USA > New York > Pioneer history of the Holland Purchase of western New York : embracing some account of the ancient remains > Part 59
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69
The territory north of the central district and south of the steep which causes the falls of Niagara, including the vallies or plains of the Buffalo and Tonawanda creeks, and the head waters of the Oak Orchard, forms another district the face of which although some- what rolling, is comparatively level, and as a whole, forms a glade of upland heavily timbered with beech, sugar maple, white oak, elm, whitewood, basswood, chestnut, cherry, white ash and hemlock, although it contains some districts of openings, thinly occupied by shrubby oaks and some of swamps and swales, timbered with black ash, white cedar and other lowland timber, of which the chief is Tonawanda swamp stretching itself in a kind of broken chain from near the Niagara river, two or three miles north of the mouth
573
HOLLAND PURCHASE.
of Tonawanda creek in an eastern direction to the Genesee river, south of Rochester, where it is called "black creek swamp." This territory is not as well watered as the other districts described: the prevailing winds are from the south-west or rather south.of west from the surface of lake Erie, which renders the air pure and salu- brious. This is a limestone district: the soil in general, is a calca- rious gravelly or sandy loam, covered generally with rich vegetable mould, and casily cultivated; it produces in great abundance, grains of the various kinds, wheat, rye, corn, oats, barley, &c. including all the different kinds of grain, esculent roots, melons and other vegetable productions of Western New York. The climate is milder, and the summer season continues longer, exempt from frosts than in the more southern distriets of the Purchase, on account of its less elevated situation, and its contiguity to the lakes. The soil and climate combined renders this district very productive in almost all the fruits raised in the temperate zone, among which, are apples. pears, cherries, peaches, apricots, plums and grapes of various kinds; perhaps the productions of the soil in no country on earth yield a greater variety and at the same time so great an abundance of the substantials, delicacies and luxuries for food and refreshment as this territory.
The territory lying north of the Niagara steep, forms the lower plateau of the Purchase. This district is poorly watered, when compared with the southern and middle districts, although it has many fine streams passing through it, emptying into lake Ontario. These are the main bodies of the Eighteen, of Lake Ontario, and Oak Orchard ereeks, the Four Mile, Twelve Mile, Golden Hill, Johnson's, Otter, and Marsh erceks, and the head waters of a branch of Sandy creek. This district is divided near its centre by the Ridge Road running through it in an eastern and western direc- tion. The face of the country is apparently level, although it gradually descends to the north towards lake Ontario. South of the Ridge Road the soil is gravelly loam, interspersed with consider- able tracts of alluvion near the Niagara steep. The soil on the north side of the Ridge Road is of a lighter loam than on the south. The timber on this tract, is beech, sugar maple, white oak, black walnut, elm, whitewood, basswood, white ash, and hemlock; black walnut abounds the most on the south side of the Ridge Road, and white oak the most on the north. Although there is no limestone north of the Niagara steep, or mountain ridge, that the soil is cal-
574
HISTORY OF THE
carious, that is, impregnated with lime, is fully proved by the large crops of plump and perfect wheat produced on this plateau. The productions of the soil, and the climate, are so similar to those of the second or upper plateau, that an enumeration of their items, and statement of their qualities would be a mere repetition. If any distinction was to be made, it might be alledged that the pro- ductions of the soil on the lower plateau are not quite so diversified, and that the climate is more mild and uniform than on the upper. For the productions of the several portions or districts of the territory, as experimentally ascertained, both as to kind and quan- tity, see statistics of the several counties accompanying the maps.
GENESEE COUNTY
This having been the Pioneer county, or rather the old hive from which counties have swarmed, a sketch of its organization has occurred in the course of our narrative. It remains but to add some statistics-such as it is intended shall accompany the map of each county-which taken collectively, will in a distinct form, enable the reader to ascertain the population and vast resources of the Holland Purchase in 1845; and to estimate them, by a ratio of increase, in 1849. The district of country embraced in the Holland Purchase, may date the commencement of its settlement, in 1799. Upon a comparison of the statistics that will be given, with those of other portions of the United States, it will be found, that no where, has there been as much consummated in a half century, in population, resources, wealth and improvement; and that too, as will have been seen, under early disadvantages, such as have no where been exceeded: -
That part of the county of Genesee included within the Holland Purchase, lies principally on the second terrace, although the south part occupies a portion of the central district as described in the topography of the Purchase. It contains about 219,520 acres of land, 127,508 acres of which were under cultivation in 1845, according to the state census of that year. It then contained a population of 9,660 males, of whom 4,221 were entitled to vote; and 9,100 females; 5,155 were children between 5 and 16 years of age, and 49 were persons of color. The year preceding, (1844,) the territory produced 416,000 bushels of wheat, 53,623 of barley,
575
HOLLAND PURCHASE.
135,344 of corn, 908 of rye, 285,131 of oats, 14,696 of buckwheat, 3,063 of beans, 46,550 of peas, 226,946 of potatoes and 4,627 pounds of flax. It then contained 17,306 head of neat cattle, 7,929 cows, from which 687,582 pounds of butter and 216,613 pounds of cheese were made the preceding year; 6,510 horses, 98,024 sheep, 16 churches, 3 academies, 1 female seminary, 120 common schools, 18 grist-mills, 40 saw-mills, 36 clergymen, 18 attornies and 31 physicians.
[For soil. climate, timber &c. of each county, IF see topography of the Holland Purchase. ]
ERIE COUNTY.
The old county of Niagara, of which Buffalo was the county site and from which Erie county was erected in 1821, was organized in 1808. The first courts were held at the public house of Joseph Landon, in Buffalo, in June of that year. Augustus Porter was the first Judge, Erastus Granger, Zattu Cushing, James Brooks, Martin Pendergast, Judges .* Asa Ransom was the first Sheriff, Louis Le Couteulx the first Clerk. The Court House and Jail, were completed in 1810 by the Holland Company. The Court House was burned in the year 1813 when Buffalo was captured and burned, and rebuilt soon after the war. The Jail was fired, but not materially injured.
The attornies of Niagara, (Erie,) at the period of its first organ- ization, were: -- Ebenezer Walden, Jonas Harrison, Truman Smith, John Root, Heman B. Potter, Alvin Sharpe, Bates Cooke, Philo Andrus.
These are all that are recollected as practicing attornies before the war; in the first few years after the war there was added to the list, William Hotchkiss, Albert H. Tracy, Thomas C. Love, Ebene- zer F. Norton, Joseph W. Moulton, James Sheldon, Samuel Caldwell Benjamin C. Chaplin, W. A. Moseley .- Messrs. Potter and Walden are the only survivors of the earliest Attornies. Judge Walden is now 69 years of age; retired from practice, but yet active, exhib- iting less of mental and physical infirmity, than usual, at his advanced age; superintending as yet, the business appertaining to
* The author failing to avail himself of the records of the primitive organization of Niagara, (Erie, ) has been obliged to rely upon the memory of those who had cognizance of early events. Silas Hopkins, and Archibald S. Clarke, were early Judges, and may have been when the courts were first organized.
37
576
HISTORY OF THE
a large estate. Gen. Potter, though his early cotemporary, is by some years his junior; his personal appearance would hardly indi- cate that he was one of the pioneer lawyers of the Holland Purchase.
Erie county lies about one half, the north, on the second plateau, and the other, on the central district as designated in the topography of the Purchase. It contains about 610,600 acres of land, 224,196 acres of which were under cultivation in 1845 according to the state census of that year. It then contained a population of 41,208 males, of whom 14,631 were entitled to vote, and 37,427 females; 20,240 were children between 5 and 16 years of age, and 847 persons of color. The year preceding (1845,) the territory produced 251, 781 bushels of wheat, 40,485 of barley, 238,293 of corn, 11,007 of rye, 637,513 of oats, 31,592 of buckwheat, 4,636 of beans, 51.401 of peas, 552,091 of potatoes, 17,899 of turnips, and 36,819 pounds of flax. It then contained 57,506 neat cattle, 26,809 milch cows, from which 1,728,021 pounds of butter and 1,288,780 pounds of cheese were made the preceding year; 148,732 sheep, 93 churches, 3 academies, 1 female seminary, 285 common schools, 45 grist-mills, 209 saw-mills, 125 Clergymen, 103 attornies, and 139 physicians.
CHAUTAUQUE COUNTY .*
Chautauque county was taken from Genesee in 1808. At that period, the population not being sufficient to entitle it to a separate organization, it remained a part of Genesee until 1811; though the location of the county buildings at Mayville, was made soon after the division of counties occurred. The commissioners for fixing upon the county site, were, Jonas Williams, Isaac Sutherland, and Asa Ransom. The record they made of the manner they liad discharged their duties, describes in general terms the spot they had designated, and that there should be no mistake in identifying it, they add that they have "erected a large hemlock post."
In the final organization of the county, in 1811, Zattu Cushing was appointed first Judge, Matthew Pendergast, Philo Orton, Jonathan Thompson, and William Alexander, associate Judges; David Eason, Sheriff, and John E. Marshall, Clerk. The first Court
*Or, " Ja-da-queh;" as the author entertains the hope that the empire agricultural county of the Holland Purchase, in the course of its rapid improvements, will improve its name, by adopting the preferable one, which would better correspond with Indian tradition.
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of Common Pleas was held at Mayville, in June, 1811. The Attornies then residing in the county and admitted to practice, were, Messrs. Patton and Brackett, Jacob Houghton, Daniel G. Garnsey, Caspar Rouse, and Anselm Potter. Rouse emigrated to Missouri where he was killed in an affray; Brackett was killed at the capture of Buffalo, in the war of 1812. Messrs. Houghton and Garnsey are the only survivors, of the earliest members of the bar of Chatauque. James Mullett was a resident of the county in-1811; a clerk in the pioneer store of Gen. Risley. He afterwards studied law in the office of J. Houghton, Esq. was admitted to practice; is now one of the Judges of the Supreme Court.
Gen. Leverett Barker, was foreman of the first Grand Jury. He was also the first tanner and currier in the county; and at a later period the founder of the flourishing village of Versailles, on the Cattaraugus creek. He died in 1847.
Chautauque county lies between the dividing ridge and lake Erie, on the dividing ridge and in the valley of Allegany. It contains about 668,200 acres of land, 252,784 acres of which were under cultivation in 1845, according to the state census of that year. It then contained a population of 23,453 males, of whom 10,159 were entitled to vote, and 23,095 females; 129 persons of color, and 9,552 children between 5 and 16 years of age. The year prece- ding (1844) the territory produced 268,261 bushels of wheat, 32,833 of barley, 313,121 of corn, 3,158 of rye, 448,835 of oats, 20,000 of buckwheat, 3,183 of beans, 28,746 of peas, 6,816,869 of pota- toes, 22,143 of turnips and 129,749 pounds of flax. It then con- tained 66,885 neat cattle, 25,024 cows, from which 2,130,303 pounds of butter, and 974,474 pounds of cheese were made the preceding year; 10,506 horses, 235,403 sheep, 73 churches, 4 academies, 307 common schools, 43 grist mills, 206 saw mills, 106 clergymen, 61 attornies and 90 physicians.
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CATTARAUGUS COUNTY.
The county of Cattaraugus, although set off as a separate county in the act of 1808, had no separate organization until 1817. Up to this period, it was merged with the old county of Niagara.
The first term of the courts was held at Hamilton, (Olean,) in July, 1817. The bench, at that period, consisted of Timothy H. Porter, first Judge; James Brooks, Ashbel Freeman, Francis Green, Judges. Israel Curtiss was the first Sheriff of the county; Daniel Cruger the first District Attorney; Sands Boughton the first Clerk.
The same commissioners who located the county site of Chau- tauque, in 1808, located the county site of Cattaraugus the same year, at Ellicottville. It would seem that, as in the first instance, they were obliged to erect a land mark. They certify in refer- ence to Ellicottville, that they "erected a large iron-wood post" to designate the spot. A Court House and Jail were erected soon after the organization of the county, which were burned in 1829; but immediately rebuilt. The Court House is of briek, two stories high, forty feet square; there is a stone Jail, and brick Clerk's office. An ample Public Square was donated by the Holland Company.
Mr. Schoolcraft, in reference to the constant succession of hills and dales in Cattaraugus, says, they resemble "a piece of rumpled calico." The reader may imagine Ellicottville as occupying one of the deepest indentations, or "rumples." The location is pictur- esque in the extreme; and the scenery of the village and its neigh- borhood, would be a fine subject for the pencil of the artist. An interval of about half a mile in width, upon the Great Valley creek, furnishes a beautiful village site; but it is hemmed in with hills whose altitudes would well entitle them to be called moun- tains. It is a village hid away in one of the deep gorges of that region; and yet a happy and contented population have found it, and are making it a pleasant abiding place; in the way of business, a brisk and large participator in the progress and improvement of the southern portion of the Holland Purchase. The sojourner there, who sees high elevations upon cither hand, is astonished when told that he is over fifteen hundred feet above tide-water; though he feels that he is breathing pure air, and that he is in a bracing and healthy atmosphere.
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and on the dividing ridge; it includes the whole of the sterile tract south of the Allegany river, described in the topography of the Purchase. It contains about 852,500 acres of land, 157,442 acres of which were under cultivation in 1845, according to the state census of that year. It then contained a population of 15,447 males, of whom 6,588 were entitled to vote; 14,692 females; 69 persons of color; 8,945 children between five and sixteen years of age. The year preceding, (1844,) the territory produced 177,927 bushels of wheat, 13,671 of barley, 96,540 of corn, 934 of rye, 459,770 of oats, 24,026 of buckwheat, 1,830 of beans, 18,370 of peas, 506,919 of potatoes, 20,813 of turnips, and 42,886 pounds of flax. It then contained 45,256 neat cattle, 15,582 cows, from which 1,284,635 pounds of butter and 567,867 pounds of cheese were made the preceeding year; 6,908 horses, 103,780 sheep, 30 churches, 220 common schools, 24 grist mills, 144 saw mills, 67 clergymen, 28 attornies, and 46 physicians.
ALLEGANY COUNTY.
Allegany county was taken from Genesee in 1806. That part of the county included within the Holland Purchase, lies in that district called the Valley of the Allegany, although some of its waters pass into Genesee river. It contains about 276,500 acres of land, 75,457 acres of which were under cultivation in 1845, according to the state census of that year. It then contained a population of 7,560 males, of whom 3,347 were entitled to vote, 7,429 females; 4,410 were children between 5 and 16 years of age, and 56 persons of color. The year preceding, (1844) the territory produced' 251,781 bushels of wheat, (mostly spring wheat,) 7,008 of barley, 42,103 of corn, 629 of rye, 173,473 of oats, 16,936 of buckwheat, 591 of beans, 16,799 of peas, 212,206 of potatoes, 6,574 of turneps, and 38,820 pounds of flax. It then contained 19,859 head of neat cattle, 8,11Ì milch cows, from which 584,204 pounds of butter and 310,935 pounds of cheese were made the preceding year; 3,793 horses, 56,878 sheep, 22 churches, 113 com- mon schools; 15 grist mills, 118 saw mills, 45 clergymen, 15 attor- nies. and 32 physicians.
580
HISTORY OF THE
WYOMING COUNTY.
Wyoming county was erected from Genesee in 1841. The courts were organized at a public house at East Orangeville, in June, of the same year. The commissioners named in the act of division, for locating the county site, were, Davis Hurd, John Thompson, and Peter R. Reed. They decided in favor of Warsaw; East Orangeville and Weathersfield springs were both competitors for the location. The act organizing the county, authorised the comptroller to loan to it ten thousand dollars for the erection of public buildings. The building commissioners, were, John A. M' Elwaine, Paul Richards, Jonathan Perry. Trumbull Cary, Esq. of Batavia, gave to the county an ample public square, upon which were erected a neat and commodious briek Court House, Jail and Clerk's office. The Court House was completed in 1842; previous to that however, the courts had been removed from Orangeville, and held in the Masonic Hall in the village of Warsaw. The primitive Judges of the county were as follows :- Paul Richards, First Judge, James Sprague, Peter Patterson, Joseph Johnson. W. Riley Smith was the first District Attorney; N. Wolcott, the first clerk; W. R. Groger, the first Sheriff. Upon motion of Isaac N. Stoddard, at the opening of the first Court in Orangeville, the fol- lowing attornies, most of whom, if not all, were residents of the county, were admitted to practice :- John B. Skinner, James J. Petit, Harvey Putnam, Lewis W. Pray, Moulton Farnham, F. C. D. M'Kay, William Mitchell, Linus W. Thayer, Leverett Spring, James R. Doolittle, Levi Gibbs, Miles Moffitt, Harley F. Smith, W. Riley Smith, Isaac N. Stoddard.
Some sketches of the pioneer settlement of Warsaw, have already been given. An early and for a long period, a prominent citizen of the Holland Purchase-Judge Simeon Cummings of Batavia - became identified with the village soon after the war of 1812. He became proprietor, by purchase from Judge Webster, of forty acres of what constitutes the north-west portion of the village, including the principal water power. He built a grist mill and an oil mill in 1817. In 1819, the Hon. Trumbull Cary, of Batavia, became the proprietor of the property. Descriptions of things as they now are, are not within the province of pioneer history; but, lest the reader should have never wandered from the main east and west thoroughfares of the Holland Purchase, and witnessed the progress
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and improvement in the southern portion of it, he may be assured that he will seldom see a more pleasant rural village, than is the county site of Wyoming; or one which gives better indications of the thrift and prosperity of the country that surrounds it. The public edifices are neat and substantial; the private dwellings have about them the indication of comfort, convenience, economy and good taste. Gen. M' Elwaine, long identified with the prosperity of the place, is the landlord of a public house there, of which he was the founder, which well deserves a rank with the first class hotels of Western New York.
That part of the county of Wyoming included within the Holland Purchase, lies principally in the central district, as described in the topography of the Purchase. It contains about 311,040 acres of land, 156,246 acres of which were under cultivation in 1845, accord- ing to the state census of that year. It then contained a population of 11,925 males, of whom 4,331 were entitled to vote, 11,761 females; 6,941 were children between 5 and 16 years of age, and 40 persons of color. The year preceding, (1844) the territory produced 164,131 bushels of wheat, 33,096 of barley, 65,808 of corn, 778 of rye, 471,688 of oats, 21,067 of buckwheat, 2,387 of beans, 30,950 of peas, 381,064 of potatoes, 12,458 of turnips and 123,218 pounds of flax. It then contained 32,003 head of neat cattle, 12,706 milch cows, from which 571,588 pounds of butter and 732,004 pounds of cheese were made the preceding year; 6,330 horses, 140,342 sheep, 46 churches, 2 academies, 154 common schools, 29 grist mills, 64 saw mills, 57 clergymen, 33 attornies and 42 physicians.
ORLEANS COUNTY.
The county of Orleans was erected from Genesee, in 1824. The first courts were organized in June, 1825, at the house of Selah Bronson, in the village of Gaines. The bench of the county at that period, consisted of Elijah Foot, First Judge; S. M. Moody, Cyrus Harwood, Eldridge Farwell, William Penniman, Judges. The early attornies of the county, were Henry R. Curtiss, Alexis Ward, George W. Flemming, Seymour Tracy, Orange Butler, A. Hyde Cole, W. W. Ruggles, Cyrus Harwood, W. S. Moody. William Lewis was the first Sheriff of the county, Orson Nichoson the first Clerk, and Orange Butler the first District Attorney.
582
HISTORY OF THE
The aggregate vote of the county, at the first election, in 1825, was 1,702.
The site was located at Albion in 1825, upon lands conveyed for that purpose, by Nehemiah Ingersoll. The village of Gaines was the only competitor for the location.
That part of the county of Orleans included within the Holland Purchase, lies principally on the first or lower plateau, the south part-being nearly one-third-lying on the second or upper pla- teau, as described in the topography of the Purchase. It contains about 195,840 acres of land, 102,924 acres of which were under cultivation in 1845, according to the state census of that year. It then contained a population of 9,858 males, of whom 4,341 were entitled to vote, and 9,714 females; 5,569 were children between 5 and 16 years of age, and 63 were persons of color. The year preceding, (1844) the territory produced 528,961 bushels of wheat, 14,593 of barley, 16,060 of corn, 40 of rye, 183,656 of oats, 6,062 of buckwheat, 2,560 of beans, 37,885 of peas, 215,626 of potatoes, 8,682 of turneps, and 12,330 pounds of flax. It then contained 14,992 head of neat cattle, 8,273 cows, from which 571,588 pounds of butter and 174,721 pounds of cheese were made the preceding ycar; 6,897 horses, 68,358 sheep, 33 churches, 3 academies, 1 female seminary, 100 common schools, 17 grist mills, 43 saw mills, 47 clergyman, 26 attornies, and 43 physicians.
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