USA > New York > Erie County > Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1) > Part 66
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Before 1812 the following had settled in this town along the Buffalo road :
Samuel Anderson, John S. Ball, Joseph and Luther Barney, Samuel Bates, John Boyer, James H. Case, Archibald S. Clarke, James Cronk, a Mr. Chamberlain, Isaac
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Denio, William Hall, Charles Knight, Martin Lewis, William Mills, Stephen Osborne, Jacob Pratt, Joel Parmeley, Samuel Strickland and Peter Vandeventer.
About 1816 the Clarence post-office was removed, and soon after 1823 another was established with the name of Erie, the postmaster being John S. Ball, who had succeeded Mr. Clarke as a merchant. The office was changed about 1831 to Newstead and discontinued soon after 1837.
The following were among later settlers of the town:
Hezekiah Cummings (in 1828), Robert Benedict, Nathan L. Barney, Jonathan Russell, James McMullen, Marcus McNeal, Lorenzo D. Covey, Ezra P. Goslin, Al- pheus Prince, C. B. Rich, Wilber N. Hoag, William Davis, Edwin Hawkins, Asher Moon, Clark Pardee, Asher Wheeler, Charles Ainsworth, Marcius E. King, William Jackson, Benjamin Johnson, John and Lewis Seaton, Silas Saxton, Elbridge Little, William Strickland, William Whitley, Moses Nash, A. K. Hubbard, William Cofran, Calvin C. Kingsley, Thomas Downey, Jonathan Delano, James Harrington.
The first railroad in the county (except one three miles long, from Buffalo to Black Rock) was built from Medina to Akron, Fallkirk and Richville, Genesee county, about twenty miles, in 1835. It had wooden rails, and one passenger and one freight car, drawn by two horses, one ahead of the other; the fare from Akron to Medina was sixty-four cents. The road proved unprofitable, and after two or three years was abandoned.
Akron Village had its inception in 1826, when Jonathan Russell pur- chased lot 26, built a frame house, and opened part of it as a store; this building is now a part of Charles F. Berghorn's drug store. About the same time a Mr. Whicher erected a grist mill and Elisha Hill put up a saw mill. The latter was afterward owned by F. E. Dunham & Co. These and other enterprises soon diminished the importance of the Vandeventer settlement as a business center, and before 1840 the latter had become scarcely more than a rural hamlet. In 1831 Spen- cer S. Harrington opened a tavern and Mitchell Osborne a grocery; the latter continued in business over fifty years. About 1832 Elisha M. Adams, Harrison Osborne and John Wainwright engaged in mercantile business, and "Squire " Huntley built a fulling and carding mill, which soon passed to Hezekiah Cummings. After 1850 Harlow Cummings occupied the mill building as a hub factory.
The first physician in Akron was Dr. Isaac Parcell, who came in 1831; following him were Dr. Wright, Dr. F. Norton, Dr. L. P. L. Parker, Dr. O. P. Crane, Dr. L. D. Crane and Dr. S. W. Hurd.
Among the later merchants are the following :
Adams & Baker, B. K. Adams & Knight, Adams & Newton, Harvey H. Newton
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H. H. Newton & Sons, Abram Post, Maj. William T. Magoffin, William M. Cum- mings, Charles D. Smith, Wilson P. Hoag, Frank Magoffin, Charles F. Berghorn, Berghorn & Roach, Frederick W. Powell, Mrs Emma Pennell, Dr. Ezra Pennell, David Munter, Kopelowich & Smith, John W. Tuttle, Henry P. Eagan, Morrill T. Dailey, Thomas Brothers, William R. Burns, George B. Garnham, John A. Ander- son, Edward W. Buckley, Mrs. J. Krohn, Lorenzo D. Covey, Dunnett & Co., James Mossman, Mr. Douglass, R. S. Mills, Parker & Harrington.
The Akron House was built by John Baird and first kept by S. S. Harrington in 1831; later landlords were Harrington & Stewart, George Brown, N. B. Wickwire, George Shannon, Thomas Black- more and Smith & Wells. Another hotel was erected about 1860 by A. B. Wheeler, the American House in 1872, the Altenburg House about 1883, and the Union Hotel about 1886.
The village was originally called "The Corporation," and about 1836 had the appearance of a log-yard, being strewn with logs from the adjacent forests. About that time the Akron post-office was es- tablished with Elisha M. Adams as postmaster; he was succeeded by Sylvester Goff, Lorenzo D. Covey, H. H. Newton, William L. Paxon, William T. Magoffin (thirteen years), William M. Cummings, James E. Paxon and J. Crawford Hoag.
The discovery in 1839 of hydraulic or water limestone at what became Fallkirk, on Murder Creek, by Jonathan Delano, led to the establish- ment of one of the leading industries of the town. In 1840 he built a small kiln, capable of manufacturing about 300 tons of water lime per year. This was on land owned by Daniel Fisher. In 1843 the prop- erty was sold to James M. Souverhill, who conveyed it to James Mont- gomery, who enlarged the works and also manufactured land plaster from gypsum discovered on the Indian Reservation. Enos Newman became his partner and afterward the sole owner, and in 1852 sold the concern to his brothers, Edward J. and Leroy Newman, who built a three-story stone flouring mill; in 1858 they built a " perpetual burner" and in 1859 a second lime kiln and a separate cement mill at the lower falls. About 1852 Enos Newman, with his son Amos, established a cement mill on the south side of the creek; this was sold in 1864 to E. J. & Leroy Newman, which firm then became E. J. Newman & Co. Their large cement mill was burned in 1870 and a new steam mill erected, and about the same time a new method of quarrying limestone by tunneling was inaugurated, which reduced the cost of manufacture one-half. The capacity of their works was increased to about 600 barrels of cement per day, and in 1878 a new flouring mill, with a daily capac-
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ity of 150 barrels, was erected. The property is now operated by Henry L. and William C. Newman.
Hezekiah Cummings & Sons started another cement mill on Murder Creek in 1854; in 1865 it was abandaned and a new one erected nearer the quarries by Homer H., Palmer and Uriah Cummings, sons of Hez- ekiah. This establishment was sold in 1869 to the Akron Cement Works, the officers of which were Hon. D. N. Lockwood, president, and Frank S. Coit, treasurer. In 1870-71 still another cement manu- factory was established west of Akron by Homer H., Palmer and Uriah Cummings, who were succeeded by the Cummings Akron Cement Works.
The discovery of water lime gave existence to the hamlet of Fallkirk, where J. D. Jackson erected a large brick block in 1843, and H. D. Jackson established a tannery. The place, though now a part of Ak- ron village, contains two hotels and the barrel factory of Timothy McCarthy and Albert J. Flynn.
Akron village was incorporated in June 1847, but the destruction of the early village records by fire in 1871 preclude the mention of its first officers. In 1850 it had a population of 453; in 1870, 444; in 1880, 1,036; in 1890, 1,492. The corporate limits have been nearly doubled, taking in Fallkirk, and now equal about one square mile. In 1849-50 Hezekiah Cummings erected a stone grist-mill at the foot of Main street; this was subsequently operated by John Wilder and now by H. H. Croop. For many years fire protection was afforded by a bucket brigade, which was succeeded by a chemical engine, which gave place to two hand en- gines; in 1896 a fire department, consisting of two hose companies and one hook and ladder company, was organized. In 1896 a water supply was established by the village, which was bonded for $30,000. About 1887 natural gas was discovered on the Wilder farm, and on November 1, 1896, the Akron Light, Fuel and Power Company was incorporated with Richard H. Bell, president; Irving D. Eckerson, secretary, for the purpose of supplying natural gas to the village.
The first banking business done in Akron was by Wickwire & Co., who started a private bank about 1882, and who were succeeded by N. B. Wickwire in 1886. The private bank of Tabor & Wiltsie was started by them in March, 1887.
The Akron Breeze, the first newspaper, was started in September, 1878, by Frank G. Smith; later publishers were King & Murray, John H. Meahl, and, since 1889, Edwin M. Read. The Akron Record was
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published a short time by Covey & Wheeler; it was absorbed by the Breeze. The Akron Herald was established May 28, 1896, by John C. Murray.
The Akron Union High School was organized December 18, 1883, the first principal being F. W. Lindsley, who was succeeded by George W. Watt, and he by Orson Warren. A brick school house was erected in 1890, and in 1893 an addition was built on the site of the old build- ing, which had burned.
From the Methodist class organized in 1807, with Charles Knight as leader, was formed the Methodist Episcopal Church of Akron, which erected a log meeting house in 1820 on land donated by Lemuel Os- borne. In 1836 another edifice was built of stone on a site given by Jonathan Russell; it was dedicated in 1840 and enlarged about 1865. A Baptist church flourished in the Vanderventer neighborhood for many years. In 1837 it was succeeded by the Baptist church of Akron, which built an edifice in 1838; this was followed by the present struc- ture, built in 1873, at a cost of $12,000. The Presbyterian church of Clarence was organized about 1820, erected a building on the Buffalo road in Newstead, and in 1839 was divided, the Newstead church hav. ing fifty-one members. They erected a church in Akron in 1852. The German Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1867, and in 1868 purchased the Catholic edifice. The first mass of the Roman Catholic church was celebrated at the house of Thomas Downey in 1847; a church was built in 1854 and in 1868 sold to the German Methodists, and a new edifice erected in 1883. A Free Methodist church was built about 1885 and a German Lutheran church in 1896.
The village of Akron now has an estimated population of 1,800, about 20 stores of various kinds, 2 private banks, 2 weekly newspapers and printing offices, 5 hotels, a theater, 2 cigar factories, a heading and stave mill, a creamery, a fine public park, 2 flouring mills, 1 foundry, a bottling establishment, 2 public schools and 7 churches. There are also numerous shops, coal and lumber yards, markets, cider mills, etc. It is one of the largest cement manufacturing centers in the world, the annual output being about 500,000 barrels. There are also three large mushroom plants, the most extensive one covering about three acres, being owned by Eckerson, Harrington & Bell. This industry was started about 1890.
South Newstead is a small hamlet in the south part of the town. It contains a German Lutheran church and the store of George W. Schworm, who is also postmaster.
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Hawkins's Corners, about one mile south of Akron, contains a Ger- man church and a few houses.
Swift's Mills, situated on Murder Creek in the north part of the town, was settled by Julius Swift, who purchased 500 acres of land and built a saw mill and grist mill and opened a store there-all about 1840. The property subsequently passed to his sons, Julius, James and Luman P. Swift. After the construction of the Niagara Falls and Canandaigua Railroad through the town in 1854 the importance of Swift's Mills as a business center diminished. The saw mill has been been abandoned; the grist mill is now owned by Luman P. Swift and the store by E. J. Snell.
TOWN OF NORTH COLLINS.
North Collins is situated in the southern part of the county a little west of the center, with Eden on the north, Concord on the east, Col- lins on the south and Brant on the west. It comprises township 7, range 7, of the Holland Company survey, excepting the northernmost lot in each of those tiers; it contains an area of forty-three square miles. The surface is undulating in the west part, rising to a broad, level up- land which includes most of the eastern part. The west branch of Eighteen-mile Creek flows across the northeastern part of the town, and Big Sister Creek rises in the northwestern corner. The soil is gener- ally a gravelly loam.
The first settlement in the territory of North Collins was made by Nathaniel Sisson in 1809, who was soon followed by Abram Tucker. In the same year Sylvanus Hussey, Isaac Hathaway and Thomas Bills purchased land in the western part. Settlers of 1810 were Samuel Tucker (brother of Abram), Henry Tucker, Enos Southwick. In that year George Tucker, son of Abram, was born in the town, the first birth of a white child.
In 1811 Benjamin Sisson, father of the pioneer, and two brothers of Nathaniel named William and Stephen, located in the town and were soon followed by Lemuel Sisson, another brother. In that year also settled George Southwick, father of Enos, George Southwick, jr., Jona- than Southwick and Job Southwick. The Southwicks and Sissons were from Warren county, N. Y., and with the Tuckers were members of the Society of Friends and made quite a Quaker settlement in the town. The first settler not a Quaker was John Stanclift, who located in 1811; he had four sons who were citizens of the town. In 1811 and
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1812 there was considerable immigration, among the settlers being Levi Woodward, Gideon Lapham, Abraham Lapham, Ira Lapham, Benjamin Leggett, Stephen White, Stephen Twining, Noah Tripp, Abraham Gifford, Orrin Brayman, Hugh McMillan and Lilly Stafford. In 1813 the Quakers built a log meeting house.
After the close of the war immigration, which had been almost wholly checked, revived, among the newcomers being Humphrey Smith and John Lawton. The first mill in the town was built in 1818 by Willard Stanclift, north of the site of North Collins village; several other small mills were soon built, but the water power of the town was insufficient for large mills.
Other prominent settlers and residents were Thomas Scoville Hib- bard (father of Enos S.), Silas C. Kirby (1829); Joseph Palmer (1827); William Pickens (father of Joshua, 1815); Reuben C. Sherman (born in the town in 1826); William R. Willett (1821); Mordecai E. Smith (1835); and Charles Wood (about 1815).
These pioneers and their successors cleared the lands, built their homes, and made this town an excellent agricultural region. Dairying has been introduced in recent years and there are at the present time five cheese factories in operation; at the same time mixed farming, stock raising and fruit growing claim a share of the energies of the farmers. An unsuccessful attempt was made in the summer of 1897 to find oil or gas at New Oregon, a well having been bored to a depth of 2,500 feet.
In March, 1821, the town of Collins was formed, including the terri- tory of North Collins; at that time there was no post-office in the whole large town, but in the next year a mail route was established from Hamburg south and about 1882 a post-office was opened named Collins at what is now the village of North Collins. A tavern was kept there and soon afterwards Chester Rose opened a small store; the hamlet that gathered around was for a time called Rose's Corners. When a change in merchants took place the name also changed to Kerr's Corners. About 1825 the Quakers built a meeting house, which is still known as the "orthodox meeting house," a little more than a mile south of North Collins. In 1828 those who adhered to the Hick- site belief withdrew and built a house of their own.
North Collins .- The merchants who gave their names to this village after Chester Rose, were Alexander Kerr and John Kerr who were in business many years. In 1829 John Sherman and his brother opened
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another store; the brothers withdrew in 1833, and later Edwin W. Godfrey became a partner with the senior of the firm. About 1861 the latter withdrew and Mr. Godfrey continued with various partners until 1872, when David Sherman and Herman Blaisdell took the business. Among other former merchants were George H. Smith, Reuben Pot- ter, Shipman & Southwick, Southwick & Smith, Sherman & Knight, D. C. Brown (hardware and still in trade), Martin Foose, Partridge & Son, F. L. Southwick, Jacob Bangert. The hotel kept by John G. Haberer was burned and rebuilt in 1895; the other hotel, formerly kept by Michael Hunter, and later by his son Millard, is now con- ducted by Andrew Smith. John Kopf was a former blacksmith and was succeeded by his son. Herman Miller was a former shoemaker.
In 1873 Egbert Foster and John Stanclift built a steam saw mill and feed mill in the village; after many years of successful business it was abandoned and the mill demolished. In 1883 George W. Belknap es- tablished a handle factory and turning lathe, which subsequently became the basket factory of William P. Sherman. The Western New York Preserving Company established a canning factory here in 1881, in which a large business was carried on until recently. Charles and Henry Colvin built a steam planing mill in 1895, which was burned in 1896. Another planing mill was established by Frederick J. Lindow. A flour and feed mill is operated by Joseph Thiel.
The Bank of North Collins was established and began business Sep- tember 3, 1895, with cash capital of $25,000. The principal officers are :
W. S. Lawton, president; E. G. Fenton, vice-president; C. A. Twichell, cashier; W. S. Lawton, S. Ballard, E. G. Fenton, N. A. Chaffee, George Lehley, S. D. Vance. Eugene Willett, H. G. Parker, W. M. Ward, directors.
The first resident physician at North Collins was Dr. Morgan, who soon removed West. Dr. Samuel Noyes settled there about 1827; with him were subsequently associated Drs. Fritz and Adams. Dr. John D. Arnold was also in company with him a short time. Dr. S. H. Shaw and Dr. Stewart were later practitioners.
There are now in North Collins village 3 general stores, 1 hardware store, 1 shoe store, 2 groceries, 1 furniture store, 3 hotels, 1 bank, 3 blacksmiths, 2 milliners, 1 merchant tailor, 1 flour mill, 1 planing mill, 1 basket factory, 3 churches and a union school.
Shirley, a small settlement in the western part of the town, where there were formerly a saw mill, operated at one period by Philip
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Knob; a hotel, now closed, and a store conducted by Fillmore Rogers, Charles E. Sherman, and others. There is no business at the present time.
Lawton, a hamlet and a station on the railroad in the southwest corner of the town. Its existence began with the opening of the rail- road in 1874. It has a steam saw mill built about 1892 by Nicholas Scheu; a store conducted by Henry W. Lawton and his son. E. H. Lawton was merchant and postmaster there many years; his father was John Lawton, a pioneer of 1813, who built the first custom mill in the south part of the county.
Marshfield .- This is a hamlet in the southwest part of the town. There was a cheese factory established there, which was a part of the locally celebrated Marshfield combination, which ultimately failed. No business is carried on there now.
Langford .- Another small hamlet in what has been known as the German neighborhood, where the pioneers of that nationality settled about 1836. G. Paul Sippel opened a store there many years ago and subsequently removed to Dunkirk. His brother George took up the business and was succeeded in that and a hotel by his sons George and and John. George Denhiser began mercantile trade there more than twenty five years ago and still continues. Jacob Balder formerly had a grocery, and now a cider mill. Joseph Naber, jr., opened a hard- ware store, which passed to Louis L. Thiel.
New Oregon is a small settlement in the northeast part of the town. Augustus Schmidt opened a store there many years ago, and his brother Frederick kept a hotel in the same building; another merchant and tavern-keeper was Germain Schneider. At the present time there are two small stores in existence.
A Congregational church was organized at North Collins village in June, 1817, with nine members, all of the name Stanclift. The society has continued in active existence ever since. A Free Methodist church was built there about 1889. The Spiritualists have what is called Forest Temple, in which services in their faith are held several times each year. There is also a Methodist society which has been in existence for many years.
At Langford is situated St. Martin's Roman Catholic church, which was established in 1847. A parochial school is conducted in connection with the church.
A Baptist church was organized at Marshfield about 1840, which
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finally declined and was given up. The history of the Methodist church at that place is similar; the society was formed about 1850, and in 1852 built a small church. About 1858 a few members seceded from the Methodist church and organized a Free Methodist society, which is still in existence.
North Collins village has a prosperous Union school, to which refer- ence is made in Chapter XXIX.
The town of North Collins was formed with the name Shirley on November 24, 1852, with its present boundaries. The name of the town was changed in the following year. The first town meeting was held on the first Tuesday in March, 1853.
The supervisors of North Collins, with their years of service, have been as follows:
Edwin W. Godfrey, 1853-55; Lyman Clark, 1856-57; Charles C. Kirby, 1858-60; Wilson Rogers, 1861-62; Giles Gifford, 1863-64; Daniel Allen, 1865: Thomas Russell. 1866; Daniel Allen, 1867-68; Edwin W. Godfrey, 1869-71; Michael Hunter, 1872-74; Charles C. Kirby, 1875; James Matthews, 1876; Charles C. Kirby, 1877; H. M. Blasdell. 1878-80; Charles H. Wood, 1881-82; Jacob Staffen, 1883-84; Job Southwick, 1885; Jacob Staffen, 1886-91; D. A. Dillingham, 1892; H. M. Harkness, 1893-94; Jacob Staffen, 1895-97.
TOWN OF SARDINIA.
This is the southeast corner town of Erie county and is bounded north by Holland and Colden, east by Wyoming county, south by Cat- taraugus county, and west by Concord. It comprises nearly all of township 7, range 5, of the Holland Company's survey, with a fraction of township 6 in the same range, the three eastern tiers of lots in town- ship 7, range 6, and a fraction of township 6, range 6; these fractional tracts are formed by the windings of Cattaraugus Creek which forms the southern boundary of the town. The area of the town is about fifty-one and a half square miles, or 31,937 acres. The surface is rolling in the eastern part and hilly in the west and north parts. Shep- herd's Hill, southwest of the center, rises 1,040 feet above Lake Erie. The soil is gravelly loam in the east part and largely clay in the west. The drainage is principally by Cattaraugus Creek and its tributaries. Cazenove Creek heads in the northeast part and its west branch in the northwest.
The first settlement in Sardinia territory was made by George Rich- mond in the spring of 1809; he was accompanied by his two sons, George and Frederick, and located on Cattaraugus Creek. Ezra Nott
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settled in the same year between the sites of Colegrove's Corners and Rice's Corners; his cousins, Asa Warren and Sumner Warren, were in company with him. Henry Godfrey and Josiah Sumner settled in the town late in the same year. George Richmond opened a tavern at a little later date. Settlers of 1810 were Elihu Rice and Giles Briggs, and within the next two years, Randall Walker, Benjamin Wilson, Daniel Hall, John Cook, Henry Bowen, Smithfield Ballard and Francis Warren moved into the town. Ray Briggs, son of Giles, was the first child born in the town. Briggs opened a tavern at the same time that Richmond did. Elihu Rice brought in a few goods, which he sold either at his own house or Briggs's tavern. When a store was opened at Sardinia village in 1820 he stopped trading. Sumner Warren built a saw mill on Mill Brook on the site of the still existing Simons mill, which was probably the first in the town. Mr. Warren also owned the land on which Sardinia village stands.
After the close of the war settlement progressed rapidly. Abel Ab- bey moved into the town in 1813 and bought Warren's mill. In the following summer Melinda Abbott taught the first school. Within a few years after the war John Johnson, John and Jeremiah Wilcox, Morton Crosby, Charles Wells, Horace Rider, Ezekiel Hardy, E. Smith, a Mr. Wolsey, Jacob and Benjamin Wilson and Daniel Hall were living in the town. Jonathan Cook moved in soon after the war and settled near the site of Chaffee; his son Ira S. was born there in 1824 and still lives in the town. Josiah Andrews was an early settler and father of eight sons. Other pioneers and residents were:
James Hopkins, Luther Briggs, Alfred Rice, John Wetherlow, Jerome Rider, Dudley Hopkins, William Pollitt, David, Sylvester and Horace Briggs, Addison Wheelock, Hiram D. Cornwell, Thomas Hopkins, Samuel Crocker, Charles and Joseph Long, Jeremiah Buck, Caleb Cutler, Charles B. Russell. Several of these are still living.
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