Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I, Part 52

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 52

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

November, 1877, holding from January, 1878, until he took his seat in Congress on the first Monday in December, 1879; Benjamin H. Williams, elected November, 1879, holding from January 1, 1880, to December 31, 1881; Robert C. Titus, elected November, 1881, re-elected November, 1883, holding from January 1, 1882, to De- cember 31, 1885; Daniel H. McMillan, elected November, 1885, holding to December 31, 1887; John Laughlin, elected November, 1887, holding until December 31, 1891; Charles Lamy and Henry H. Persons, elected November, 1893, holding to December 31, 1895; Charles Lamy, re-elected and now in office; Simon Seibert and George A. Davis, elected November, 1896, and now in office.

Apportionments of Assembly Districts were made in 1777, 1791, 1796, 1802, and 1808, with minor intermediate changes. In the last named year Niagara county was erected, including what is now Erie county, and was placed in a district with Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties, with one assemblyman. In the sixth apportionment, made in 1815, the condition remained the same as regards Niagara county. In the seventh apportionment, made in 1822 (the year after the erection of Erie county), this county was constituted one district with one assemblyman. In the eighth apportionment, 1826, the county was given two assemblymen, which was increased to three in the ap- portionment of 1836. In March, 1846, the number was increased to four, and so remained until 1866, from which year the county had five members to 1893, when it was given six. The apportionment of 1896 gives the county eight members.

Archibald S. Clarke, elected in the spring of 1808, re-elected in 1809 and 1810, term expired in 1811; Ebenezer Walden, held from July, 1811, to July, 1812; Jonas Williams, elected in spring of 1812, re-elected in 1813, held from July, 1812, to July, 1814; Joseph McClure, July, 1814, to July, 1815; Daniel McCleary and Elias Osborn, July, 1815, to July, 1816; Richard Smith, July, 1816, to July, 1817; Isaac Phelps, elected in spring of 1817, re-elected in 1818, held to July, 1819; Oliver Forward, July, 1819, to July, 1820; Thomas B. Campbell, elected in spring of 1820, re-elected in 1821, held the office to December 31, 1822.

The constitution of 1821-22 extended the terms of the members of the Legislature then in office to the last day of December, 1822, and from that time their terms corresponded with the years, as follows:

Ebenezer F. Norton, 1823; Samuel Wilkeson, 1824; Calvin Fillmore, 1825; Reuben B. Heacock, 1826; David Burt, Oziel Smith, 1827; David Burt, Peter B. Porter, 1828; David Burt, Millard Fillmore, 1829; Millard Fillmore, Edmund Hull, 1830; Millard Fillmore, Nathaniel Knight, 1831; Horace Clark, William Mills, 1832-33; Joseph Clary, Carlos Emmons, 1834; William A. Mosely, Ralph Plumb, 1835; George P. Barker, Wells Brooks, 1836; Squire S. Case, Benjamin O. Bivins, Elisha Smith, 1837; Lewis F. Allen, Cyrenius Wilber, Asa Warren, 1838; Jacob A. Barker, Henry Johnson, Truman Cary, 1839; Seth C. Hawley, Stephen Osborn, Aaron Salisbury,

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1840; Seth C. Hawley, Stephen Osborn, Carlos Williams, 1841; William A. Bird, Squire S. Case, Bela H. Colegrove, 1842; George R. Babcock, Milton McNeal, Wells Brooks, 1843; Daniel Lee, Amos Wright, Elisha Smith, 1844; Daniel Lee, John T. Bush, Truman Dewey, 1845; Nathan K. Hall, John T. Bush, James Wood, 1846.

After this year four members were elected in this county and the county was divided into four districts. The succeeding names appear in the order of the respective districts :

Horatio Shumway, John D. Howe, William H. Pratt, Obadiah J. Green, 1847; Elbridge G. Spaulding, Harry Slade, Ira E. Irish, Charles C. Severance, 1848; Benoni Thompson, Augustus Raynor, Marcus McNeal, Luther Buxton, 1849; Or- lando Allen, Elijah Ford, Ira E. Irish, Joseph Candee, 1850; Orlando Allen, William A. Bird, Henry Atwood, Charles C. Severance, 1851; Israel T. Hatch, Jasper B. Youngs, Aaron Riley, Joseph Bennett, 1852; Almon M. Clapp, William T. Bush, Israel N. Ely, Nelson Welch, 1853; William W. Weed, Rollin Germain, Charles A. Still, Edward N. Hatch, 1854; William W. Weed, Daniel Devening, jr., Lorenzo D. Covey, Seth W. Goddard, 1855; John G. Deshler, Daniel Devening, jr., John Clark, Benjamin Maltby, 1856; Augustus J. Tiffany, George De Witt Clinton, Horace Boies, S. Cary Adams, 1857; Albert P. Laning, Andrew J. McNett, John T. Wheel- ock, Amos Avery, 1858; Daniel Bowen, Henry B. Miller, John S.] King, Wilson Rogers, 1859; Orlando Allen, Henry Miller, Hiram Newell, Joseph H. Plumb, 1860; Stephen V. R. Watson, Victor M. Rice, Benjamin H. Long, Zebulon Ferris, 1861; John W. Murphy, Horatio Seymour, Ezra P. Goslin, John A. Case, 1862; John W. Murphy, Horatio Seymour, Timothy A. Hopkins, Anson G. Conger, 1863; Walter W. Stanard, Frederick P. Stevens, Timothy A. Hopkins, Seth Fenner, 1864; Walter W. Stanard, Harmon S. Cutting, John G. Langner, Edwin W. Godfrey, 1865.

After this year the county had five members:

William Williams, J. L. C. Jewett, John G. Langner, Levi Potter, 1866; Charles W. Hinson, William Williams, Roswell L. Burrows, Alpheus Prince, Joseph H. Plumb, 1867; George J. Bamler, Richard Flach, Lewis P. Dayton, Alpheus Prince, James Rider, 1868; George J. Bamler, Philip H. Bender, J. A. Chase, C. B. Rich, Abbott C. Calkins, 1869; George J. Bamler, James Franklin, A. H. Blossom, Harry B. Ransom, Lyman Oatman, 1870; George Chambers, John Howell, Franklin A. Alberger, Harry B. Ransom, John M. Wiley, 1871; George Chambers, George Baltz, F. A. Alberger, John Nice, John M. Wiley, 1872; John O'Brian, George Baltz, F. A. Alberger, John Nice, Robert B. Foote, 1873; Patrick Hanrahan, Joseph W. Smith, F. A. Alberger, John Nice, Robert B. Foote, 1874; Patrick Hanrahan, William W. Lawson, Edward Gallagher, Harry B. Ransom, William A. Johnson, 1875; Daniel Cruice, William W. Lawson, Edward Gallagher, Charles F. Tabor, Bertrand Chaffee, 1876; John L. Crowley, John G. Langner, Edward Gallagher, Charles F. Tabor, Charles A. Orr, 1877; John L. Crowley. John G. Langner, David F. Day, Harvey J. Hurd, Henry F. Allen, 1878; Bernard F. Gentsch, Simon P. Swift, James A. Roberts, Harvey J. Hurd, William A. Johnson, 1879; Jules O'Brien, Frank Sipp, James Ash, James A. Roberts, Harvey J. Hurd, 1880; Jeremiah Hig- gins, Frank Sipp, Arthur W. Hickman, George Bingham, Harvey J. Hurd, 1881;

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Jeremiah Higgins, Frank Sipp, Arthur W. Hickman, Timothy W. Jackson, Job Southwick, 1882; Cornelius Donohue, Godfrey Ernst, Elias S. Hawley, Timothy W. Jackson, David J. Wilcox, 1883; Cornelius Donohue, Frank Sipp, George Clinton, Timothy W. Jackson, David J. Wilcox, 1884; William F. Sheehan, Frank M. Giese, William M. Hawkins, Timothy W. Jackson, Amos H. Baker, 1885; William F. Sheehan, Frank M. Giese, Edward Gallagher, John Kraus, Amos H. Baker, 1886; William F. Sheehan, Frank M. Giese, Edward Gallagher, Henry H. Guenther, Ed- ward K. Emery, 1887; William F. Sheehan, Matthias Endres, Edward Gallagher, Henry H. Guenther, Edward K. Emery, 1888; William F. Sheehan, Matthias En- dres, Leroy Andrus, Henry H. Guenther, Amos H. Baker, 1889; William F. Sheehan, Matthias Endres, Leroy Andrus, Henry H. Guenther, William B. Currier, 1890; William F. Sheehan, Matthias Endres, Edward Gallagher, Henry H. Guenther, Frank D. Smith, 1891; John J. Clahan, Jacob Goldberg, Edward Gallagher, Henry H. Guenther, Myron H. Clark, 1892.

Beginning with 1893 the county had six members:

John J. Clahan, Jacob Goldberg, Joseph Lenhard, Edward Gallagher, Henry H. Guenther, Frank D. Smith, 1893; Cornelius Coughlin, Simon Seibert, Charles Braun, Joseph L. Whittet, Philip Gerst, Charles F. Schoepflin, 1894-95.

From 1896 inclusive, the county had eight members:

Cornelius Coughlin, Henry W. Hill, Benjamin A. Peevers, Philip W. Springweiler, Charles Braun, Christopher Smith, Henry L. Steiner, Heman M. Blasdell, 1896; Cornelius Coughlin, Henry W. Hill, William Maloney, William Schneider, Charles Braun, Nicholas J. Miller, Henry L. Steiner, Heman M. Blasdell, 1897; 1898, An- thony J. Boland, Henry W. Hill, William Maloney. John C. Mohring, Henry Streif- ler, Nicholas J. Miller, John K. Patton, F. Freeman Baker.

County Treasurers .- This office was made elective by the people under legislative act December 16, 1847, pursuant to authority of the new constitution. Treasurers were formerly appointed by the Boards of Supervisors in the various counties.

Christian Metz, jr., elected 1848, served by re-election until 1854, inclusive; James D. Warren, 1855, 1856 and 1857; Lyman B. Smith, 1858, 1859 and 1860; Norman B. McNeal, 1861, 1862 and 1863; Francis C. Brunck, 1864, 1865 and 1866; Charles R. Durkee, 1867, 1868 and 1869; William B. Sirret, 1870 to 1881 inclusive; Henry R. Jones, 1882, 1883 and 1884, and re-elected for 1885, 1886 and 1887; Philip Steingoet- ter, 1888, 1889 and 1890; John B. Sackett, 1891, 1892 and 1893; George Baltz, 1894, 1895, 1896 and 1897; Wadsworth J. Zittel, 1898.

Political affairs in Niagara and Erie counties did not receive much attention from the general public until about the close of the war of 1812-15, except with reference to that struggle itself. It has been noted that Gen. Peter B. Porter was elected to Congress in the spring of 1809 and re elected in the spring of 1810, when he removed from

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POLITICAL CHANGES AND CIVIL LIST.

Canandaigua, where he had been engaged in law practice, to Black Rock. He was then thirty-seven years old, unmarried, and a polished gentleman of the old school. He was the first citizen of Erie county to exercise a wide political influence. An election was held in the middle of December, 1812, for members of congress, and General Por- ter was renominated by the Republicans (Democrats), but declined the honor. The Federalists nominated and supported Samuel M. Hopkins and Nathaniel Howell, who were elected for this district. The latter received 61 votes in the town of Buffalo, 36 in Hamburg, 41 in Clar- ence and 37 in Eden. The other candidates received 34 in Buffalo, 81 in Hamburg, 92 in Clarence and 14 in Eden. The Buffalo Gazette, soon after election, made a statement that "we understand " that no election was held in Willink and Concord. This was a fact, and a re- markable one that we are now unable to account for; it is less difficult to understand why a newspaper published at a county seat in those primitive days should be in any doubt whether or not an election was held. Daniel D. Tompkins, who had been governor since 1808 and was personally popular, was again elected by the Democrats, but the fail- ures of. the preceding summer under an administration of the same political faith so strengthened the Federals that they elected nineteen out of the twenty-seven congressmen of the State, and a majority of the assemblymen. The State Senate was, however, largely Democratic. Madison, as is well known, was re-elected president by a decided ma- jority over De Witt Clinton, then an independent opposition candidate. Clinton received the Federal vote and had declared himself in favor of a more vigorous prosecution of the war. No one will doubt that. if he had been elected, the war would have had a different history.

The local political field had assumed sufficient importance and inter- est to command the support of two newspapers in 1815, when the Ni- agara Journal was established in Buffalo by David F. Day. Mr. Day continued its editor many years and gained a strong influence in the county. His paper was Democratic, while the Gazette had leaned toward Federalism. Senator Archibald S. Clarke was elected to fill out General Porter's congressional term, probably at a special election in June, 1815; two members of assembly were chosen for the first time in that year. Men were then settling in Buffalo who were destined to attain eminence in politics. Albert H. Tracy opened a law office in the spring of that year, and later became a skillful political leader. Dr. John E. Marshall settled there in the same spring and became somewhat prominent in politics, as well as in his profession.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

In 1816 Benjamin Ellicott, a younger brother of Joseph, was elected to Congress from this district. Like his brother he was a surveyor by profession, and resided at that time in Williamsville. He was not con- spicuous in public life after the expiration of his term. He was the last congressman from Erie county who resided outside of the village or city of Buffalo. The Indians having seen Ellicott draw maps from notes brought him by assistants, laying down streams familiar to them and which they knew he had never seen, gave him a name signifying The Man who Knows all the World. Of the two assemblymen elected that year, Jedediah Prendergast was from Chautauqua county, and Richard Smith lived in Hamburg. It was also in that year that Archi- bald S. Clarke was made a member of the Council of Appointment, Frederick B. Merrill taking his place as county clerk. Mr. Clarke was also commissioned a judge of the Court of Common Pleas; he, probably, during his life held as many or more offices than any other Erie county citizen.

The election of 1818 was of more than ordinary interest. The Buffalo Gazette changed hands, going from S. H. Salisbury to H. A. Salisbury, who changed its name to the Niagara Patriot, and announced that thenceforth it would be a Republican sheet, the name Republican still being applied to the party which was at that time just becoming known as the Democratic party. This organization was jubilant. The Fed- eral party had almost disappeared and no organization had been effected to take its place. It was the historical "era of good feeling," which, however, did not always extend to local political affairs, where the dominant party was frequently divided in factious wrangles. The Re- publican party nominated Nathaniel Allen from the eastern part of this district, and the bright young lawyer, Albert H. Tracy, of Buffalo. Isaac Phelps, jr., of Aurora, was renominated for the Assembly, with Philo Orton of Chautauqua county. It was at this period that loud denunciation appears in the newspapers of the Kremlin Junta, which took its name from the Kremlin block in Buffalo; that building evi- dently received its foreign title from its having been erected amid the ruins of Buffalo, as the more famous Kremlin of Moscow was erected on the ruins of that city after the fire that drove Napoleon to destruc- tion amid the snows of Russia. The Kremlin Junta consisted of Mr. Tracy, Dr. John H. Marshall, James Sheldon, and a few other active politicians, who were credited with holding meetings and devising schemes of more or less terrible import in the local political field. Ex-

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POLITICAL CHANGES AND CIVIL LIST.

Congressman Archibald S. Clarke was the leader of the opposing fac- tion. An independent convention was soon held and nominated Judge Elias Osborne, of Clarence, for Assembly, against Phelps, but for some unexplained reason did not bring forward candidates for Congress. The old members, John C. Spencer and Benjamin Ellicott, declined to serve, but they received the votes of many of the Anti-Kremlin party. The Patriot was the organ of the Clarke-Osborne faction, while the Journal supported Tracy and Phelps. The ensuing campaign was made memorable by the bitterness of the opposing factions and the extravagant vigor of the epithets hurled back and forth. In the April election Tracy was successful, coming out with a large majority; Phelps's majority was only twenty-three. Mr. Tracy was then only twenty-five years old, just eligible to the office, and by far the youngest member ever elected in this county.

By the beginning of 1820 the Clinton and the Bucktail parties, as they were termed, had come into life and were in the full tide of activity throughout this State. Governor Clinton was, of course, the leader of the former, which had as its principal foundation the canal scheme. The latter received more or less benefit from the regular Re- publican (Democratic) organization and nominated Vice-President Tompkins for governor. Clinton was elected by a large majority, though his opponent only a few years earlier had been one of the most popular men in the State. This shows what a hold upon the leading men of the State had been acquired by the project of the "grand canal, " though it was ridiculed and opposed in the rural districts. In Erie county Clinton received 137 votes, to 310 for Tompkins; Boston gave 35 votes for Clinton, and only one for Tompkins; Wales 126 for Clin- ton, and 27 for Tompkins; Concord 128 for Clinton and 20 for Tomp- kins. These figures indicate the popularity of the canal policy in Western New York. Albert H. Tracy was again elected to Congress as the Clintonian candidate. Judge Oliver Forward was elected to the State Senate and was very active in favor of the canal and making Buffalo its terminus. The story of the contest between Buffalo and Black Rock over this question has already been told in an earlier chap- ter: it was at last decided in favor of the former place, and work began in Erie county on the 9th of August, 1823. From that time forward the canal was a less important political factor.

The new constitution of 1821-22 made important changes in elec- tions and changed the date of holding them from April to November ;

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

sheriffs and county clerks were elected by the people, and Erie, Niag- ara, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties became the Thirtieth Con- gressional District, entitled to one member. Albert H. Tracy was elected to Congress for the third time, and before he had reached thirty years of age. Ebenezer F. Norton, a Buffalo lawyer, was elected to the Assembly. It was in the spring of 1822 that Millard Fillmore made his early advent in Buffalo, entering the law office of Joseph Clary, to lay the foundations of his later political eminence. In 1824 Mr. Tracy declined a renomination for Congress, and Daniel G. Garn- sey, of Chautauqua, was elected, Mr. Tracy receiving the nomination for United States Senator that winter, but failing of confirmation.

A virulent political quarrel, based chiefly on personal grounds, took place in 1826 between Garnsey, member of congress, and Mr. Tracy, who had been again nominated for congress and failed of election by a small minority. Mr. Tracy had only a few months previous been appointed judge of the Eighth Circuit, but had declined the office. But the quarrel, as far as these two men were affected, ended as many such do, in forgetfulness. The census of 1825 gave Erie county two assem- blymen, and David Burt of Buffalo, and Oziel Smith, of Williamsville, were the first elected under this condition. The Anti-Masonic political crusade was now approaching and began to develop its strength in town elections of 1827. The story of that important episode has already been told. The veteran officer and statesman, Peter B. Porter, again appeared in politics and was unanimously elected to the Assem- bly, representing a mingled sentiment of opposition to Masonry and to the Holland Land Company. The political situation led to the estab- lishment of an Anti-Masonic newspaper in Buffalo called the Western Advertiser; as Anti-Masonry was ably and vigorously supported by the Buffalo Patriot, the new organ was not needed and closed its career in three months.

The fall election in 1828 was unusually exciting, not only on account of the strength of the Anti-Masonic party, but it was also the first election of Jackson to the presidency. His supporters were now generally recognized as Democrats, leaving their old title to be as- sumed by a new party thirty years later. In Western New York the lines were closely drawn between the Jackson Democrats on one side and Anti-Masons on the other, with the latter in the majority. In this district Ebenezer F. Norton was elected to Congress over John G. Camp, and the Anti-Masons elected David Burt and Millard Fillmore to the

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Assembly; other officials of that time are to be found in the preceding lists. A new paper was started to support the Democrats against their more powerful adversaries, which after several changes became the Buffalo Courier, now thriving under its age of seventy years; it was at first called the Buffalo Republican. The Anti-Masons held sway through 1829, many lodges in this county gave up their charters, and in the fall of that year Albert H. Tracy again entered political life and was elected State senator by that party, Mr. Fillmore and Edmund Hull, of Clarence, going to the Assembly.

By 1830 the opponents of Jackson's administration had to a large extent taken the name of National Republicans, but the Anti-Masons in Western New York were still the chief element of local opposition. Bates Cook, of Niagara county, was elected to Congress and Mr. Fill- more for the third time to the Assembly, with Nathaniel Knight, of Collins; Mr. Knight was the first assemblyman from any town in the county south of Aurora and Hamburg. The same conditions pre- vailed through 1831-32. That was the year of Jackson's second elec- tion; Buffalo had just been made a city, and the election was one of unusual interest. Millard Fillmore, then only thirty-two years old, was chosen to represent the Thirtieth District in Congress, and entirely without aid from extraneous sources. It was a high honor to thus step into the national legislature only nine years from the time when he was practicing law in the Common Pleas in a small interior town. This preferment was the more remarkable from the fact that Mr. Fillmore did not appear to possess the qualifications that most commonly win success in politics ; he was not a great orator, nor did he render himself popular in a social way with his constituents. His rapid advancement could be attributed only to his industry, perseverance, sound judgment and sterling ability, which gained for him the entire confidence of the community. It should be understood that the only difficulty for him was in regard to the nomination, for the election of an anti-administra- tion candidate was certain. This is shown by the fact that in this county William L. Marcy, the Democratic candidate for governor, received only 1,743 votes, while 4,356 were cast for Francis Granger, his opponent. The two Erie county members of the assembly were both re-elected.

Albert H. Tracy had by this time taken a very prominent position in the State Senate, and in 1833 was re-elected. The Senate was then sitting as the Court for the Correction of Errors, then the highest tri-

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

bunal in the State, and Mr. Tracy wrote and delivered a large number of opinions in which were displayed legal knowledge of the highest order.

Nothing of especial importance took place in the local field of poli- tics during the next few years, if we except the formation of the first Anti-Slavery society in this county, which was organized at Griffin's Mills. Judge Mills, of Clarence, Judge Freeman, of Alden, Judge Phelps, of Aurora, George W. Johnson, Abner Bryant and Daniel Bowen, of Buffalo, and Asa Warren, of Eden, were among the leading members, and the society continued active and a part of the local ma- chinery which was kept in operation until slavery was abolished.

The memorable era of "hard times " was now at hand, and in the general speculative scramble and subsequent failure and ruin, little at- tention was given to other affairs. In the presidential election of 1836, when a governor was also chosen, Van Buren and Marcy were elected to the two offices respectively. Erie county, as usual, went strongly for the opposition, which had by that time assumed the name of Whig throughout the country. Anti-Masonry as a political factor had ceased to exist, but its consequences were still seen in the large Whig majori- ties of Western and Central New York. Millard Fillmore, after two years' retirement, was again elected to Congress.

A perusal of the preceding lists of county officials will convey some idea of the increase of the German element in the local population. Beginning soon after 1820, and increasing more rapidly with passing years, this nationality had sent over its hosts of representatives until it became at the period under consideration a conspicuous feature of the growing cosmopolitanism to which further reference has been made in an earlier chapter, and a power in local politics which has never since been ignored. From this time onward lists of officials are liberally in- fused with names unmistakably German or Prussian. In the fall of 1837 William A. Moseley was elected to the State Senate in place of Mr. Tracy, who then finally retired from public life at the early age of forty-four years, after twenty-one years of a brilliant career. The county now had three assemblymen, as indicated in the preceding list.

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Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I, Part 52

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

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