USA > New York > Erie County > Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1) > Part 63
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In 1888 John Lyth established a plant for the manufacture of sewer pipe, hollow brick, tile etc., to which business the firm of John Lyth & Sons succeeded. The whole plant and buildings cover ten acres of ground; the headquarters are in Buffalo. The Candee Lock Co., in- corporated May, 1895, to manufacture patent locks and builders' hard- ware; A. W. Candee, secretary and treasurer, as well as principal stockholder; the establishment is now idle. A saw and planing mill was established eight years ago and is still in operation. Gotlieb Koehler & Co. carry on a small tanning business. The Angola steam and water power flouring mills were built by the three sons of Henry Bundy. The latter settled in Evans in 1830 and early engaged in the manufacture of horse rakes; he purchased the mill property in 1853 and added a planing mill and sash and door factory. In 1877 the works were burned and a custom mill was built on the site.
The Angola Record was established May 22, 1879, by H. J. Penfold. In 1881 Orlin C. Brown became a partner. The paper passed to pos-
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session of David C. Oatman and Stephen Landon in 1884, who were succeeded by Weston N. Landon.
A Union school was established in 1871 in a commodious building erected in 1870. The first principal was J. W. Barker. Angola vil- lage was incorporated by special election held August 30, 1873. At that time the population was 600. Lyman Oatman was chosen the first president; O. W. W. Beckwith, L. M. Winslow and Joseph Frohley, trustees.
There are now in Angola 2 hardware stores, 1 drug store, 1 shoe store, 5 groceries, 4 hotels, 1 meat market, 2 milliners, 1 clothing store, a newspaper, a Union school, a grist mill, a saw and planing mill, sewer pipe works, a cooper shop, a wagon shop and 3 blacksmith shops.
East Evans (Jerusalem) .- This is a hamlet north of the center of the town. When Elijah Stocking settled on the site of this place in 1814 there were only four settlers between there and the lake. They were Aaron Salisbury, O. J. Dibble, Nathaniel Gray and Elijah Talman. Among the settlers the next year were Isaac and Jehiel Bartholomew, Zacharias Maltby and his son Jonathan. Soon after the war of 1812 a hotel was opened there by a Mr. Clark and a store was established in 1820 by R. Rowell. Among other past merchants were a Mr. Webb, James Stray, John Shears, John Rickert, all of whom were postmasters at different periods.
North Evans .- A hamlet in the extreme northeast corner of the town and a station on the railroad. Aaron Cash settled there in 1890 and David Hamlin and the Ames families located there soon aftewards. George E. Sykes was a former merchant and two stores are now open. A tannery and mills were built, the former long operated by Charles Ibeck. A graded school was established and in 1895 a commodious school building was erected.
Derby is a settlement and railroad station about a mile east of East Evans, where a post-office was opened in 1874, with George W. Carr postmaster. A small mercantile business has since been conducted there.
Pontiac is a hamlet on a branch of Big Sister Creek, southeast of An- gola, where a grist and saw mill have long been in operation. R. N. Candee formerly kept a grocery.
A Methodist Episcopal church was formed at Evans Center in 1815. Meetings were held in school houses and dwellings until 1844, when a
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church was erected. When the Congregationalists divided to form a new socieiy at Angola, the Methodists exchanged houses of worship with them; their old building was sold and removed; it was later struck by lightning and partially burned. The Congregational society subse- quently disbanded. The Baptist church at Evans Center was formed in September, 1830, with fourteen members. The present edifice was erected in 1855 and is now receiving an addition.
A Methodist church was organized at North Evans in 1828, and their first house of worship was erected in 1856. A Congregational church was formed at East Evans in July, 1818. The church records are very meager, and it is not known when the edifice was erected. Congrega- tional services were held in Angola by the pastor at East Evans from about 1857, which were continued until 1863, when a society was or- ganized with thirteen members. This church has had a prosperous existence and in 1892 built an addition to their church.
Precious Blood Roman Catholic church at Angola was organized soon after settlement began at the village. The former school building was purchased for services in 1870 and used until the present year. A new church is now in process of erection.
The records of the town of Evans prior to 1856 have been lost, and it is impossible, therefore, to give a complete list of the supervisors; the following are all that can be ascertained, many of them being col- lected from other sources :
Nathaniel Gray, 1825; William Van Duzer, 1827; Jonathan Hascall, jr., 1830; Orange J. Dibble, 1832; Aaron Salisbury, 1833-38; Sayles Aldrich, 1839-40, 1842- 43; Aaron Salisbury, 1844; Joseph Bennett, 1845-48; Isaac Potter, 1849; John Bor- land, 1850-51; Joseph Bennett, 1852; Myron D. Winslow, 1853; Peter Barker, 1854- 55; Myron D. Winslow, 1856; Ira Ayer, 1857-58; Myron D. Winslow, 1859; James Ayer, 1860-62; Lyman Oatman, 1863; John H. Andrus, 1864; Lyman Oatman, 1865; Edmund Z. Southwick, 1866-70; David C. Oatman, 1871-74; Edmund Z. Southwick, 1875; David C. Oatman, 1876; Josiah Southwick, 1877-78; Orlin C. Brown, 1879-85; Judson O. Bennett, 1886; Orson Earl, 1887-97.
TOWN OF GRAND ISLAND.
Grand Island is situated in the Niagara River and contains an area of 17,381 acres of good agricultural land. Up to about the year 1834 it was mostly covered with a heavy growth of timber. At its southern extremity and separated from it by the small arm of Beaver Creek, is Beaver Island, containing forty acres. The scenery on and around this great island is grandly picturesque and has aided in making it a popular resort.
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An act of the Legislature of April 12, 1824, made it the duty of the commissioners of the land office to cause Grand Island to be surveyed into lots of not more than 200 acres each, which should be appraised by the surveyors and a report made to the surveyor-general; and that the commissioners of the land office should thereupon sell the lots at public auction. The same act annexed the island to Erie county as part of the old town of Buffalo. It has been stated in earlier chapters that the island was purchased from the Seneca Indians in September, 1815, for about $11,000. The island was for some time occupied by squatters, who were driven away by force in 1819.
Succeeding the survey just mentioned, a historical event was in- augurated on Grand Island. Major Mordecai Manuel Noah, a prom- inent Israelite of New York city and editor of the National Advocate, conceived the idea that the island would make a suitable asylum for the Jews of all nations, where they could found a great city and eman- cipate themselves from oppression in foreign countries. Major Noah, although a man of conceded ability, a politician of prominence, and influential in high places, was an extreme visionary. His Grand Island scheme is ample evidence of this fact. To carry out his plans he in- duced his friend, Samuel Leggett, of New York, to purchase 2,555 acres of land on the island, upon which the settlement of the Jews was to begin. Noah's plans involved also the energetic promotion of com- merce at Tonawanda, which he believed would soon give it the ascend- ency over both Buffalo and Black Rock. These plans were exten- sively advertised through Noah's paper, and several capitalists were in- duced to enter into the project. Mr. Leggett's purchase included 1,020 acres at the head of the island and the remainder opposite Tona- wanda; for the whole he paid nearly $10,000. John B. Yates and Archibald McIntyre, then lottery manipulators, and Peter Smith, father of the late Gerrit Smith, and others were among the purchas- ers of lands on the island, but not in connection with the scheme of Major Noah. With the aid of a friend named A. S. Siexas, a man of indomitable perseverance, Noah made his final preparations, and in August, 1825, they left New York, Noah's insignia and robes of office . packed in trunks. The Jewish city was to be named Ararat, and Noah had prepared a stone which was to be " the chief of the corner," bearing a proper inscription. When he arrived in Buffalo, finding it inconvenient to get to Grand Island for the ceremonial planned, Noah adopted the ridiculous course of laying the stone in the Episcopal
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church of the village; this astonishing proceeding took place on Sep- tember 2, 1825. A day or two later Major Noah returned to New York; the corner stone was taken from the audience room of the church and placed outside against the rear wall; the project of found- ing the city of Ararat vanished into air. Noah had collected con- siderable money from wealthy Jews, by whom he was warmly de- nounced and ridiculed. But by his ready wit, and through his news- paper, he replied to the jeers and accusations in good humor and lost little of his former prestige. After a migratory career of many years the famous corner stone finally found a home in the Buffalo Historical Society's rooms in January, 1866.
In 1833 a purchase was made of Leggett and other owners by some Boston men, with whom the late Lewis F. Allen was interested, of 16,- 000 acres of Grand Island lands; the price was a little above $5 an acre. The purpose of these men was to make use of the valuable white oak timber on the island, which was to be cut and shipped to New York and Boston for ship building. A steam saw mill and several houses were built on the island and the work of clearing began. In 1849 the lands of the island were opened for sale to individuals, and many farms were sold and rapidly improved. A population of about 1,200 finally gathered into a prosperous community, with ample school accommodations, three churches, good roads, and all facilities for town government. When the town of Tonawanda was formed from Buffalo in 1836 it included Grand Island and so remained until October 19, 1852, when the town of Grand Island was erected.
The following are the supervisors of Grand Island from the organiza- tion of the town to the present time, with their years of service :
John Nice, 1852-54; David Morgan, 1855-56; Asa Ransom, 1857-58; David Mor- gan, 1859; John Nice, 1860; Ossian Bedell, 1861-62; Levant Ransom, 1863; John Nice, 1864-66; Dr. H. B. Ransom, 1867-69; Levant Ransom, 1870; John H. W. Staley, 1871-72; Sutliff Staley, 1873; Dr. H. B. Ransom, 1874; Conrad Spohr, 1875-76: Henry Stamler, 1877; Dr. H. B. Ransom, 1878; John H. Stoneway, 1879-82; John H. W. Staley, 1883; Joachim Long, 1884-85; John H. Stoneway, 1886-90; Thomas McConkey, 1891-92; Peter Ie Glopper, 1893-97.
Within the past fifteen years a number of handsome residences have been built on the island, several public houses especially adapted for summer visitors established and two popular clubs have well appointed houses there.
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TOWN OF HAMBURG.
The town of Hamburg, so named from Hamburg in Germany, lies in the western part of Erie county, directly south of Buffalo, and was formed from Willink on the 20th of March, 1812. In 1826 a small tract was annexed to Evans; on October 15, 1850, the town of Ellicott (now East Hamburg) was set off; on October 16, 1851, a part of West Seneca was taken off; and about the same time a small triangular tract east of the Abbott road was transferred to Hamburg. The town con . tains about 25,000 acres, and is bounded on the east by East Hamburg, on the south by Boston, Eden and Evans, on the west by Lake Erie, and on the north by the lake and West Seneca. The surface is rolling in the eastern part and level, with a gentle inclination toward the lake, in the western part. The soil is generally a clayey loam and very pro- ductive; along Eighteen-mile Creek, or the Idlewood, gravel abounds. Outside of the village the chief industry is agriculture; all kinds of farm produce, garden truck, fruit, etc., are grown in abundance. Along the lake shore several summer resorts and private houses have sprung up within the last ten or fifteen years.
The first town meeting was held at the house of Jacob Wright on the 7th of April, 1812, and the following officers were elected:
David Eddy, supervisor; Samuel Hawkins, town clerk; Isaac Chandler, Richard Smith and Nelson Whitticer, assessors; Abner Wilson, constable and collector; Nathaniel Clark and Thomas Fish, overseers of the poor; Joseph Brown, John Green and Amasa Smith, commissioners of highways; Abner Amsdell and Jotham Bemis, poundmasters.
Following is a list of the supervisors of Hamburg with their years of service :
Davld Eddy, 1812; Samuel Abbott, 1813; Richard Smith, 1814; Lemuel Wasson, 1815; Richard Smith, 1816; Isaac Chandler, 1817; Richard Smith, 1818: Abner Wilson, 1819; Lemuel Wasson, 1820-24; Thomas T. White, 1825; Joseph Foster, 1826-29; Elisha Smith, 1830-41; Isaac Deuel, 1842; Joseph Foster, 1843; Clark Dart, 1844; Amos Chilcott, 1845; Clark Dart, 1846; Isaac Deuel, 1847-48; Jesse Bartoo, 1849; Jacob Potter, 1850; John Clark, 1851-52; Ira Barnard, 1853-55; George W. Barnard, 1856; Morris Osborn, 1857-58; James S. Parkhill, 1859; Noel White, 1860- 61; Allen K. Dart, 1862-65; George M. Pierce, 1866-67; Robert C. Titus, 1868-71; George M. Pierce, 1872-73; Horace W. White, 1874-76; Andrel Stein, 1877-80; Harvey S. Spencer, 1881-82; J. S. Newton, 1883; Horace W White, 1884-86; John Brendel, 1387-89; Fayette Kelly, 1890-97.
There is some doubt as to who was the first settler in Hamburg, but every fact obtainable points to John Cummings, who purchased from the Holland Land Company a tract of land on Eighteen-mile Creek in
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1803. There seems to have been a number of settlers in that year, among them being the Hicks and Van Namee families, Ebenezer Good- rich and Daniel Camp, all on the lake shore, and Nelson Whitticer, Ebenezer Ingersoll and John Van Namee, father of Leonard. About 1805 Mr. Cummings erected, near what is now Water Valley, the first grist mill in the town and the first in Erie county south of a rude corn mill in East Hamburg. He died soon afterward and was the first per- son buried in the old cemetery in Hamburg ..
About 1804 Rufus Belden and Nathaniel Titus came in; the latter, in 1805, opened the first tavern in town on the lake shore. Among the settlers of 1805 were Abner Amsdell and son Abner, Jotham Bemis, Abel Buck, Gideon Dudley, Russell Goodrich, Samuel P. Hibbard, Winslow Perry, King Root and Tyler Sackett. About 1806 Jacob Wright settled and opened a tavern at Wright's Corners, now Abbott's Corners, and about the same time Daniel Smith moved his corn mill, previously mentioned, from East Hamburg to the creek near Hamburg village. About 1808 Mr. Smith and his brother, Judge Richard Smith, erected a grist mill, and for several years the place was called Smith's Mills. A saw mill was built at Water Valley about 1811. Other early settlers of the original town were:
Seth Abbott, Joseph Abbott, Samuel Abbott, William Coltrin, Benjamin Enos. Cotton Fletcher, John Green, Pardon Pierce, Giles Sage, Zenas Smith and William Warriner, the latter a surgeon in the war of 1812. At the battle of Black Rock, New- man Baker, William Cheeseman and Parley Moffat, residents of this town, were slain. Capt. Benjamin 1. Clough of Hamburg, was an officer in that war.
After the war of 1812 Judge Zenas Barker purchased the Titus tavern on the lake shore, and a post-office was established there with the name of Barkersville. Bird & Foster succeeded Judge Barker. The Lake Shore road was long the principal route of travel, and at one time, it is said, there were nearly as many taverns as private dwellings on it. Prior to 1818 Lewis T. White, Jacob A. Barker, Daniel Brayman, Caleb Pierce, Lansing and Seymour Whitticer, the Shepard, Barnard, Jack- son and Beach families, and others had became settlers. In 1822 the post-offices of Barkersville and Smithville (at Smith's Mills) were dis- continued and another, called Hamburg, established at Abbott's Cor- ners, which for several years was the leading business place in town. During the Patriot war in 1837-38 two or more movements looking to the invasion of Canada originated in Hamburg; in February, 1838, Colonel Worth dispersed a body of 400 patriots who had assembled at
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Comstock's tavern for this purpose. Many of the early settlers were Germans, who, by 1840, had gained a wide reputation for their " Ham- burg cheese," which long continued to be a celebrated product of the town. In 1868 the Erie County Agricultural Society found a perma- nent home on the grounds of the Hamburg Driving Park Association, where annual exhibitions have since been held.
Among the prominent citizens of Hamburg are the following:
Col. George Abbott, Capt. B. K. Buxton, Isaac Long, Moses Dart and son Moses, John V. Dorst, George Kast and son George, Henry F. Kast and son Peter, Amasa K. Ostrander, John and Joseph Potter, Joseph McGee, Reuben Potter and sons Jo- seph and Reuben, Mathias Rittman and son Abram, George W. Sikes, John P. Spaulding, Prof. Elliott W. Stewart, Horace White and son Horace W., Sanford Williams and son Addis E., Philander Rathbone, Amasa Smith, William H. Brown, Poltis Colvin, Elihu Johnson, Marcus Schwert.
Hamburg Village is situated on the Buffalo and southwestern divis- ion of the Erie Railroad, which was completed in 1875, and had its beginnings in the grist mill of David and Richard Smith. This mill soon gave place to a larger one, which was washed away in January, 1822. It was rebuilt by Mr. Mills, who was succeeded by his son, John T. Mills, who sold it to Isaac Long about 1827. The latter was followed by his son, Abram Long, who built a new brick structure in 1856; this was burned about 1888 and rebuilt. Soon after 1808 Root & Bliss erected a tannery, which was purchased about 1818 by Thomas T. White, who was succeeded by his son, Lewis T. White; the latter sold it in 1840 to John Sigel, and on October 5, 1896, it was burned. Willard Berry, in 1825, built a cloth mill, which was burned a few years later.
The place was first known as Smith's Mills and afterward as White's Corners; a post-office, named Smithville, was established in 1820, with Ralph Shepard as postmaster, and discontinued in 1822, when a post- office called Hamburg was established at Abbott's Corners. This lat- ter office was removed to Hamburg village about 1850, and since then this has been the chief business center in the town. In 1817 Bennett & Beaman were engaged in the mercantile trade and Ralph Shepard was keeping tavern. About 1820 Thomas T. White opened a general store on the corner of Main and Buffalo streets, and from him the place derived the name of White's Corners, which it retained for fifty years or more. Later merchants were:
Thomas Fish, who was succeeded in 1852 by his son, Milford Fish, who built the brick store of Burton M. Fish in 1860; Milton Fish & Sons (Burton M., Clinton T.
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and Newton C.); Johnson & Huson, Bunting & Ellwood, Thomas L. Bunting, John G. Brendel, George W. Eddy & Co., Nicholas Pauley and son Nicholas, jr., George Federspiel, Federspiel & Eckhardt, Henry Mackmer, Joseph Kronenburg, Frank Schumer, Alexander C. Stolting, George Chandler, Edward S. Nott, Marcus Schwert, Henry Michael, Jacob Hauck & Co., Jacob Bush, Lewis Smith, William Venner, Ellwood & Venner, C. Froehley, J. W. Salisbury, Charles H. Kehe, Joseph Shoemaker, Perry Parks, Lake & Eddy, Newton C. Fish, William Kronenburg, John Thiel.
The first physician in the village was Dr. Daniel Allen, who was in practice in 1817. Later physicians were Drs. Camp, Foote. Howard and Hyde, Dr. James Allen, Dr. George A. Schmidt, Dr. George Allen, Dr. Paige, Dr. Beckwith, Dr. F. W. Bartlett, Dr. S. E. S. H. Nott, Dr. C. W. Bourne, and Dr. George Abbott. Dr. D. R. Leach has been a dentist here for many years.
The first lawyer is said to have been David Lake, prior to 1840. Other lawyers were Abram Thorn, Ira E. Irish, Horace Boies, A. C. Calkins, Robert B. Titus, Hosea Heath, Fayette Kelly, and Perry M. Thorn.
In the foregoing list of merchants, physicians and lawyers are many who are now following their chosen callings.
The first school in Hamburg village was taught in 1820. In 1849 a two-story brick school house was erected, and in 1868 this was replaced by another structure costing $14,000; in the latter year the present Union school was organized with C. W. Richards as principal and Miss Olive North and Miss Hattie Dalrymple as assistants; the first board of education consisted of
Rev. A. J. Wilcox, president, Dr. S. E. S. H. Nott, Dr. George Abbott, Dr. G. A. Schmidt, Dr. L. R. Leach, A. C. Calkins, Charles Sigel, Allen K. Dart, Joseph Kronenburg, O. C. Pierce and George Federspiel.
The village grew steadily after about 1850, and by 1870 had five stores of various kinds. In was incorporated May 9, 1874, with the following officers:
George M. Pierce, president: Dr. H. S. Spencer, Dr. G. A. Schmidt, J. Ritten, Thomas L. Bunting, Andrel Stein and A. C. Calkins, trustees; Thomas L. Bunting, treasurer; Andrel Stein, collector; A. C. Calkins, clerk.
On November 9, 1875, Alexander C. Stolting began the publication of the Erie County Independent, which was sold to J. W. Constantine about five years later. Soon afterward it passed to Charles G. Miller, who, in April, 1882, was succeeded by his brother, Joseph B. Miller, the present proprietor. Under Mr. Miller's editorship it has acquired a wide circulation. In 1876 twenty-five numbers of the Hamburg Dem- ocrat were issued, and for one year Charles Sickman published the Hamburg Sentinel. The Hamburg Journal was started in 1880 by F.
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M. Perley, who was succeeded by E. P. Thurston; it it was discon- tinued about 1885.
A planing mill was built by Horace Dart in 1879, and on May 5, 1883, passed to the Hamburg Planing Mill Company, the officers of which were James Taylor, president; Thomas L. Bunting, secretary; and William S. Nelson, treasurer. The Hamburg Axe Company was organized in 1881 and went out of existence about 1885. In 1881 the Hamburg Canning Company was organized with a capital of $30,000 and with George M. Pierce as president and Thomas L. Bunting as secretary and treasurer. The planing mill and the canning factory are the leading manufacturing establishments in the village.
The Bank of Hamburg commenced business August 1, 1883, with a paid up capital of $50,000, and with these officers: George M. Pierce, president; Thomas L. Bunting, vice-president; H. S. Spencer, cashier -all of whom still hold their respective positions. The People's Bank was incorporated May 22, 1891, with a capital of $30,000, and with Robert B. Foote, president, and Perry M. Thorn, cashier; Mr. Foote was succeeded by Burton M. Fish and he by Amos H. Baker as presi- dent.
Among the postmasters of Hamburg were Philander Rathbone, Dr. George A. Schmidt, Lewis E. Smith, Allen Monroe, Philip Juergens and Charles H. Wood. The following have also been prominent men in the village:
Rudolph Stratmeier. John Bitler, A. S. Frierle and William Boden, blacksmiths; John Ritman and Adam Esenscheid, wagon-makers; Charles Beck and Allen Mon- roe, cigar manufacturers; Peter and George Kast, cider manufacturers. The oldest hotel in Hamburg is that of George Kopp, jr., which has been in the family for up- wards of fifty years.
In July, 1889, the Hamburg Water and Electric Light Company and the Hamburg Investment and Improvement Company were organized with Thomas L. Bunting, president, and H. S. Spencer, secretary and treasurer. The water works were constructed that year, and the electric lights were turned on September 19, 1893. The last named company has successfully developed various parts of the village. In 1893 the old cemetery was converted into a village park, $5,000 in bonds being issued for the purpose. In 1895 a Business Men's Association was organized, with George A. Bensley as president, and about the same time a number of prominent women formed the Nineteenth Century Club, through whose efforts a free library and reading room were 71
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opened December 17, 1896. The village has a fire department con- sisting of one engine and three hook and ladder companies.
A Methodist class was organized in Hamburg about 1816, and after- ward a church edifice was erected, which is now used for business pur- poses; a new frame structure was built in 1884. The Freewill Baptist church was organized about 1826, by Rev. H. M. Cary, the first pastor being Rev. H. M. Plumb. About 1830 they erected an edifice, which was finally purchased by the Presbyterians and enlarged in 1892. SS. Peter's and Paul's Roman Catholic church was organized in 1831; their present brick edifice was commenced in 1861 and dedicated June 29, 1863, and a parochial school was established in 1876. St. Jacob's Evangelical Protestant church was founded about 1850 and regularly organized in 1860; a house of worship was built in 1853 and rebuilt in 1887. Trinity Episcopal church was consecrated April 8, 1893. There is also a Wesleyan Methodist Society in the village.
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