Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I, Part 57

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 57

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William N. Bennett, John Bragg and son George S., James G. Darby, Henry Moore and son Henry F., Gifford J. and Jeremiah Moore, H. L. Henshaw, Charles Boies, Don Carlos Underhill, Joseph B. Dick, Harry H. Persons, Medyard R. Phelps (who built a tannery at Griffin's Mills in 1828 and carried it on for thirty-five years), Daniel Rowley, Caleb Calkins, Thomas Holmes, Josiah Maples, Isaac Blakeley, Mortimer K. Adams, Elihu Walker, Martin C. Bentley, Daniel Pierson, Harvey White, Edwin Fowler, Lawrence J. Woodruff, Bryan Hawley, David P. White, Stephen Holmes, Seth Mckay, Orange F. Allen, Robbins Stillman, Emmons Fish.

The forests of early years gradually gave place to fertile and well cultivated farms, for which the town is noted. Soon after the Rebel- lion dairying assumed much importance; cheese factories came into existence, and the formation of the "Cloverfield Combination" in 1874 by Johnson, Horton & Richardson, brought this industry to the front. The head of this combination, locally, was Harvey W. Richardson, who, in 1879, built a large cheese warehouse in East Aurora. In 1878 the Union Fair Association of Western New York was organized, and held an exhibition each year at East Aurora until about 1890. The town has also become noted for its large stock farms, notably those of Cicero J. Hamlin, H. C. and Josiah Jewett, and James D. Yeomans.

East Aurora is one of the principal villages in Erie county, and within recent years has become a desirable residence town, especially during the summer months. It is eighteen miles from Buffalo, on the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad, and contains about 1,600 inhabitants. The village is the result of the union of two ham- lets, which for over fifty years were known as the Upper Village and Lower Village of Aurora, the latter having the post-office and styled in postal records as Willink. In 1818 these two villages were a full mile apart; at the Upper Village, or East End, were the tavern of Cal-

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vin. Fillmore, the store of Robert Persons, the office of Dr. Jonathan Hoyt, and a few houses, while at the Lower Village were a few dwell- ings, the Eagle tavern, and the new grist mill erected by John C. Pratt on the site of Phineas Stephens's mill, which had burned. Elihu Walker was the postmaster. About 1819 Polydore Seymour estab- lished a store at the Lower Village; other merchants there prior to 1832 were Samuel H. Addington, George W. Baker, Stephen Holmes, N. G. Reynolds and Samuel W. Bowen.

At the Upper Village Robert Persons was succeeded in 1824 by his brother, Charles P. Persons, who converted the store into a tavern; this was the beginning of the present Globe Hotel. Joseph Howard, jr., opened a store and hotel in 1820 and in 1828 erected a brick block on the corner of Main and Pine streets. In the spring of 1853 Millard Fillmore, then twenty-three years of age, came here and opened the first law office in the town. He practiced law here seven years, taught school the first two winters, and also did surveying; he built the house on Main street which was afterward enlarged and occupied by Joseph Riley. In May, 1826, Nathan K. Hall entered Mr. Fillmore's office as a student, and in 1829 Goorge W. Johnson began studying law there and also opened a classical school. Another student was Deloss War- ren, who practiced law there several years. Other early lawyers were La Fayette Carver, Albert Sawin, James M. Humphrey, William C. Johhson, L. W. Graves, John F. Brown and Joseph H. Shearer. Dr. Jabez Allen settled there in 1834 and Dr. George H. Lapham in 1836. Among the early merchants were Joseph Riley, Aaron Riley, J. & J. O. Riley, and Paine, Persons & Co., who were succeeded by H. Z. Persons.

The Aurora Manual Labor Seminary was incorporated in 1883; among its early principals were Daniel Howard, jr., and A. Garrison. On April 11, 1838, the name was changed to the Aurora Academy, and Hiram H. Barney served as principal from that year until 1847. He was followed by Calvin Littlefield, Rev. James M. Harlow, Hiram L. Ward, George Conant, Charles W. Merritt, Darwin Phelps, Lloyd Rice, David Sinclair, Leslie W. Lake, and others. In 1866-67 a new brick building was erected, and in 1883 the institution became a Union school.

At the Lower Village Dr. Erastus Wallis became a physician in 1825. Early lawyers there were Peter M. Vosburgh and Isaac M. Vander- poel. Among the earlier merchants were John W. Hamlin, Cicero J. Hamlin, Judson Prentice and Sylvanus B. Thompson. The grist mill

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was burned in 1853 and in 1867 a new one was erected by A. T. Ham- bleton. The carding and fulling mill built by J. S. Bartlett and later operated by his sons was burned in 1865, and in 1866 J. P. and O. A. Bartlett erected a woolen mill.

In 1851 the Lower Village was incorporated as Willink. For several years afterward it had but three stores, while the Upper Village had only one or two. The construction of the Buffalo, New York & Phila- delphia (now the Western New York & Pennsylvania) Railroad in 1867 gave the latter place a new impetus, and in 1873 the old village cor- poration was extended over both villages, which took the name of East Aurora. Thenceforward it enjoyed a steady growth. A fire in 1869 burned the Eagle tavern and an adjoining block and another in 1870 destroyed the brick block occupied by Isaac Ellsworth and the saw mill of Amos Roberts. The Willink House and the store of H. B. Millar & Co. were burned in 1875, the buildings on the northeast cor- ner of Main and Buffalo streets in 1876, and the saw mill of Cyrus Rogers in 1878. Other fires destroyed the Bartlett woolen factory; the East Aurora Preserving Company's establishment, which was started in 1880; the grist mill erected by A. T. Hambleton in 1867; the Boynton & Waggoner felt factory (in 1895); and the tannery of D. M. Spooner (in 1897). About 1876 a fire department was organ- ized and now consists of one chemical, three hose companies, and a hook and ladder, with an engine house in each end of the village.

Several other manufacturing establishments are or have been in operation in East Aurora. The Eagle furnace was erected about 1852 by Pratt & Bond, who were succeeded by Nathan M. Mann, William H. Mann, Darbee & Peek, Darbee, Peek & Brother, and Heineman & Smith. A planing mill was added in 1878 and is now owned by S. Harris Peek. D. K. Adams formerly had a saw mill which is now the water works plant.

Among later merchants are H. C. Persons & Son, F. H. Fuller, Henry Keyser, Shubael Waldo, T. Fuller, Thompson & Hoyt, H. B. Millar, T. & T. S. Millar, G. A. Edwards & Co., Chisman Gibson, J. A. Case & Co., Spooner & Gundlack, Dr. Jabez Allen, Charles E. Lamb, Frank Kelsey, L. D. Mapes, Clarence Lamb, L. N. Hatch, B. D. Gibson, Gibson & Hammond, L. F. Persons & Co., J. P. Arnholt, W. G. Whitney, and F. W. Gardner. Of the later lawyers there are Charles W. Merritt, Charles H. Addington, and Frank N. Whaley. Dr. Horace Hoyt and Dr. William H. Gail were among the later physi-

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cians. The Persons House, now the Warner Hotel, was built by Byron D. Persons in 1872; Damon's Hotel was erected on the Willink House site and Colvin's Hotel on the site of the old Eagle tavern.

The first newspaper in East Aurora was the Aurora Standard, which was started by Almon M. Clapp in 1835. It was discontinued after about three years, and for a short time Deloss A. Sill published a paper at the Lower Village. The Erie County Advertiser was established in August, 1872, by C. C. Bowsfield. Its name was changed to the Aurora Advertiser, and in January, 1878, Walter C. Wood, its present editor, became its publisher. He changed the name in March, 1897, to the East Aurora Advertiser. In 1879 C. A. Hamilton started the Weekly Times, which was discontinued after about three years. In July, 1886, Dietrich Brothers established the Aurora Enterprise, which they pub- lished until about 1893. The plant was purchased in 1894 by White & Waggoner, who started the East Aurora Citizen, which was purchased by W. C. Wood and merged with the Advertiser two and a half years later. Newell W. White continues in the general printing business.

The Bank of East Aurora was organized in August, 1882, with a capital of $30,000, and with Stephen C. Clark, president; Henry Z. Persons, vice-president; and Henry H. Persons, cashier.

The East Aurora Electric Light Company was incorporated in Au. gust, 1890, by Frank R. Whaley, president, and Harvey W. Richard- son, secretary and treasurer. The original capital of $12,000 has been increased to $20,000. The water works were built in 1890-91 and have cost to date $56,000, the village being bonded in that sum. There are two plants, one pumping water from springs and the other from nine wells.

There are eight churches in East Aurora. The Methodists erected an edifice in the Lower Village in 1827 which was long afterwards sold to James M. Boies and occupied for a time by the Evangelists and others ; a new M. E. church was built in 1877. A Congregational church was organized about 1826 and with the Baptists erected an edifice at the Upper Village. On March 21, 1843, it became a Presbyterian body and in 1845 a new church was built; an opera house was erected on this site in 1893, a new Presbyterian church having been built in 1891. The Baptist church was organized with ten members October 17, 1810; in 1844 they became sole owners of the Congregational- Baptist edifice, and in 1883 moved it back and erected a new church on the site. The Universalists were organized and erected an edi-

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fice in 1844. The Disciples church was founded in 1856, with ten members, and in 1865 built an edifice in the east end of the village. St. Mathias Episcopal church was organized February 27, 1869; in 1870 they erected a church which was enlarged in 1897. The German Lutheran church was built in 1881 and the Roman Catholic in 1884.

East Aurora has enjoyed almost uninterrupted prosperity during the past fifteen or twenty years, and is an attractive, thrifty village with every local advantage. Many of its dwellings, business blocks, etc., are imposing and valuable. It seems unnecessary to enumerate the various business and other establishments because of their number and diversified character.

West Falls is a small village in the southwest corner of the town and a station on the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railroad. It had its beginning in the grist mill of Abram Smith and store of Lawrence Read, both of which were started about 1818. For about thirty years it was known as Crockershire, from the Crocker family, and later for a brief time as Florence, but since the post-office was established it has been known as West Falls. The grist mill was successively owned by Miner Strope, Willard Berry, L. B. Clark, John Willey and John Snashell. Several saw mills have also been run by this water power, notably those of Henry Haight, Smith Decker and Mrs. L. C. Burr. Among the merchants of the past are Reuben Baker, Allen Holmes, Hiram Green, F. C. Thompson, Byron A. Churchill, Wheeler C. Holmes 2d, George T. Harvey and John J. Snyder; the latter was burned out October 26, 1897. Joseph M. Henshaw was a very early tavern keeper; the West Falls Hotel was built by James H. Ward about 1835. The first physician was Dr. F. F. Bishop, about 1840, and after him came Dr. O. C. Strong. The Methodists held services in the old school house until 1849, when a union church edifice was built. The First Free Baptist church was organized in 1858. The First Free Methodist church was formed in 1859 and in 1861 erected a meeting house. An Evangelical church was completed and dedicated June 26, 1892. A new school house was built in 1897. Besides these churches the village now contains a grist mill, a pickling establishment owned by W. & G. Klipfel, and a few stores, shops, etc.

Griffin's Mills is a small village on the west bank of Cazenove Creek, a little south of the west center of the town. It was originally known as Smith's Mills, from Abram Smith and his son Humphrey, who first

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developed the mill privileges there. During the war of 1812 Obadiah Griffin and his two sons, James and Robert, from Canada, purchased the property, carried on the business many years, and gave the place the name of Griffinshire or Griffin's Mills. About the same time Adam Paul opened a store and carried it on for about thirty years. The Griffins had a saw mill, grist mill, distillery and ashery. Robert Griffin opened a tavern, and in 1822 a brick hotel was erected. In 1825 the Griffins sold their property and moved away. The mills passed to Henry Hill and from him to Henry P. Darrow. James Ives opened the second store in 1825 and was succeeded by Harry L. Baker, the first postmaster. Other merchants were Aaron Riley, O. B. Baker, Theo- dore Henshaw, Joseph R. Brookins and S. D. Avery. Of the physi- cians there were Dr. D. J. Williams, Dr. Caspian R. Morrow and Dr. L. F. Boies. The West Aurora Congregational church was organized August 18, 1810, with nine members. This is now a Presbyterian church. An M. E. church was formed about 1850. About 1868 a Baptist church was organized, but it finally disbanded. The village now contains two stores and the grist mill of Ferdinand Wanneke.

Jewettville is a station on the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Rail- road, in the west part of the town, and contains the hotel of Adrian Metz and the brick yard of Brush & Smith. In 1878 H. C. and Josiah Jewett established here one of the largest horse farms in the country, upon which they built immense barns and a mile race course entirely covered.

TOWN OF BOSTON.

The town of Boston was formed from Eden on the 5th of April, 1817, and includes all of township 8, range 7, of the Holland Company's survey, except the western tier of lots. It is nearly six miles square, contains 22, 730 acres, and lies in the center of the south part of the county, being bounded on the north by Hamburg and East Hamburg, on the east by Colden, on the south by Concord and North Collins, and on the west by Eden. The surface is hilly, and is broken by the valley of the north branch of Eighteen-mile Creek, which flows north- westerly through the center of the town. There are no railroads, the nearest railway station being Colden, a half mile east of the eastern boundary. Agriculture has always been the chief industry. The soil is very fertile and productive.

The first town meeting was held in the spring of 1818, when the fol- lowing officers were elected:

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Samuel Abbott, supervisor; Sylvester Clark, town clerk; Daniel Swain and Benja- min Kester, poormasters; Truman Cary, Luther Hibbard and John C. Twining, assessors; Asa Cary, Benjamin Kester and Matthew Middleditch, commissioners of highways; Lemuel Parmely, constable and collector; Lyman Drake, Charles John- son and John C. Twining, commissioners of common schools; Joseph Mayo and Will- iam Pierce, constables; John Britton, Truman Cary, Sylvester Clark, Lyman Drake, Augustus Hilliker, Aaron Knapp, Isaac Mills, Nicholas D. Rector, Luther Soule, John C. Twining, Silas Whiting and Alpheus Williams, overseers of highways; Charles Johnson, poundmaster.

In 1818 there were 153 taxable inhabitants in the town, and the fol- lowing Quakers were taxed $4 each in lieu of military duty: Aaron Hampton, John and Stephen Kester, David Laing, Matthew Middle- ditch, James Miller, William Pound and Thomas Twining, jr.

The following is a list of the supervisors of Boston and their years of service :

Samuel Abbott, 1818; John C. Twining, 1819-22; Truman Cary, 1823; John C. Twining, 1824-25; Truman Cary, 1826; Epaphras Steele, 1827-33; John C. Twining, 1834; Thomas Twining, 1835-37; Ezra Chaffee, 1838; Epaphras Steele, 1839-41; Ezra Chaffee, 1842; John Brooks, 1843; Orrin Lockwood, 1844; Epaphras Steele, 1845; Orrin Lockwood, 1846-47; Allen Griffith, 1848; Orrin Lockwood, 1849; Perez Cobb, 1850-51; Orrin Lockwood, 1852; Enos Blanchard, 1853; John Churchill, 1854; Palmer Skinner, 1855; Martin Keller, 1856-59; George Brindley, 1860-63; D. A. Cary, 1864-66; Enos Blanchard, 1867; Truman S. Cary, 1868-69; Dexter E. Fol- som, 1870; Enos Blanchard, 1871; James H. Fuller, 1872; Alonzo Lockwood, 1873; Ambrose Woodward, 1874-76; John Anthony, 1877-78; Martin Keller, 1879-81; Charles Baker, 1882-83; Martin Keller, 1884-87; George H. Blanchard, 1888-90; Edward F. Keller, 1891; Frederick Lehning, 1892-94; George H. Blanchard, 1895-97.

In the fall of 1803 Charles and Oliver Johnson, brothers, purchased a tract of land, upon which Charles settled with his family in the spring of 1804. This land was selected near the site of Boston Center and was afterward occupied by John Anthony. On a thirty-acre tract near there were then the ruins of an old fort. Oliver Johnson, Samuel Beebe and Samuel Eaton also located in the neighborhood in 1804. In 1805 Deacon Richard Cary, a Revolutionary soldier, came in with his wife and eight children; he was father of Calvin, Richard and Luther Cary and grandfather of Van Rensselaer R. Cary. Jonathan Bump, Calvin Doolittle, Job Palmer, Maj. Benjamin Whaley and Joseph Yaw were settlers of 1806; Serrill Alger, William Cook and Ethan Howard located in town in 1807; and Asa Carey, a brother of Richard, came in 1808. Joseph Yaw erected the first grist mill in Bos- ton, and in the same year Joel Beebe, a little son of Samuel, was acci-

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dentally killed by a falling log; this is thought to have been the first white death in the town. Dorastus and Edward Hatch, Benjamin Kester and Lemuel Parmely were settlers of 1811. Among other early citizens were Elihu Johnson, son of Charles; Hiram Yaw, for twenty years a justice of the peace; Truman Cary, father of D. A. and Tru- man S. Cary; and Jeremiah and John Kester, both long-time justices of the peace; the latter was father of Stephen Kester, also a magistrate.

Other prominent early settlers were John C. Twining, the Torrey family, Ed- ward Churchill, John Anthony, Diebold J. Heinrich, Erastus and Col. Uriah Torrey, and Talcott Patchin: among the later comers were George Brindley, Jesse and Orrin Lockwood, Martin Keller, Charles Baker, Jacob Bastian, Hiram A. Curran, William Curran, Dr. Lewis L. Davis, Elisha A. Griffith, Allen Griffith, Seymour J, Lockwood, Peter Murray, Aaron W. Skinner, Joseph Chapin, Frederick S. Jones, Perez Cobb, W. H. Lawrence, Walter B. Smith, William Olin, Frederick Siehl, Theodore Potter, Henry Smith, Joel Irish, Amos Rockwood, Comfort Knapp, Hiram Horton, James Rathbun, Joshua Agard, Oliver Dutton and Rufus Ingalls.

One of the most celebrated tragedies that was ever enacted in Erie county occurred near North Boston on December 15, 1824, when Nel- son, Isaac and Israel Thayer, jr., brothers, murdered John Love, an unmarried Scotchman, at the house of Israel Thayer, near which they buried his body in a shallow grave. The three Thayers were con- victed and executed on Niagara Square, Buffalo, on June 7, 1825, in the presence of an immense crowd of people. This case is too well known in history to require further notice here.

Patchin (locally known as Boston Center) is a postal hamlet near the center of the town and near the site of the first settlements. About 1820 Talcott Patchin established a tannery there which he carried on for several years. This was followed by another, which in 1857 passed to Michael Stephan, who was succeeded in 1874 by his sons, Anthony C., George L., Jacob P. and Michael S. The first hotel was erected by Frederick Jones. A post-office was established in 1850 with George Brindley as postmaster; Van Rensselaer R. Cary afterward held the office for fourteen years, and later Michael Flickenger was appointed. Within recent years William Curran established a small boot and shoe factory. Besides a store or two there is a saw mill owned by the Haab estate, the barrel factory of John Gasper, and the tannery above men- tioned. About 1811 a Baptist church was organized and a small meet- ting house erected near the present edifice, which was built by the Universalists.

Boston, or Boston Corners, was originally known as Torrey's Corners,

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from the Torrey family; in 1820 the post-office, named Boston, was established with Erastus Torrey as postmaster. It became the chief business center of the town. Demas Jenks started a distillery about 1818. In 1861 Anthony Weber established a hardware store; later merchants are Peter Murray, Canfield & Snyder, B. Canfield & Co., E. E. Blakeley and J. Besanson. S. N. Blakeley opened a harness shop several years ago. On October 29, 1893, a disastrous fire de- stroyed twelve buildings, including two hotels and the store of Peter Murray. The place now contains four churches, two general stores, a saw mill and barrel factory owned by Anthony Gasper, a tin and light hardware manufactory owned by Anthony Weber, and a few shops, etc. A Baptist church was organized April 4, 1812, with eleven mem- bers, and May 9, 1818, took the name of the "Baptist Church of Boston." An edifice was erected in 1834. The German Evangelical church was formed with twenty members in 1834, and for many years Rev. Jacob Bastian was its pastor. The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1840 and erected an edifice, which gave place to a new structure in 1852. The Evangelical Lutheran St. Matthias church was organized April 14, 1854, with ten members, and erected a building on East Hill in 1861; a parsonage and parochial school was built in 1875. St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic church was organ- ized and erected a brick edifice in 1869; later a parochial school was added. Most of the communicants of this church are Germans.

North Boston is a small hamlet in the northern part of the town, and for many years was a favorite meeting place for political conventions. It has had a saw mill since about 1816, the present one being owned by Stephen Kester. About 1848 Martin Keller opened a general store and hotel, which he kept many years. The only other industry, be- sides a store or two and a few shops, is the cheese factory of Willis Jefferson. A Friends meeting house was erected here at a very early date. Rev. John Spencer organized a Presbyterian church which built an edifice in 1837; the building was finally sold to St. Paul's German United Evangelical church, which was incorporated in 1857.

TOWN OF BRANT.

Brant is the extreme southwest town in Erie county and is bounded on the north by Evans, on the east by North Collins, on the south by Chautauqua county, and on the west by Lake Erie. The total area of the town is about thirty two square miles; but from this should be de-

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ducted a tract in the southern part containing about nine square miles which is a part of the Cattaraugus Reservation, and over which town jurisdiction is nominal. The territory of the town north of the reserva- tion tract is the south part of township 8, range 9 of the Holland Com - pany's survey. The surface is generally level, except in the eastern part, where it is somewhat broken. Big Sister Creek flows northward through the eastern part; Delaware Creek flows northwesterly through the central part; Muddy Creek follows a similar course in the western part. Cattaraugus Creek forms the southern boundary for three miles.

The first settler in the territory of Brant was Moses Tucker, who, in 1816, located on the farm now occupied by Amos Stickney; he was a Quaker. In 1818 John Roberts, John West and Major Campbell settled in the town, and Ansel Smith and Robert and William Grannis came soon after. In 1819 Reuben Hussey settled near Mr. Tucker. Samuel Butts moved from Hamburg into this town in 1820 and in 1822 built the first saw mill. This mill was almost the only one in town, as the streams are sluggish, supplying little power; S. M. Butts now occupies the old homestead. In 1825 Joseph Hubbard opened the first tavern,

east of the Center. Milton Morse built the first store at the Center in 1835, and the place was known for quite a period as Morse's Corners; he was also the first postmaster, the office being opened after the formation of the town. Jonathan Hascall, jr., who was supervisor of Evans before Brant was set off, and supervisor of Brant fourteen years, was a prominent citizen many years. Nathaniel K. Smith settled in the town in 1835, and was father of seven sons. By 1850 the town was quite well occupied by a prosperous class of farmers. The principal products of the town are produce for canning factories and the Buffalo market, and considerable cheese is made.

In February, 1852, the Buffalo and State Line Railroad (now part of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern) was completed across the town. It was of great benefit to the community and led to the found- ing of Farnham village. A second railroad was completed through the town in 1882, but it had no marked influence.

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Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I, Part 57

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