USA > New York > Genesee County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Genesee County, New York, v. 1 > Part 9
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In 1824 David Seaver of New York, in an article contributed to the Batavia Spirit of the Times, gives a synopsis of a work published in 1:95 by Rochefoucauld Liancourt, a French adventurer or traveler, who prior to that time had made a journey from Philadelphia through Western New York as far as Niagara Falls. After describing his meet- ing with Red Jacket, the noted Indian chief, Liancourt says:
The road from Ontario to Canawago (Canawaugus) is a good one for this country.
reasonable terms renders the situation of the Holland Land Company Genesen Lands more eligible, desirous, an ladvantageous for sellers that any other unsettled tract of Bland autors of equal magnitude in the l'need States The greater part of this tract is finely water. ] few exceptions with never failing springs and streams. att ading sufficiency of water for gr stanis and other water works The sab-riber, during the years Hos and If m surveyel and h lofth. while of these lands into town ships, a portion of who h. to accommodate fur thers it'sefters, is now laying off in osots and cats from 120 acres and upwar Is, to the quantity contained! " township.
" The lands abound with limestone, and are calculated to suit every description of pur hus. ers and settlers. Those who prefer land timbered with black and white out, hickory. ] play. chestnut, will cherry, butternut and dogwood, of the more luxuriant & mbered with bassword or lynn, butternut, sugar-tree when ash wild cherry cucumber tree, to as of the moon and black walnut, may be su tred. Those who prefer level land, or ad lualle aven ! og af rl ing extensive pla as an ! theys. will in the country a lapted to their choice In short, si Ware the var entes of situations in this part of the ( rewe country every where almost Lover. I with a rich sol, that was preston I that all purchasers who mas in the del to participate in the advantages of these lar ly muy det Io's from Marresponder 2 Hetes, 1. would tally please an boasting their chance. The Holland Land Cu, was, whose 1. here's isso well known in this country, now offer to all these who may wish to be gan partaker ... . K owing value of the ants auch partime and wich para as they are thank proper to get- chase Those who may choose to pat cash w H find a liberal discount from the credit price "
:1
EARLY DESCRIPTIONS OF THE COUNTRY.
bat as usual it leads through the midst of the woods, and within a space of 12 miles we saw only one habitation. In this journey we discovered two Indians lying under a tree; though we had seen a considerable number of them, yet this meeting had for us an attraction of novelty, as we found them in astate of intoxication which scarcely manifested the least symptoms of life. One wore around his neck a long and heavy silver chain, from which a large medallion was suspended ; on one side whereof was the image of George Washington, and on the other the motto of Louis XIV .. i'd pluribus impar, with the figure of the sun, which was usually displayed with it in the French army. This Indian, no doubt, was his excelleney in a ditch, out of which we made repeated efforts to drag him, but in vain.
Canawago is a small town, the inhabitants tew, but Mr. Berry keeps there one of the best inns we have seen for some time.
Wednesday, June 17th, 1095. After remaining half a day at Canawago, we at length set out to traverse the desarts, as they are called. A journey through un- interrupted forests offers but little matter for speculation or remark ; the woods are in general not close, but stand on fruitful soft. The route is a footpath, tolera! ly good upon the whole, but in some places very miry; winding through the forests over a level ground that rises but seldom into gentle swells. After a ride of 12 hours, in which we have crossed several large creeks (Oatka and Black), we arrived at Bis Plains (Oakfield), which is 38 miles distant from Canawago. We breakfasted at Buttermilk Fall (LeRoy), and dined on the bank of the Tonawaago (Batavia), and for both these meals our appetites were so keen that perhaps we never ate anything with a better relish.
Liancourt then describes his visit to the tribe of Indians which then had a small village at Tonawango.
In another contribution to the same paper Mr. Seaver gives extracts from a book written by John Maule, and printed in London, wherein the writer describes his experiences during a journey over practically the same route followed by Liancourt, but made five years afterward. Maule stopped for a while at Canawaugus, whence he proceeded on his journey August 20, 1800, accompanied by an Indian named Hot Bread. He arrived at Ganson's, now Le Roy, at eleven o'clock in the morning. where he made the following entry in his journal :
When my friend L. passed this place last year, Ganson's was a solitary house in the wilderness, but it is now in the midst of a flourishing towaship, in which 21fam- ilies are already settled. A new tavern and a number of dwelling houses are build - ing. Two hundred and minety-eight miles; recross Allen's creek , the bed a flat lime- Stone rock, 15 or 20 rods wide, with three of four inches of water; a handsome bridge was building. This creek is the western terminus of Capt. Williamson's pur- chase (Pultney tract). A very handsome road four rods wide has been cut, and the whole distance from Genesee River to Ganson's being 12 miles in nearly a straight line. I now entered into what is called the Wilderness, but at ? r. st. reached the Holland Company's storehouse and Frederick Walther's tavern (Stafford), 304)6 miles.
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
The Holland Company consists of a number of merchants and others, principally residents in Holland, who purchased a very large tract of Mr. Morris. This terri- tory, for such it may be called, is on the east bounded by Williamson's purchase, and on the west by Lake Erie and Niagara River. No part of the land is, I believe, yet settied, but at present under survey for that purpose. One of the principal survey- ors and his gang were at the tavern, and fully occupied the lodging hut, this, with the additional circumstance of there being no hay for my horses, and no other feed than oats, eut green in the straw, in lueed me to give up the design of sleeping bere this night, but rather to push on to the next station. . At 41. M. we let: Walther's, and at 309 miles ( Batavia) fell in with the Tonawantee Creek, shiggish. shallow and broad. At 61. P. M. we reached Garret Davis's tavern, 316 miles . Winan's farm bear Dunham's Corners) near a small run of good water. This is one of those three stations which the Holland Company has this year established for the accom- modation of travelers, who hitherto have been obliged to sleep in the woods. Davis first began to ply his ave in January kot; he has now a good log homes, a field of green oats (sowed 18th of June, the only feed I could get for my horses), and a very excellent garden, the most productive of any of its site I have seen since leaving New York. He had also cleared a pretty extensive held for wheat. On this land the logs were now burning, and I passed a greater part of the night in making up the fires. This employment I preferred to harbouring with a number of strangers, one of whom was sick and not expected to live till morning. This, however, was only the fearful conjecture of Davis. I got got some maple sugar for my tea, and Mr. and Mrs. Davis paid me every possible attention, bat I cannot praise them for neatness. Per- haps I ought not to expect i: when the peculiarity of the situation and a large family of children are taken into account. From Allen's Creek to Walther's was excellent lands, but miserable roadls, at times impassable, and the wagoner would take his axe to cut a new passage. From Walther's to Davis's the road is better. At Davis's the woods are composed of small, tall saplings, closely crowded This morning we ex. perienced a very keen frost with a bright sun, and so late as Il a. M. I stood in the sun to warm myself, my hands being benumbed with the coldl. Very scorching sun in the afternoon after leaving Walther's, and troublesome flies and mosquitoes.
Thursday, August 21, 1500. Start at day light, 818 miles: we leave the thick woods and enter upon the Big Plains. These plans (altieldl) are open groves of oak, in a light shallow soil on limestone. .. These plains are many miles in extent, and it struck me I had seen park grounds in England much hike them. A. 321 mitles the oaks are smaller and more compact, and at 822 miles we enter the woods of beech and maple. At 715 A. M. we reached the Indian town of Tonawastee. 330 miles. This settlement is on the west bank of the creek, which I now crossed for the second time. It bore, however. a different character here than at 319 miles (Batavia), being clear and rapid.
Left Tonawautee and passed through open plams of oaks with less of tamarisk and more grass to 331 miles, where Ifell in with the old road. At 10.30 A. 31. reached Asa Ransont's station, distance 31 miles (Clarence. Erie countyi. I Was here greatly surprised with an excellent breakfast of tender chicken and good loaf- sugar for my tea. Randen, like Davis, sat down in the woods in January; he has 150 acres, ten acres cleared and in oats. The Holland Company has lan! out a new road from Ganson's to Buffalo Creek, which passes to the south of Davis's
73
SUBDIVISIONS OF THE HOLLAND PURCHASE.
station, but in with the present road at Ransom's, and this new road will make a difference of 10 miles in 42. Ransom informed me that by an account, he had kept, no less than 155 families with their wagons have passed his house this summer, emi- grating from Pennsylvania and New Jersey to Canada. Sixteen wagons passed in one day.
In the office of the secretary of state at Albany is the original map of the famous Holland Land Company's traet. This map is about eight feet square, the scale being half an inch to the mile. The eastern boundary-the Transit Line run in 1:98-starts on the Pennsylvania line, at the southeast corner of the Willink Purchase, and runs directly northward, crossing the Genesee river "at 21 miles going northwest and at 33 miles going northeast," reaching Lake Ontario at a place known as " the Devil's Nose."
The ranges, averaging about six miles in width, have boundaries parallel with the Transit Line. They begin six miles west of that line, and are numbered to the westward from one to fifteen inclusive. The townships run from south to north, beginning at the Pennsylvania line, and average six miles square. No range has more than sixteen town- ships and when the western end of the State is reached ( in what is now Chautauqua county) there are but three townships in the fifteenth range.
Between the seventh and eighth ranges a strip about two miles wide runs from the Pennsylvania line northward to Lake Ontario. It pierces the present counties of Cattaraugus, Erie and Niagara, and on the map is marked as the property of Wilhelm and Jan Willink. The same persons are also credited with ten townships in the eastern and southern parts of the present Allegany county. Between the first range and the Transit Line isa strip about six miles wide running from Pennsyl- vania to Lake Ontario. This is assigned, with the respective number of acres named, to the following persons: J. Sterrett, 5,000 acres; A. Hamilton, 100,000; Cottinger, 39,184: Ogden, 33,154; Cragie, 3,315; Watson Cragie. 100,000. The lands of Sterrett and Hamilton are in the present county of Allegany; those of Cottinger and Ogden in Wyoming ; that of Cragie in Genesee, and that of Watson Cragie in Orleans.
East of the Transit Line are two parcels of land. The first of these. located in the present county of Allegany, has one hundred and fifty thousand acres, 'credited to S Sterrett. The second is a triangle of seventy six thousand one hundred and seventy-three acres, assurned to Le Roy, Bayard and MeEvers. The northern boundary of this triangle
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
is Lake Ontario, the western the Transit Line, and the third a diagonal beginning at the intersection of the southern line of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase with the Transit Line, near the present village of Le Roy, and running northeasterly until it reaches Lake Ontario. The slanting boundaries of the eastern townships of Genesee county and of the western townships of Monroe county are laid along this diagonal line.
All that part of the State was known to the province of New York as Tryon county, but after IfSt it was called Montgomery county. All to the west of the " pre-emption line " was erected into Ontario county in 1788, and the present western counties have been taken from the original territory of Ontario county since that date.
The extent to which the early sertlement of the territory west of the Genesee river hall reached, during the closing years of the eighteenth century, is illustrated by reference to the following tax roll, the first one made for this territory (then all included in the great town of Northampton). About fifteen names are missing from the first page of the roll, which bears date of October 6, 1800:
Value of Real and Persona! Estate
T.v.
Curtis, William
30
$.06
Carter, William.
94
.19
Chamberlin, Hinds
234
.40
Curtis, Augustus
500
.61
Curtis, Jonathan
387
.54
Campbell, Peter
52
.09
Chapin, Henry
3,000
6.50
Chapman, Asa
112
.23
Cumins, Joseph
20
.01
Conatt, Samuel
GO
.12
Cary, Joseph
918
1.61
Coats, Timothy
396
.54
Dugan Christopher
1,206
1.03
Douglas, Cyrus
572
Davis, Garrett
350
.45
Davis, Bela.
105
.22
Davis, Samuel
31:
.3:
Ellicott. Benjamin
.71
Fish, Josiah.
1,516
1.56
Farewell, Flisha
244
.37
Fuller; David
80
.12
.00;
Chamberlin, Joshua
.14
Davis, Daniel
:5
TAX ROLL OF 1800.
Value of Real Amount and Personal Est.tr. T.v.
Forsyth, John
330
.43
Granger, Eli
100
.11
Goodhue, George
176
.20
Ganson, John, jr
1,040
2.10
Ganson, James
12
.02
Griffith, Eli
658
.98
Hencher, William
1,030
1.64
Hicks, Samuel
41
.09
Heth, Reuben
-41)
.09
Hunt, Elijah
1:2
.14
Harris, Alpheus
.15
Hall, Friend
200
.30
Hunt, Joseph
61
.13
Hopkins. Timothy
42
.09
Ilayne, John
50
.11
Hawley. Chapman
112
.18
Hall, Gilbert.
3:0
.52
Heit, Stephen
153
.34
Jones. H. John
140
.20
Jones. Elizabeth
153
.24
Johnson, Moses
800
1.07
Johnson, William
2,034
3.50
Kith, M. Michael
12
.09
Kim ball, John
200
1.03
- Kert, Ehjah
.14
Lane, Ezekiel
114
.24
Laybourn. Christopher
470
.62
Lyon, John
40
.09
Leonard, Jonathan
40
.06
Lewis, Seth
6;0
.14
Mills, William
714
.94
Milis, Lewis.
.16
Mills, Alexander
250
.30
Morton, Simeon
.50
.11
Mading, Timothy
128
.16
McCloning. John
40
.09
McCloning, John. jr
12
.02
Middaugh, Martin
45
.09
Mayle. Lewis
30
.09
Muikios. Henry
54
.11
Nettleton. Philemon
Morgan. Joseph
1.11
McNaughton, John
4%
.11
.19
Mills, Samuel
.19
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
Value of Real and Personal Estate.
Amount
McPherson, Dan
100
.20
Patterson, Lawrence
500
.90
Pebody, Stephen
452
.72
Pangman, William
300
.66
Quivey, Norton
130
.19
Khan, Alexander
52
.11
Stimson & Jones.
.2010)
.29
Stougliton, Amaziah
161
.21
Sheffer, Peter
1.105
1.45
Scott, Isaac.
150
,19
Scott, Salmon
+31
1.00
Thompson, Adriandaer
901
1.17
Utley, Asa
120
.29
Wilber, Charles
42
.10
King, Thomas
40
.10
Hender, Stephen
410
.61
Erwin, John
102
.30
Philips, William
316
.40
Carver, John
5.000
9 91
Eli, Justin
1.950
3.57
Phelps, Enoch
2,39%
4.62
King. Gideon (heirs)
4,500
5.02
Hinkley, Samuel
Stone, John
31,500
Williamson, C. and others
34,500
Gilbert, Warren
1,320
2 01
Colt. Judah
4.2010)
4.22
Morris, Thomas
:00
1.9%
Hall, Amos.
3,300 000
5,231.52
Ilolland Company
.
.12
Stinson. Leonard
4,200
5.30
Shelly, Phiros
.95
Scoonover, Jacob
30
Olmstead, Jeremiah
.31
Walther, Frederick
Wemple, Henry
30
.07
King. Simeon
.02
Ransom, Asa
.90
Woolman, John
30
Barnard, Ebenezer
4,437
Hartford, Charles
9 91
Wadsworth, James
2,190
.15
Palmer, John
.15
Redford, John
.15
-
JOSEPH ELLICOTT.
Value of Real
Amount
and Personal Estate.
Tax.
Williamson, Charles
155,150
307.41
Williamson & Phelps
100.000
219.14
Craigie, Andrew
50,000
73.96
Ogden, Samuel
50.000
109.57
Cottinger, Garrit
50.000
109.57
Church, Philip
100,000
219.14
Unknown
27.210
59.41
Le Roy & Bayard
82.000
179.05
Le Roy & Bayard
40,000
54.66
Phelps &. Jones, supposed to be owned by Thomas Morris
10,960
59 36
Joseph Fitts Simmons,
Joseph Higby
600,000
1.314.51
Total
$1.755,365
$8.387.11
JOSEPH ELLICOTT.
No man was more closely identified with the history of Western New York, and especially of the Holland Purchase than Joseph Ellicott. As the general land agent of the Holland Company, superintendent of their surveys and settlements, his name has become associated with the early history of nearly every town and village. A conflict of authority exists as to the origin of the ancestors of Joseph Ellicott. In sketches of the family prepared for publication by descendants of the family at Ellicott Mills, Md .. it is asserted that his grandparents, Andrew Elli- cott and Ann Bye Ellicott, came to this country in 1131 from Cullopton, Wales, and settled in New York. Other reminiscences of the family state that they came from Cullompton, Devonshire, England, and set- tled in Bucks county, Pa., where they were married in 1231, soon after their arrival. Nathaniel, Joseph, Andrew and John Ellicott were the sons of Andrew, and as early as 1570 we find them settled in business as owners of a tract of land and mills on the Patapsco river in Mary. land. This settlement has long been known as Ellicott's Mills, Of the sons of Andrew named in the foregoing, Joseph was the father of the Joseph Ellicott of Holland Purchase fame. Another son, Andrew. eldest brother of Joseph, became eminent as a surveyor. He surveyed the Spanish boundary, so called, during Jefferson's administration, and afterwards was made surveyor general of the United States At the time of his death, about 1521, he was professor of mathematics in the United States Military Academy at West Point.
1
At the age of fourteen Joseph Ellicott became, with his father's fam-
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
ily, a resident of Maryland. Previous to this time he had enjoyed only such advantages as were afforded by the pioneer schools and the in- structions of his brother Andrew in surveying. When the site of the city of Washington was selected as the national capital he assisted his brother in its survey. In 1261 Timothy Pickering, secretary of war, designated him to run the boundary line between the State of Georgia and the territory of the Creek Indians. His next engagement was to survey the lands of the Holland Company in Pennsylvania, under Theophilus Cazenove, their general agent. This brought him into the notice of the company and resulted in his appointment in their service soon after, where he continued for upwards of twenty years.
Mr. Ellicott's commission as principal surveyor of the Holland Com- pany's lands in Western New York dated from July, 1297, but his actual service did not commence until after the council of the Septem - ber following, when the company's titles to these lands were perfected. His first duty was to make a traverse and survey of the north and north. west bounds of the tract for the purpose of estimating the quantity of land it contained. On this expediton he was accompanied by Augustus Porter, as surveyor for Robert Morris. Commencing at the northeast corner of Phelps and Gorham's tract, west of the Genesee river, they traversed the south shore of Lake Ontario to the Niagara river, thence along the Niagara river and the southeast shore of Lake Erie to the western boundary of New York State, that being a meridian line run- ning due south from the western extremity of Lake Ontario, as previ- ously established by United States Surveyer-General Andrew Ellicott. This work was completed in November following and Mr. Ellicott re- turned to Philadelphia for the winter.
Early in the spring of 1728 he again arrived in the territory with a large force of assistants. The work of this season was to commence the division of the territory into townships in accordance with plans already made, and the establishment of the eastern boundary of the purchase. A number of men were detailed for town work, while Mr. Ellicott, with his brother Benjamin, and several assistants, undertook the difficult task of running a true meridian line from the Pennsyl- vania boundary to Lake Ontario. A stone monument was erected on the Pennsylvania line, exactly twelve miles west from the eighty-sec. ond milestone, as a starting point. Providing himself with a transit instrument, Mr. Ellicott commenced his labors. His progress was very slow and laborious. Trees and underbrush had to be ent away to
79
JOSEPH ELLICOTT.
a width of three or four rods, that an uninterrupted view might be ob- tained in advance of the instrument. About the first of December following the work was completed. For nearly twelve years Mr. Elli- cott was actually engaged in the work of surveying this large tract, and finally became local agent of the company.
In person, Joseph Ellicott was a man of commanding presence. He was six feet three inches tall, and possessed of a splendid constitution and great powers of endurance. In his business he was methodical, prompt and faithful. He was a most agreeable companion, being pos- sessed of unusual conversational powers. Turner, in his History of the Holland Purchase, says of him: " His education was strictly a prac- tical one .. He was a good mathematician, a scientific surveyor, a care- ful and able financier. The voluminous correspondence he has left behind him, with the general agency at Philadelphia, with the prominent men of this State of his period-in reference to the business of the com - pany, political measures, works of internal improvement, and public policy generally-indicate a good degree of talent as a writer, and en- larged and statesman-like views." During his life Mr. Ellicott accu- mulated a large estate. He never married, and at his death his estate, by special bequests, was divided among his surviving relatives. During the last years of his life his mind became greatly impaired and he was removed to Bellevue hospital, New York, for treatment. Here, escap- ing the vigilance of his attendants, he took his own life in August, 1826. His remains were afterward brought to Batavia, where they now rest, marked by a beautiful monument erected to his memory.
SO
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
CHAPTER VIH.
From 1800 to 1812-Increase of Settlements on the Holland Purchase, Particularly in Genesee County-Early Taverns Between Batavia and Buffalo-The First Town Meeting -- First Courts in Genesee County-Division of the Town of Batavia -Life of the Pioneers-The First Church in the County-Other Pioncer Religious Organ- izations-The First Murder Trial-The First Printing Press and Newspaper-'The Arsenal at Batavia.
The beginning of the nineteenth century witnessed the development of order out of chaos throughout the greater portion of the Genesee country. March 30, 1802, the county of Genesee was erected from Ontario, and included all of the State west of the Genesee river. The survey of this immense tract had progressed to a point where the Hol- land Company was prepared to supply newcomers with good farms as rapidly as they should make application for them. Soon after the erection of the county Joseph Ellicott established his land office on the site of the present village of Batavia, of which he became the founder. This location he chose because it was central; and furthermore it was on the line of the Indian trail from Canada to Southern New York, and directly in the path of the immigration that was then moving west- ward. Within a few rods of his office the Indians had a council ground. His first office was a wooden structure, but carly in the century it was replaced by the stone structure which stands to-day, one of the most historic and interesting edifices in Western New York. The Land Office was in all respects the headquarters of the entire Holland Pur. chase. It was practically the capital of a rapidly developing colony, and all enterprises of any import were discussed and settled there. Mr. Ellicott, a courtly, dignified, honest and extremely pleasant gentleman, maintained his important position in a manner that has caused his name to be remembered even to this day with feelings of profound respect and admiration.
The fame of the region was extending, and methodical settlement. under the auspices of the Holland Company, began. At first there was some difficulty in disposing of the company's lands on account of the demand for ten per cent. cash. The price set was 82.05 per acre.
81
SLOW SALE OF LANDS.
Many of those who desired to buy had little if any money ; and most of those who were able to pay the advance demanded were reluctant to do so, as the clearing of the land would immediately require a large out. lay of time and some money. Referring to this matter Mr. Ellicott wrote to Mr. Busti that " if some mode could be devised to grant land to actual settlers who cannot pay in advance, and at the same time not destroy that part of the plan which requires some advance," he was convinced that " the most salutary results would follow."
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