USA > New York > Erie County > Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1) > Part 56
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
1891-President of the Council, William Summers (Dem.); 1st ward, John White, John P. Sullivan ; 2d ward, John H. Cannon, Frank J. Trautman; 3d ward, Andrew Kilgallon, Theodore Williamson; 4th ward, August Beck, Solomon Scheu, jr. ; 5th ward, Edward F. Stettenbenz, Samuel J. Ramsperger; 6th ward, Anthony Young. John Kick; 7th ward, Jacob Kissinger, Frederick A. Menge; 8th ward, John Davy. John J. Kennedy; 9th ward, John A. Donaldson, James Franklin; 10th ward, Ed- gar A. Forsyth, Alexander M. Barnum; 11th ward, William D. Collingwood, Job King; 12th ward, Philip G. Meyers, John Mang; 13th ward, William J. Hillery, Will - iam Summers.
The charter of 1892 created a Board of Aldermen, with one member elected from each ward; a Board of Councilmen, consisting of nine members elected from the city at large; and a Common Council, com- posed jointly of the two bodies. The new State constitution of 1894 provided for a two-year term of service of aldermen; under this law the aldermen elected in 1894 served for three years and those elected in 1895 for two years, and in 1897 an entirely new two-year board was elected to take office January 1, 1898. A Legislative amendment of 1895 provided for the election in that year of three councilmen to serve four years; the same act provided for the election in 1897 of six coun- cilmen, two of whom shall serve for two years, and thereafter "there shall be elected alternately five and four councilmen for the term of four years."'
1892-President of the Board of Aldermen, Solomon Scheu, jr. (Dem.); 1st ward, John White; 2d ward, John P. Sullivan; 3d ward, Frank J. Trautman; 4th ward, Theodore Williamson; 5th ward, William Summers; 6th ward, Solomon, Scheu, jr. ; 7th ward, Frank J. Bissing; 8th ward, Adam Durr; 9th ward, Jacob Johnson; 10th ward, Samuel J. Ramsperger; 11th ward, Frederick Kelner; 12th ward, Anthony Young; 13th ward. John Kick; 14th ward, John Leible; 15th ward, Jacob Kissinger ; 16th ward, Frederick A. Menge; 17th ward, Richard Bullymore. jr. ; 18th ward. Henry P. Burgard; 19th ward, John J. Kennedy; 20th ward, James Franklin; 21st ward, Frank Maischoss; 22d ward, C. S. A. Coe; 23d ward, Alexander M. Barnum; 24th ward, Robert K. Smither; 25th ward, Philip G. Myers.
Board of Councilmen .- President, James Hanrahan; Jewett M. Richmond, Martin Maher, George W. Hayward, Andrew Kilgallon, George Sandrock, Mathias Strauss, George Baldus, Henry J. Kreinheder.
Common Council .- James Hanrahan, president.
1893-President of the Board of Aldermen, James Franklin (Rep.); 1st ward, John White; 2d ward, John P. Sullivan ; 3d ward, Joseph Butler; 4th ward, John Carey ; 5th ward, William Summers; 6th ward. Solomon Scheu, jr; 7th ward, Frank J. Bissing ; 8th ward, Abram Durr; 9th ward, Jacob Johnson ; 10th ward, Adam Boeckel; 11th ward, Frederick Kelver; 12th ward, Anthony Young; 13th ward, John Kick ; 14th ward, John Leible; 15th ward, Jacob Kissinger; 16th ward, Frederick A. Menge ; 17th ward, Richard Bullymore, jr. ; 18th ward, Henry P. Burgard ; 19th ward, John J. Kennedy; 20th ward, James Franklin; 21st ward, Frank Maischoss; 22d ward, Clifford
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POLITICAL CHANGES AND CIVIL LIST.
S. A. Coe; 23d ward, William K. Williams; 24th ward, R. K. Smither; 25th ward, William H. Bradish.
Board of Councilmen .- Jewett M. Richmond, president; George Baldus. Henry J. Kreinheder (died in August, 1893), James Hanrahan, Martin Maher, George W. Hayward (died in March, 1893, and John B. Coakley elected to the vacancy), George Sandrock, Andrew Kilgallon, Mathias Strauss.
Common Council .- James Hanrahan, president.
1894-President of the Board of Alderman. James Franklin (Rep.); 1st ward, John Sheehan ; 2d ward, John P. Sullivan; 3d ward, Joseph Butler; 4th ward, John Carey ; 5th ward, William Summers; 6th ward, Solomon Scheu, jr .; 7th ward, Louis W. Faude; 8th ward, Abram Durr; 9th ward, John O. G. Robert; 10th ward, Adam Boeckel; 11th ward, Louis Fechter; 12th ward, Samuel Caldwell; 13th ward, John Kick; 14th ward, Charles P. Woltz; 15th ward, Jacob Kissinger; 16th ward, Freder- ick A. Menge; 17th ward, Richard Bullymore, jr .: 18th ward, George Zoeller; 19th ward, John J. Kennedy; 20th ward, James Franklin; 21st ward, Frank Maischoss; 22d ward, Clifford S. A. Coe; 23d ward, William K. Williams; 24th ward, Robert K. Smither; 25th ward, William H. Bradish.
Board of Councilmen .- Jewett M. Richmond, president; James Ash, George Bal- dus, James Hanrahan, Andrew Kilgallon, Christian Klinck, Martin Maher, Mathias Strauss, Michael J. Byrne.
Common Council .- Robert K. Smither, president.
1895-President of the Board of Aldermen, Robert K. Smither (Rep.); 1st ward, John Sheehan; 2d, John P. Sullivan ; 3d, Joseph Butler; 4th, John Walsh; 5th, William Summers; 6th, Charles Kiefer; 7th, Louis W. Faude; 8th, Abram Durr; 9th, John O. G. Robert; 10th, Adam Boeckel; 11th. Louis Fechter; 12th, Samuel Caldwell; 13th John Kick; 14th, Charles P. Woltz; 15th, Jacob Kissinger: 16th, Frederick A. Menge; 17th, Richard Bullymore, jr. : 18th, George Zoeller; 19th, John J. Kennedy; 20th, James Franklin : 21st. Frank Maischoss; 22d, Clifford S. A. Coe; 23d, Joseph C. Veling; 24th, Robert K. Smither; 25th, William H. Bradish.
Board of Councilmen .- James Ash, president; M. J. Byrne, A. Frank Gorski, Christian Klinck, Henry J. Steul, Andrew J. Keller, James Hanrahan, Martin Maher, Mathias Strauss.
Common Council .- Frederick A. Menge, president.
1896-President of the Board of Aldermen, William H. Bradish (Rep.): 1st ward, John J. Coughlin; 2d, John P. Sullivan; 3d, Joseph Butler; 4th, John Walsh; 5th, William Summers; 6th, Charles Kiefer; 7th, Edward J. G. Schaefer; 8th, Abram Durr; 9th, John O. G. Robert; 10th, Adam Boeckel; 11th, James Smith; 12th, Samuel Caldwell; 13th John Kick; 14th, Charles P. Woltz; 15th, Jacob Kissinger; 16th, Frederick A. Menge; 17th, Frederick W. M. Heerwagen; 18th, George Zoeller : 19th, John J. Kennedy; 20th, James Franklin; 21st, Frank Maischoss; 22d, Clifford S. A. Coe : 23d, Joseph C. Veling; 24th, Robert K. Smither; 25th, William H. Bradish.
Board of Councilmen .- Christian Klinck, president; James N. Adam, Andrew J. Keller, James Ash, Henry C. Steul, Michael J. Byrne, Charles H. Utley, A. Frank Gorski, Henry Zipp.
Common Council .- Adam Boeckel, president.
1897-President of the Board of Aldermen, Jacob Kissinger; members same as in 1896.
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Board of Councilmen .- Christian Klinck, president; members same as in 1896. Common Council .- Charles P. Woltz, president.
1898-Board of Alderman: 1st ward, contest undecided December 1, 1897; 2d ward, John P. Sullivan ; 3d, Joseph Butler; 4th, John Walsh; 5th, William Summers; 6th, Charles Kiefer; 7th, Charles G. Smeeding; 8th, Eugene Nassoy; 9th, George Hend- ler; 10th, William Darmstadter; 11th, James Smith; 12th, Charles J. Schellback ; 13th, John Kick; 14th, Frank Cwiklinski; 15th, Joseph Kassler; 16th, John F. Barth ; 17th, Frederick W. M. Heerwagen; 18th, George Zoeller; 19th, John J. Kennedy; 20th, James Franklin ; 21st, Frank Maischoss; 22d, Clifford S. A. Coe; 23d, Joseph C. Veling; 24th, George S. Potter; 25th, George H. Striker.
Board of Councilmen .- James Ash, James N. Adam, Adam Boeckel, Frank J. Bissing, George Baldus, Jacob Missert, Henry C. Steul, Charles H. Utley, Henry Zipp.
CHAPTER XXVII.
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS.
TOWN OF ALDEN.
Alden is situated on the eastern border of the county, north of the center, with Newstead on the north, Genesee county on the east, Marilla on the south, and Lancaster on the west. Its territory is mostly within township 11, range 5, of the Holland Company's survey, contains almost thirty five square miles, or 20,833 acres. The surface in the north and west parts is nearly level; in the remainder it is gently undulating. Eleven-mile (or Ellicott) Creek flows northwesterly across the town, and Cayuga Creek flows a little north of west across the southwest part. The soil is deep, fertile loam, mixed with sand, gravel or clay.
The town was first settled by Moses Fenno in 1810, who located in the spring, and was followed in the same year by Joseph Freeman, William Snow, John Estabrook and Arunah Hibbard, each of whom built a log house near the site of Alden village. Settlers in 1811-12 were Samuel Slade, James Crocker, Samuel Huntington, Jonas Stick- ney, Nathaniel Estabrook, Saxton Bailey, William Humphrey, Nathan Willis, John Webster, and a Mr. Bunce and Mr. Cransaky. Willis and Webster both built mills on Cayuga Creek and were prominent citizens. Seth Butterfield settled in 1812 where J. L. Butterfield now lives.
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During the war of 1812 many settlers left the town, but returned in the spring of 1814, and in that year John C. Rogers built the first saw mill in the town on Ellicott Creek at the site of Alden Center.
The first school was taught in a log house in Alden village in 1815, by Mehitable Estabrook; in the same year Amos Bliss began keeping tavern in his house half a mile east of the village site. In 1816 or 1817 John C. Rogers built a grist mill near his saw mill, and about that time Seth Estabrook brought in some goods and began trade a little east of the village site, where Joshua Hendee had settled. The store and the tavern were both soon closed. Between 1816 and 1820 Homer Hendee, Amos Herrick, Moses Case, Jonas Van Wey, A. C. Burdick, Stephen Church, and possibly a few others located in the town. In 1822 Thomas Farnsworth settled in the town, and about the same time Dr. John M. Harrington began practice; John Bryant opened a store half a mile east of the village. From that date forward the town rapidly filled up with an energetic and generally prosperous class of men. Between 1830 and 1845 a large number of Germans took up residence in the town and have materially contributed to its growth. In 1843 the Buffalo & Attica Railroad was constructed through the town, and in 1853 the Buffalo & Rochester Railroad Company built a line which became part of the New York Central. In 1883 the Dela- ware, Lackawanna & Western Company completed their road across the town between the other two lines, giving the inhabitants ample facilities for reaching the markets.
Alden Village .- This village is situated southeast of the center of the town on what is now the Erie Railroad. The post-office was estab- lished in 1823, from which date the place began to assume the char- acter of a village. Joseph Freeman was the first postmaster; among other postmasters were Harvey Litchfield, Samuel M. Butler, Spencer Stone, Horace Stanley, R. N. Butler, Elisha Saunders, E. T. Cross, C. N. Fulton, William E. Saunders, Fred Thatcher, Jerome J. Stick- ney, Lester P. Stickney, William C. Tucker, Brace G. Eddy, George A. Webb, Freeman P. Wheeler, incumbent.
The early growth of the village was slow. Thomas Farnsworth built a tannery in 1822 half a mile to the north. Calvin Bishop and John Bryant, Horace Stanley, Litchfield & Barstow, a Mr. Severance, and Samuel M. Butler, were in mercantile trade in past years. Elisha Saunders opened a store before the last war and continued to about 1877. L. P. & J. J. Stickney began trade in 1870 and continued to- 62
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gether or separate many years. Wasburn Parker had an early tavern a little west of the village. The hotel of Thomas Farnsworth was the first permanent public house; it continued until 1869 when it was burned. A house built in 1844 was subsequently used as a hotel, and was burned in 1894. Another was built in 1851 by Grove C. Gage; John A. Ferner took the house in 1883. The house called Martin's hotel was built in 1871 by Horace King, who was succeeded by George T. Patterson.
The Oddaographic, a newspaper, was started November 1, 1875, by E. C. Dodge, but lived only a few months. The Industrial Union was started at Marilla April 1, 1892, by Benjamin H. and Evan H. Morey, and in April, 1893, it was removed to Alden village. In 1894 its name was changed to the Alden Union; the paper is still published by the men above named.
In 1854 William C. Leonard and others interested in education built a large frame building and established a seminary ; it continued a fairly prosperous existence several years. The present Alden Union High School was conducted as a graded school several years; it passed under the Regents in 1897. The school has three departments. J. P. Abbott has been principal since 1895.
Alden village has now 2 general stores, 2 hardware stores, 3 hotels, 1 newspaper, 1 harness shop, 2 blacksmiths, 1 feed store, 1 furniture store, 1 grist mill, 4 physicians, 1 wagonmaker, 2 markets, 1 tannery and 3 churches.
On the 7th day of May, 1869, the village was incorporated, with G. F. Vandervoort, E. W. Hendee, D. C. Skeels, J. B. Pride and A. D. Farnsworth, trustees. A reincorporation was effected in 1891, since which time considerable street improvements have been made. A fire department was organized in 1894, and a firemen's hall built in the same year. A hand engine and hook and ladder truck are owned.
The Spring Creek cheese factory began operations in 1880 under ownership of Benjamin Gifford. The building was burned and rebuilt by him and he still operates the factory.
The Alden Natural Gas Company was organized in 1892, and two wells were bored in the village and two outside; the village is now lighted by natural gas.
West Alden .- This is a hamlet situated about a mile and a half south- west of Alden village; it was long known as Alden Center, and a small business interest has long existed. A hotel which was kept many
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years by Almon Perry, was burned. The post-office was opened soon after 1870. Ira R. Martin opened a store in 1865, which was later con- verted into a hotel and burned. Charles Eels began trade in 1872 and still continues. The place has now a printing office, one store, one blacksmith shop and a church.
Alden Center .- This hamlet is situated in the center of the town, where John C. Rogers built the early mill before mentioned. This mill has had several owners and finally passed to John Smith. The post office was established April 1, 1857, with William J. Perry post- master; his successors were Jacob Sandmann, Michael Killinger, Joseph Fix and Jacob Sandmann again. Mr. Killinger opened a grocery about 1850. George Holland built a hotel in 1855, which be- came the property of Jacob Sandmann and is now owned by his son. Another hotel was built by George Shank, which is now owned by his son. Jacob Sandmann kept a store several years. The village now contains one store, a meat market, two hotels and the grist mill.
Mill Grove .- This is a small village in the northwest part of the town, which had its inception in the opening of a store in 1848 by the pioneer, Moses Case. A post-office was procured by him in 1849, with Hugh M. Case postmaster. Henry Sadler was a merchant for a few years, and Emile Yund began mercantile business in 1861, which still continues. There are two hotels in the village and a few shops.
Crittenden .- This is a village on the New York Central Railroad in the northeast corner of the town. About the first business enterprise in the place was the building of a hotel in 1848 by Benjamin Arbuckle; it had half a dozen occupants within two or three years. About 1850 John Edson built a steam saw mill, which was burned a few years later. In 1852 the railroad station was established there and a post- office opened with the present name. In 1853 Isaac Mallory built a hotel, and two others have since been opened. H. H. & J. P. Edson opened a general store in 1864, and S. P. Waldo and D. J. Watson con- ducted the grocery business in former years. There are now in the village two general stores, three hotels, one grocery and a church.
Peters's Corners is a settlement half way between Crittenden and Mill Grove. Among the pioneers in that section were Parker Marshall, B. Barnes, E. B. Banks, Robert Dickinson, Harry Chesebrough, John Stonebraker, Rufus Blodgett and William Cockerell. Many Germans located there between 1830 and 1840. A hotel was built in 1860 by Peter Trusinski, but there are no business interests at the present time.
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Town Line, a hamlet on the line between Alden and Lancaster on the main road. Most of the inhabitants in the vicinity are Germans. Small business interests have for many years been in existence there. George King formerly kept one of the hotels and James Willis had a grocery. The place now has 1 store, 1 hotel, 1 harness shop, 1 wagon shop, 2 blacksmiths.
Wende .- This is a station on the New York Central Railroad a little south of the village of Mill Grove. Henry Gehm settled there in 1848 and H. A. Wende in 1849; the latter built a saw mill on Eleven-Mile Creek in 1850 which was operated to about 1876. A store was built in 1857 by Michael Killinger, who was succeeded by his brother Matthias. There is no business carried on there at the present time.
There is a railroad station on the Erie line in this town, with the name Marilla, where a small settlement has come into existence within the past ten years. The business interests are a flour store, two livery stables and two saloons.
On July 17, 1813, the Presbyterians and Congregationalists of this town met and subscribed to a declaration of religious faith, and in May, 1817, a church was organized. The existing house of worship was erected about 1830, but has since been much improved.
In March, 1833, thirteen persons professing the Baptist faith met and formed a conference, and on the 5th of December following a church was organized. They had no house of worship until 1852, in which year the church at Alden village was erected. A parsonage was built in 1870.
The Methodist church at Alden village was organized April 17, 1881, and the house of worship was erected in 1885.
The Methodist church at West Alden was organized in 1850 and the edifice was erected in the following year. The organization is sub- stantially given up.
At Town Line is an Evangelical Lutheran church which was organ- ized in 1853; a brick church was built in the same year, and the edifice in present use was erected in 1875. St. Paul's United Evangelical church at the same place was organized in 1875 and a house of worship erected the same year. There is also a Free Methodist society there.
In the year 1867 a Lutheran church was built at Mill Grove, services having long been held prior to that in the school house. The society continues its active existence.
The first Roman Catholic services were held at Alden Center about
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1847, and they have been continued regularly since. A church edifice was erected in 1850, and a new one in 1861. A school was built in connection with the church in 1852 and a larger building in 1883. The Roman Catholics at Crittenden built their church in 1860, and a mis- sion was maintained until 1883, when a settled pastor was sent there.
Alden was erected from Clarence on the 27th of March, 1823. The first town meeting was held at the house of Washburn Parker, where the following officers were elected:
Edmond Badger, supervisor; Homer Hendee, town clerk; William H. Dayton and Jonathan Larkin, assessors; Thomas Durkee, collector; Thomas Farnsworth and John Van Wey, overseers of the poor; Nathan Willis, James C. Thompson and Jesse Gressman, commissioners of highways; Samuel Slade, Silas Snow and Thomas Gregg, commissioners of schools; Homer Hendee, Paul White and Joseph Perry, inspectors of schools; Thomas Durkee and Simon Hill, constables. .
The following is a list of the supervisors of the town of Alden from the time of its organization, with their years of service:
Edmond Badger, 1823-24; Moses Case, 1825-32; Jonathan Larkin, 1833-34; Moses Case, 1835-37; Joshua Fullerton, 1838-40; Dexter Ewell, 1841-42; John D. Howe, 1843-46; Alexander Kellogg, 1847-48; Nathan Willis, 1849; Ziba Durkee, 1850; Asa Munn, 1851; Nathan Willis, 1852-53; John B. Pride, 1854; Lester Gary, 1855; Her- bert Dayton, 1856; Nathan Willis, 1857; Festus Tenney, 1858-59; Herbert Dayton, 1860; Andrew P. Vandervoort, 1861; John C. Baker, 1862; Herman A. Wende, 1863- 64; William Slade, 1865; Bradley Goodyear, 1866; E. R. Hall, 1867; E. H. Ewell, 1868; Spencer Stone, 1869-74; Bernhard A. Wende, 1875; L. W. Cornwell, 1876; B. A. Wende, 1877-78; Joseph E. Ewell, 1879-80; George T. Patterson, 1881-83; H. K. Fullerton, 1884; George T. Patterson, 1885-87; Emile Yund, 1888; Frederic S. Ewell, 1889; Emile Yund, 1890-92; George T. Patterson, 1893-94; Otto H. Wende, 1895-97.
TOWN OF AMHERST.
The town of Amherst was formed from the town of Buffalo (now ex- tinct) on the 10th day of April, 1818, and included what is now the town of Cheektowaga, which was set off March 22, 1839. Amherst is situated on the northern boundary of the county, with Clarence on the east, Tonawanda on the west, Cheektowaga on the south, and Niagara county on the north. It comprises township 12, range 7, of the Hol- land Company's survey, excepting about 120 acres included in Buffalo, and all that part of township 13 lying south of Tonawanda Creek, and a strip about three-eighths of a mile wide at the east end and five-eighths at the west end reaching nearly across township 11. The total area of the town is about fifty-three square miles, or 33,608 acres. The town is watered by Ransom and Eleven-mile Creeks, and by Tonawanda
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Creek on its northern boundary. The surface is generally level Through the south part extends a ledge from which limestone is quar- ried, and beneath this is a layer of hydraulic limestone, which is exten- sively quarried at and near Williamsville and burned to produce water lime. Large quantities of quick lime are manufactured by the Will- iamsville Quick Lime Company. The soil is sandy and clayey loam and quite productive. The principal industry of the farmers is truck gardening, general farming, raising fruits, etc. The soil furnishes good pasturage, and in late years dairying has assumed considerable impor- tance.
The settlement of the territory of Amherst began with the purchase, in 1799 by Benjamin Ellicott and John Thompson, of 300 acres of land from the Holland Company, which included the mill privilege at Will- iamsville; they paid $2 an acre. During that summer Thompson got out timber for a saw mill, but did not build it until 1801. In 1803 land contracts were made by Samuel Kelsy, Henry Lake, Benjamin Gardner and William Lewis, most of whom, probably, became settlers. In 1804 William Maltby occupied Thompson's log house which he had built in 1799. Gen. Timothy S. Hopkins, Samuel McConnell, Caleb Rogers, Stephen Colvin, Jacob Vanatta and Joel Chamberlain were additions to the settlement in 1804. At about the same time Jonas Williams and David E. Evans bought the mill property, and in 1805 Elias Ransom opened the first tavern. From Mr. Williams the place became known as Williams's Mills, and so continued until after the war. James Her- shey bought land in 1806, and in 1807 John J. Drake, Samuel Fackler and Gamaliel St. John were settlers. In 1808 James S. Youngs, John Long and John Frick camein. From that time to the war the follow- ing settlers came in: Isaac F. Bowman (who was the first merchant), Adam Vollner, John Bieser (who also kept a store), John Reid, Jacob Hershey, Thomas Coe, Darius Ayers, John Reist, John Fogelsonger, Daniel Fry and Dr. David S. Conkey. Jonas Williams built a grist mill in 1810-11. For a few years after the war Juba Storrs & Co. were the leading merchants; but they failed before 1820, and Mr. Storrs re- moved to Buffalo, where he became a prominent early business man. Among other citizens of the town were:
Hon. Jasper B. Youngs, Harry Foster Bigelow, Hon. Timothy A. Hopkins, Albert D. Ayres, Charles C. and Austin Ayer, Valentine Bruner, John G. Bush and sons Stephen and Ira M., George Burgasser, Henry B. Campbell George Cretsenger and son George, George Fiegel and son John B., Christian Frick, Jacob Graf, C. C. Grover, John Grover, Isaac Hershey, George W. Hoover, Henry S. Hoover, Joseph
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Leffler, sr., and son Joseph, John Lutes, Christian Long, David Long, John D. Long, John M. Magoffin, Christian Michael and son Philip, Emanuel D. Miller, Lewis D. Miller, Abram Metz, Christian C. Metz, Jacob Metz, George Peters, Adam Rinewalt and son Adam L., Miranda Root, Jacob Schenck, Michael Schenck, John Schoelles, David Sheesley, Isaac Shisler and son Jacob, Abraham Snyder and son Michael, Louis Snyder and son Philip J., Tobias Witmer, George Wolf, sr., Jacob and George J. Wolf, James F. Youngs.
The first town meeting for Amherst was held in the spring of 1819, when the following officers were chosen :
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