USA > New York > Genesee County > Our county and its people : a descriptive and biographical record of Genesee County, New York, v. 2 > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
The town clerk's office was destroyed by fire June 15. 1866, and the records were swept away, but the foregoing list, furnished by the town elerk from other records, is believed to be correct.
Oakfield, formerly known as Cary and Caryville, is the principal vil- lage. It lies south of the centre of the town, six miles northwest of Ba- tavia, on the Lewiston road, and on the West Shore Railroad. It has a population of over one thousand. The first store in the village was opened in 1833 by Colonel Alfred Cary. There are in the village four churches -- Protestant Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal, Presby- terian and German Lutheran; a union free school, Cary Collegiate Seminary (founded by Colonel Cary, July 4, 1840), a bank, a weekly newspaper, three hotels, a large number of stores, a foundry, a fruit evaporator, a wagon shop, a saw mill, a plow and agricultural machin- ery factory, a stave and heading factory, a plaster mill, a flouring mill, a cement mill, a fertilizer manufactory, an oil-can factory, a lum- ber yard, and other minor industries. There are also an Odd Fellows lodge, founded in 1824, and a lodge of the Empire Order of Mutual Aid, founded in 1880.
The name of Caryville was changed to Plain Brook in 1837, and soon after the village was ealled Oakfield. It was incorporated in 1858. At the first annual village meeting held August 7, 1885, these offieers were elected :
491
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS-PAVILION.
Trustees Andrew Thompson, Virgil C. Calkins, Asa A. Woodruff, Abner C. Dodge, Seres P. Champlin; assessors, Rice Baldwin, Samuel Fellows, Horace R. Holt; clerk. Solomon H. Parmalee; treasurer, Cyrus Pond; collector. Thomas Brown; poundmaster, Dewitt C. Colony; inspectors of election, Samuel March, Asa A. Woodruff, S. P. Champlin.
Oakfield claims the honor of having elected the first Prohibition vil- lage president in Western New York, William W. Stevens, who was elected in March, 1890.
East Oakfield (Mechanicsville) is a hamlet located about three miles northeast of Oakfield.
TOWN Of PAVILION.
Pavilion is the most southeastern town of Genesee county. It is bounded on the north by Stafford and Le Roy, on the east by Caledonia and York, Livingston county; on the south by Covington, Wyoming county. and on the west by Middlebury, Wyoming county, Bethany and Stafford. The surface is undulating in the north and hilly in the south. The principal stream is the Outka creek, which flows northward through the town, a short distance west of the centre. East of this stream, and nearly parallel therewith, runs the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railway. The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad crosses the northern part of the county from west to east until it crosses the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railroad tracks, where it turns and runs south- east until it leaves the town. Joseph Ellicott surveyed the first road across the town, running it in a straight line from Batavia village to Leicester, through the village of Pavilion. This is the famous Big Tree road. About the same time the State surveyed a road from Canawat- gus (Avon) to Buffalo. This road passes through the centre of the town, and interseets the Big Tree road near the west line of the town.
The first settlement in Pavilion appears to have been in 1805 by Isaac D. Lyon. The Lawrence family came in 1807, Richard Walkley, Peter Crosman, the Tyrrells and MeWethys in 1809. The first tavern was opened in 1815 at Pavilion by Seth Smith. In 1817 Horace Bates opened the first store at the same point. Bial Lathrop built the first mill, in 1816, on the Oatka. The first church, Baptist, was organized in 1816 by Elden Leonard Anson.
Pavilion was formed from Covington, Wyoming county, May 19, 1841. A portion from Le Roy and Stafford was annexed March ?? , 1842. The town was named in 1825 by Harmon J. Betts, who came
492
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
from Saratoga, where he had been connected with the Pavilion hotel. The records in the town clerk's office are incomplete, and nothing can be learned as to the first town meeting. Following is a list of the super- visors since the organization of the town :
1841-1842, Isaac Matthews; 1843-1845, Thomas Burns: 1846, Denby Lewis: 1847- 1848. Thomas Burns; 1849, Daniel Sprague: 1850-1855, John C. Holcomb: 1856, Thomas Burns: 1857-1-58, Henry H. Olmsted; 1859-1860, Oswald Bond; 1861-1863. John Lauderdale; 1-61 1965, Nathan Bryant; 1966. J. Lyman Crocker; 1987-1565. Nathan Bryant, 1869-1872, Oswald Rond: 1873, J. Lyman Crocker: 1874. James H. Webster: 1875-1977, Elijah M. Tillotson : 1878-1881, Wm. Walker: 1852-1986, Benja- min W. Hartwell; 18\7-1895. William Walker: 1896-1897, Jasper Starr; 198, Ethan T.' Bradley.
The town clerks have been :
1841-1845, John Lauderdale: 1846, John C. Holcomb; 1547-1852. Gilman Barnett: 1853-1854. Horace S. Hannum: 1-55. C. W. Fay: 1-56-1560. J. W Chaddock: 1861- 1962, John C. Holcomb; 1863-1:05. HI. S. Halbert, 1866-1-67, Elbert Townsend; 1-68-1872 Ethan T. Bradley, 1873-1879. W. EL. Gilmore; 1490 1986, Charles C Bond : 1547-1984 Sheridan O. Hubbard, 1889 Louis H. Wells; 1-90-1593, Willis L. Culver : 1894, Edwin R. Christman , 1995-1997, William Quinlan; 1-98, Willis L. Culver.
The records show the names of the following justices. There is no record of the election up to 1880, and the names from 1841 to 1880 are as they appear in the minutes of the town board. The names given from 1480 to 1839 are of the justices of the peace elected on the years given :
1841, Isaac Matthews, Denby Lewis, Marvin Judd, Henry Bond: 1842. Isaac Mat- thews, Denby Lewis, Samuel Lewis, John Lauderdale : 1843, Thomas Burns, D. Lewis, W. M. Sprague, Marvin Ju.Md. 1844, Thomas Burns, Denby Lewis, John C. Holcomb. Marvin Judd. 1445, Thomas Burns, W. M. Sprague, J. C. Holeomb, Denby Lewis; 1846, W. M. Sprague, J. W. Duguid; 1847, Thomas Burns, W. M. Sprague, John C. Holcomb; 1848, John C. Holcomb, W. M. Sprague, J. W. Duguid; 1849, John C. Holcomb, W. M Sprague, 1550, W. M. Sprague, J. W. Duguid; 1951, J. W. Dugaid, W. M. Sprague, Deaby Lewis, 1852, Denby Lewis, J. W. Duguid, George Tomlin- son: 1:53-1-51, Denby Lewis, George Tomlinson, Oswald Bond: 1855-1858, Oswald Bond, George Tomlinson, Nathan Bryant: 1859, George Tomlinson, Nathan Bryant ; 1460, Nathan Bryant, Leonard Crofoot: 1561, Nathan Bryant, Leonard Crofoot, Den- by Lewis; 1-62-1563, Nathan Bryant, Oswald Bond, Denby Lewis, Leonard Crofoot ; 1.64, Denby Lewis, Oswald Bond: 1865, Denby Lewis, O-wall Bond, Leonard Cro- foot; 1866, Oswald Bond, Nathan Bryant, Denby Lewis, John L. Cook: 1867-1868, Oswald Bond. George Tomlinson ; 1569, Elbert Townsend. William L. Bradley; 1870, Elbert Townsend, William L. Bradley, James Center; 1:71-1872, James Center. William L. Bradley. W. H. Tompkins; 1873, James Center, W. Il. Tompkins: 1874. W. J. Cook, W. II. Tompkins, Wiham 1, Bradley. E. T. Bradley ; 1875-1876. W. J. Cook, William Il. Ewell, William L. Bradley, E. T. Bradley; 1477, Wilham L. Brad-
3
493
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS-PEMBROKE.
ley, Wilham H. Ewell, J. M. Robertson: 1878, Wilham H. Ewell, J. M. Robertson. Chauncey E. Tillotson; 1559, William L. Bradley, C. E. Tillotson, J. M. Robertson ; 1880, John M. Robertson ; 1891, C. E. Tillotson ; 18>2 Loren W. Evarts; 1883, William L. Bradley, 1. t., L. W. Evarts, s. t .; 1884, Oliver W. Phelps, 1955, C. E. Tillotson . 1856, L. W. Evarts; 1887, W. L. Bradley; 1SSS, Myron P. Pierson, I. t., L. W. Evarts, s. t .; 1859, C. E. Tillotson; 1890, L. T. Evarts; 1891, W. L. Bradley; 1892, MI. P. Pierson; 1893. Louis H. Wells: 1894, C. E. Tillotson; 1895, Oliver D. Farnsworth ; 1896, M. P. Pierson; 1897, L. H. Wells; 1898, Horace E. Townsend.
Pavilion is the chief village. It is located near the centre of the southern half of the town, on the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Rail- road. It contains about four hundred inhabitants, four churches- Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, Catholic and Universalist-but no ser- vices have been held by the latter society in several years. There are also a good public school, a hotel, and nine stores, a Grand Army Post and a lodge of Odd Fellows. The manufacturing industries con- sist of the salt works of Senator Humphrey, of Warsaw; a large flour- ing mill, a fruit evaporator, a wagon shop and a blacksmith shop. A bean picking and packing establishment owned by Archibald D. San- ders of Stafford, and operated by S. D. White, was burned in the spring of 1898.
A salt mine was sunk in the northern part of the town in 1891 by the Lehigh Salt Company, but it was subsequently sold to the salt trust and the works closed.
Union Corners is a hamlet in the eastern part of the town. It con- tains a church and a school.
Bailey's Mills is the location of a grist mill established about 1511 by Erastus Bailey and Bial Lathrop. The dam there was built in 1828.
TOWN or PEMBROKE.
Pembroke is the central of the three large towns comprising the western tier. It is bounded on the north by Alabama, on the east by Batavia, on the south by Darien and on the west by Newstead, Erie county. Its surface is gently undulating. Tonawanda creek flows in a northwesterly direction through the northeast corner, and Murder creek flows in the same direction through the southwest corner. The soil is a sandy and gravelly loam. A portion of the northern part of the town is occupied by the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. The main line of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad and the Le- high Valley Railroad pass through the southeast corner of the town,
494
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
and the Tonawanda branch of the former road passes through the cen- tral part, from east to west.
David Goss, who took up land in 1804, was the first permanent settler in Pembroke. Ile converted his dwelling into a tavern, which was the first public house in the township. Samuel Carr located at Richville in 1808, and also opened a tavern. Mr. Carr erected the first grist mill and saw mill. Dr. David Long and his son, John Long, settled on the site of Corfu in ISOs, and gave that locality the name of Long's Cor- ners. The first school was conducted by Anna Horton in 1811. The first church-Presbyterian-was founded in 1817 by the Rev. Hugh Wallis. The " Franklin Library" was formed in 1819 at the house of Eben North, by twenty residents of Pembroke and Alexander.
Pembroke was erected from Batavia June 9, 1812. The records in the town clerk's office up to 1854 are missing. The names of the super- visors since 1831 are on file in the county clerk's office. They are as follows:
1$31, Hugh Long; 1832-1535, Cyrus Brown; 1936-1538. El Ellinwood; 1939, An_ drew S. Ilarroun; 1840, Eli Ellinwood, 1811-1812, Cyrus Brown; 1843, Andrew S. Harroun : 1844, Aaron Long: 1845, Cyrus Brown : 1846-1948. David Anderson : 1819, George W. Wright, 1850-1852, David Anderson; 1853, James M. Neasmith : 1854, John A. Willett; 1955, David Anderson; 1856, John W. Brown. 1557-1859, John D. Safford: 1860-1861, Cyrus Phelps; 1862-1864. John W. Brown; 1865, James Boyd; 1866, John W. Brown, 1867-1565, Royal W. Kinne; 1869-1870, Edward A. Brown; 1871, John Munro: 1822. Edward A. Brown: 1873, John Munro; 1974, Edward A. Brown: 1875, John Manro; 1820-1877, Joseph W Safford ; 1878-1480. Lucius B. Par- mele. 18%1-1885, Charles A. Kinne: 1886, Dwight Dimock, 1857, John Lincoln; 1888-1891, Albert L. Hamilton . 1892, James S. Russell: 1893-1899, Albert L. Ilam- ilton.
The town clerks since 1834 have been as follows:
1854-1856. W. Reed; 1957. Guy C. Clark, 1858, Reuben Willett; 1959, Amasa A. Mosher : 1560, Reuben Willett : 1861, Julius C. Powers; 1862, Joseph W. Safford, 1863 - 1864, Peter C. Garrett, 1865, Elonzo N. Stone: 1-66-1867, Wilham S. M. Northrop; 1868-1869. Joseph W. Safford: 1820-1871. Thomas R. Hardwick, 1872-1873, W. S. M. Northrop; 1974-1465, Frank II. Edwards, 1876-1877. Ira A. Lake, 1474-1879, John Gibson; 1-10, George O. Taggart; 1881, Reuben Willett, 1892, Dana Jenison ; 18%, A. J. Smith ; 1881-1986, William W. MeGregor; 1989-1890, Wilder E. Sumner ; 1991- 1892. Charles Graves; 1\93, John Main ; 1894-1895, W. E. Sumner ; 1896-1897, Charles W. Arnold; 1898, Thomas J. Doyle.
During that period the justices of the peace have been :
1454. D. A. Wells, J. D. Safford. 1555, Roderick F. Tompson: 1-56, John Munro, jr., William S. Coe. 1-57, Jolin A. Taylor: 1858, Harrison H. Boughton, William
495
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS-PEMBROKE.
Russell; 1859, William S. Coe, Harry Stone, 1560, Parley Uptou, Alanson Owen : 1861, Webster MeMurphy, Ephraim P. Dean ; 1862, Alanson Owen : 1863, William S Coe: 1864, E. P. Dean: 1-05. George Comber. George W. Wright; 1-66, Alanson Owen, Elonzo N. Stone, Nathaniel Reed; 1967, Nathaniel Reed; 1968. George W. Wright; 1869, John Clark, John Munro; 1970 Alanson Owen : 1871, Andrew Abrams; 1552, John Munro, William MeGregor. 1873, Ehas Martin; 1974, Charles A. Kiune. 1875. William W. MeGregor: 1576, D. H. Gorman, 1877, Martin Brown ; 1876, Charles A. Kinne, John Munro; 1979, Joseph W. Safford: 1890, John Munro, Andrew F. Clark : 1881, Martin Brown : 1952, Audrew F. Clark. William Adair ; 1883, J. W. Saf- ford; 1884, Daniel W. Smith, Louis Case; 1855, Damel W. Smith, John Cleveland : 1556, John Long: 1957, J. W. Safford, Andrew F. Clark, 1988, John Cleveland. 18-9. Daniel W. Smith; 1890, Andrew F. Clark, 1891. J. W. Safford ; 1592. John Cleveland; 1893. D. W. Smith; 1-04, A. F. Clark: 1895. J. W. Safford :' 1896, John Cleveland. 1897, D. W. Smith : 1998. E. A. Root.
Corfu is the principal village in Pembroke. It is located close to the south line of the town, on the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. It contains five churches -- Presbyterian, Methodist Episco- pal, Protestant Episcopal, Universalist and Catholic ; a union free school, three hotels, a weekly newspaper, a flouring and cider mill, a broom factory, a wagon shop and blacksmith shop, and twenty-six greenhouses, the latter forming the principal industry of the town. Three natural gas wells in or near the village supply gas for lighting and heating purposes Corfu was incorporated May 1, 1865, at which time these officers were elected :
Trustees, Il. P. Porter, D. Carter, R. W. Kinny, E. W. Croff, George D. Newell; elerk, Dr. A. Billington; collector, J. P. Vaughn. The following have served as village presidents :
1868, H. P. Porter. 1809, George D Newell, 1970-1-72. Jeremiah A. Garvin : 1.73. Daniel Chadeayne : 1574, John Davison : 1825, Tyler D. Burnham, 1526, Daniel Car- ter, 1577, N. Hopkins, 150 Jerome Samner : 1879, B. N. Hopkins; Isso, H. P. Porter ; 1881, John Lincoln; 1-$2, Cyrus Wait : 1943, Amos O. Curtis, 1854, John Tyrrell. 18%. Dwight Dimock . 1986. J. A Garvin ; 18-7-1888. W E. Sumner . 18-9, Dwight Dimock : 1890, William Crawford: 1991, Cyrus Wait; 1892, David Clark : 1893, Daniel Schelt 1804, W. E. Sumner, 1995, John Lincoln , 1896, H. D. Van De Bogart, 1-97. Thomas A. Webb; 1998. Daniel Schelt.
The following have served as village clerks.
1868-1869, Dr. A. Billington. 1870, Joseph W. Safford: 1871-1573, Frederick T. Wileox : 1874-1876, D. Jenison. 1577-1878, J. P. Vaughn; 1579, D. Jenison; 1580. A. J. Smith ; 1881-1897, Joseph W. Safford, 1599, Dwight Dimock.
Riehville is a small village in the western part of the town, and was
1Died in office.
496
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
so named after C. B. Rich, a prominent business man. The Tona- wanda branch of the N. Y. C. & H. R. Railroad passes through the village, and Murder creek affords ample water power at this point. The place contains a church, a school, roller mills, blacksmith shop, etc.
Indian Falls is located at the falls of the Tonawanda creek, in the extreme northern part of the town. It has three churches-Methodist Episcopal, Freewill Baptist and Evangelical : a school, a roller mill, a grist and flour mill, a hotel, blacksmith shop and several stores.
East Pembroke, located in the eastern part of the town on the Tona- wanda branch of the N. Y. C. & H. R. Railroad, and on Tonawanda ereek, has three churches-Baptist, Presbyterian and Catholic; a public school, a hotel, a grist mill, a sawmill, a barrel factory and a cheese factory.
North Pembroke, on Tonawanda creek in the northeastern part of the town, contains one church -- Christian; a school, and a saw, grist and flour mill.
TOWN OF STAFFORD.
Stafford is located east of the centre of Genesee county. It is bounded on the north by Elba and Byron, on the east by Byron, Le Roy and Pavilion, on the south by Pavilion and Bethany, and on the west by Bethany and Batavia. The surface of the town is gently undulating. The soil is very productive. Limestone underlies portions of the town, and this stone is much sought for building purposes Black creek flows northward through the central portion: Bigelow creek flows through the northwest part into Byron. Four railroads pass through the town. The main line of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad runs northeasterly and southwesterly through the northeast corner. The Erie, the Lehigh Valley and the Canandaigua branch of the N. Y. C. & H. R. Railroad pass east and west through the central portion of the town.
Stafford doubtless was the first town on the Holland Purchase to be- come permanently settled. James Brisbane, the earliest merchant on the Holland Purchase, came to the town in 1295, and opened a store- house west of the creek in the present village of Stafford. This he called the Transit storehouse. Le Roy was settled prior to Stafford, but this earlier settlement was not on the Holland Purchase. Freder- ick Walther located there in 1800 and opened a tavern, in accordance with an agreement entered into with Joseph Ellicott, on behalf of the
1
1
497
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS-STAFFORD.
Holland Land Company. The name Transit was continued until 1841, when it was changed to Stafford. Col. William Rumsey, who came from Hubbardton, Vt., settled in 180? on the Stafford Hill, the highest point of land in the town. He was a surveyor employed by Mr. Elli- cott, a colonel of militia, and a representative of this county in the Legislature. Nathan Marvin came in 1803, Gen. Worthy Lovell Churchill in 1803 and John Debow in 1804. The first school was opened in 1806 by Esther Sprout. Jonathan Bemis, who conducted a tavern as early as 1804, was the first independent landlord, Walther be- ing under the patronage of the Holl ind Land Company. The first church doubtless was the Christian church established in 1816 by the Rev. Joseph Badger. In 1810 Malachai Tyler had a wood-turning shop east of Beech creek.
Three separate tracts are represented in the composition of this town. The first in order of settlement is the Holland Purchase, forming the western part. Next comes the Craigie tract, in the southeast portion ; then the Pultney lands of the Connecticut tract, in the northern and eastern parts of the town.
The town was organized March 24, 1820, from parts of Le Roy and Batavia. The existing official records are incomplete. The super- visors since 1831 have been as follows:
1831-1536, Ebenezer Rich, jt .: 1\37, Harvey Sweetland, 1538 1839, Ebenezer Rich : 1940-1941, Charles English: 1842-1549, Harvey Sweetland; 1844-1845. Charles English; 1516-1848, Stephen Griswohl; 1519-195t, John Lathrop; 1852, Samuel March; 1853-1-55. Washington T. S. Tyler; 1956-1858, Leander Douglass; 1859- 1862, Perry Randall; 1863-1865, Israel M. Peck, 1966-156%, Cyrus Prentice; 1989, Alexander 11. Rumsey, 1870 1571, Joseph F. Stutterd: 1872-1874. Warren J. Tyler; 1525-1877. John Sanders, 1978-1650, Joseph Vallett; 1981-1942, Joseph F. Stutterd ; 1883, Jay Lathrop, 1954-1856, Folgar C. Rugg; 1987, Joseph F. Stutteid, 1585-1889, Jay Lathrop: 1890-1591, Russell Bissell; 1892-1803. John Simmons; 1524-1895, Archie D. Sanders; 1-06-1-93. John W. Mullen.
There is no book of record dating prior to 1865 in the town clerk's office. Since that time the town clerks have been :
1965, Charles W. March; 1866, Henry P. Sanders; 1867, Charles W. March; 1868- 1869, George Crocker; 1570-1973, Frank L. Stone; 1874-1996, Edwin B. Sanders' 1887-1803, Edward W. Pamphilon; 1894-1994, Robert Seldon.
The following have been elected justices of the peace since 1865:
1865, William Barrett, 1. t., Charles D). Sweetland, s. t. ; 1866, Albert E. Sweet- land, 1967, Joseph Remington; 1-68, Oren De Wolf; 1869, Wm. Barnett; 1860, A. E. Sweetland; 1871, Joseph Remington; 1512, Oren De Wolf, 1. t., Israel M. Peck.
32
498
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
s. t. ; 1873, W'm. Barnett; 1874, Israel M. Peck ; 1875, Joseph Remington : 1876, Oren De Wolf; 1977, Wm. Barnett, I. t., Oren De Wolf, s. t .; 1828, I. M. Peck, 1. t., Charles W. Talmadge, s. t .; 1879, Joseph Remington; 1880, Oren De Wolf, Columbus Buell ; 1881, Edward Y. Rugg ; 1992, I. M. Peck ; 1844, Joseph Remington ; 1984. Oren De Wolt , 1855, Cyrus P. Bell, 1586, I. M. Peck ; 1957. Joseph Remington; 19 8, Oren De Wolf, 1889, Oren De Wolf; 1590. I. M. Peck, Joseph F. Stutterd; 1891, Anthony Waterman ; 1892, John W. Mullin; 1803, John W. Mayne, I. t., George M Randall, s. t. ; 1894, I. M. Peck, I. t., George M. Randall, s. t .; 1-95, Leonard Travis; 1896, G. M. Ran- dall; 1897, J. W. Mayne, 1998, I. M. Peck.
Stafford, located about a mile south of the center of the town on the Canandaigua branch of the New York Central and Hudson River Rail- .road, is the principal village. It contains two churches-Methodist Episcopal and Protestant Episcopal, a school, a store, a hotel, a fruit evaporator started in 1898, a grain warehouse, and a blacksmith shop. Its population is about two hundred and fifty.
Morganville, which received its name from William Morgan of Ma- sonic notoriety, lies about a mile and a half north of Stafford on Black creek. The Lehigh Valley Railroad passes through this hamlet. There is a valuable water power in the creek at this point. It has a church -- Christian-built 1835, a school, a hotel, a grist mill, a wagon shop, a harness shop, and store.
Roanoke is a hamlet in the southeastern part of the town. The Oatka creek, flowing through the southern part of the place, furnishes ample water power. Here are situated a roller mill, cooper shop, blacksmith shop, store, and one church-Methodist Episcopal.
PART II.
-
BIOGRAPHICAL.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JOSEPH ELLICOTT.
JOSEPH ELLICOTT was a son of Andrew and Ann Bye Ellicott, whowere natives of the town of Callopton, Wales; they came to this country in 1781, having been "disowned " by the Society of Friends through the marriage of Andrew to his wife, who was not a member of that sect. These adventurers, with an infant son, landed in New York, and being possessed of some means they purchased a tract of land and settled upon it. From that date until about 1160, little is known of their his- tory. Previous to 1000, however, they had become residents of Bucks county, Pa., and had four sons, the elder having at that time just be- gun operations in several business engagements It is probable that the family did not long remain in New York after their immigration and were among the pioneers of Bucks county. The four sons of Andrew Ellicott were Nathaniel, Joseph, Andrew and John. As early as 1720 they purchased a traet of wild land on the Patapsco River in Maryland and there built mills which were long known as Ellicott's Mills.
Joseph Ellicott, son of Andrew, was the father of the subject of this notice. He was a man of liberal scientific attainments for that period and was a naturally skillful mechanic. Without special instruction he constructed a eloek with four faces, showing the time, motion of some of the heavenly bodies, a chime of bells playing twenty-four tunes, etc ; it was pronounced a niarvel of mechanical ingenuity and skill. The other sons of that Joseph were Joseph ( the subject ), Andrew, Benjamin and David. Andrew became a prominent surveyor and was at one time surveyor-general of the United States; his three sons were An- drew A., John B. and Joseph, all of whom became residents on the Holland Purchase. Benjamin entered the service of the Holland Com- pany and was assistant to his brother Joseph. He was one of the judges
502
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE,
of Genesee county and a member of Congress. The younger son of the first Joseph (David) was a survey , on the Purchase in early life and then went south and was not heard from again. There were also five sisters, daughters of the first Joseph, three of whom marriel three brothers named Evans. The family were prominent in Maryland as millers, founders, builders of wharves, inventors, etc.
Joseph Ellicott was only fourteen years old when his father removed from Bucks county to, Maryland. His educational opportunities up to that time were c nanel to the public schools His early lessons ::: surveying were caught him by his brother Andrew, and his first pre .- tical experience in that business was as assistant th his brother in the survey of the city of Washington. In 1001 he was appointed by the secretary of war to run. the boundary between Georgia and the lands of the Creek Indhins. Soon after this he was selected by MI .. Caze- nove to survey :: = Holland Company's lan Is in Pennsylvania. This work finished he was engaged a short time in Maryland in business with his brothers, and then began his service for the Holland Company on their lands in this State.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.