USA > New York > Pioneer history of the Holland Purchase of western New York : embracing some account of the ancient remains > Part 56
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* It was in an attempt to reach the residence of her daughter, through a woods path, on horseback, accompanied by a small boy, that the mother of the author was overtaken
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and '13, there was added to the neighborhood, Col. Dewell Rowley, Walter Hinkley, Israel Kibby, John Nichols, Porter Belknap, James Steel, Thomas Root, David Barrows. Col. Rowley built a grist mill in 1812 or '13; Moses Smith, a saw mill about the same time. The only boards used in the settlement previous to this, were obtained from saw mills in Sheldon and Hume. When the wife of one of the pioneers died, (Mrs. Kilbourn,) her coffin was constructed of hewed plank. Deacon Hinkley held the first religious meetings, and officiated in religious exercises at the prim- itive log school house. Dr. Benjamin Potter, and Dr. Ziba Hamil- ton, of Sheldon, often visited the settlement in early years, as physicians.
A pioneer in this neighborhood, mentions the circumstance, (a very common one, as most pioneers will recollect) - that the early visiting, ball, and quilting parties, went upon ox-sleds, in the prin cipal season of back woods festivities; that he has himself been one of the parties that have gone from the settlement, over into Sardinia, (eight miles,) on ox-sleds, for an evening's visit.
A Congregational church was organized in China in 1815 or '16, the Rev. Mr. Ingalls was the first settled clergyman. The first merchant in town, was Silas Parker. The first school was kept by Joel Dutton, in 1813. The early pioneer, Capt. Amasa Kilbourn, was killed at the capture and burning of Buffalo.
The early settlers upon the Cattaraugus creek felt severely, the general scarcity of provisions in 1816 and '17. Many families were weeks without bread, subsisting principally upon milk; a settler who could go out to the older settlements, do a day's work, and get half a bushel of grain for his family, even felt himself highly favored. In 1817, wheat in some instances was sold as high as $3,00 per bushel, and corn for $2,00. The author was knowing to this price having been paid for wheat, in Attica, and for corn, at Squakie Hill and Gardeau.
There are few of the surviving early settlers in south part of Wyoming and Erie, who will not remember the alarm that was spread through the new settlements, about the period of the great eelipse, in 1806. It caused much commotion and alarm with the
by a storm, lost her way, and spent a dreary night in the wilderness; the hooting of the owl, the snarling of the wild-cat, and the howling of the wolf assailing her ears, and helping to make
"Night hideous."
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Indians; and just about that time large numbers of them were passing and repassing between their Reservation at Buffalo, and the Reservations on the Genesee river. The mischievous rumor followed that there was to be an incursion of Indians from Canada, under Brant and Butler, that the Senecas were to become their allies, and the scenes of the Border Wars were to be re-enacted. It is not strange, that even an absurd rumor should have created apprehensions of danger in detached and defenceless pioneer set- tlements. All was alarm; work was suspended; some left their houses and sought refuge in the woods; and others prepared retreats, in case the necessity of flight should occur. In Hamburg, the settlers, at considerable labor, made a barn the centre of a fortress, ditching and picketing in the ground around it, and erecting block houses; the men chopping and digging, and the women cooking for them; there was mutual effort, for mutual self defence. It is scarcely necessary to add, that the alarm died away, and the back-woodsmen were soon again swinging the axe, and making openings in the forest.
The opening of the old road, from Sheldon to Aurora, has been noticed. The first wagon that ever went over that road, was in July, 1806. Ichabod R. Sanders, a house carpenter, was moving his family to Black Rock, where he had contracted to build a house for Capt. Robert Lee. There were but a few acres cleared at Black Rock; and but three or four families.
As an instance of the improvident waste of valuable timber, which is quite too common in new countries, it may be mentioned, that the town of Bennington was once pre-eminent for its fine groves of cherry. It was used as freely as hemlock, and even logged and burned, in some instances. There are now fences in the town, the rails of which were split from the finest cherry trees that grew upon the Holland Purchase.
Quartus Clapp commenced settlement at Cowlesville, building a saw mill in 1816, and a grist mill in 1818. Joseph Fitch built a saw mill at Scottsville in 1822 or '23. David Scott, Esq bought the property in 1825, and commenced the mercantile business there, Benjamin Folsom, going there as his clerk, became a partner and ultimately the proprictor; and has been, for many years, an enter- prising merchant and miller.
As in other instances, the list of settlers in Wales only embraces
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those who took contracts previous to Jan. 1, 1807. Along in the next few years, those who were conspicuous, (and may be deemed early settlers,) located there. Jacob Turner and sons were there as early as 1808, and built the first mills. The old gentleman was an enterprising and useful pioneer settler. The Allens, Blackmans, Coles and Burts, were early settlers.
The author has no reminiscences of early settlement in most of the south towns of Erie county, aside from the brief sketches he has already given, and the names of the first settlers of each town- ship. Settlement that commenced on the main east and west road. in 1804 and '5, soon extended south of that road, and previous to the war of 1812, there were scattered pioneer settlements in what now constitutes nearly all of the south towns of Erie county.
The author is indebted to James Clark, Esq., of Lancaster, for reminiscences of early events in that region. The first two settlers of the territory now included in the town of Lancaster, were James and Asa Woodward, who made a beginning there as early as 1803. Alanson Eggleston and David Hamlin became settlers in 1804; Joel Parmelee, in 1805; Warren Hull, in 1806; William Blackman, Peter Pratt, - - Kearney, Elisha Cox, in 1807; Elias Bissell, Pardon Peckham, Benjamin Clark, in 1808.
In 1808, the main road from Lancaster to Buffalo was under- bushed, and made passable for sleighs in winter. Previous to this there had been a woods road opened by the Holland Company, from Alexander to Alden; and from thence it was continued along the Cayuga creek, to the Indian village; and from thence to Buffalo. It was called the "Lawson road."
The first saw mill in town was erected by Robinson, in 1808 or '9, upon the present site of Bowman's mills. Benjamin Bowman built a grist mill there soon after the war. The first school house was built in 1810 or '11, and answered the double purpose of a school and meeting house; Henry Johnson and Asa Field took the lead in the primitive religious meetings. "Father Spencer " made his appearance soon after settlement commenced the Rev. Mr. Alexander was one of the earliest missionaries.
Mr. Clark mentions a circumstance of a singular character trans- piring in Lancaster, in 1812 or '13, which will at least interest the ornithologist. Early in the spring, a species of bird unknown in this region before or since, made their appearance. They were
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red, except a little black at the tip of the wings. Soon after they made their appearance, there was a change of weather; it became cold; and the strange visitors perished in great numbers.
In 1804, the town of Batavia was divided into four towns. Batavia retained all the territory upon Holland Purchase, east of a line running north from the Pennsylvania line between the present towns of Portville and Olean, through the middle of the towns of Hillsdale, Franklinville, Farmersville, Freedom, China, Java, Shel- don, Bennington, Darien, Pembroke, Alabama, Shelby, Ridgeway, and Yates, to lake Ontario. The town of Willink was bounded east by the above described boundaries, and west by the west Transit, which starts from the Pennsylvania line on the west bounds of the present town of Carrolton, and running due north, terminates a little east of the village of Olcott, on lake Ontario. The town of Erie was bounded on the cast by the west Transit, and west by the division line between the 10th and 11th ranges of townships, which terminates on lake Erie, a short distance west of the mouth of Silver creek. The three towns named, as will be seen, stretched north and south, from the Pennsylvania line to lake Ontario. The fourth town (Chautauque,) embraced all the present county of Chautauque, except the townships east of the last mentioned boun- dary. 1For county divisions that followed, see some statistics that precede maps.
The town of Willink organized in 1805, as did Erie and Chau- tauque. The first town officers of Willink, elected at a town meeting held at the house of Peter Vandeventer, were as follows:
Supervisor-Peter Vandeventer.
Town Clerk-Zerah Ensign.
Assessors- Asa Ransom, Aaron Beard, John J. Brown. Collector-Levi Felton.
Commissioners of Highways-Gad Warner, Charles Wilber, Samuel Hill, Jr.
Constables-John Dunn, and Julius Keyes.
Overseers of the Poor-Henry Ellsworth, and Otis Ingalls.
Pathmasters-Augustus Curtiss, Alexander Hopkins, Jedediah Riggs, James Degraw.
Pound Keepers and Fence Viewers-John Beemer, Asa Ransom, Peter Pratt, Lawson Eggleston.
The aggregate vote of the town of Willink at the annual elec- tion, in 1807, on the assembly ticket, was but 115.
35
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Asa Ransom, Daniel Chapin, Aaron Beard, Commissioners of excise of the town of Willink in 1807, certify that John Richard- son, Samuel Carr, Francis B. Drake, Peter Vandeventer, Thomas Clark, Charles Wilber, Ephraim Waldo, James Walsworth, Wil- liam Warren, and Levi Felton, were qualified "to keep an inn or a tavern."
The author has some reminiscences of early pioneer events derived from Samuel Slade, Esq. of Alden, which are made to apply to the town of Alden as at present organized, but which, on comparison with some cotemporary records, would seem rather to belong to that neighborhood, or region. Mr. Slade settled there in 1811. The pioneer of the region, the first settler, the one who raised the first wheat and set out the first orchard, was Moses Fenno, who was killed at Black Rock, on the morning of the burn- ing of Buffalo. Joseph Freeman, Arunah Hibbard, James Crocker, Samuel Huntington, Joseph Stickney, and William Dayton, were settlers previous to the war.
The first religious meetings were held at the house of Joseph Freeman. Elder Troup, was the first minister to conduct them. The Presbyterian church was founded by Father Spencer in 1813 or '14. The Methodists had a class in town previous to 1820. The first school was in 1815-kept by Mehetabel Esterbrooks, in a log school house, on the present site of Alden village. The first born, was a daughter of Arunah Hibbard. The first saw mill was built by John Rodgers, on the Eleven Mile creek, in 1813 or '14; he built a grist mill in 1817.
As late as 1811, the Cayuga creek road was impassable with teams, except in winter.
Mr. Slade says :- "The greatest difficulty the early settlers had to contend with, was bad roads. It used to take two days to go to Lancaster, (eight miles,) to mill; in times of drought, we used to have to go to Niagara Falls for our grinding. In the summer of 1817, this neighborhood suffered severely for the want of food; many families subsisted on milk and roots, for days and weeks." *
The Rev. Gleason Fillmore, of Clarence, was the first Methodist minister licensed upon the Holland Purchase. He located at Clarence in 1809, then in his 19th year, and soon after received
* In that year of scarcity, which has so frequently been alluded to, it was very common to shell out the berry of the wheat as soon as it was formed, boil, and eat it with milk.
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his license. From that period to the present, he has been engaged In the able and faithful discharge of duties that he took upon himself in his early wilderness advent. It is said of him, that he "labored for years, generally preaching two sermons every Sunday, alter- nating between the detached and scattered neighborhoods, attended the funerals of a wide region, and scarcely received as many dollars as he labored years."
The first Methodist missionaries that came upon the Holland Purchase, were the Revs. Peter Van Nest and Amos Jenks, in 1807, under the auspices of the Philadelphia conference. The first Methodist society, or church, was formed by Mr. Van Nest, in July, 1807, at the house of Jedediah Felton, Sen. at Clarence Hollow; it consisted of twelve members; Charles Knight was the first class leader. Of those twelve members, three yet survive, as does their founder, who is now a resident of the state of New Jersey. In 1807, there were forty-five members of the Methodist church west of Genesee river; in 1808, ninety-five.
A Methodist church was founded in Buffalo in 1809, by the Rev. James Mitchell, but it had no permanent organization. Elder Fill- more re-organized a church there in 1818, his primitive materials being only eight persons, who "called themselves Methodists, mostly transient and poor." In the month of January, 1818, how- ever, the society had erected a small church, twenty-five by thirty- five, on Pearl street, nearly opposite where the First Presbyterian church now stands. This was the first church erected in Buffalo. It was erected in forty-eight days. It is yet standing, and is used as a joiner's shop, on the east side of Franklin, between Niagara and Church streets.
Theodore C. Peters, of Darien, is the son of an early pioneer of that region-Joseph Peters, Esq. A short sketch he has obligingly furnished the author, affords a distinct glimpse of early times :-
" My father came to this town in 1808, and purchased the farm we now occupy near the village, or as I observe it is correctly designated on your map, 'the city.' I can well remember, though young at the time, the long journey the family made in their advent to the Purchase, from Litchfield county, Conn., on an ox sled, in the winter of 1810. There was a small colony of some eight or ten families, who came together. Arriving upon the Purchase, our new home was a log house, with a bark roof, its crevices chinked and mudded; no jambs, but a stone back against which the fire was
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made. The door was hung with wooden hinges; the floor was of hewed plank, and the hearth was the primitive mother earth. Around the house was a little opening in the forest of about five acres, and a log shed for the cattle.
" Of the hardships and privations of the early settlers, you can, and I hope have, spoken feelingly; for none of us who came upon the Purchase in that early day, can ever forget them, though sur- rounded by all the comforts and luxuries of the present time. I can well remember when an apple was an unfrequent luxury.
" The 'city' was named by an eccentric individual, when a tavern, blacksmith's shop and store was all it contained. 'Murder creek' took its name from the circumstance of my father and some of his neighbors finding a grave upon its banks. It was in a lonely place, and had been sometime made, as the body upon exhumation, was found much decomposed. The inference was, that some traveler had been decoyed and murdered."
The territory now comprising the county of Niagara, it will be seen by some sketches already given, was mostly a wilderness in the beginning of 1807; the few settlers in it were principally upon the Ridge road, on the Lewiston road, in Slayton's settlement, and on and near the Niagara river. During the five years preceding the war of 1812, settlers broke into the woods, all along upon the fine grade of land under the Mountain Ridge, along on the Lake shore, upon the Eighteen Mile creek, and in a few other localities.
The venerable Reuben Wilson, of the town of Wilson, is one of the few survivors of the early pioneers of Niagara. Identified with almost the entire history of the county; taking for a long series of years an active part in its concerns; his memory of events distinct and retentive; the author has derived from him a narrative which he prefers to give the reader pretty much in the language and manner of the narrator :-
"Emigrating from Massachusetts, I first settled in Canada, near Toronto, but remained there but three years. In April, 1810, I embarked with my family, consisting of a wife and five children, in company with John Eastman and his family, in a batteau, crossed the lake, and landed at the mouth of the Twelve Mile creek. Making a short stop at Niagara, I bought a few necessary articles, in all amounting to fifty cents; but small as was the outlay, it was my entire cash capital. Two cows that had been driven around the head of the lake, a few articles of household furniture, and a few farming tools, constituted the bulk of my worldly wealth. I took up one hundred and seventy acres of land, at $2,50 per acre, pay- ing nothing down, but agreeing to pay five per cent. in a few
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months .* There had come into this neighborhood a short time previous, (in what is now Wilson,) Stephen Sheldon, Robert Edmonds, and Dexter P. Sprague, (who afterwards went to Hart- land, ) and Robert Waterhouse. . Several families of the Mays and Finches, were in before the war. [Mr. Wilson mentions the names of the settlers along on lake shore, some of whom, have already been noticed. Those that have not, who were settlers previous to the war, were the families of the Wisners and Albrights, since widely known as enterprising and successful farmers; James M'Kenney, Zebulon Coates, Benjamin Halsted, Joseph Pease, Samuel Crossman, John Brewer. Geo. Ash, Jr. Peter, Hopkins, David Porter. ]
When I came in, there was scarcely an acre of ground cleared in what is now Wilson. There was no road up and down the lake. In the fall of 1811, there was a road opened from fort Niagara to Somerset; it was generally along the lake shore, though deviating at the streams; at its termination, a foot path continued on to Johnson's creek on Ridge Road.
In 1811, I was honored with the office of Constable, of the town of Cambria. It was a very easy station, no precept being put into my hands during the year. The first year after I came in, I had my provisions to procure from Canada; the second year, I raised my own; at the end of two years, had fifteen acres of improvement. When I first began to raise grain, I had to go across to Port Hope and Hamilton for my grinding. Even after mills were built upon the Purchase, it was easier to go across the lake, than to travel the new roads. My first seventy acres of improvement was made pretty much with my own hands; after that, my sons were old enough to assist me.
Previous to the war, myself and neighbors did our trading at Niagara. Dr. Alvord, and Dr. Smith, of Lewiston, were our early physicians. We had no meetings or schools previous to the war; after it, and up to 1820, we had but occasional preaching in the neighborhood, by missionaries. We organized a school in 1815; built a log school house; Dr. Warner was our first teacher. He was both school teacher and physician. Our school commenced with only 12 or 15 scholars. A saw mill was built in 1815, at the mouth of the Twelve, by Daniel Sheldon and Joshua Williams. I purchased the property in 1816, and built a grist mill in 1825. The first saw mill north of the Ridge, in Niagara, was built by Judge Van Horn, in 1811, and he built the first grist mill in the same year.
The war created a demand for any produce we had to sell, while it continued. In 1816 and '17, the seasons were unpropitious. In
* This condition, it is presumed, was waived, as in numerous other instances. There is an entry upon the contract book, dated Jan. 10th, 1811, in which it is noted that Mr. Wilson had a house built and ten acres cleared. Such an earnest of permanent settle . ment as this was, usually obviated any failure to meet payments.
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1818 we had good erops, and the courage of the new settlers was revived, after a long period of gloom and depression, of struggling against formidable difficulties. When we began to have surplus produce, it was mostly needed by the new settlers that came in. For any thing we had to send off, Montreal was our market until the Erie Canal was finished. There was in all this region, a stop put to settlement and improvement during the war; more left the country, by far, than came in."
The remainder of the narrative that Mr. Wilson has furnished the author, has reference principally to the events of the war of 1812, and will be used in that connection. The town, (as will be inferred,) takes its name from the early and enterprising pioneer. He was its Supervisor, on its first organization, and continued to be, for eighteen ycars. He is now 71 years old, but so little broken with age and a life of toil, that he is often in his fields, laboring at whatever his hands find to do. He has been the father of fourteen children, but five of whom survive; they are sons, and heads of families; all residing in Wilson. His son Luther Wilson, Esq. is the patroon of the rural and flourishing village of Wilson, has been for many years, prominently connected with lake commerce; a miller and a merchant; and one of the principal founders of a successful and flourishing literary institution-the Wilson Colle- giate Institute.
The Holland Purchase has been a region of successful enterprise; affording every where, examples of the triumphs of industry and perseverance, over obstacles formidable as any that were ever encountered in a new country; but nowhere is the contrast between the past and the present, more striking, than in the town of Wilson. Less than forty years since, the prominent founder of settlement there, made his advent into the wilderness, built his log cabin, and commenced making an opening in the forest; poor, as will have been seen; his last shilling expended; a wife and young children dependent upon the labor of his hands; a rugged soil to be subdued and paid for. Disease was encountered, at times, converting his humble primitive cabin into a hospital in the wilderness; his scat- tered neighbors perhaps equally afflicted. Soon there was added to the sufferings and privations of pioncer life, war, with all its horrors, in near proximity; and ultimately its scourges laid waste almost his entire neighborhood. Then followed cold and unpropi- tious seasons. There was ten long years of patient endurance before any " good time" came, or even partial prosperity was
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realized :- So much for the past. The present is the reverse of all this. The early pioncer is drawing toward the close of a life of industry and usefulness, surrounded by all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life; all is prosperous with him and about him; a succession of finely cultivated fields, of orchards, and more than comfortable farm houses, have taken the place of the dense forest, where there was but " half. an acre cleared" when he first entered it; a smiling rural village-with dwellings, stores, and public edifices that would grace a place of more pretensions-has grown up on his early possessions. All this has necessarily partaken much of individual relation; but it is a sketch of life upon the Hol- land Purchase-its early difficulties and endurances, and its triumphs.
Judge Van Horn, whose name has been introduced in connection with the first mills north of the Ridge, still survives. He was not only one of the founders of settlement, but has been, for a long series of years, a prominent and useful citizen; the frequent incum- bent of town and county offices. In his old age. he is surrounded by the fruits of his early toils; has a numerous circle of descen- dants; and enjoys in an eminent degree the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens.
In the neighborhood of Lockport, the prominent pioncer settlers were Daniel Pomeroy, the Weavers, Daniel Alvord, the Wake- mans, Webster Thorn, Daniel Smith, Stephen Hoag, Jacob Loucks, Lyman Liscomb, Messrs. Norton and Williams, the Harringtons, John Smith and brother, James Conkey, Nathan B. Rodgers, Jonathan Rummery, Joseph Otis, Eseck Brown, John Comstock, Isaac Titus, Isaac Mace, Christopher Freeborn, Nathan Comstock, John Ingalls, Alexander Freeman, David Carlton, Coonrod Keyser, Francis Brown, Deacon Crocker, Zeno Comstock, Asahel Smith, Reuben Haines, Jesse P. Haines. These constituted nearly all the settlers in that region, (except the few families that have been named in an earlier connection,) before the canal was located and Lockport village commenced. There was not six hundred acres of land cleared in the four square miles of which Lockport is the centre, before the canal was located; not one hundred on what is now embraced in the village corporation. In 1820, there was no framed house or barn within five miles of Lockport.
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