USA > New York > Niagara County > Souvenir history of Niagara County, New York : commemorative of the 25th anniversary of the Pioneer Association of Niagara County > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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
While underneath them, a great lot of wood, In winter time, gave heat, and cooked the food; And round before it, as the children grew,
They learned to laugh and weep-the same as you ;-
O, I see, as I saw, long years ago,
When the world was pictured, with boyhood's glow, Those noble pioneers ;- and be it mine,
To lay one, small wreath, to the memory's shrine !
O, yes! before me today, seem to stand
Those men and women, a courageous band,
Who braved the trials of wilderness life, And labored unceasing through years of strife,
To clear up the forest and build the home
Upon which rests safely, proud freedom's dome!
And have left deeds on the records of time ;
Deeds that shall blazon in story and song, When we shall have passed with the unseen throng, To that other land, where pioneers rest In the care of Him who loved them best. Hail then ; let's all hail, this pioneer day.
The memory of those who carved their way,
Over unbridged stream, and through forest deep, And freedom's altar fire left us to keep.
Town of Dartland.
BY ESEK ALDRICH.
ARTLAND was formed from Cambria, June I, 1812, and at that time contained the towns of Roy- alton, Somerset and a part of Newfane. It is the central town upon the eastern border of the coun- ty, an inland town, the only one in the county un- touched by water craft or railway transportation. The
ESEK ALDRICII.
Ridge Road passes through the south half of the town. The soil south of the ridge consists of a mixture of clay loam and gravel and is quite uniform and fairly productive. The soil north of the Ridge Road is not so uniform; in many portions a light sandy soil prevails; a heavier soil with con-
94
SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
siderable clay and cobble stone is the feature of other por- tions. The northern portion of the town is mostly of a muck soil, very productive. In a state of nature it consisted of black ash swamps, alder swamps, huckleberry swamps, the cranberry and tamarack swamps. But a comparatively few years ago this whole region, known as the north woods, was considered quite worthless. Ample drainage. of which the Big Ditch is the main artery, has made this great change possible.
It is said that change is written upon everything. A retrospect back to the days of the writer's earliest recollec- tion proves the saying true so far as the town of Hartland is concerned, when forest was the rule and field the exception ; and the highways, except the Ridge Road, were literally mortar beds a great portion of the year. But forests were soon forced farther and farther back by the continual swing of the woodman's axe, and Buck and Broad hauled the logs which the pioneer, with handspike, rolled into larger heaps which the fire soon consumed, and thus the fields fast gained upon the forest. The thrifty crops soon hid the stumps and the pioneer was encouraged.
EARLY SETTLERS.
The first settlement in the town was made in 1803 by John and David Morrison, Zebulun Barnum, Oliver Castle, Jedediah Riggs, Isaac Southwell and Daniel Brown. The first inn was opened by Jephtha Dunn in 1809; the first store by Daniel Van Horn in 1816; the first school was taught by Nancy Judson, sister of the late George Judson, in 1813. Dr. Butterfield, Dr. Reynolds and Dr. Craine were the pioneer physicians in town. Later on and up to 1815 and 1816 there were many new comers, among whom may be mentioned Deacon James Edmonds, Henry Taylor and his brothers Christopher and Jacob ; John Secor, James Shaw, Daniel Chaplain, E. B. Seeley, Benjamin Cornell, B. H. Benson, Elijah French, Thomas F. Stewart, Dexter P. Sprague, Col. Richard Weaver, Samuel B. Morehouse, Levi Hall, Christopher H. Skeels, Daniel Seaman, John Mudge, Jesse Aldrich, Joseph Birdsall and several sons grown to manhood. And still later on other arrivals settled in differ- ent parts of the town and assisted in subduing the wilds, viz: the Rickfords, Harringtons, Darlings, Kittridges and Samuel Gladding. The Vokes, Braileys and Gills settled on the road running north of Hartland Corners and were im- portant factors in developing that uninviting locality, trans- forming it into pleasant and productive farms. Mi- chael Robson, early in the history of our town, came from England, and located about one-half mile southeast of Johnson Creek, developed a beautiful farm, upon which he died at the ripe age of 96 years, leaving many worthy de- scendants, two of whom, Mrs. Eliza Garbut and Mrs. Ella Wilcox, granddaughters, are now living upon the old home- stead.
Platt Betts, whose father moved to Canada in 1822 from Otsego County, New York, was born in the town of Whitby, Canada, April 23, 1825 ; came to Hartland in 1836; married Caroline Bradley, raised a large family ; now all married and living in various and distant parts of our county, leaving the aged couple as lonely as when they commenced married life.
DESCENDANTS OF THE PIONEERS.
A present census would not show a very great number of the descendants of those early pioneers now living in the town. Many have removed to different and distant parts of our country, but a great majority of them have gone to that bourne from which no traveler returns. To mention some of such survivors we notice George B. Taylor and Abram
Taylor and Sarah Chase and Caroline Boyd, sons and daugh- ters of Henry Taylor; Lovina Smith, daughter of Christo- pher H. Skeels, now living on the farm her father left her; William and Sarah Chase and Caroline Boyd, sons and daughters of Henry Taylor; Lavina Smith, daughter of Christopher H. Seaman, on the farm his father settled upon ; Seward Mudge, grandson, and Dr. Murry Mudge, great grandson, of the pioneer John Mudge. Dr. Mudge recently located at Johnson Creek and commenced the practice of medicine, and apparently is getting his share of patronage. Aaron and Henry Bickford are the representatives of the Bickford pioneers. They are both thrifty farmers and the latter a veteran of the war of the sixties, serving out a three years' enlistment and then re-enlisting and serving to the finish. Philena F. Clark, now living on the farm formally owned by her grandfather, James Edmonds; R. R. Weaver, son of Col. Weaver: John Gill, now living in the vicinity of Johnson Creek, is the principal representative of the Gill pioneers ; Jesse A. Gladding, son of Samuel Gladding; Asa P. and Esek Aldrich, sons of Jesse Aldrich, who in 1816 lo- cated upon 200 acres of land on what is known as the Quaker Road. He raised a large family of children and taught school fourteen terms, although his school days consisted of only a few months; by common consent occupied the head of the high seat at Quaker meetings; died at the exact age of eighty-eight years. Mary Brownell, daughter of Jesse Birdsall, is probably the oldest person living who was born in this town. She was born in a house without doors or windows and cradled in half of a hollow log. She is in her eighty-seventh year. Her mind remains sound and clear, although her "head is bending low." She yet goes several miles to attend religious service at the Quaker Church, of which society she has been a member from her birth. Frank B. Seeley, a veteran of the Civil War, was a son of the early pioneer, Ebenezer Seeley; Louisa Bennett, daughter of John Secor ; Amos Castle, son of Oliver Castle ; George Martin, living near the village of Middleport, a thorough and successful farmer, son of Richard Martin, who was living in Canada at the time of the declaration of war in 1812. Having greater respect and love for the American eagle than for the British lion he took his wife with him in a small skiff and crossed Lake Ontario at great peril. He finally settled two miles north of Johnson Creek village and was long known as one of the prominent farmers in the town. His form was straight as an arrow and he lived well into the sixties before yielding to Old King Time.
TOWN OFFICERS.
The first town meeting for the election of town officers in the town of Hartland was held in the barn of Enoch Hitchcock on April 7, 1812, at which time the following persons were elected: Supervisor, Ephraim Waldo; Town Clerk, William Smith; Assessors, Samuel Jenks, Harry Els- worth, David Weasner; Highway Commissioners, John Dunn, John Bates, Benjamin Wakeman; Collector, Amos Brownson; Overseers of the Poor, James Lyman, Stephen Wakeman; Constable, Amos Brownson.
The following is a list of persons who have represented the town on the Board of Supervisors more or less terms : Ephraim Waldo, James Lyman, Dexter P. Sprague, Asahel Johnson, James Wisner, Smith Darling, Daniel Van Horn, Frankling Butterfield, Christopher H. Skeels, Daniel Chap- lain, James C. Lewis, Daniel Seaman, John Dunigan, A. H. Jameson, George L. Angevine, William Wheeler, T. A. Wright, Linus Spalding, Curtis Root, William Morgan, Thomas Brown, E. O. Seaman, John L. Beardsley, George
95
SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
WM. SEAMAN.
JAY S. ROWE.
JOHN GILL.
CALVIN U. SMITH,
SYLVESTER G. ROOT.
96
SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
B. Taylor, John L. Chase, James Allen, Abram Taylor, Jay S. Rowe, F. R. Montgomery and the present incumbent, Myron Silsby.
The Second Assembly District of Niagara County has been represented four terms in the State Assembly by citi- zens of Hartland, the late Hon. William Morgan serving two terms and Hon. Jay S. Rowe two terms. Esek Aldrich and Fred J. Swift each served two terms as School Commis- sioner.
TOWN MAGISTRATES.
A full catalogue of town magistrates is hardly admis- sible in a brief sketch of town history, but as Justices of the Peace of early days may be mentioned C. H. Skeels, Daniel Seaman and Christopher H. Taylor. A peculiarity of Es- quire Skeel's officiating was that he rarely failed to induce the parties to settle their matters and part in friendship. He was admirably well qualified by nature to succeed in such undertakings. He never wished to try a case for what there was in it for him. Among others of later date who have held the office of Justice of the Peace may be mentioned Harry Harrington, Henry Warren, Horatio N. Hand, Jesse A. Gladding, Asa P. Aldrich, George B. Taylor, Gordon Rowe, Andrew Welsher, Solomon Richardson, Seward Mudge, George Bixler and George Clark.
Our rural lawyers or pettifoggers, or whatever appella- tion is more appropriate, have often had the regulars from town pitted against them in courts of special sessions, who found them to be "foemen worthy of their steel," among whom may be named Jesse A. Gladding, Frederick R. Mont- gomery, the late Sylvester Young and A. H. Jameson.
JOHNSON CREEK AND HARTLAND.
The villages of Johnson Creek and Hartland are the oldest settled places in town. In the early days the village of Hartland was called Morehouse's, from the fact that Samuel B. Morehouse built a large and commodious hotel here, and he was known throughout the land as an exceed- ingly live man. This hotel and the brick store at this place, for many years owned by Thomas F. Stewart, are no longer standing, both being devoured by the fiery element. There are now at this place two stores, blacksmith and wagon shop, Methodist Episcopal Church and school house. John- son Creek is a village of about 450 inhabitants. That part of the village east of the Creek road, and on the north side of the ridge, consists principally of the several portions taken from the farm of Henry Taylor, who located on this land June 16, 1816. The land on the south side of the road east of the creek was owned by Thomas F. Stewart, John Secor and others, and west of the creek by Stewart and others. The first frame house built at this place is now used by John L. Chase as a wagon house. It was built by Thomas F. Stewart. John Secor had a small grocery store as early as 1812. He also kept a tavern. Mr. Secor was a surveyor and a man of business generally. James and Daniel Van Horn opened a grocery and dry goods store in 1815. This firm was succeeded by George Reynolds in 1818. There are at present in this village two stores, one hotel, two blacksmith shops, two cooperages, tin shop, broom factory, church and school house and grist mill near by.
The first grist mill built in town was near where the Quaker Road crosses the Ridge Road. It consisted of a white oak stump sawed square off and dug out in the shape of a mortar. The pestle was worked by the aid of a spring pole. The larger grists were taken to Rochester, Niagara Falls or Schlosser.
GAME.
The wild game in those early days was quite plentiful, consisting of deers, bears, wolves, wildcats, foxes, coons, porcupines, woodchucks, skunks, white rabbits and the chattering black, gray and red squirrels. Among the birds the pigeon, quail and partridge were considered desirable game. In the reptile world the rattling massasauger was walloped to a finish without benefit of clergy. And now we have left the woodchuck and skunk, the little gray rabbit, an occasional red sqirrel and lots of Norway rats and mice.
The deer and the bear were mostly hunted to death. but very few of the wolves were ever captured; being fleet of foot and crafty, they preferred migration to annihilation. I recollect of only two being shot in town, although we had many wolf hunts, driving the woods with horns, bells, etc. The men on the runway would be a little too far one way or the other, or their rifles would miss fire. William Gilmore caught a very large one in a steel trap near the tamarack swamp on Quaker Road and kept him alive many days. When people called to see the wolf Mr. Gilmore's little boy would climb onto him and pull his mouth open to show his great teeth, the wolf submitting to all as quietly as the most docile pet. For two successive years a Tonawanda Indian went down into the north woods with bow and ar- rows and returned with large litters of little wolf whelps. On being asked why he did not take his gun and shoot the old one his answer was: "No more buppies." We have never heard of any wolves in town since the Indian's last cap- ture of "buppies." The last bear heard from in town was caught in a large steel trap by Jeremiah Webster, the trap being securely attached to a tree by a log chain. Mr. Web- ster on visiting his trap found a monster of the bruin family performing some wonderful feats of lofty and ground tum- bling with trap attached to his fore leg. Mr. Webster thought he would enjoy bruin's gymnastics awhile before dis- patching him, but soon a favorable position enabled the bear to withdraw his leg from the trap and disappear in the bush before Mr. Webster could get the drop on him. He said if an elephant had stepped on him he would not have felt any flatter.
THE OLD AND NEW.
How different the customs of the present time to those of earlier days in many respects. Notice the change in re- gard to wearing apparel. Formerly every farmer was the possessor of more or less sheep and would raise a quantity of flax, supposed to be sufficient to furnish summer clothing for the family. A minute description of the different processes by which the flax crop is made ready for the loom might be considered "too tagus to mention," as Pat said when asked in court to state the particulars in regard to the scrimmage when he got his face so badly battered. Suffice it to say that it is sown like other grain, harvested by pulling and binding in bundles, in the fall spread thinly in rows, upon the grass ground, when sufficiently rotted taken up, bound in bundles again, stored in the barn, in the spring men break it, hatchel it, swing it and hank it. It is now very much in the form of children's rag babies and is ready for the women who hatchel it through a finer toothed implement. The portion thus taken out is called tow and what is left is called flax. The flax is spun on the little wheel for warp and the tow is spun on the big wheel for filling. In passing through the loom it comes out what is called tow and linen cloth. The mothers knew how to wield the shears and ply the nee- dle, and presto, the boys were soon clad anew in pants, vests and skirtless roundabouts or sailor coats. Straw
SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
2.6
HARVEY E. ALLEN.
J. C. WATTS.
CHAS SEWARD,
FRANCIS A. GOULD
CHAS. F. ACKERSON.
JESSE A GLADDING.
98
SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
hats and cloth caps of home manufacture was the head gear for summer and winter. With the exceptions of card- ing the wool into rolls, pulling, dyeing and dressing or shear- ing the flannel, the work on winter clothing was generally done at home. The women wore calico and sunbonnets for summer and flannel dresses and hoods for winter. Of course there were some silks and leghorn bonnets, and some broadcloths and fur hats. Tramp shoemakers "whipped the cat," as it was called, going from house to house, butcher- ing leather and making ill-fitting foot gear, the girls' shoes often made of father's old boot legs, but they were new shoes all the same and the girls were happy. Yet it is a well known and gratifying fact that in this free land of ours many from such lowly and humble positions have attained to em- inence and world wide fame in the various professions, oc- cupations and lines of pursuit.
All that was taught in our pioneer schools was the three Rs and spelling; no class recitations except reading and spelling, yet the teacher was quite busily employed doing sums, mending goose quill pens and inflicting the penalties for broken laws or 'rules of school."
CHURCHES.
Religious service was quite generally held at the school houses, but in due time church edifices were erected that af- ford more than sufficient accommodation for all comers. There are six churches in town. The Baptist Church at Johnson Creek, the Quaker Church one mile west, the Methodist Episcopal Church at Hartland, another Metho- dist Episcopal at North Hartland, Protestant Methodist on Quaker Road and St. Patrick's Church on Quaker Road near the north town line.
THE RED MEN.
There is sufficient evidence to show that the Red man was here long before our pioneer days. The imperishable flint arrow heads, implements of war and the chase, are found in many places in town. About one and a half miles southwest of Johnson Creek village on the Castle farm once existed an ancient circular earthwork about twenty rods in diameter, evidently for defensive purposes. Its walls were about three feet high, upon which were trees as large as those in the surrounding forest. Upon plowing and tilling the land occupied by this fortification arrow heads and other relics were found in abundance.
The town of Hartland at date is generally considered fairly productive, well fruited, the inhabitants well housed, well clad, well fed and are comparatively happy, each seek- ing his own rather than his neighbor's welfare more gener- ally than in pioneer days.
Town of IRoyalton.
BY CAPT. C. V. MESLER AND MISS MAY H. MESLER.
HE Town of Royalton was one of the towns taken from Hartland, in 1817. A portion of Royalton was separated to form the Town of Lockport, in 1824, yet Royalton is row the largest town in the County, and comprises 38,- 820 acres of land. While the town was once a wilderness waste, it now boasts of some of the finest farms in the State, where the most improved farm machinery is used.
FIRST TOWN MEETING.
The first town meeting was held April 7, 1818, at the home of Almond H. Millard, a Justice of the Peace, who pre-
sided. At this time the first set of town officers were elected, as follows :
Almond Williams, Supervisor; William Smith, Town Clerk; Warren Rosekrans, Henry Ellsworth and Asher Freeman, Assessors; James Lyman and Nathan Comstock, Overseers of the Poor; Allen Williams, Robert H. Hender- son and Benjamin H. Packard, Commissioners of Common Schools; William Smith, Nathan Comstock and Noah Brooks, Commissioners of Highways; Solomon Richardson and Samuel Comstock, Constables and Collectors; Almond H. Millard, Burroughs Holmes, Nathan Comstock, Joel Amsden and William Green, Inspectors; and fifteen Fence Viewers and Overseers of Highways, as follows: Phar- larius Russell, James Williams, Jr., Demas Hart, Ezra Harwood, Cyrus Tripp, James Webb, Solomon Mead, William Letts, Nathan Comstock, Samuel White, John Gris- wold, Paul Sawyer, David C. Culver, Barney Allen, Reuben Hayes.
THE COMING OF THE SLAYTONS.
Orsamus Turner, in his "History of the Holland Pur- chase," gives the following account of the settlement of the Town of Royalton: "The pioneer in all the region was Thomas Slayton. He was on his way to Canada, with his family, broke his wagon down about two miles east of Cold Springs, stopped in consequence, liked the country, took up land and chopped an acre or two. His horses having strayed away from his log cabin, he went in pursuit of them, and in his rambles saw the fine soil and the black walnut groves below the mountain, and soon changed his location, becoming the founder of Slayton's Settlement." His brother, Joshua, came the next spring, from Vermont. The name "Royalton" was given by Joshua Slayton to the place from Royalton, Vermont, whence the Slaytons came.
The Slayton genealogy states that "Joshua Slayton was born April 10, 1783, in Woodstock, Vermont. He and oth- ers, from Vermont, went into Western New York early in the spring of 1804 and located where his brother, Thomas, had settled the previous autumn. He married Polly Dar- ling, July 10, 1805, in Royalton, I think. Joshua Slayton was in the War of 1812. He died in Royalton, January 23, 1852. He was the father of twelve children." Turner's history states that Joshua Slayton resided at Jackson, Mich- igan, later in life, but his descendants state that this is a mis- take, it being a Joshua Slayton, his son.
SOME WORTHIES OF SLAYTON SETTLEMENT. 1
Joshua Slayton built his first house on land now owned by Edward B. Gaskill, near the school house on Slayton Set- tlement road, north of the Village of Orangeport, where an orchard now stands back from the road on a little rise of ground. A parcel of land, containing 123 acres, surround- ing his first settlement, was deeded to him, in 1818, by Jo- seph Ellicott, the surveyor, who secured so much land from the Holland Land Company for services. Part of this land. on which the Orangeport Christian Church was built, in 1818, was donated by him to William Smith, Nathan Stone and Benjamin Hall, trustees of the "First Christian Society in said Town of Royalton," in 1825. This site is now in- cluded in the land of the Orangeport Cemetery Association, the second church having been built on a near by site.
Joshua Slayton sold off some of his land to Varney Gaskill, Dowes Norton and Roger Avery ; and also to others for lots in the Village of Orangeport. The remaining, and by far the larger portion of his original holding, he deeded to his son, Joseph, November 29, 1836, a portion of which is owned by the family at the present time. Joseph Slayton
SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
99
CHAS. DAY.
JOHN W. SHAFER
ARZA G. SHERWOOD.
DR. FRANKLIN L. KNAPP.
NOAH L. BRONSON.
HENRY SLAYTON.
JOHN P. SAWYER.
100
SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
was born March 20, 1811 ; his brother, James Culwood Slay- ton, June 25, 1808; and his sister, Desire, May 15, 1809. They were among the first born on the Holland Purchase. Turner's history accords Daniel Vaughan the distinction of being the first white child born in the town; the date of Vaughan's birth is not given, though it is supposed by some to have been about 1806.
Two years after Thomas Slayton settled in Royalton Stephen Bugbee and Aaron Brown took up land in the vi- cinity. The first frame house was erected by Mr. Bugbee and Mr. Brown built the first frame barn, in 1804.
Land was rapidly cleared and houses erected from this time on, and the district in the neighborhood of the Slay- ton brothers has since been known as Slayton Settlement, where there are yet descendants of the early Slayton set- tlers, who bear the name of the pioneers.
Starting from the corner of the Slayton Settlement and Orangeport roads, Abel Bugbee took up the lot of land on the southeast corner, which was deeded to him by Joseph Ellicott, August 20, 1814. Stephen Bugbee took the next lot east, securing his deed from the Holland Land Company, in 1809. This farm is now in possession of his grandson, H. H. Bugbee. Next east, Benjamin Hale took up land, February 25, 1819, from the Holland Land Company. Most of this tract is now owned by Arnold Button.
AN OLD DEED.
A curious old document is shown by H. H. Bugbee, a deed of the land he owns at present, together with that comprised in the farm of D. W. Moore, and half of that of Henry Harrington, which was conveyed to his grandfather, Stephen Bugbee, in 1809, by the Holland Purchase in these words: "This indenture, made this 14th day of August, in the year of our Lord, 1809, between Wilhelm Willink, Pie- ter Van Eeghen, Hendrik Vollenhoven and Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck, all of the City of Amsterdam, in the Re- public of Batavia, by Joseph Ellicott, their attorney, of the first part, and Stephen Bugbee, witnesseth that said parties of the first part, for and in consideration of the sum of $247. to them in hand paid by said party of the second part, do grant, bargain, sell," etc., etc.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.