USA > New York > Orleans County > Pioneer history of Orleans County, New York, containing some account of the civil divisions of western New York > Part 22
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On our way we exchanged our wagons for sleds, and how any of us lived through the last perilous day of fourteen miles travel through the woods, God only knows.
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We started as early as possible in the morning, overturned one load of goods, and fearing we should all perish in the woods, we unhitched our teams from the sleds some time in the night, putting our oxen before us, the women being supported by holding fast to the tails of the oxen, and thus pursuing our way through the trackless forest four miles, we arrived at a log house about four o'clock in the morning. The- house had been partially chinked but not plastered. Here we tarried the next day and night, during which time we went back, shod our sleds and got them out of the forest.
We had to pay one dollar each for a yoke of oxen one night at hay, and one dollar a bushel for oats. So in about forty days, like the Israelites of old, we reached the promised land.
In October, before this time, I had been to Chautau- qua county and contracted for a piece of land there, to do which 1 traveled out there from Massachusetts, and back again with my knapsack on my back, on foot, averaging fifty miles travel per day on the journey.
The third day after arriving on my land, I pro- cured some boards and built a shanty twelve feet square, nailing two of the corners to two standing trees, making a board roof, with not a tree cut down near it.
The year 1816 was the 'cold season;" corn was cut off by frost and it was almost impossible to get bread. For three weeks before harvest we had nothing to eat but some very small new potatoes, but- ter and milk. By changing the order of having these dishes, we made quite a variety, lived high, with hopes buoyant, and worked hard. Here we cleared up a new farm, raised an orchard from apple seeds- brought out from Massachusetts, and also raised eight children.
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OF ORLEANS COUNTY.
I went into lumbering business in 1832; took my lumber to Cincinnati to sell, but the stagnation in trade, and scarcity of money, owing to the course taken by the Old United States Bank, after its re- newed charter was vetoed by President Jackson. made it impossible for me to dispose of my lumber without great loss, which obliged me to sell my prop- erty in Chautauqua county to pay my debts, and I found even then I had not enough by $500 to pay up. That deficiency I afterwards earned by work at mason business and paid up in full.
I removed to Orleans county in 1833, and worked as a mason several years.
Previous to the opening of the Erie canal, I have paid seventy-five cents per yard for sheeting, and seventy-five cents per yard for calico for my wife a dress. I have also paid fifteen dollars a barrel for salt.
I have laid the corners of over tifty log buildings, and have helped raise as many frames. I have spent more than six months of my labor gratuitously. in opening new public highways. and building cause- ways.
Ridgeway, February, 1882.
LEVI DAVIS."
JEREMIAH BROWN.
"I was born in Cheshire, Massachusetts, July 7. 1780. My father, who was an officer in the revolu- tionary war, died when I was seven years old. 1 lived with my eldest brother until I was sixteen years old, and then ran away from him and worked out by the month the next seven years.
When I was nineteen years old I traveled with my knapsack on my back, on foot from Massachusetts to Farmington, Ontario county, N. Y., spent a short time there, then returned as I came, most of the way alone.
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Again in 1807, I traveled the same ground over in the same way.
In 1809 I was married to Abigail Davis, daughter. of the Rev. Paul Davis, of New Salem, Massachu- setts.
The winter after I was married I came on horse- back to Farmington, to seek a home in the wilder- ness of Western New York, and located a piece of land for that purpose. I went back to Massachu- setts and worked by the month to earn the means. to move my family to my new farm.
I arrived in Farmington in February, 1811, and built me a log house in the woods one mile from any inhabitant. I was then the happy possessor of a wife and one child, six dollars in money, a dog and a gun. I exchanged my gun for a cow, which was the best trade I ever made except when I got my wife. The next spring I cleared my land, and raised over one hundred bushels of corn the same: season. 1
In 1812 the war broke out. I was called to the lines to defend my country. I received notice on Friday night, about nine o'clock, to be in Can- andaigua on the next Monday morning at ten o'clock, to march to Buffalo. I hired a man and woman to take care of my sick wife and child du- ring my absence, while I responded to the call. I was then an officer in the militia, and I marched on foot with the rest of the officers and men to Buffalo, where we arrived the second day after the battle. Our company was the first that arrived and assisted in collecting the dead. On receiving an honorable ‹lischarge I returned home.
The two summers next following, myself and wife were sick with the ague and fever, almost con- stantly.
In the winter of 1815, the ague having left me, and
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having regained my health enough to move, I sold my land and returned to Massachusetts. The next spring I came to Ridgeway, in Orleans county, and bought me some land, and in May brought on my family.
About the first of the next September, myself and wife and one child were taken sick, and until Decem- ber following, we suffered every thing but death. Often during that time while myself and wife were confined to our beds, our children were trying for food, and neither of us had strength sufficient to ena- ble us to get to the cupboard to help them.
In the month of June next, Israel Murdock in- formed me of several families who were destitute of bread, and asked if I thought it could be had for them at Farmington. I told him I thought it conld. and taking his horse and wagon, I went there and got a load of corn for which I paid one dollar a bushel. This, together with some rye, which Israel Murdock had then growing, and which the neighbors com- menced cutting as soon as it was out of the milk, sufficed for all of us to live on until after the har- vest.
The favorite, because the only way to replenish our meat barrels, was to hunt raccoons, using their flesh in place of pork, and their fat to fry doughnuts in. The next winter (1816) I went to Farmington, and bought two tons of pork, paying ten dollars per hun- dred for it, and one dollar and fifty cents each for barrels, and three dollars per barrel for salt. [ brought my pork to Ridgeway with my oxen, and sold it to the inhabitants for from twenty-six to thirty dollars per barrel, trusting it out to such as could not then pay, and some of those old pork accounts re- maining unsettled, I am beginning to consider them rather doubtful demands.
In the spring of 1816, we held our first town meet-
-
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ing, and elected our first town officers. There not be- ing freeholders enough in town to fill the offices to which we had chosen our candidates, Mr. Joseph El- licott sent Andrew Ellicott to our town to notify the town officers elect, to go to Batavia and take deeds of their lands and give their mortgages, in order to become legal town officers, and they went and did so. I having been chosen commissioner of highways went with the others.
In my official capacity I assisted in laying out five highways from the Ridge to the lake. We would lay a road, following the lines between lots to the lake, keeping us busy all day. At night we would make a fire, cut some hemlock boughs for a bed. and sleep on them before our fire soundly till morning. Then making our breakfast, we would take another line back to the Ridge, and by the time we could get back to the settlement it would be afternoon, and when we could get something to eat we generally had excellent appetites.
We were, however, amply compensated, our pay be- ing two dollars for every twenty-four hours we spent in this kind of labor, to apply on our taxes. Who would not desire to be a commissioner of highways under such circumstances !
Since then I have held all the town offices in the gift of the people except clerk, collector, and consta- ble. I was once a candidate for the last named office. but to my great grief and mortification I was de- feated.
Our county was very unhealthy until 1828. That I think was the last sickly season, and during that season my health was good, and for eight weeks in that summer I never undressed myself to go to bed at night, being constantly watching with, and taking care of the sick, either in my own family or among
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OF ORLEANS COUNTY.
my neighbors. Since that time this county has been as healthy as any other section I ever knew.
In 1822 I built the first furnace and cast the first plough ever made in this State west of Rochester.
When I first settled in Ridgeway, the town of Ridgeway extended from Niagara county eastward to the Transit Line, having originally been the north part of Batavia, from which it was taken
Such is some of my experience as a pioneer of Western New York. I have lived to see 'the wilderness blossom like the rose,' and to see many of my early companions in the hardships of this new county, depart before me to 'that bourne from whence no traveler returns.'
JEREMIAH BROWN."
Ridgeway, July, 1862.
Mr. Jeremiah Brown died Nov. 17, 1863. He was a man of large frame, strong and vigorous constitu- tion, a farmer by occupation, but sometimes varied his employment by buying cattle, and driving them to Philadelphia to market, and in other speculations in trade.
Albert F. Brown, late Mayor of Lockport, and Col. Edwin F. Brown, late of the Union Army, are his sons.
JOSEPH L. PERRY.
Joseph L. Perry was born in Huntington. Connect- icut, November 30th, 1794. In 1804, his father ro- moved his family to Aurelius, Cayuga county, N. Y .. to a farm near Auburn.
Joseph L. Perry married Julia Ann Reed, daugh- ter of Jesse Reed, of Aurelius, July 15th, 1819, and in March, 1820, removed to Ridgeway, Orleans coun- ty, and located half a mile west of Ridgeway Cor- ners, on the Ridge Road. on lot twenty-four.
He was town collector and clerk of Ridgeway.
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and deputy sheriff while this county was part of Gen- esee county, also deputy sheriff of Orleans county afterwards.
In 1825 he purchased the store and hotel at Ridge- way Corners, and carried on the mercantile business for a number of years, then moved into the hotel and kept tavern there many years. He also carried on the ashery business, and at one time run ten miles of the old pioneer line of stages, on the Ridge Road, in company with Champion. Bissell and Walbridge. He was postmaster a number of years, and mail con- tractor between Ridgeway and Shelby, several years. He was extensively engaged in buying and shipping grain on the Erie canal, running two boats of his own, which he sometimes commanded in person. He was a shrewd, sharp, quick witted man, a good judge of human nature, always jovial and abounding in fun.
HIe never lacked for expedients to extricate himself from any perplexity, and his sagacity and energy al- ways carried him safely through, or over, every imped- iment which interfered with his purposes. He died September 17th, 1845, at his residence in the town of Ridgeway.
CHARLES D. BURLINGHAM.
"I was born in Greenfield, Saratoga Co., N. Y., February 8th, 1810, being the fifth of my father's eleven children.
In 1818 my father removed with his family to Per- ry, now in Wyoming county, on what is known as . The Cotringer Tract.' The western line of our farm was the eastern bounds of the Holland Purchase. The farm contained one hundred acres, fifteen of which had been cleared and a log house and barn erected when we came on.
In clearing our land we were accustomed to make
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OF ORLEANS COUNTY.
' black salts' for sale, as these, with pot and pearlash were the principal articles of export that brought money into the settlement.
In common with our neighbors, we sometimes suf- fered some hardships for lack of the necessaries of life. My father at one time went to the Genesee Flats. twelve or fifteen miles distant, and bought corn that was nearly spoiled by the flood of the previous sea- son, paying one dollar and twenty-five cents a bushel, to help us along in the spring.
I remember one pleasant incident of our pioneer history. After getting along as best we could at one time, without any bread for several weeks, we sat down to a meal of boiled new unground wheat, and maple molasses, all the product of our own farm, the most delicious dinner, it seemed to me, I ever ate. Ah, that was a dinner a little boy could not easily forget, and that was the crisis, the turning point in the pinch.
Not long after this we had grain to sell, wheat at the nominal price of thirty-one cents, and corn at eighteen cents per bushel, with very limited sales at those prices.
Our house stood, as I then thought, in about the center of the world, and having joined to it an addi- tion of another house of about the like size, we were frequently favored with social gatherings of people there of all classes during the winter evenings. Those were occasions never to be forgotten by me. The children and young people would amuse themselves in harmless play and gossip, and the parents enjoy themselves in planning and story telling, while a few of the venerable mothers were intent on preparing the invariable accompaniment of every gathering, a good supper.
Starch, prim, and upper ten, were unknown there. Liberty, equality and fraternity reigned supreme in
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those halcyon days. Ah me, but those were days of Auld Lang Syne.' the memory of which is exceeding pleasant.
In those times our religious meetings were held in a private house about half a mile from ours. Elder Luther, a man of more than ordinary ability, was the preacher who visited the place occasionally. He was a little eccentric in his manners and language, but quite well adapted to the times, and character of his congregations.
As a specimen of pioneer preaching, it is remen- bered of Elder Luther, as he was in the midst of a sermon, urging some topie, and wishing to addnce authority to sustain some point, he stopped a mo- ment, then said, "John, what do you say "" Then changing his tone of voice to imitate a fancied reply. he repeated what the apostle says on that subject. And then he called out, 'Paul, what are your views ? Giving a reply as before, in like manner thus interro- gating other apostles and our Savior, and giving their answers, closing up with-"And now, old Ben. Luther. what have you to say to all this ? and then he gave his own conclusions, making the point deeply impres- sive upon his hearers.
Our chorister was the blacksmith of the settlement, · Uncle Seava,' as he was called by everybody ; a white haired .. tall, slim, straight and solemn old gen- tleman. He would rise and give the pitch for New Durham, Exhortation, Northfield or Majesty, or some such tune in which the whole congregation who could sing would join, taking their style from the chorister, giving to the words and the music that pe- culiar ' nasal twang' common in those days, which was designed to be especially impressive upon the hearers, and it had its intended effect, at least upon me, for Ihave not forgotten those auspicious occa- sions I witnessed when I was a little boy. Although
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OF ORLEANS COUNTY.
some of the young people seemed to be amused by the queer preaching and nasal singing, and some who attended failed to be profited, apparently, by the ser- vices, yet those religious meetings were really the green spots' in our early pioneer life, and were doubtless of great moral value to the settlement.
Though district schools were established at an early day around us. my early advantages for attending school were quite limited. However, at the the age of eighteen years, I went before the board of inspec- tors for examination, and being found by them of sufficient capacity, I was installed into office as a school master in a district school, which calling I al- ternated with mercantile business, until I was thirty years old.
I embraced religion while teaching school in Por- tageville. Wyoming county, in April 1831, and soon after became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
I married Adeline C. Miller, in New Berlin. N. Y .. in September, 1834.
In 1840 I was received as a member of the Genesee Conference of the M. E. Church, and began preach- ing, in which service I have ever since been engaged, removing to Knowlesville in 1862.
CHARLES D. BURLINGHAM."
Knowlesville, April, 1864.
JOSIAS TANNER.
"I was born in Clarendon, Vermont, August 17th, 1795.
I received a fair common school education like other farmers' sons in that neighborhood.
I came to the town of Ridgeway, N. Y., with my brother, William C. Tanner, in March, 1816, where I have resided ever since.
I was married November 28th, 1825, to Miss Lucy Baldwin.
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I have lived on my farm forty-eight years. I have had four children. My youngest son, Benj. B. Tanner, was a Lieutenant in the 151st Regiment N. Y. Volun- teers, and died in the service of his country in the war of the rebellion.
Ridgeway, April, 1864.
JOSIAS TANNER."
LUCIUS BARRETT.
"I was born in Fabius, N. Y., April 13th, 1807. I was son of Amos Barrett. My father removed with his family to Ridgeway, N. Y., in March, 1812, and settled on the Ridge Road, one mile west of Ridge- way Corners. We moved into the house of Jona- than Cobb, and resided with his family until my father got his house ready for his family. Mr. Cobb was an old neighbor of my father, and had moved to Ridgeway the year before we came.
I well remember the house my father first built with the help of the settlers in that vicinity. The walls were logs, the floor basswood logs split, and hewed, the roof covered with long shingles split from black ash, not a door about the premises, nor a board. A blanket hung at the entrance served as a door, and kept out the cold and wild beasts. The fireplace was some stones against the logs at one end of the house, and the chimney was a hole through the roof. This sheltered us from the rain, but the snow sifted in plentifully.
Farming has been my business. I bought the farm on which I have since resided, in 1831.
I was married to Electa B. Chase, of Clarkson, N. Y., April 23d, 1833.
I have lived to see the various changes through which this section of country has passed. I have known by experience the pinching pains of poverty, and I have enjoyed the comforts of competence. I
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OF ORLEANS COUNTY.
have seen broad fields, smiling with harvests of plen- ty, emerge from the wild forests. I have not only seen this but I have realized it. I have lived it, and I trust my claim will not be disallowed when I assert that, in a humble manner perhaps, I have contribu- ted my part to bring about these happy results.
LUCIUS BARRETT."
Ridgeway, 1864.
SEYMOUR B. MURDOCK.
"I was born in Dutchess county, N. Y., April 8th, 1796.
My father, Seymour Murdock, emigrated to Or- leans county in 1810, when I was fourteen years of age, and located on a part of the farm now owned and occupied by me on the Ridge, in Ridgeway.
In the transit from Dutchess county, we had a hard time, traveling with an ox team, with a family of twelve persons. We were a little over a month on the way, and reached our place of destination June 1st, 1810, and dwelt in our wagons nearly six weeks, and until we had time to erect a house in which we could reside.
From the Genesee River to Clarkson Corners was one dense wilderness, with only an occasional com- mencement of clearing made by a few settlers. At Clarkson was a log tavern at which we stopped. From Clarkson to our first stopping place there was then, I think, but three houses, and they were cheap- ly erected log cabins.
We were two days in journeying from Clarkson to Ridgeway. The roads, if roads they could properly be called, were almost impassable.
At the crossing of Otter Creek, in Gaines, fire had consumed the logs, which had been thrown into the bank to form a sort of dugway up the ascent from the stream, which left an almost perpendicular ascent
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for us to rise. To accomplish this, we took off our oxen and drove them up the old road, and then with teams on the hill, and chains extending from them to the tongues of the wagon below, we drew our wagon up. In doing this, at one time the draft appeared too much for the team, the oxen fell and were drawn back by the load. and the horn of one of the oxen catching under a root, was torn entirely off.
The next difficulty we encountered was at a slash- ing about two miles east of Oak Orchard Creek, where a man by the name of Sibley had cut down timber along the track, and just then had set it on fire, which rendered our path both difficult and dan- gerous, as we were obliged to go through the midst of the fire.
The next difficulty was at Oak Orchard Creek. A dugway had been made down the bank only to ac- commodate the Yankee wagons, and ours being a Pennsylvania wagon, with longer axle, it was serious- ly endangered by its liability to be thrown down the bank.
On ascending the bank out of the creek on the west side, one of my brothers, then a little fellow, fell off the wagon and might have been left if he had not screamed lustily for help.
On arriving at our journey's end, our first business was to eat from the stock of prepared provisions we brought with us. The food was laid out in order around a large stump which stood conveniently by, and I well remember the relish with which we all partook of this our first meal, at our new home in the woods.
The scenery here, as I now remember it, was truly magnificent, one dense forest, composed of large, stur- dy oaks, extended as far as the eye could see, east and west, and on the south side of the Ridge Road. On the north side the forest was more dense, and com-
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OF ORLEANS COUNTY.
posed of a greater variety of timber. The nearest opening east of us, was the one alluded to above, where we encountered the fire, two miles east of Oak Orchard Creek. The nearest one west was at Jolin- son's Creek, although Mr. Dunn had erected the body of a log house, but had made no clearing at the place on which he has since resided, two miles east from Johnson's Creek.
At Johnson's Creek, which was about five miles west from our then home, there was one log house built, and a small clearing. This was our nearest neighbor, as north of us was an unbroken forest ex- tending to Lake Ontario, with no mark of human habitation west of Oak Orchard Creek.
At the head of Stillwater, in Carlton, lived a widow Brown, and I have heard of residents at the mouth of Johnson's Creek, but of this we knew nothing then. South of us were no families, so far as we knew, ex- cept two families by the name of Coon, who I think came in the same season we did, and one family by the name of Walsworth, residing near Tonawanda Swamp, which was our only stopping place between our place and Batavia, on this side the swamp. We had no necessity then for the law we now have called the 'cattle law.'
The store nearest to us then was at Batavia, thirty miles distant.
Our nearest post office was also at Batavia, and there also was the nearest church, and so far as I know, that was the nearest place to us where religious meetings were held.
There was also the nearest school house known to me, unless there was one at what is called Slater's Settlement, near Lockport.
The nearest gristmill was at Niagara Falls, forty miles distant.
The health of our family continued good during the
22
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PIONEER HISTORY
first year, and yet the season was so far advanced be- fore we could be prepared to put in seed, that we raised nothing the first year except some potatoes and a few turnips.
I remember a man called at our house that sum- mer, and knowing the family he kindly offered to make my mother a garden gate, there being then no fence around the garden, or within five miles of it. The general health of our family, and of those who became our neighbors, continued good, with trifling exceptions in the form of ague and fevers, &c., until after the war of 1812.
During this war much suffering prevailed, as no provisions had been laid by, and the war necessarily took the time of many who would have otherwise been raising all necessary food, thus ceasing to be producers, and yet remaining consumers. This pro- duced a great dearth of provisions, and much suffer- ing, consequently in some instances whole families left the county, some on foot ; in some instances wo- men went away carrying their children in their arms, in hopes of reaching a land of plenty and safety.
At the taking of Fort Niagara, I and most of our family, and our neighbors of sufficient age and size to bear arms, went to the defence of our country. Du- ring our absence a band of Tuscarora Indians on a retreat passed through our neighborhood and greatly frightened our women and children before they could be made to understand that these Indians were our friends.
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