years. The State census of that year showed the population of the whole county to be 35, 719, an increase of 11,413, or 47 per cent. in five years.

The canal was now rapidly demonstrating the wisdom of its pro- jectors and becoming a factor in the advancement of Erie county. The canal business at Buffalo was about 16,000 tons for 1829, more than half of which was salt coming westward.

There were then twenty-seven post-offices in the sixteen towns of the county; the dates of establishment of many of these have been given; all of the remainder were opened between 1825 and 1830. Nine of the towns had one office each, viz : Alden, Amherst, Boston, Eden, Erie, Colden, Concord, Holland and Sardinia. Each office bore the name of the town, with the exception of those in Amherst and Con- cord, where the offices were respectively Williamsville and Springville. Four towns had two offices each: Aurora, with Willink and Griffin's Mills; Clarence, with Clarence and Cayuga Creek; Evans, with Evans and East Evans; Wales, with Wales and South Wales. Two towns had each three offices: Buffalo, with Buffalo, Black Rock and Tona- wanda; and Hamburg, with Hamburg, East Hamburg and Hamburg- on the Lake (formerly Barkersville). Collins had four offices in 1830- Collins, Angola, Collins Center and Zoar.

It was at this period that were heard in Western New York the first faint suggestions of the oncoming of a young giant that was before the lapse of many years to create a far greater revolution in methods of transportation and travel than had been accomplished by the canal, to build up villages in favored localities to the utter obliteration of those in less fortunate sections, and contribute in an enormous degree to the upbuilding of Buffalo. In April, 1831, David Long, Otis Turner, William R. Gwinn, William Mills and C. Vandeventer addressed a letter to Governor Throop on the subject of a contemplated railroad from Buffalo to the Hudson River, and urging the propriety of its being built by the State. A charter had already been granted by the Legis-

as Congregational), 1841; East Aurora, 1843 ; Tonawanda, 1852 ; Glenwood (organized as Congre- gational, 1829), 1875; Hamburg, Kenmore, and Tonawanda (mission).

The Presbyterian churches in Buffalo now have about 5,500 members and 7.425 Sunday school scholars ; other bodies in the county have 1,200 members and 1,565 scholars ; total in the county, 6,700 members, 8,980 Sunday school scholars,

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lature for the construction of the Mohawk and Hudson River Railroad, between Albany and Schenectady. Work on this road was not com- menced until about twenty months before the expiration of the charter, or in August, 1830; but so vigorously was it prosecuted that in October, 1831, the line was in operation and carrying about 400 passengers daily. This was the first railroad completed in this State. On the 6th of September, 1831, a railroad meeting was held in Buffalo, of which the following notice appeared in the newspapers:

RAILROAD .- At a numerous and respectable meeting of the citizens of Buffalo, held at the Eagle Tavern on the 6th of September, for the purpose of taking into con- sideration the subject of railroad communication between this place and the Hudson river, Bela D. Coe was called to the chair, and James Stryker was appointed sec- retary.

The proceedings consisted principally of the adoption of resolutions testifying to the expediency of co-operation with others in the central and eastern parts of the State for the construction of such a road, and the appointment of a committee to carry out the purpose. The follow- ing were named as the committee: Samuel Wilkeson, James Stryker, Reuben B. Heacock, J. R. Carpenter, Lewis F. Allen, Bela D. Coe, Samuel Russell, S. Thompson, Heman B. Potter, Isaac S. Smith, James McKnight and Horatio Shumway. It was several years from this date, however, that the first steam railroad crossed Erie county, but this meeting has, nevertheless, important historical significance.

The first definite step towards city incorporation was taken at a meet- ing held about the middle of December, 1831, at which a committee was appointed who were charged with the preparation of a city charter ; this committee consisted of Charles Townsend, B. D. Coe, Ebenezer Walden, Henry White, Millard Fillmore, J. Clary, Horatio Shumway, R. W. Haskins, Pierre A. Barker, Benjamin Caryl, George B. Webster, Samuel Wilkeson, Dyre Tillinghast, J. Stryker, William Hollister, J. W. Clark, William Ketchum and Moses Baker. Their work accom- plished, the committee recommended application to the Legislature for an act of incorporation. As there was almost no opposition to the measure, the required act was passed April 20, 1832. The charter divided the new city into five wards, the boundaries of which are shown on the accompanying map, and are described as follows:

First Ward-All that part of the city which lies south and east of the following lines, viz. : beginning at a point in said reservation where a line drawn through the center of Exchange street, would strike said reservation; thence along said line to

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FROM 1825 TO 1832. .

the center of Exchange street; thence proceeding westerly along the center of said street to Cazenovia Terrace; thence to the center of Cazenovia Terrace; thence westerly and northerly along the center of said Terrace to the center of Erie street ; thence along the center of Erie street to the center of Erie canal; thence along the center of the canal to the west bounds of York street; thence down the west bounds of York street to Lake Erie; thence due west to the State line.

Second Ward-All that part which lies east of the center of Main street, and north of the center of Exchange street, and north of a line drawn through the center of Exchange street to the said reservation, and south of the center of Eagle street, and south of a line to be drawn in continuation of the north line of Eagle street, to the Buffalo creek reservation.

Third Ward .- All that part of the city lying westerly of the center of Main street and northeasterly of the bounds of the First Ward, and southeasterly of the north- westerly bounds of said York street, and southwesterly of the center of Niagara street.

Fourth Ward-All the residue of said city lying east of the center of Main street, and north of the center of Eagle street.

Fifth Ward-All the residue of said city lying west of the center of Main street, and northeasterly of the center of Niagara street.

The first city election was held on the 28th of May, when the follow- ing officers were elected :

Mayor, Ebenezer Johnson ; clerk, Dyre Tillinghast ; treasurer, Henry R. Seymour; attorney, George P. Barker; surveyor, J. J. Baldwin ; street commissioner, Edward Baldwin; aldermen-First ward, Isaac S. Smith, Joseph W. Brown; Second ward, John G. Camp, Henry Root; Third ward, David M. Day, Ira A. Blossom; Fourth ward, Henry White, Major A. Andrews; Fifth Ward, Ebenezer Walden, Thomas C. Love.

City officers for succeeding years are given in a later chapter.

One of the first important measures of the new city administration was to increase the fire department. The village within a few previous years had suffered severely from fires, and the act of village incorpora- tion was amended April 23, 1829, authorizing the trustees to appoint not exceeding thirty firemen and ten hook and laddermen for each en- gine in the village. This language would indicate that there were then at least two companies in existence; there certainly were no more. Fulton Fire Company No. 3 was organized in November, 1831. On June 4, 1832, the first board of city aldermen appointed their fellow aldermen from the First ward, Isaac S. Smith, the first chief engineer of the Buffalo Fire Department; a little later John W. Beals and Sam- uel Jordan were appointed his assistants. On August 5, 1832, Live Oak Engine Company No. 2 was organized; November 24, 1832, Buf- falo Engine Company No. 4 was added to the department, and on De-

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cember 21, 1832, Washington Engine Company No. 5. The depart- ment remained thus for about four years, and from it has grown the existing large and efficient organization.1

The first city directory was published July 1, 1832, from which the number of inhabitants was estimated to be about 10,000. The entire book contains less than sixty pages, only thirty of which are filled with names; the colored residents are under a separate heading. The directory was published by L. P. Crary, auctioneer, and printed by Day, Follet & Haskins. Among other statistics the first directory gives the young city about forty manufacturing establishments, most of which have been mentioned. There were then sixteen public and private schools, most of them of the latter character. Sixty mails a week during the winter and eighty eight during the navigation season, were, according to the directory, "received, made up and dispatched at the post office." There were already ten storehouses for the trans- action of lake and canal business, but the directory states that no cer- tain information could be obtained of the volume of that business.

In closing this chapter, which brings the reader up to the creation of Buffalo city, the foundation of nearly or quite every village that now exists, and the full settlement of most of the outer territory of the county, we quote the following from an address delivered by E. C.

1 In August, 1852, the Fire Department was reorganized, owing to its then demoralized condition. Several companies took their apparatus to the Terrace and there left it. A resolution was adopted by the Common Council accepting the resignation of every member of the department excepting those of Taylor Hose No. 1, Eagle Hose No. 2, and Jefferson Engine No. 12. The new organization followed. The first Board of Fire Commissioners was appointed April 27, 1857, and consisted of Oliver G. Steele, Francis H. Root. George Jones, and Jarvis Davis. On February 3, 1859, the first steam fire engine in Buffalo was purchased and placed in the house formerly occupied by old Cat- aract Engine Company on Washington street, below Seneca. In the same year the city was first divided into fire districts. The first fire alarm system was introduced in 1865. After prolonged effort the entire department was placed on a paid basis in the spring of 1880, and three commis- sioners were appointed with the usual powers of those officers; they were George R. Potter, chair- man; John M. Hutchinson, and Nelson K. Hopkins. The chief engineers of the old department were Isaac S. Smith, Samuel Jordan. Thomas Kip, George Jones, Lyman Knapp, William Taylor, George Jones, Edwin Hurlburt, William Taylor, T. T. Bloomer, John Lorenz, William Taylor, Thomas B. French. In 1866 the office of chief engineer was abolished and that of superintendent of the fire department created; to this office Edwin Hurlburt was appointed. His successors have been as follows: Peter C. Doyle, Thomas B. French, Joseph R. Williams, Thomas B. French, Peter C. Doyle, James L. Rodgers, Thomas B. French, Frederick Hornung. Under a charter change of 1880 the office of chief was substituted for that of superintendent, the position being held by Mr. Hornung until 1892, when the present incumbent, Bernard J. McConnell, wasappointed. The de- partment is now controlled by a board of three commissioners who are endowed with broad powers in its management. The apparatus consists principally of twenty-eight steam fire engines, nine hook and ladder trucks, and five chemical engines. The annual cost of maintenance of the de- partment has gradually increased until it now reaches nearly $500,000. The total number of men in the department is nearly +0. The property of the department has a value of about $475,000.

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Ela Prague

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Sprague, of Buffalo, at the semi-centennial celebration of the city incor- poration in 1882 :

It was a little city erected upon the substance of things hoped for rather than of things seen. It contained a few scattered brick buildings and perhaps twenty hand- some dwellings, mostly of wood; but the bulk of the city consisted of frame houses, generally from one to two stories high, even on Main street. The ridgeof land run- ning from Exchange, then known as Crow street, northerly, lifted Main, Franklin and Ellicott and the intermediate streets out of the bottomless mud east of Ellicott street, and the miry clay which, west of Franklin street, absorbed in its adhesive depths the wheels of wagons and the boot of pedestrians. Niagara street, crossed and hollowed by running streams, was sometimes impassable to man or beast. Ex- tending from the corner of Main street and the Terrace westerly around to Court street was a high bluff, down which the boys coasted through Main and Commercial streets. The streets were unpaved ' and the darkness of Main street was made visi- ble by a few oil lamps. But all the people knew each other, even in the dark, and congregated at the Eagle Tavern, the Mansion House, the Buffalo Hotel and Perry's Coffee House, and, on pleasant days, in Main street on the various corners from Court to Seneca streets, cracking jokes and discussing politics. The daily street costumes of some of our leading citizens, in 1832, was a black or blue dress coat, with costly gilt buttons, a voluminous white cravat, a ruffled shirt, accompanied by the " nice conduct " of a gold-headed cane. Main street presented a picturesque variety, including elegantly dressed gentlemen and ladies, blanketed and moccasined Indians, and emigrants in the strange costumes of foreign lands. Most of the busi- ness was done upon the west side of Main street, between Mohawk and Exchange. Mayor Johnson's stone cottage, now occupied by the Female Academy, stood in soli- tary state on Delaware avenue, which was devoted for the most part to lumber yards and soap factories. The dwellings north of Mohawk street were few and far be- tween. It was considered a long walk to Chippewa street, and a hardship to walk as far as Tupper street.

And this was Buffalo sixty-five years ago.

The following list gives the number and date of sale by deed of all the lots in the original survey of New Amsterdam, by the Holland Land Company, with the name of the purchaser of each lot. Nearly all of these dates are prior to the city incorporation and the list is in- corporated at this stage of the work where it will be valuable for refer- ence and not especially out of chronological order :

INNER LOTS.

No. 1, Zerah Phelps, Sept. 11, 1806.

3, William Johnston, Oct. 27, 1804.

2, Samuel Pratt, April 20, 1807.

4, Jane Eliza Le Couteulx, July 28, 1815.

1 While it is probable that Mr. Sprague was right as to there being no paving at that time, the act amending the village charter, passed April 33, 1899, gave the trustees authority to direct the paving of streets and flagging of sidewalks, as well as to open streets and alleys.

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5, Richard M. Green, Feb. 1, 1805.

6. Vincent Grant, July 8, 1808.

7. Samuel Tupper, Aug. 28. 1805.

8, Oliver Forward, May 24, 1813.

9, Asahel Adkins, Sept. 5, 1806.

10, John Mullett, Nov. 16, 1812.

11, John Landis, Oct. 10, 1811.

12 and 13, Ebenezer Walden, Sept. 1, 1810.

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Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1), Part 35

Author: Truman C. White Publication date: 1898 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1017

Author: Truman C. White
Publication date: 1898
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017