USA > New York > Genesee County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Genesee County, New York, v. 1 > Part 7
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In 1794 General Anthony Wayne began his famous campaign against the western Indians, completely subduing them. Two years later the British surrendered Fort Niagara and other frontier posts, and the Indians began to understand that their interests would be best con- served by maintaining friendly relations with the victorious Americans. After 1796 their attitude was such as to give the American government little concern. As soon as absolute peace was thus assured, settlers began flocking to the rich and productive region of country of which we are writing, and whose fame had been spread throughout the length and breadth of land.
Much confusion has arisen in the minds of average readers as to the
53
THE " GENESEE COUNTRY."
meaning of the widely-used term, "the Genesee country." During the Revolutionary war, and as late as 1789, that part of New York State west of a line drawn north from about the site of the present city of Elmira was known as " the Genesee country." The lands were claimed by both New York and Massachusetts, and the British forts at Niagara and Oswego menaced both the claimants long after the close of the Revolution. Simcoe, then governor of Upper Canada, protested against the settlement of the country " during the inexecution of the treaty that terminated the Revolutionary war." The British considered the treaty of 1783 a mere truce, to be followed by the speedy failure of the new republic and the restoration of the colonies to the mother country. Beside the constant menace of the British the country abounded in un- friendly Indians. So bad was the reputation of the entire section that when apprentices were bound or slaves sold it was stipulated that they should not be taken into the Genesee country. In ITS8, five years after the signing of the treaty of peace, when Oliver Phelps left his home in Connecticut to go to the notorious country for the purpose of looking after his great claim his friends called him a fool; and a number of the more religiously inclined among them accompanied him to the limits of his town with prayers and tears.
Oliver Phelps and Daniel Gorham, the latter also of Connecticut, had purchased from Massachusetts the entire tract west of " the pre-emption line," agreeing to pay $1.000,000 therefor. This was at the rate of fourteen cents per acre for the seven million acres. This line ran northward from the eighty-second milestone on the Pennsylvania border to the shore of Lake Ontario. Massachusetts had ceded to New York all political jurisdiction to the territory west of this line, reserving the right of pre-emption. In ITSS Phelps held a council with the repre- sentatives of the Six Nations on the site of the present village of Can- andaigua, purchasing their right to two million five hundred thousand acres in this tract, the Massachusetts title to which already had been invested in himself and Gorham. He then opened, at what is now Can- andaigua, the first land office in America for the sale of virgin lands to actual settlers. But later on these partners in this gigantic speculation met with financial reverses and were obliged to surrender all of the traet the Indian title to which had not been extinguished, and the major portion of it afterward was purchased by the Holland Land company.
It will thus be seen that the original " Genesee country " was a term which included not only the tract eventually known by that name, but
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
also the Holland tract and other tracts. What was finally known as "the Genesee country, " after the failure of Phelps and Gorham, embraced an area of two million two hundred thousand acres. It was bounded on the east by the pre-emption line, and on the west by a line drawn through the "Big Elm " at the junction of the Cruaseraga creek with the Gen- esee river, near the present village of Mount Morris This line met the Pennsylvania line at the south. Two miles north of Canandaigua now Avon, it turned westward at a right angle, and then followed the course of the Genesee river to Lake Ontario, a distance of twelve miles.
When the war of the Revolution had been brought to a close and the independence of the colonies had been established, a serious dispute arose between the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Mas. sachusetts regarding the territory now comprised in Western New York. Massachusetts claimed the title to this land by virtue of a grant by King James I to the Plymouth Company, made November 3, 1620. New York laid claim to it by virtue of the grant from Charles I to the Duke of York, dated March 12, 1564, and the voluntary submission of the Iroquois nations to the British crown in 1684.1
At a convention held at Hartford, Conn .. December 16, 1786, at
1 James 1. King of Great Britain, in the year 1490, granted to the Plymouth Company, a :"ac' of country denominated New England ; this tract extended sever al degrees of latte le garth and south, and from the Atlant: to the Pacific ocean east and west. A charter for the government of a portion of this territory, granted by Charles I, 'n 16th, was vacated in last but a second charter was granted by William and Mary in 199 The territory comprised in this second :Parte extended on the Atlantic ocean from north latitude 12 degrees 2 minutes to 41 degrees lim ate and from the Atlantic to the Pappie ocean. Charles 1, 'n 1683. granted to the Duke of York and Albany, the province of New York, including the present State of New Jersey. The tract this granted extended from a line twenty miles east of the Hudson river, westward rather niet- initely, and from the Niantic noen mentato the south line of Canada, then a French ; . vier. By this coll sion of deser jaime, each of these colonies tafterwards states, land claim to their diction as well as to the pre-emption right of the same land, les a trac sufficiently lange form several states. The State of New York, however, in Island Massachusetts, if He eled in the United States all their rights, either of jurisdiction or proprietorshop, to all the time" lying west of a meridian line rag south from the westerly band of lathe Douro AThoughtle
nominal amount in controversy, by these acts, was much fim med at Stil det some nineteen thousand square miles of territory in dispute, but this controversy was finally serled by at con- vention of Commentersaggioated by the parties, held at Hartford, Conn .. on the High day of December, 1G. According to the stipulations entered into by the convention Massa husets coded to the State of New York All her dagh's the government sovereignty and fair bolog of all the territory lying was : Ha present cast ane of the Stateof New York an ! New York led to Massachusetts the pre-emption map of fee of the land sube : the offer rives of that part of the State of New York I ag & stoff ' no. beginning d'ajout to the north 're of Pennsylvania. 2 miles tth of the nor' least o ner of sand state, an ! running from thence de north through Seneca lake to take Ontar o excepting and reverseto the Side of New York a strip ot la. deast of and al ang the cavern bank of the Newvary river, on m'a wife, an! extending ats whole ing. The land, the preemption raktof which was the delange! to about six millions of deres. - Tarner . History of the Holland Por Base Page
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PHELPS AND GORHAM.
which the States of New York and Massachusetts were represented by commissioners, the conflicting claims of the two States to that portion of what is now New York lying west of a line drawn northwardly from the eighty-second milestone on the Pennsylvania line to Lake Ontario, excepting a strip one mile wide the length of the Niagara river on its east side, had been adjusted to the satisfaction of both parties to the contract. Massachusetts had ceded to New York complete jurisdiction over the land, and New York had yieided to Massachusetts the pre- emption or proprietary right. In other words the State of Massachu- setts as an individual, held the proprietary title to lands in New York State. The traet in question contained about six million acres.
In April, 1788, Massachusetts contracted to sell to Oliver Phelps of Granville, Hampshire county, Mass,, and Nathaniel Gorham of Charles- town, Mass., their pre emption right to all the lands in Western New York, for the sum of one million dollars, to be paid in three annual installments. This was at the rate of about seventeen cents per acre. The contract required that the payment should be made in a kind of serip known as " consolidated securities," at that time mach below par ; but a rise to par prevented them from fulfilling the terms of their agreement.
In July, 1838, Phelps and Gorham purchased of the Indians, at a convention held at Buffalo, the Indian title to about 2,600, 000 acres of the eastern part of their purchase from Massachusetts. This purchase was bounded west by a line beginning at a point in the northern bound- ary of Pennsylvania due south of the point made by the confluence of the Canaseraga creek with the Genesee river, running thenee exactly north to the junction of these two streams, thence northwardly along the waters of the Genesee river to a point two miles north of Cana- wagus village, thence running due west twelve miles, thence running northiwardly to a point on the south shore of Lake Ontario twelve miles west of the Genesee river. November 21, 1755, the State of Massa- chusetts conveyed to Phelps and Gorham all the right and tith to this tract, the latter having extinguished the Indian title. These lands in- cluded most of the territory comprised within the limits of the present counties of Allegany, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne and Vates.
As soon as practicable this tract was surveyed into townships about six miles square, and these townships subdivided into lots, many of which were soon sold to white settlers.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
May 11, 1791, the State of Massachusetts sold to Samuel Ogden, as the representative of Robert Morris, all the balance of its land except- ing that which Phelps and Gorham had retained. This included about 3,750,000 acres which the latter had been compelled to reconvey to the State, finding themselves unable to pay for the same.
Oliver Phelps was a native of Windsor, Conn. He served through the Revolutionary war, during which ne became acquainted with Rob- ert Morris. In 1802 he removed to Canandaigua, remaining there un- til his death in 1809. He became first judge of Ontario county, and also served as a member of Congress from his district. His son, Leices- ter. Phelps, assumed the name of Oliver Leicester Phelps after his graduation from Vale college. The latter died in 1813. He was the father of the late Judge Oliver Phelps of Canandaigua Nathaniel Gorham, the partner of Mr. Phelps, was a citizen of Boston. Mass., but never resided upon his purchase. His son, Nathaniel Gorham, became an early resident of Canandaigua, where he died in 1826.
Robert Morris, who lived in Philadelphia, was the great patriot and financier, who had been Superintendent of Finance for the Revolution - ary government, and his hand had guided that government in safety through the pecuniary perils which had beset and almost wrecked it. This great tract of land, known in history as the " Morris Purchase," became the original county of Genesee.' The east line of the Morris Purchase commenced upon the Pennsylvania line 44. 78 miles west of the pre-emption line and ran due north to an elm tree and the forks of the Genesee river and Canaseraga creek, thence northerly along that river to a point two miles north of the Canawagus village, thence due west twelve miles, thence north twenty-four degrees east to Lake On- tario. Soon after his purchase, Morris made a treaty or contract with the Indians residing on the territory he had acquired in which they agreed to relinquish their title to all the land in question excepting a few reservations of moderate area .?
" The English translation of the Indian name Genesee is " The Beautiful Valley "
: The tract - reserve d by the Indians were the Canawagus Reservation of two square mes. on the fienesee Fare west of Aron. Lit & Bear Is and Big Tree Reservations of four square miles, on the finisce o prefieresen ; Squatte HI Reservation of twee de mes, one Geneste north of Mount Morris; Gard att Reservation of twenty-eight share miles, on both sides of the Genere : fast. na ! Men Mari; the Carentea Reserva' wide fatemi. on both sides ! the Genere Views county, the OFspring Riservato of the square mile. on the line between Gaming an ! Aleany counties, the Alemany Reservation of : re:3. square miles. on bitte erfthe Allegany river, extending north from the Penalvan: in .. creek ; the Buffalo K servation of one hundred and this's square miles, on books les i find die
£
MARY JEMISON.
The Gardeau Reservation, which lay partly in the town of Castile, in the southeastern corner of Wyoming county, formerly a part of the original Genesee county, was a tract of ten thousand aeres which the Indians conferred upon Mary Jemison, the historic "white woman," who resided upon it until her decease, at a very advanced age, in Sep- tember, 1833.
Mary Jemison was a remarkable woman. She was born at sea, of Irish parents, during their passage to America in 1742 or 1743. Her parents settled upon what at that time was the frontier of Pennsyl- vania. One of her uncles was a member of Washington's command, and fell at Braddock's defeat. In the spring of 1755 Mary, her parents, two brothers and several other inmates of the house in which she was residing were made prisoners by a party of six Seneca Indians and four Frenchmen. They were taken to the woods, where every member of the captured party except Mary was murdered. She was exposed to all the hardships and privations of a prisoner until her arrival at a Seneca town, where she was adopted as a daughter into an Indian family. She was treated with kindness, but laid plans for escape; these being frustrated she finally resigned herself entirely to the Indian life and customs. Soon she fell in love with a young Delaware Indian, and married him, becoming the mother of children.
Her Delaware husband dying, at about the beginning of the Revo- lution, she married a chief of the Senecas, residing in the Genesee valley. Her new husband was one of the most bloodthirsty members of that warlike tribe, but was ever kind to his spouse. Through all her career among the savages she retained her family name, Jemison, and gen- erally spoke the English language; but although her parents had given her careful religious instruction, she embraced the religion of the sav- ages and became thoroughly Indianized -adopting and becoming enamored of all their manners, habits and customs.
Her life was full of incident, with many wild adventures. She was always held in the most exalted esteem by the Indians, as was evinced by the grant of the Gardeau tract, a fertile section upon which she re- sided until a few years before her death, which occurred on the Buffalo Creek Reservation. In obtaining this grant, or reservation, she showed all the cunning of her adopted people. Thomas Morris, who conducted creek , the Tonawanda Reservat 1 of seventy square miles on both sides of Tonawanda creek, mostly n. trongsee county ; and the Incarora Reservation of one square mile. three allesest ". Lewiston. Niagara county Partons of some of these reservations and still he Lind mespiel Ly descendants of the original In.l.an owners.
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
the treaty for his father, is reported as having said that when a request for a reservation for the " white woman " was made to him, he supposed that the petitioning Indians meant only a farm of two hundred or three acres; but the woman herself, by artfully indicating certain bounds with which he was not familiar, overreached him and obtained a tract of ten thousand acres, including the whole of what was known as the Gardeau flats and the romantic walls of rock and hill within which they are sequestered.
During the Revolution the house of Mary Jemison frequently shel- tered Brant and Butler when making their invasions upon the frontier. In 1:25 she attended the treaty of Genesee flats, held by General Schuyler. In 1823 the story of her romantic life, as told by her, was taken down in writing, and was full of incident and adventure. Many of her experiences were very thrilling, and some most pathetic. She never would consent to cast off her Indian costume, even after her home had become completely surrounded by the increasing white pop- ulation, but to the end of her life she adhered with great tenacity to all her Indian customs. She was wealthy and her thousands of aeres were worked by tenants. "One of her sons became a physician and ob- tained a surgeon's commission in the United States navy. Though a woman of unusually marked peculiarities Mary Jemison was humane and benevolent, and her influence, particularly in her latter days, was always employed for the accomplishment of good, principally among the members of the fast decaying Indian tribes residing in Western New York.
In the summer of 1789, the year after the purchase of Western New York by Phelps & Gorham, Oliver Phelps left Granville, Mass , with men and means for the purpose of exploring and surveying this exten- sive territory. The wilderness was penetrated as far as Canandaigua, then considered on the frontier of civilization. By the assistance of the Rev. Mr. Kirkland, the missionary among the Six Nations, and a com- missioner on behalf of Massachusetts, Mr. Phelps succeeded in collect- ing the chiefs and warriors of those tribes whose warlike spirit still rankled, on account of the chastisement inflicted by Sullivan's expedi- tion. This conference with the Indians was held on a beautiful eleva- tion overlooking Canandaigua lake.
Two days had passed away in negotiation with the Indians for a cession of their lands. The contract was supposed to be nearly completed, when Red Jacket arose. With the grace and dignity of a Roman senator he drew his blanket around !um,
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SALE OF THE MORRIS PURCHASE.
and with a piercing eye surveyed the multitude. All was hushed. Nothing inter- posed to break the silence save the rustling of the tree tops, under whose shade they were gathered. After a long and solemn, but not unmeaning pause, he commenced his speech in a low voice and sententjous style. Rising gradually with his subject, he depicted the primitive simplicity and happiness of his nation, and the wrongs they had sustained from the usurpations of the white man, with such a bold but faithful peneil that the Indian auditors were soon roused to vengeance or melted into tears.
The effect was inexpressible. But, ere the emotions of admiration or sympathy had subsided, the white men became alarmed. They were in the heart of an Indian country, surrounded by more than ten times their number, who were inflamed by the remembrance of their injuries, and excited to indignation by the eloquence of a favorite chief. Appalled and terrified, the white men cast a cheerless gaze upon the hordes around them. A nod from the chiefs might be the onset of destruction. At that portentous moment. Farmer's Brother interposed He replied not to his brother chief; but, with the sagacity truly aboriginal, he caused a cessation of the council, introduced good cheer, commended the eloquence of Red Jacket. and, before the meeting had reassembled, with the aid of other prudent chiefs, he had moderated the fury of his nation to a more salutary review of the question before them. !
The Revolution resulted in the financial ruin of Robert Morris, and soon after making his great purchase, a speculation in which he hoped partially to retrieve his fortunes, he was compelled to part with his land. In 1:92 and 1793 he disposed of most of his holdings to representatives of men in Holland who afterwards became known as the Holland Land Company. The property was conveyed by four separate deeds. De- ceniber 24, 1:02, he deeded one and one-half million acres to Herman Le Roy and John Linklaen. February 27, 1793, he deeded one million acres to Herman Le Roy, John Linklaen and Gerrit Boon. July 20, 1793, he deeded eight hundred thousand acres to the last named per- sons; and on the same day deeled three hundred thousand acres to Herman Le Roy, William Bayard and Matthew Clarkson.
These tracts were purchased with money furnished by a number of capitalists residing in Holland and hell in trust for their benefit, the laws of the State forbidding aliens to purchase and hold real estate in their own names. The State Legislature finally sanctioned transfers of portions of the land, and the entire tract was conveyed by the trus- tees by three separate deeds to the individuals composing three separ- ate branches of the Holland Land Company. Although these deeds of conveyance were given to three distinct companies of proprietors, their interests were very closely blended, several of the persons having large interests in each of the three different estates. They appointed one "I Barter and Howe's ' Hester cal Collections of the State of New York "
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
general agent for the whole, who conducted the concerns of the tract generally as though it all belonged to the same proprietors, making no distinction which operated in the least on the settlers and purchasers.
The tracts thus soll by Robert Morris became famous as the " Hol- land Purchase." This sale was made before the Indian title to the land was extinguished, accompanied by an agreement on the part of Morris to extinguish that title, with the assistance of the company, as soon as practicable.
The Holland Purchase comprised about seven-eighths of the entire Morris Purchase, Robert Morris reserving to himself a strip of an aver- agre width of twelve miles, lying between the Phelps and Gorham Pur- chase and the Holland Purchase, and known as the Morris Reserve. The line forming the division between the Holland Purchase and the Morris Reserve commenced upon the Pennsylvania line twelve miles west of the west line of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase, and from thence ran due north to near the center of the present town of Staf- ford, Genesee county; thence due west 2.07-15 miles thence due north to Lake Ontario. This line is known as the " Transit Line," from its being run by a transit, then used for the first time in making surveys.
The Morris Reserve subsequently was disposed of in several large tracts to different purchasers. A tract containing 87,000 acres, lying immediately west of Phelps & Gorham's " mill yard." was sold to Le Roy, Bayard & McEvers, and is known as the Triangular Tract. The Connecticut Tract lies immediately west of the Triangle, and contains 100,000 acres. It was purchased by the State of Connecticut and Sir William Pultney and was divided between them. The Cragie Tract. containing 50,000 acres, joins the Connectiont Tract on the south, and immediately east is the Forty Thousand Acre Tract. South of these are successively the Ogden Tract of 50,000 acres; the Cottinger Tract of 30,000 acres; the Sterritt Tract of 150,000 acres; and the Church Tract of 100,000 acres. A tract joining the Forty Thousand Acre Tract on the south is known as Morris's Honorary Creditors' Tract and contains 58,370 acres. Of these tracts the Connecticut and Cragie Tracts, with the Holland Purchase, occupied all of what is now Gen- esee county.
Soon after the purchase made by the Holland company, a colony con- sisting of about seventy German families was sent over from Hamburg to settle on the land acquired; but having lived in large towns these immigrants were unaccustomed to the hard labor necessary to the clear-
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APPLICATION OF MORRIS FOR A TREATY.
ing up and early development of a new country, and rioting followed the first attempt at settlement. After this the company opened an office for the sale of its lands, which were disposed of in this way for many years.
Immediately after the title had been obtained by the individuals or the associations of individuals referred to in the foregoing, steps were taken to extinguish the Indian titles and to survey the tract.
Though Robert Morris desired a speedy settlement of his transactions with the Hollanders, it was not until 1196 that he requested President Washington to order a treaty and appoint a commissioner to represent the United States. Morris's delay in making this application was due entirely to motives of public consideration. His letter was as follows:
PHILADELPHIA, August 25. 1796.
Sir-In the year 1791 I purchased from the State of Massachusetts a tract of coun- try lying within the boundaries of the State of New York, which had been ceded by the latter to the former State, under the sauetion and with the concurrence of the Congress of the United States. This tract of land is bounded to the past by the Genesee river, to the north by Lake Ontario, to the west partly by Lake Erie and partly by the boundary line of the Pennsylvania triangle, and to the south by the north boundary line of the State of Pennsylvania. A printed brief of the title I take the liberty to transmit herewith. To perfect this title it is necessary to purchase of the Seneca nation of Indians their native right, which I should have done soon after the purchase was made of the State of Massachusetts, but that I felt myself restrained from doing so by motives of public consideration. The war between the western Indian nations and the United States did not extend to the Six Nations, of which the Seneca Nation is one; and, as I apprehended that, if this nation should sell its rights during the existence of that war, they might the more readily be indneed to join the enemies of our country, I was determined not to make the purchase whilst the war lasted.
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