USA > New York > Orleans County > Pioneer history of Orleans County, New York, containing some account of the civil divisions of western New York > Part 5
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The construction of this Railroad has proved of im- mense benefit to Orleans County.
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CHAPTER XII.
STATE OF EDUCATION.
School Houses -- Description-Gaines Academy-Other Academies and Schools.
ETTLERS on the Holland Purchase reverenced the institutions existing in New England, from which the majority of them came, and endeav- ored to engraft them upon their social organization in their new homes in the woods. They believed the safety and permanence of the free government of their country was found in the intelligence of the people ; and among their first labors, after providing shelter and food for their children, was the building of school houses and furnishing instruction there. Before enough families had located in a neighborhood to erect even a log school house and supply it with scholars, it was not uncommon for a school to be opened in some log cabin, where a family resided .- All the children in the neighborhood came in, or were brought upon the backs of their fathers through the pathless forest, when the weather was bad, and at- tended these schools. School houses were built, and well patronized, before school districts were organized, and parents did the best they could to give their children the elements of a common edneation, at least. Orleans County was not behind any part of the country in its zeal for schools. The earlier school houses were made of logs, much after the same pat- tern as the dwelling places of the people, such struc-
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tures as would now be considered extremely uncom- fortable, inconvenient and ill adapted to the purpose for which they were made.
They were badly lighted, badly ventilated, small, cold, cheerless and dismal places. Every internal ar- rangement was uncomfortable compared with school houses now. But nobody complained.
After a few years this state of things improved. As population increased, and wealth began to accumu- late, better accommodations were procured.
The people of the town of Gaines, living along their beautiful natural Ridge Road, believed trade and business for the county must center there ; and before the county buildings were located at Albion, they be- gan to devise projects for building up a village there, which should insure to them the full benefit of the lo- cation. They had several stores, and mechanic shops. They established a printing press, and published the first newspaper in the county, and proposed to found an Academy. The location of the Court House at Al bion was to them a sad disappointment, they did not despair, however, but established their Academy, which was incorporated in the year 1827. This was the first incorporated literary institution in Orleans. County. A brick building, three stories high, was. erected by the joint efforts of the school district, and the friends of the Academy and for some years it was occupied by both schools. The Academy was well patronized, while it was without a rival, but when Academies were erected in other towns in the neigh- borhood, Gaines Academy began to languish, and fi- nally ceased to exist as a school. The building was fitted up as a dwelling house, and as such still re- mains. Academies were established at Albion in 1837, at Millville in 1840, at Yates in 1842, at Medina in 1849, at Holley in 1850. The Phipps Union Semi- nary was established at Albion about 1833, and in-
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PIONEER HISTORY
corporated by the Regents of the University in 1840. This Seminary is a boarding and day school for the instruction of girls only. Its course of study includes all the solid and ornamental branches of education usually taught in the best schools for females in this country. It is one of the oldest institutions of the Kind in this part of the State, and has sustained a high reputation.
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CHAPTER XIII.
STATE OF RELIGION.
Religious Feeling among the People-Ministers and Missionaries- Meeting House in Gaines-First in County-Building.
ELIGION was not forgotten by the first set- tlers of Orleans County, and amid all their hardships and difficulties, they never omitted attending to the public worship of God. For some years they had no church organizations, or settled ministers of the gospel, or houses built expressly for places of public worship. They had religious meet- ings however in their log cabins, sometimes conduct- ed by a preacher, sometimes with none. As soon as school houses were built, they held their meetings in them. Though many of the settlers were members of Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, or other denomina- tions, in the old States, from which they came, here they kept up no denominational distinction. If it was announced that a religious meeting was to be held in some place, everybody for miles around attended it, never stopping to inquire to what denomination the preacher belonged. Many old people remember with deep emotion some of those solemn seasons of prayer and praise, enjoyed by them in company with all those who loved God and his worship, in their neighborhood, in some little log shanty in the woods.
As the first settlement of the county began on the lake shore in Carlton, and gradually extended along the Ridge Road, so religious meetings were held first in Carlton.
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About the year 1809, Rev. Mr. Steele, a Methodist preacher, came over from Canada and visited as a missionary those settlers, who had come into Carlton, and preached to them whenever he could get a con- gregation together. He is said to have been the first preacher of any denomination. He was soon follow- ed by Elders Irons, Dutcher, and Carpenter, Baptists; and Puffer, Hall. Gregory, and others, Methodists.
Before 1820, a Baptist church was formed in Gaines, a Congregational church in Barre, another in Ridge- way, and from that time forward, the people united in such church organizations as were agreeable to their views of religious truth and duty, instead of those common meetings of all, which prevailed at an earlier day.
In the year 1824. a company of citizens of Gaines, viz: Oliver Booth, 2d, Elisha Nichols. Elijah D. Nichols, James Mather, VanRensselaer Hawkins, Elijah Blount, Jonathan Blount, Jr., Zelotes Sheldon, John J. Walbridge, Romeyn Ostrander and Asahel Lee, united together and built the meeting house now standing in the west part of the village, " for the ben- efit of the Congregational and Baptist Societies in the town of Gaines, each society to use the same for one- half of the time alternately. When not occupied by said societies, to be free for public worship for any other religious society." The proprietors sold the slips in the house, and gave the purchase money, af- ter paying for building the house, to aid in building Gaines Academy.
This was the first church edifice erected in Orleans County. For several years it was occupied according to the intent of the founders. It has now been trans- ferred to a Methodist society.
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CHAPTER XIV.
BURYING GROUNDS.
Mount Albion Cemetery-Boxwood Cemetery-Hillside Cemetery.
CRYING places for the dead were established in convenient localities, in the early settlement of Orleans County. One of the oldest of these is at the village of Gaines, on the Ridge Road. Mr. Oliver Booth, who owned the land, gave half an acre, on condition that the neighboring inhabitants would clear off the trees with which it was covered, which they did.
Under the statute in such case made, many of these rural old burying places have been put under the care of Cemetery Associations, duly incorporated under the general law. Others have been vested in the towns in which they are situated, under an old law, which provided that burying grounds, which before then had been used a certain length of time by the public, should be so vested.
In the vicinity of the large villages however, more extensive grounds have been devoted as burial places. The most considerable of these is "MOUNT ALBION CEMETERY," situate two miles south-east from the vil- lage of Albion. This burying place, including about twenty-five acres, was purchased by the village of Al- bion, in May, 1843, for $1,000. It was then an un- broken forest. The natural advantages of this Ceme- tery, for the purpose designed, can scarcely be equal-
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PIONEER HISTORY
ed by any similar grounds in the country. It was dedicated Sept. 7, 1843.
Before Mount Albion was purchased, a burying ground was used on the south side of the canal, east of the creek. in Albion. The bodies have all been re- moved from that ground, and burying there discon- tinned.
From the first, and until 1862, Mount Albion Cem- etery was under the care of the Trustees of the village. By an Act passed March 26, 1862, the control of the Cemetery was vested in three commissioners, to be ap- pointed by the village Trustees. Dr. Lemuel C. Paine, Lorenzo Burrows and Henry J. Sickels, were appoint- ed such commissioners, and they have been ever since continued in office. Lots in this Cemetery are sold to whoever will buy, the purchasers not being confined to inhabitants of the village of Albion, and owners of lots reside in every town in the county.
The first persons dying in Medina , were buried wherever their friends could find a place ; but in the fall of 1830, Mr. David E. Evans, by his agent Mr. Gwynn, gave an acre of land for a burying ground, on the east side of Gwynn Street, south from the railroad dopot, on which the first corpse buried was the wife of Edmund Fuller, in 1830.
These grounds have been used for burials ever since. In 1860, Mr. John Parsons interested himself in get- ting the fences around these grounds repaired, with contributions furnished him for the purpose ; and in order suitably to mark the spot, by some fitting mem- orial, which at small expense would be likely to stand many years ; he procured and planted, as near as might be, in the center of the grounds, a fir tree, un- der the center of which, in a glass jar, inclosed in lead, he deposited various articles, as momentos of the times and people of Medina at present. This tree is now growing vigorously.
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OF ORLEANS COUNTY.
"BOXWOOD CEMETERY" lies a little north of Medi- na, on the east side of the gravel road leading to the Ridge, and contains about six acres, and is owned by the village of Medina. Messrs. S. M. Burroughs, Geo. Northrop, Caleb Hill and others, bought this ground while a forest, of Mr. Gwynn, for a Cemetery. in 1848. They sold it to the village for $600, and it was laid out in lots, and formally opened for burial purposes, in 1850. David Card was the first person buried here, in 1849.
Many bodies of the dead buried in the old ground in Medina, have been removed to Boxwood Cemetery, and this is now the principal burying place for the village and vicinity.
" HILLSIDE CEMETERY" is the name of a burying place belonging to " The Holley Cemetery Associa- tion," which was organized Dec. 11, 1866. In Jan . 1867, the association purchased about seven and three- fourths acres of land, lying about half a mile south of the business part of Holley village, and south of the corporation limits, at a cost of $1.100. A large sum has since then been expended by the Association in improving these grounds, grading the street, and ornamenting and fitting np the premises.
A large part of this burying place has been laid out in lots, carefully numbered, mapped and the map filed in the County Clerk's office. These lots are sold by the Trustees and deeded to purchasers.
August 17, 1867, this Cemetery was formally dedi- cated by appropriate religious ceremonies.
The affairs of the Association are managed by nine Trustees, who serve in classes, three years. Trustees now in office, (1871,) are John Berry, Sargent Ensign. Nelson Hatch. James Gibson, Samuel Spear, Humph- roy Ruggles, Simon Harwood, Ely H. Cook and Or- ange A. Eddy. John Berry, President, Orange A. Eddy. Secretary.
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PIONEER HISTORY
Shade trees have been set around the grounds and many trees and ornamental shrubs planted.
The soil is well adapted to the purpose designed .--- The location is pleasant and commodious to the vil- lage of Holley and surrounding country and the good taste and liberality displayed by the people of Holley and vicinity in founding and fostering this Cemetery is creditable to their public spirit, refined feelings and proper regard for their best interests.
CHAPTER XV.
THE TOWN OF BARRE.
First settled along Oak Orchard Road-Land Given by the Holland Company to Congregational Society-Congregational Church-Pres- byterian Church in Albion-First Tavern-First Store-First Law- yer-First Doctor-First Deed of Land to Settler-Deeds of Land in Albion-First House in Albion-Death of Mrs. McCallister-First Warehouse-First Saw Mill-First Grist Mill-Trade in Lumber- First Ball-First Town Meeting-Fourth of July, 1821-First Wed- ding in Albion-Story-Biographies of Early Settlers.
HIS town, so named by Judge John Lee, in honor of Barre, Mass., his native town, was set off from Gaines, by Act of the Legislature, March 6, 1818. At the time of the first settlement of this town, the main road, by which people traveled to and from the old States, was the Ridge road. The Ridge was always dry and comfortable for travel when the streams, which cross it, could be forded, be- fore the bridges were made ; but on leaving the Ridge north or south, when the ground was not frozen, the roads were terribly muddy, long tracts of low land requiring to be covered with logs laid transversely side by side for a carriage track, called " corduroy." As this was a work of considerable labor, the settlers had to wallow through the mud as best they could, until they were able to build their highways.
There were no sawmills, and even if there had been mills, upon such roads lumber could not be moved to market, and there was no market for lumber south of the Ridge, before the canal was dug.
The Indians had a trail, or Indian road, from their
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PIONEER HISTORY
settlements in Livingston county, on the Genesee riv- er, to an Indian village in Niagara county ; and an- other trail from the mouth of Oak Orchard Creek, to intersect the first mentioned trail, which was used by white men and known as the Oak Orchard Road, passing through Barre, from north to south. On this trail or road, the travel to Batavia was conducted .- It was not passable for carriages, as the Indians had none, and the settlers had to clear the brush and re- move the fallen trees, which obstructed, before they could get their teams through. This was done by the Holland Company at an early day.
Several families came into Barre before the war of 1812, but that event nearly suspended emigration while it lasted.
Salt was made on the Oak Orchard Creek north of Medina, before the canal was made ; and to aecom- modate the people and benefit themselves, the Holland Company opened a road from the Salt Works, in a south-easterly direction, to intersect the Oak Orchard Road, about two miles south of Albion. This was known as the "Salt Works Road" and was discon- tinned many years ago.
Among the inducements offered by the Land Com- pany to settlers on their lands, was an offer of a tract of land, to the first religious society that should be organized in each town on their Purchase. In pursu- ance of this custom, the Holland Company deeded, March 8, 1822, to the Trustees of "The First Congre- gational Society in the town of Barre," one hundred acres of land, lying on the north part of lot nineteen, town fifteen, range two ; being part of the farm after- wards cleared and owned by Azariah Loveland .- The deed conveys this land to said "Trustees and their successors in office, for the benefit of the said Congregational order, and those who preach the doc- trines contained in the Assembly's Catechism, and no
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other." So careful were our fathers in. Barre, to pro- vide for keeping their religious faith pure, and free from heresy, as they regarded it. That religious so- ciety was the first organized in Barre, and still exists, now located at Barre Center. Its first board of Trus- tees was Orange Starr, Cyril Wilson, Ithamar Hib- bard, John Bradner, Caleb C. Thurston and Oliver Ben- ton. The church connected with this society, was or- ganized Dec. 5, 1817.
"The First Presbyterian Society of Albion" was incorporated March 20, 1826, and was the second re- ligious society incorporated in the town of Barre, and the first in the village of Albion. Its first Trustees were Harvey Goodrich, Joseph Hart. Ebenezer Rogers, William White, Hiram Sickels, and Milton W. Hop- kins. Their first house of worship, the same now oc- cupied by the Episcopalians, was erected in 1830 .- The whole number of communicants, in this church at its organization, was sixteen. Rev. Wm. Johnson, their first pastor, commenced his labors here in 1824.
The first tavern in Barre was kept by Abram Mat- tison, in 1815, on the west side of the Oak Orchard Road, about two miles south of Albion. The first tavern in Albion was kept by - Churchill, on the south corner of Main and Canal Streets. The first school was taught by Mrs. Silas Benton, in the south part of what is now the village of Albion.
The first store, for the sale of dry goods and grocer- ies, is believed to have been kept by E. & A. Mix, at Porter's Corners. Mr. Abiathar Mix removed to that place, and took an Article for a tract of land, in 1817. Being a mason by trade, and having no mason work to do, he went into the business of making potash, and selling goods, his brother, Ebenezer Mix, of Ba- tavia, furnishing a part of the capital.
About the year 1819, a store was opened by Orris
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PIONEER HISTORY
H. Gardner, near Benton's Corners, on the Oak Orch- ard Road.
The Oak Orchard Road was the first public high- way laid out in this town. About 1803, the Holland Company caused a survey to be made of this road from "The Five Corners," in Gaines, about a mile north of Albion, to the forks of the road south of Bar- re Center. This survey was due north and south, to straighten the old trail. The highway was not open- ed and worked precisely as laid.
Many of the earliest locations of land by settlers were made along this road, and it was these locations, this highway and the Erie Canal, which established the village of Albion.
The first regular lawyer in this town was Theophi- lus Capen, who came here about the time work on the Canal was begun, and kept an office for a while in Albion. William J. Moody came to Albion to practice law, a short time before the county of Orleans was organized, he was followed by Alexis Ward, Henry R. Curtis, 1. Hyde Cole. Geo. W. Fleming and several others.
Dr. Orson Nichoson was the first physician. He settled in Barre in 1819.
The first deed of land lying in the town of Barre, from the Holland Land Company, was given to Jacob Young, dated June 7, 1813, and conveyed one hun- dred acres of lot thirty-three, town fifteen, range one. This land is now owned by Stephen N. Whitney, and lies about a mile and a half south from Albion, on the east side of the Oak Orchard Road.
William Bradner took a deed from the Company, of the land in Albion, on the east side of Main Street, from Bailey Street, to the north bounds of Barre, December 3, 1819, containing two hundred and sixty- six acres. Roswell Burrows took a like deed of one hundred and sixty-one aeres, lying on the west side
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OF ORLEANS COUNTY.
of Main Street, bounded north by the town line of Gaines, October 11, 1825. This tract, so deeded to Burrows, was taken up by Article from the Company by Jesse Bumpus, in August, 1815, and afterwards sold by him to Mr. Burrows. The land so deeded to William Bradner, was taken by Article from the Land Company, by William McCollister, about the year 1811. Mr. McCollister made the first clearing in the village of Albion, where the Court House now stands, The first dwelling house erected in Albion was a log cabin, built by MeCollister, near where Phipps Union Seminary now stands. In that he lived, and there his wife died, about the year 1812; being the first white woman who died in the town of Barre. No clergy- man was then in town to conduct religious services on the occasion and no boards could be obtained to make her coffin. Her sorrowing husband, assisted by two or three men, split and hewed some rough planks from trees, pinned them together with wooden pins, to make a box, in which the corpse was placed, and buried, this little company, present at this first funer- al, comprised almost the entire population of the town.
The first warehouse in town was built by Nehemiah Ingersoll, on the canal, about fifteen rods east of Main Street, in Albion.
The first saw-mill in town was built by Dr. Wm. White, on the creek south-east of Albion, about eighty rods south of the railroad, in the year 1816. William Bradner built a small grist-mill on this creek, farther down, in 1819.
For several years after the Erie Canal was first opened, a brisk trade in white-wood lumber was car- ried on, from timber cut convenient to draw to the ca- nal. Good whitewood boards sold on the bank of the canal for $5 per thousand feet, and other lumber at corresponding prices. Whitewood was a comnon
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PIONEER HISTORY
tree in this town. The lumber was carried to Albany. After buildings began to be constructed by carpenters and joiners, the floors and finishing were principally done with whitewood.
The first regular ball in Barre was at Mattison's tavern, July 4, 1819. To fit the house for the party, they took up the split basswood floor and laid down boards in the bar-room to dance on.
The first town meetings, after this town was organ- ized, were held at Mattison's tavern, the next after- wards at Benton's tavern.
The 4th of July, 1821, was celebrated by the peo- ple of Barre in a grove near where " the round school house" was afterwards built, on Lee Street. A com- mittee was appointed, who procured the necessary gunpowder, liquor and sugar, at Batavia. Provisions for the tables were furnished by voluntary contribu- tion, and a dinner gotten up which was partaken of by everybody in pie-nic style. Dr. Orson Nichoson delivered an oration and the customary patriotic toasts were drank, to the sound of discharges of mus- ketry, as they had no cannon. In the evening, the remains from the tables and the bottles, were taken to a neighboring log cabin, and there disposed of by all who chose to take part ; and musie and dancing, and festivity, were kept up till next morning, by a company of old and young. This was the first public celebration of our National Independence in Barre.
Among the first settlers in Barre were William Me- Collister, Lansing Bailey, Joseph Hart, Joseph Stod- dard, Elijah Darrow, Reuben Clark and Silas Benton.
The first marriage, in what is now the village of Al- bion, took place under the following circumstances. An action was tried before Robert Anderson, a Justice of the Peace, at the village of Gaines, to recover dam- ages for a hog that had been killed by the defendant wrongfully. The plaintiff recovered a judgment. As
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OF ORLEANS COUNTY.
soon as the result was declared, the defendant took the Justice aside, and asked him to go at once to a house mentioned and marry him ; giving as his reason for haste, that execution would soon be issued against him on the judgment, which he was unable to pay ; that he would be taken to Batavia to jail, and, if he was a single man, he did not know when he should get out, but if he was married he could swear out in thirty days. The Justice objected, that it was then midnight, the house named was three miles off,. the night was dark, and the road was through the woods most of the way. He finally agreed to go after get- ting supper. In the mean time the would-be bride- groom hurried to the house to wake up the family, and the bride, and put a light in the window to guide the Esquire. The marriage took place according to programme. The house stood on the west side of Main Street, about a quarter of a mile north of the canal.
BIOGRAPHIES OF EARLY SETTLERS.
LANSING BAILEY.
The following is Lansing Bailey's history, written by himself, for the Pioneer Association :
"I was born in the town of Stephentown, Rensse- laer County, New York, Nov. 11, 1787.
When I was seven years old, my father removed to Whitestown, Oneida County, New York.
In 1809, being then in my twenty-second year, I was married to Miss Loda Parmelee, and in Nov. 1811, I started, in company with two others, for the Genesee country, on foot, with knapsacks and provisions on our backs. .
On the evening of the fifth day, we arrived at Dan- iel Pratt's, an old acquaintance and relative, then re-
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PIONEER HISTORY
siding on the Ridge Road, in the town of Gaines, a little west of Gaines Corners.
The best locations on the Ridge Road had been ta- ken, and also the best lots on the Oak Orchard Road, for several miles south of the Ridge Road, but they were not settled south of the 'Five Corners,' in what is now Gaines.
Myself and brother, took an Article from the Hol- land Land Company, of two hundred and sixty acres, lying one mile west of where Albion now stands .- Five days after making our location, we started for home by the way of Batavia. We had but little mon- ey, consequently we bought but one meal on our out- ward and homeward trip, $3.50 being the entire amount of our expenses, which consisted in lodging and a little of 'the creature' to wash down our dry meals.
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