Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I, Part 46

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 46


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To fill the quota under a call of December 19 for 300,000 men, which was announced as about 2,000 for the county, the supervisors were again called upon to take decisive action. The Bounty Committee were charged early in 1865 with negligently letting recruits go to other counties, where stronger inducements were offered. On the 3d of January a special session was called and the Bounty Committee re- ported that they had been in session two months (November and De- cember) during which period they had paid to 391 volunteers the sum of $104,464.32. The committee further reported on the following day, that up to that time there had been paid out for the promotion of en- listments an aggregate sum of about $1,750,000, and the number of men called for from the county, exclusive of the call then pending, was 11,910. The committee claimed, and probably justly, that the county had accomplished more in filling its quotas, at less expense, than most others in the State; that since the adjournment of the previous session the committee had been engaged in securing volunteers and had a credit of 391 men. After prolonged proceedings a resolution was adopted by the board on the 19th of January that the sum of $450,000 be raised, and that county orders be issued in anticipation thereof for the pay- ment of bounties. Enlistments now proceeded more rapidly. On the 21st of March the committee reported that up to that date they had paid bounties to and received credit for 529 men ; the county deficiency was reported at about 1,000, and a draft imminent. A meeting was called at the court house March 14 to consider ways and means to avoid


51


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


the conscription ; it was largely attended and the fact was made known that there was great difficulty in disposing of bonds and county orders. The chairman of the Bounty Committee expressed the belief that $500, - 000 more would be needed. It was found impossible to fill the quota and the draft, which had been postponed from a previous date, began on the 17th of March. Only the First ward was drawn the first day; the second day the Second ward was drawn, but meanwhile meetings were held in some of the wards and towns and the most energetic ef- forts made to fill up their deficiencies. Some of the wards were suc- cessful and a number of the towns nearly filled their quotas. The draft was now stopped, with assurance that it would be resumed March 31, unless all deficiencies were made up. On the 4th of April the draft again began, and sixty-two men were drawn in the Twelfth ward; on the 6th the towns of Alden, Brant and Cheektowaga were drawn. At this juncture Lee's surrender put an end to the proceedings and not a man drafted was called upon to perform any military duty.


Besides the infantry, cavalry and artillery regiments and companies noticed in the preceding pages of this chapter, Erie county sent to the war hundreds of volunteers who enlisted individually in these and other organizations which drew their membership in many instances from widely separated localities; of these it is manifestly impossible to give any detailed record; it can only be stated that they constituted an important part of the patriotic contribution of this county to the historic struggle for the preservation of the Union.1


The total number of enlistments in the county in the cavalry was 4,837; in mounted rifles, 908; in artillery, 2,276; in engineers, 93; in sharpshooters, 125; and in infantry, 7,010. Total, 15,249. In addi- tion to these were the enlistments in the national guard, naval vet- erans, regular army, and colored troops, to the number of about 7,000. The losses in dead, wounded and captured were, in the cav- alry, 778; mounted rifles, 325; artillery, 350; engineers, 3; sharp- shooters, 50; infantry, 3,195; national guard, 3. Total, 4, 704.


With the close of the war a wave of rejoicing swept over the entire North, mingled with mourning for the martyred Lincoln, in which the


1 Such detailed information as has been gathered and placed in print regarding the various military organizations sent out from this State, may be found in most county clerk's offices; this is, however, almost wholly of a statistical character and lacks information applying specifically to distinct counties. It is to be regretted that county authorities have been so negligent in pre- serving records of their military organizations, which would aid in preparing history the value of which will increase with passing years.


403


FROM 1860 TO 1870.


people of Erie county participated. Within a few months, under the revolutionary change from war to peace through which the country passed-a change which was effected with such marvelous facility as to astonish the world-the inhabitants of Erie county, in common with those of other localities, turned their energies to the prosecution of the ordinary affairs of life. So rapidly did the great armies dissolve and retire to civil life that at the beginning of 1866 only seven regi- ments of infantry and two of cavalry of New York remained in United States service. During the war period the population of this State de- creased nearly 50,000. In Erie county the number of inhabitants in- creased from 141,971 in 1860 to 155,773 in 1865; in the succeeding five years the population of the county increased to 178,699. In the city the gain from 1860 to 1865 was from 81,129 to 94, 210, while during the next five years the remarkable gain was made to 117,714, or more than 23,000.


In gleaning the records of Erie county during the war period, little is found of importance to add to the military story. The first street railway company was organized in Buffalo in 1860, although a primitive horse road had been operated some years between the city and Black Rock. On the 19th of May, of that year, ground was broken on Main street for car tracks and a few days later the Niagara street line was commenced. The first car was run over the Main street line on June 11 and on the 23d of the same month cars began running on the Ni- agara street line. The Main street line was extended to Cold Spring in July.1


1 It was many years before the street railway system of Buffalo was put upon a satisfactory basis, in respect to either good service or remunerative returns. Several companies came into existence and all found it difficult to maintain their lines. By an act of the Legislature, passed April 4, 1866, the grant made in 1862 to Orville C. Scoville and Franklin Sidway, to construct a line of railway in Seneca street, was confirmed. On the 23d of April, 1867, by an act of the Legis- lature, the Buffalo City Railway Company was incorporated, with authority to construct lines of road from the Terrace to Erie street and thence in that street, and in Swan, Jefferson, Exchange, across Main, in Ohio, Prime, Water, Joy, and other streets. On the 24th of April, 1868, this com- pany was given authority by the Legislature to buy the Niagara street line, and about that timne the company came into possession of the Main street franchise. In July, 1873, a line was opened to East Buffalo by the East Side Street Railway Company, which was organized chiefly through the efforts of S. V. R. Watson. In 1874 the Exchange street line was built, and in 1879 the Main street line was extended to the park. Prior to this the affairs of the Buffalo City Railway Com- pany became involved; it was found difficult to raise money to keep the roads in operation and extend the lines as demanded by the public. The situation was relieved by Mr. Watson, who as- sumed direction of the whole system, effected consolidations, built new lines, and within a few years placed the affairs of the company on a satisfactory basis. From that time to the present the system has been rapidly extended and in every department has kept pace with the growth of


404


OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


In the year 1862 a new basis of representation was instituted in the Board of Supervisors, as a result of complaint that the city of Buffalo was placed at a disadvantage in the board in comparison with the towns. A law was passed in that year under the provisions of which the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh wards were given three supervisors each; the Third, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth wards, two each, and one in the Thirteenth ward. This gave Buffalo thirty one members of the board, against twenty-five for the towns, and created immediate and energetic opposition outside of the city. Such an arrangement could not continue, and in the following year another law was passed which gave each ward of the city two members, excepting the Thirteenth, which had one, making twenty-five in all, or a number exactly equal to the town representation. This condition was maintained until 1892, when the number of wards in the city was increased, as described in the next chapter. By an act of the Legisla- ture, March 3, 1865, the office of supervisor was made a salaried office, the salary being $200, with $2 for each day of service and mileage in special sessions.


In March, 1862, the following call was published in the city press :


A meeting of those of our citizens disposed to establish a Historical Society for the county of Erie, is requested at the law office of Messrs. Marshall & Harvey, No. 336 Main street, up stairs, on Tuesday next, 25th inst, at 7 o'clock, p. m.


GEORGE R. BABCOCK, HENRY W. ROGERS, O. H. MARSHALL, WILLIAM DORSHEIMER, DR. JOHN C. LORD, DR. WALTER CLARKE, L. F. ALLEN.


Most of these men, and a number of others, were present at the meeting, and after discussing the subject fully, they adopted the fol- lowing resolution :


Resolved, That it is expedient to organize a Historical Society for the City of


the city. There are now twenty-five lines in the city, besides those running to Tonawanda and Niagara Falls, to Depew and Lancaster, to Gardenville and Ebenezer, to Williamsville, and to Blasdell and Woodlawn Beach. The Buffalo Railway Company carried in 1896 53,303,789 passen- gers, showing an increase of almost 10,000 over the previous year. In 1896 the company paid to the city a percentage of its receipts amounting to $45,613.74. In the same year a new organization with the title of Buffalo Traction Company obtained franchises for the building of street rail- ways in the city, under which operations are now in progress for laying thirty miles of track during the year 1897. Electricity is used as motive power on all the lines.


405


FROM 1860 TO 1870.


Buffalo and County of Erie; and that the chairman appoint a committee of seven to to report a plan of organization.


The committee appointed consisted of O. H. Marshall, Rev. Dr. Hosmer, Rev. Dr. Clarke, William Dorsheimer, James P. White, George R. Babcock and George W. Clinton. The committee met on the 8th of April and approved of a constitution and by-laws, which were submitted to a public meeting held on the 15th of April. This meeting was numerously attended; Millard Fillmore was appointed chairman, and O. H. Marshall, secretary. The constitution and by- laws submitted were adopted, with few minor changes. A meeting for the election of officers was held on the first Tuesday in May and the following were chosen : President, Millard Fillmore; vice-president, Lewis F. Allen; councilors, George R. Babcock, George W. Clinton, Walter Clarke, Nathan K. Hall, Henry W. Rogers, William Dor- sheimer. At a meeting of the Board of Managers, held May 13, Charles D. Norton was appointed recording secretary and treasurer, and Guy H. Salisbury corresponding secretary and librarian. On the 10th of January, 1863, the society was incorporated by an act of the Legislature. 1


1 The law office of Mr. Dorsheimer was occupied by the society for the deposit of the books and other collections until a more permanent place could be secured. In the fall of 1862 arrange- ments were made for a series of lectures on local topics by members of the society, which resulted in the accumulation of a large quantity of valuable material. When the need of farther funds began to be felt, Mr. Fillmore suggested that an effort be made to provide sufficient revenue for five years; to effect this purpose fifty men bound themselves to pay $20 a year for that period; this plan was subsequently modified so that each subscriber was allowed to pay $50 at one time, thus becoming a life member of the society, and to pay the remainder of his sub- scription in installments of $10 annually. In 1873 the society occupied quarters in the Young Men's Association building, corner of Main and Eagle streets. Before the expiration of its lease, and in January, 1873, its accumulations had become so extensive and valuable that it was deemed necessary to find more commodious accommodations that would be fire proof. A removal was accordingly made to the upper part of the Western Savings Bank building. The society remained there until the completion of the new building of the Young Men's Association (now Buffalo Library) in 1887, when it removed thither and now occupies the entire third floor. The Historical Society has accomplished a vast amount of good in the collection and preservation of local history and relics. Its library now contains about 9,000 volumes and 7,000 pamphlets. In the fall of 1884 it assumed charge of the reinterment of the remains of Red Jacket and other Indian chiefs in a lot in Forest Lawn set apart for that purpose. In June. 1892, a statue was erected by the society in the memory of the great Seneca orator; it stands near the entrance to Forest Lawn on Delaware avenue, and cost about $10,000. The presidents of the Historical Society have been as follows, those marked with a star (*) being deceased: * Millard Filimore, from 1862 to 1867; * Henry W. Rogers, 1868; * Rev. Albert T. Chester, D. D., 1869; * Orsamus H. Marshall, 1870; * Hon. Nathan K. Hall, 1871; * William H. Greene, 1872; * Orlando Allen, 1873; *Oliver G. Steele, 1874; * Hon. James Sheldon, 1875 and 1886; William C. Bryant, 1876; * Capt. E. P. Dorr, 1877; Hon. William P. Letchworth, 1878; William H. H. Newman, 1879 and 1885; Hon. Elias S. Hawley, 1880; Hon. James M. Smith, 1881; * William Hodge, 1882; * William Dana Fobes, 1883 and 1884; * Emmor Haines, 1887; James Tillinghast, 1888; * William K. Allen, 1889; George S. Hazard,


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


The Buffalo Fine Arts Academy was organized November 11, 1862, and was incorporated on December 4 of that year. The objects of the institution were to establish and maintain a permanent gallery for the exhibition of painting and sculpture and the promotion of the arts in the city and county. These purposes have been adequately subserved, and local artists and art-lovers have been materially aided through the efforts of the academy.1


The Buffalo Catholic Institute was organized October 1, 1866, under the name, German Catholic Young Men's Association. It was reor- ganized with broader scope on the 15th of December, 1870, as the Buffalo Catholic Institute, and incorporated May 23, 1872.2


Notwithstanding the enormous cost of the war -- a financial drain that extended to every hamlet in the land-there was seeming prosperity throughout the North during several years after the close of the con- flict. The great demands of the government for war materials, which had for five years promoted many industries and afforded various ave- nues for speculation and wealth gaining, and the abundance of money which had poured from the national treasury in payment for supplies and to the vast armies whose rank and file seldom hoarded it, with the high prices ruling for all products incident to the inflated currency, were all influential causes in inaugurating a brief era of prosperity such as the country had not before experienced. Erie county advanced with the general tide. The five years between the surrender at Appomattox and 1870 were prolific in new private business projects and the inaugu- ration of public improvements. Lake commerce, while it fluctuated


1890 and 1892; Joseph C. Greene, M. D., 1891; Julius H. Dawes, 1893; Andrew Langdon, 1894 to present time.


1 The Art Students' League was founded in 1885 under the name of the Students' Art Club. The success of this organization led to its acceptance, by request, of the full control of the art school connected with the Fine Arts Academy, and organization under the title, Art Students' League of Buffalo, January 1, 1892. Rooms were occupied in the Buffalo Library building until the fall of 1895; it is hoped that ere long the League may have a home in a building devoted wholly to art. It is now under a board of control, with an advisory committee from the Fine Arts Academy.


2 The first officers of the organization were Charles V. Fornes, president ; Joseph Krumholz, vice-president ; Peter Paul, financial secretary ; J. Louis Jacobs, jr., recording secretary ; Jacob A. Gittere, treasurer : these with Joseph A. Dingens, Frank Weppner, Ferdinand J. Reister, Mat- thew Byrne, Christian Krause, William H. Bork, Jacob Korzelius, John Devlin and Peter Young, constituted the board of managers. The principal objects of the Institute were the establishment of a library and reading rooms and the procuring of lectures and other entertainments. The library contains about 7,000 volumes. For many years the Institute has occupied quarters on the corner of Main and Chippewa streets. In October, 1897, work was commenced on its new build- ing, to cost about $65,000, on Main street corner of Virginia.


407


FROM 1860 TO 1870.


without showing decided increase during the five years under considera- tion, advanced with rapid stride before the stringency of 1873-4, which is noticed in the next chapter. For example, the receipts of wheat by lake in 1860 were 18,502,649 bushels; in each of the three succeeding years there was a large increase, while the year 1865 showed a con- siderable falling off; but in 1870 the receipts were 20,136,166 bushels, and in 1873, 26,653,243. Local commerce was proportionately active in other branches, as shown by statistics in the next chapter. No less than thirteen new elevators were built between 1860 and 1865; two or three others were added before 1870 and several of the former ones were rebuilt with greater capacity. A marked change, however, in business and industrial efforts was at hand.


In connection with the prosperity of this period, railroad building on lines in which Buffalo and Erie county were directly interested, was prosecuted with unprecedented vigor. Even before peace was estab- lished preparations were made for a renewal of railroad construction, which the war had substantially interrupted. On the 10th of Decem- ber the engineer, William Wallace, projected a railroad line from Buf- falo to Olean and thence to the Allegany River, and obtained a sub- scription from six leading citizens of Olean to the stock of the Buffalo and Washington Railroad Company. On the 4th of February, 1865, the company was organized and on the 14th of April it was consoli- dated with the Buffalo and Allegany Railroad Company (noticed in the preceding chapter), and with the Sinnemahoning and Portage Company. the whole taking the name of the Buffalo and Washington; this name was soon changed to the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia. By an act of the Legislature of April 4, 1866, the city of Buffalo was author- ized to borrow $200.000 and loan it to this company. The company selected substantially the line of the old Buffalo and Allegany line through Erie county and slowly carried forward the work of construc- tion; it was not until December. 1867, that the road was completed to East Aurora, where it made a long halt. The next stage of construc- tion was to South Wales, five miles farther, where there was another stop until the latter part of 1870. In July, 1872, the road was opened to Olean and on the 1st of January, 18:3. to its terminus at Empo- rium, Pa.


The Canada Southern Railroad Company, chartered February 28, 1868, began construction soon afterward and the line was opened for


408


OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


traffic November 15, 1873. It extended from the Niagara River to Amherstburg, Ont., near the mouth of the Detroit River.1


A railroad company was organized under the auspices of the Erie Company in October, 1868, for the construction of a line from Buffalo to Suspension Bridge. The road was finished in December, 1870, under the name of the Suspension Bridge and Erie Junction Railroad, but was immediately leased to the Erie and is now known as the Niagara Falls branch of that road .? These various lines of railroad communication all contributed to the prosperity of Buffalo and indirectly, at least, to other parts of the county, by providing farmers and country merchants and mechanics with means of easier and more rapid transportation to market. At the same time the railroads that were rapidly reaching out to the far west diverted lake passenger traffic to a considerable extent and began making serious inroads upon freight business. Buffalo was particularly sensitive to these changes. During the years prior to about 1855 Buffalo was essentially a maritime city; she sat at the foot of the lakes, secure in her commercial position, and placid in the belief that energy and enterprise in other directions, and particu- larly in manufactures, were almost unnecessary to her future growth and permanent prosperity. The financial revulsion of 1857 and gradual changes brought about by the lapse of time dispelled this illusion and awakened the citizens of the city to the situation, and men of means and foresight soon began to study the advantages of their locality for manufacturing; while not losing faith in the commercial supremacy of the city, they began to realize that permanent industrial interests were needed to tide over trade fluctuations and the regular intermissions of winter in lake and canal operations. It was these conditions that led, just before the war broke out, to the organization of the Association for the Encouragement of Manufactures in the City of Buffalo. While this association did not have a long existence, it did accomplish some- thing by a system of extensive advertising of Buffalo and its numerous advantages; thousands of circulars were sent out containing statements that real estate in the city was cheap, living economical, rents low;


1 In 1878 this road passed to the ownership of a new organization in the interest of the New York Central Company, which guarantied the interest on its bonds. In 1882 it was leased to the Michigan Central Company.


2 The New York and Erie Railroad Company was reorganized as the Erie Railroad Company in June, 1861, after the line had been two years in the hands of a receiver. In May, 1865, the road again went into the hands of a receiver, and in June, 1878, passed to control of a new organization with the title, New York, Lake Erie and Western.


409


FROM 1860 TO 1870.


that there were then fifty-two miles of pavement, forty-eight miles of sewerage, 260 miles of street, an ample supply of pure water, and that the city was surrounded by an extensive tract that was admirably adapted to market gardening.


All of this sentiment and agitation led to the gradual introduction of a large manufacturing interest in Buffalo, which has ever since been on the increase. The establishment of such industries as the Buffalo Steam Engine Works, the Howard Iron Works, the King Iron Works (founded as the Shepard Iron Works), the Eagle Iron Works, the De Laney Forge and Iron Company, the Buffalo Car Wheel Works, the establishment of Farrar & Trefts, the Union Iron Company, the Harris Iron Works, and others of less note in this line; the founding of a large furniture industry and a considerable business in tanning and leather manufacture, all within the period under consideration and prior to 1870, is an indication of the tendency at that time among men of means and energy.


The wholesale mercantile trade, also, gained considerable impetus from about the close of the war to 1870. Previous to the war the city had made little progress in this direction. The old dry goods firm of Barnes, Bancroft & Co., from which is descended the present house of the William Hengerer Co .; the large house of Adam, Meldrum & Anderson, founded in 1867, and the large house of J. N. Adam & Co., soon became prominent in wholesale trade. Charles E. Walbridge began a business in 1869 in hardware, stoves and house furnishing goods, which soon branched into wholesale trade. Philip Becker began wholesaling groceries in 1854; and Miller, Greiner & Co. and Powell & Plimpton were early in the same line of wholesale trade. In crock- ery, boots and shoes, liquors, hats and caps, as well as other branches of trade that need not be mentioned, beginning was made at the time under consideration.


The Third National Bank was organized February 14, 1865, with capital of $250,000, and began business in the following month. The first president was A. T. Blackmar, who was succeeded in 1869 by Abraham Altman. The first board of directors was composed of A. T. Blackmar, Robert G. Stewart, Thomas Chester, Abraham Altman, Henry Cone, Horace Utley, D. H. Winans, Nathan C. Simons and Edson G. Shoemaker. The first cashier was Elisha T. Smith. The capital of this bank was subsequently increased to $500,000.




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