Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I, Part 39

Author: White, Truman C
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Boston] : Boston History Co.
Number of Pages: 1014


USA > New York > Erie County > Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I > Part 39


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moved to Buffalo. Isaac V. Vanderpoel was in company with him nearly ten years. At the Upper Village Lafayette Carver settled soon after Mr. Fillmore's removal and practiced there about twenty years. Albert Sawin began practice there before 1837 and remained till 1850, when he removed to Buffalo. James M. Humphrey was admitted to the bar in 1847, and practiced at the Upper Village ten years, when he was elected district attorney and he, too, removed to Buffalo.


The Globe Hotel was established in 1824 by C. P. Persons, and in 1826 the Congregational society (later the Presbyterian) united with the Baptists in building of a house of worship which was completed in 1828. The rivalry between the two sections of what is now the village of East Aurora and the belief on the part of many citizens that the place would eventually become the seat of large business interests, led to consider- able speculation during the inflated period before described, and the village was long in recovering from the effects of the crash that fol- lowed.


Some time prior to 1825 the Congregational church was organized as one of the results of the labors of "Father Spencer," and in 1827-28 united with the earlier organized Baptist society in building a house of worship in the Upper Village; both congregations occupied it nearly twenty years on alternate Sundays. The Methodist society erected their first church in 1827 in the Lower Village. In 1843 the Congrega- tional society adopted the Presbyterian faith.


Following the settlements in the town of Holland described in Chap- ter XVIII, made prior to the formation of Erie county, many families located and improved excellent farms in various parts of the town. Among these may be mentioned the Crooks, Rogers, Davis, Whaley, Hawks, Colby, Sleeper and Dustin families. Vermont Hill and West Hill, as well as the lower parts, received accessions to their population. Moses McCarthy, who was supervisor of the town of Wales fourteen years, settled on Vermont Hill. Isaac Dickerman settled in 1829 ad- joining Humphrey's so-called Fort farm, before mentioned, and built one of the few brick houses in the town. Colden was taken from Hol- land in 1827, leaving the latter with its present area. Amos Hall built a saw mill in Holland village in 1820, which long ago disappeared. Hoyt & Flinn were the second merchants in the place, in a building that was moved back in 1829, to make room for a hotel erected by one of the partners, William Hoyt. Hoyt & Adams was also an early firm of merchants. The first hotel, opened by Joshua Barron in 1816, was con-


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tinued until 1829, when it was succeeded by the one just mentioned. A Dr. Parker, whose first name cannot be learned, was the first physician in the village, where he settled about 1825. Dr. Zoroaster Paul located there about 1833. The first post-office in the town was established in 1822, Lyman Clark postmaster; he was succeeded by Elam Clark. About 1840 Israel Rich built a saw mill on the dam that formerly sup- plied water to the mill of Amos Hall, and also operated a carding mill near by. In later years mill stones were put in the saw mill for grain grinding. A Baptist church was organized in 1829, but a church edifice was not erected until 1844. At the point where a little settlement gath- ered called Protection, John Dake was making spinning wheels, etc., as early as 1830, and a small business interest sprang up there. Mr. Dake built a saw mill in 1840. The hamlet is on the Sardinia line and partly in that town.


During the twenty years under consideration the town of Newstead made more rapid progress, perhaps, than any other in the county, its most marked advancement taking place between 1830 and 1840 in the village of Akron. Dr. Isaac Parcell settled at the site of Akron in 1831, as the first physician there. In 1831, or earlier, a tavern was built and in that year passed to Spencer S. Harrington who kept the house sev- eral years. In the same year Mitchell Osborne opened a grocery and continued in business in the village more than fifty years. Elisha Adams opened a general store about the same time, and two or three years later John Wainwright and Harrison Osborne began mercantile business. About the year 1832 "Squire " Huntley built a dam across Murder Creek and erected a carding and fulling mill. Hezekiah Cum- mings purchased the business a little later and a large custom was secured for many years. In 1835 there was a mail route from Medina to the Newstead post-office, over which Lorenzo D. Covey carried the mail. At this time there was a very large travel from east to west over the Buffalo road. At the post-office, then called Erie (the town bore that name in early years) there was a large store, a hotel or two, and a constant stream of travel, and it seemed that the place would become the largest village in the town; but such was not to be the result. With the sale to the Ogden Company of about 7,000 acres within the limits of the town from the south side of the Tonawanda Reservation, as described in an earlier chapter, only about 2,000 acres of the res- ervation were left in the town. This large tract was speedily divided by the Ogden Company and put in market, and new settlers went into


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that region, among them Nathan L. Barney, James McMullen, Robert Benedict and others. Gradually the business interests of the town left the old point on the Buffalo road and drifted to the new location on Murder Creek- the site of Akron. In April, 1831, the name of the town was changed from Erie to Newstead, and soon afterward the post- office also received the new name; but it still remained at the old lo- cation for several years. As late as 1837 there was a post-office called Newstead on the Buffalo road, with John S. Ball postmaster. A little earlier than this, however, the settlement on the site of Akron, which had so far been known as " The Corporation," was given its present name. A horse railroad was built in 1835 from Medina, Orleans county, to Akron, and thence to Richville, Genesee county; the bulk of the stock was owned in Medina, the citizens of that thriving village be- lieving their place would be greatly benefited by opening such a line of communication southward. The rails of this pioneer railway were white oak timbers six inches square, laid on cross ties, and one passen- ger car and one freight car made daily trips; the fare was sixty-four cents from Akron to Medina. The road never paid and it was soon abandoned. In 1839 occurred the discovery by Jonathan Delano of the celebrated hydraulic limestone cropping out on Murder Creek at the point which became known as Fallkirk, now in the eastern part of Akron village. He obtained a lease of the land for a few years and in 1840 built a small kiln and began the manufacture of water lime. Not long after the discovery the State caused an exhaustive examination of the cement to be made, and finding it of superior quality, the canal com- missioners contracted for a large quantity to be used in the construction of the Genesee Canal and the feeder dam at Tonawanda. This busi- ness gave a spirited impetus to the growth of the village, as described in the later Gazetteer of Towns. A Presbyterian church was organized here in 1835, and a Baptist church in 1837; the latter erected a house of worship in 1838.


About 1840 or a little earlier Julius Swift settled on 500 acres of land on Murder Creek, built a saw mill and grist mill and opened a store. This center became known as Swift's Mills and much of the business of Northern Newstead was for some years transacted there. Mr. Swift's sons carried on those business industries in later years.


In the town of Alden considerable further improvement was made from 1820 to 1840. The tavern opened by Amos Bliss, on the site of Alden village in 1815, was closed in 1820, in which year A. C. Burdick


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settled in the region afterwards known as the West Woods, and Stephen Church in 1821. In 1822 Thomas Farnsworth bought a farm on lot 17 of Aaron Botts, built a large frame house on the site of Alden village and erected a tannery on a branch of Eleven-mile Creek north of the village. In June, 1825, travel increased somewhat and the crowds going to see the execution of the Three Thayers made such de- mands upon him that he took out a tavern license. About the same time Dr. John Harrington located in the town as the first physician, and John Bryant opened a store about half a mile east of the village. Calvin Bishop was his clerk about two years and then established a store on the village site. When the sale of lands was made to the Og- den Company, in 1826, it opened a large tract of territory in this town (between twelve and thirteen square miles), which was promptly sub- divided and placed in market and was soon taken by settlers. The post-office at Alden village was established in 1823, with Joseph Free- man postmaster.


Among early merchants in the village were Horace Stanley, Litchfield & Barstow, Samuel M. Butler, and others. A Methodist society was organized in September, 1833. Many Germans settled in the town of Alden between 1830 and 1840, particularly in the northern and eastern parts.


At the time of the Ogden purchase the whole of the territory of West Seneca still remained in nominal possession of the Indians, except as they had permitted a few white families to reside on their reservation. Two roads ran through the reservation from the earliest settlements; one along the lake shore, and the other by a somewhat devious course from Buffalo to the site of East Aurora village. This became in late years the Buffalo and Aurora plank road. An early highway was also opened from East Hamburg, which extended across West Seneca territory south of Cazenove Creek, and one also from Abbott's Corners. which intersected the other within the present city limits. All of these roads were for many years in wretched condition. Among the families whom the Indians had allowed to live on the reservation were those of Isaac Earl, George Hopper, John Wells, Joel Decker, Peter Beal, Arte- mas Baker, and possibly a few others. At about the time of the sale to the Ogden Company Reuben Sackett built a frame tavern on the East Hamburg road, which was long and popularly known as "the old Sackett stand." In 1829 a missionary society built a church on the reservation north of Cazenove Creek, near the line between West


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Seneca and Buffalo; this church was maintained until the removal of the Indians.


During the period under consideration in this chapter there was noticeable improvement in the towns of Hamburg and East Hamburg, both of which were at that period included in the original Hamburg. The town was largely settled before 1821. Among the later comers were many Germans who have become owners of highly cultivated farms. In the latter part of the decade closing with 1840 this town be- gan to gain its later high reputation for the excellence of its dairy products, and particularly of the celebrated Hamburg cheese, which commanded a high price in the market. Village growth in the town was slow until later than 1840. Hamburg village bore the old name of Smith's Mills until 1820 or later. Thomas T. White was an early settler on the site of the village; he was father of Lewis T. White, long a leading citizen and business man. Ralph Shepard kept one of the earliest hotels in the place. In 1820 a post-office was opened with the name Smithville, and Mr. Shepard was made postmaster; it was dis- continued about 1822. After Thomas T. White engaged in business, about 1820, the place gradually took the name of White's Corners, and retained that appellation for fifty years. St. Peter's and St. Paul's Catholic church was organized at Hamburg village in 1831; there was already a Free Will Baptist society in existence, organized about 1826, and a Methodist society formed in the early years of the existence of the place. The first school was opened in the village in 1820. The second grist mill in the place was carried away by a freshet in 1822, but it was rebuilt by the father of John T. Mills; the latter became its owner and sold it to Abram Long about 1827, who superseded it with a fine brick mill in 1856. Thomas T. White became owner of the first tannery (built in 1808) about 1820, and it was sold in 1840 to John Sigel by Lewis T. White. In 1825 Willard Berry built a woolen and cloth factory near the grist mill, but it burned within a few years and was not rebuilt. Later settlement at Water Valley and other points in this town is left for the Gazetteer in later chapters.


The post-office with the name Hamburg, which was established at Green's tavern, in what is now East Hamburg, as related in earlier pages of this work, was superseded in 1820 by one located at Potter's Corners with the name East Hamburg; this, with two others in the western part of the old town of Hamburg, was discontinued in 1822, and a central one established at Abbott's Corners, with the name Ham-


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burg restored. At some date prior to 1830 the East Hamburg post- office was again established and in that year Samuel S. Hawkins was postmaster. About the year 1825 William T. Smith became the first merchant at East Hamburg (formerly Potter's Corners), and a few years later Allen Potter bought the store and for nearly twenty years was the only tradesman in the slowly-growing place. By 1830 most of the log houses of the town had given place to modest frame structures and more than half of the area of the town was under cultivation. To this period is ascribed the origin of the celebrated Hamburg cheese. Hardwin Arnold, an early settler and a Quaker, kept a few cows and made excellent cheese, which he sold in Buffalo. His business in- creased and in 1830 he had a large dairy for that time and his product had acquired a high reputation. One or two other farmers took up the business and for a long time they had the monopoly; co-operation on the part of the dealer who handled the cheese in Buffalo and the really superior quality of the article soon created a demand which has never ceased. The cheese from this town took the premium over all others at the State fair in Buffalo in 1848.


Continuing notice of settlement and improvement in Wales from the date of the formation of the county, it should be stated that the sale to the Ogden Company in 1826 carried with it about three-fourths of the Indian lands in the town, a large part of which, however, went into the town of Marilla at a later date. A second post-office was established in this town at South Wales in 1826, the previous one being at Wood's Hollow. Several saw mills were built in this period in different parts of the town, but they disappeared with the clearing of the land. The building of the first hotel at what is now Wales Center, in 1816, gave the place the name of Hall's Hollow. Jonathan Hall kept a store there in 1830, and Hiram Cole built a store about that time which was long in use for trade purposes. The opening of the first store at Wales Hol- low by Orsamus Warren took place in 1823; James Wood was afterwards associated with him in the business, and Mr. Warren withdrew in 1827. This business, after other changes, passed to Stephen and Oliver Patch in 1832. Jesse Westcott built the first hotel in 1826 and kept it several years, and his brother, Reuben Westcott, built another in 1831. The first postmaster at South Wales was Nathan M. Mann, who was ap- pointed in 1826 and was succeeded in 1832 by David S. Warner. Gideon Barker established a tannery in 1819. Dr. Ira G. Watson was the first physician.


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In the year of the formation of the town of Evans, Dr. George Sweetland settled on the site of East Evans as the first physician in the town; he practiced his profession there more than half a century and was a prominent citizen. The settlement of Wright's Mills became known as Evans Center and there the principal part of the business of the town was transacted. A still smaller hamlet gathered farther north- east which was given the name of East Evans; here there was a post- office before 1830. Evans Center was on the main route from the east to the west; the turnpike in that vicinity was the only good road and travel over it was heavy; this condition was changed after the construc- tion of the railroad, as noticed farther on. A store was opened at East Evans in 1820 by R. Rowell, and there were small business interests there until the railroad changed the route of travel. In the town at large there is little worthy of attention during the period under con- sideration. It is an excellent agricultural region and in that respect made considerable progress, but not otherwise. The Baptist church at Evans Center was organized in 1830, and the Congregational church at North Evans in 1834. There were small business interests at these points. Angola, as a village, was not yet known.


The formation of the town of Evans March 16, 1821, sixteen days before the erection of Erie county, left the town of Eden with the area it has ever since had. This change took the post-office of the town with the new town, in consequence of which an office was opened in J. M. Welch's house at Eden Valley in 1822; this office was named Evans, the former office having the name Eden, but the names were soon af- terwards transposed, giving each town an office with the town title. Within a few years after 1820 small hamlets gathered in this town at Eden Center, Eden Valley and Clarksburg. Eden Center bore the name Hill's Corners until about 1822, in which year Col. Asa Warren settled there and built a large hotel, which he kept several years and then gave up the business on account of his temperance proclivities. Fillmore & Johnson opened a store there about 1824; several frame houses were built and the place began to be called Eden Corners ; this title soon gave place to Eden Center. Lyman Pratt began mercantilé trade there about this time and continued more than forty years, and was succeeded by his son-in-law, Homer Parker. William Paxon and James H. Caskey were also early merchants. Dr. William Hill, who settled at Eden Center in 1814, died in 1828 at an advanced age. Pre- vious to his death Dr. William H. Pratt located there and remained


44


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nearly forty years. Godfrey Metz, a cooper, was the first German settler in the village. The Congregational society erected a church in the village in 1828, and the Methodists in 1830. There was little change in the other hamlets in the town during this period, excepting at Clarksburg (formerly called the Hollow), where Simeon Clark built a grist mill, a saw mill, and a shop for manufacturing spinning wheels; these passed to his son Allen, who also kept a small store.


Many settlers located in the town of Boston between 1820 and 1840. The hamlet now known as Boston Corners had its first post-office in 1820, with Erastus Torrey postmaster, under the name Torrey's Cor- ners; but in late years the business importance of the place has greatly decreased on account of the influence of railroads not reaching it. A Baptist church was erected in 1834, and in the same year a German Evangelical church was organized from the rapidly increasing settlers of that nationality. On the 15th of December, 1824, occurred the notorious tragedy of the murder of John Love in this town by the Thayers, which has already been described in these pages. Among the prominent settlers in the town of Boston not elsewhere mentioned were John Anthony and Henry Keller, Orrin and Jesse Lockwood, and others. Martin Keller, son of Henry, was a merchant and hotel keeper more than thirty-five years, and held the office of supervisor. Orrin Lockwood held the office of sheriff and Jesse was a magistrate and jus- tice of the sessions. This family has been prominent in the county, Dr. T. T. Lockwood, Hon. Stephen Lockwood and Hon. Daniel N. Lockwood being connected with it. On the hills in the east and west parts of the town many Germans settled at about the time under con- sideration and have become a useful part of the community.


As late as 1835 a large portion of the central, eastern and southern parts of the town of Colden were still unsold, settlements prior to that date having mostly been made in the Cazenove Creek valley. About the year named Samuel B. Love and Benjamin Maltby, of Colden, and Stephen Osborn, of Newstead, formed a partnership and purchased 15,000 acres of land from the Holland Company, covering the site of Glenwood and extending over the table land to the east. In 1838 the lands were subdivided and placed in market; during the ensuing twenty years most of the tract was sold and settled. Colden village (Buffum's Mills in early years), was made the location of the post-office in 1833. Richard Buffum was postmaster, and he kept a hotel from 1828 to 1836, when he was succeeded by S. B. Love; Albert G. Buffum kept the


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house later. E. P. Hatch opened the first small store about 1831 and Henry Smith and Albert G. Buffum established one in 1837. A tan- nery was built in Colden in 1833 by Arnold Holt and was sold in 1845 to George Balding. Dr. Philo P. Barber settled in Colden village in 1838 as the first resident physician, after having practiced two years in Glenwood. Benjamin Maltby built a saw mill at Glenwood in 1838 and in 1840 Samuel B. Love and Jonas Bridge built a tannery there, around which a small hamlet gathered. What is now the Presbyterian church at Glenwood was organized in 1829 as a Congregational society.


Samuel Butts, a native of Dartmouth, who has been mentioned as a settler in the town of Brant in 1820 and the builder of the first saw mill in 1822, was long a respected citizen of the town and father of five sons and five daughters. His mill was about the only one in the town, as there was a scarcity of water power. The formation of the town of Evans in March, 1821, took with it that part of the territory of Brant north of the original north line of the reservation, leaving the town with its present area. In 1825 Joseph Hubbard opened the first tavern in the town in the Shepherd neighborhood, east of the Center. Milton Morse was the first merchant, opening his small store at the Center in 1835. After the usual custom the name of the hamlet was for some time Morse's Corners. Mr. Morse was also the first postmaster. Prominent settlers of early years not yet mentioned were Jonathan Hascall, Nathaniel K. Smith, Otis Burgess, Stphen West, Moses White, Asa Wetherbee, John B. Steadwell, and others. The town of Brant was formed March 25, 1849, with its present boundaries. Dr. Luther Buxton settled in the town in 1836, previous to which time early physicians in Collins and Evans ministered to the sick. He was suc- ceeded by Dr. Joseph Andrus. During the period under consideration a Baptist society was organized and an attempt was made to build a church; but sufficient funds could not be raised and the uncompleted structure passed to the Methodists, who occupied it a few years, and then built a church of their own.


By the date of the formation of the town of Concord, March 16, 1821, the town was quite fully settled, as related in earlier chapters. It soon became one of the foremost towns of the county in point of character and quantity of agricultural products. Originally covered with heavy forest, entailing arduous labor to clear the land, the soil is excellent and well repays the industrious farmer. The business interests of the town nearly all center in Springville, but even this now thriving village


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was of small importance until later than 1840. Samuel Cochran kept a ho- tel there for twenty-five years, having erected a building in 1822. Elisha Mack, admitted to the bar in 1827, was postmaster at Springville from 1830 to about 1840. Charles C. Severance settled in the village about 1830 and became a prominent citizen and a successful attorney; he served as supervisor eight years, was two years in the Legislature and surro- gate of the county from 1860 to 1864. B. S. Wendover and Wells Brooks settled in the place about the same time with Mr. Severance and practiced law together. Mr. Brooks was elected to the Legislature in 1836 and served also as county clerk. Dr. Carlos Emmons settled at Springville in 1823 and practiced his profession more than half a cent- ury ; he also occupied many public positions of honor. In early years there was a carding and fulling mill in the village, and about 1835 the mill, owned in recent years by B. Chafee, was built by Manly Colton. A foundry was erected about 1830 by a Mr. Barnett, and as early as 1840 Sherrill & Sears established a factory on the site of the Borden tannery; this was abandoned and another built by P. G. Eaton, which was transformed into a tannery. Springville was incorporated in 1834 and the first village election held May 6 of that year. The Presby- terian church was built in 1832 and subsequently sold to the Catholics. The Baptists built their church in 1834.




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