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 28
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Town of Wilson.
BY WILLIAM H. HOLMES.
HE Town of Wilson, with its present boundaries, has existed since 1824. In April, 1818, the Town of Wilson was formed, by a special act of the State Legislature, from the east part of Por- ter, the east boundary being the Eighteen-Mile Creek and the west the road, now in the center of the town, still known as the Town Line Road. (There seems to be some uncertainty as to the exact location of the east line, and some difference of opinion as to the west line, whether as above stated or as it now is.) In 1821 Niagara County, as it now is, was formed, and in 1824 Newfane was taken partly from the east part of Wilson, and the present boundaries of the Town of Wilson were fixed. The farm on the Lake Road, just east of Hopkins Creek, where the great grandfather of the writer settled about 1816, has since that time been in two counties, both called Niagara, but one with County
seat at Buffalo and one with same at Lockport, and in three towns, Porter, Wilson and Newfane.
FIRST TOWN MEETING.
The first town meeting in the Town of Wilson was held in April, 1819, at the house of David Porter, since known as the James M. Newman place, now owned by Herbert Dailey. Reuben Wilson, in whose honor the town was named, and who was already a Justice of the Peace, presided, and was elected Supervisor of the new town. David Burgess, John Carter and Henry Lockwood were at the same time elected Assessors: Orimal Hartwell, Collector; Abner Crossman and Burgoyne Kemp, Overseers of the Poor ; James McKin- ney, Joshua Williams and John Carter, Commissioners of Highways.
EARLY SETTLERS.
There were a few settlers in what is now Wilson before the War of 1812. It is claimed that the first one was named Henry Lockwood ; that he came here from Canada in 1808, and settled on what has of late years been known as the John S. Cudaback farm, on the Lake Road, but went back to Canada at the outbreak of the war and never re- turned.
Stephen Sheldon, from Jefferson County, settled near where Wilson Village now is, in 1809, and in 1810 Reuben Wilson, who gave the town his name, and was for many years its most prominent citizen, came from near Toronto, Canada, with two other men, he and one of them bringing families with them. They came in two small boats, follow- ing the shore around the head of the lake, and landled at the mouth of the Twelve-Mile Creek, that distance east from the mouth of Niagara River. Their boats were drawn upon land, turned bottom side up, and raised upon stakes for shel- ter, while all out doors was used for a kitchen.
WILSON IN THE WAR OF 1812.
These first settlers, nearly all of whom had located near the lake shore, were exposed to great dangers and hard- ships during the War of 1812. The British and Indians made raids from Fort Niagara down the southern shore of the lake. Most of the families fled, but some were captured. Among them was Enoch Pease, then a young man, or boy. but he was held only a short time. Another was a son of Stephen Sheldon, who was taken to Quebec, and died there on a prison ship. Every house from the Niagara River to the Eighteen-Mile Creek was burned, except one belonging to Reuben Wilson-Squire Wilson, as he was always called -situated on the Lake Road, east, on what was afterwards the Dr. Sayer farm. This was spared because Mrs. Wilson remained at home and treated the British officers cour- teously and hospitably. Mr. Wilson was taken to Fort Ni- agara and held there a prisoner about ten days.
WILSON'S SUPERVISORS.
Many of the settlers who fled never returned, but Squire Wilson remained, and he and his family have occu- pied a large place in Wilson history for many years, and even to the present time. He had been Supervisor, as well as Justice of the Peace, in Porter, and was not only the first Supervisor elected in the Town of Wilson, but served in this capacity about twelve years. His successors in this position have been John Carter, Luther Wilson. Robert L. McChes- ney. Samuel R. Merwin, Alexander Pettit, Russell Robinson. Reuben F. Wilson, Curtis Pettit, Orsemus Ferris. Harvey N. Johnson, Ralph Stockwell. Tunis Outwater. David O. Jeffrey, Benjamin Farley, Richard C. Holmes. William Hamblin, Benjamin Dearborn, Edward Barker, Stephen C.
9
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Wakeman, A. Douglass Pease, Martin S. Gifford, Oscar S. McChesney, Samuel H. Pettit, William H. Holmes, Justis W. Hackett and Alanson C. Bigalow.
LUTHER WILSON.
The first white child born in this town was a son of Reuben Wilson, named Orrin. He lived in town to a good old age. The first marriage in town was that of the oldest son of Reuben Wilson-Luther-to Sarah Stevens. Luther Wilson was even more prominently identified with the bus- iness enterprises of the town than was his father. He started the Village of Wilson by having a part of his land laid off into streets and village lots. He was for years the leading merchant and produce dealer in the town; built and carried on a sawmill and a grist mill; first made a harbor at the mouth of Twelve-Mile Creek ; built quite a number of ships ; was the largest contributor to the fund to build an Academy in town; donated the land for Greenwood Cemetery; and last, but not least, at the age of seventy he sought and found the Saviour, that his faithful wife had served so long, and fully identified himself with the Christian work of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church.
The records show that by 1820 the number of inhabi- tants had increased to 680, though it is recorded that the vote cast for Governor in 1821 was only thirty-two; Dewitt Clinton, twenty-four; Daniel D. Tompkins, eight.
ROSTER OF THE PIONEERS.
The family names of quite a number of these pioneers are still, or have recently been, familiar in town. Among those that we have been able to learn are : James Cole, came here in 1818; George Ash, 1810; Stephen Sheldon, 1809; Adam Stevens, 1815; Erastus Barnard, 1810; David Porter, 1813 ; James Meeker, 1815 ; Stephen, John and David Tower, 1818; Richard and William Knowles, 1815; Henry Barber, 1815; Nathan Pratt, 1815; John Carter, 1815; Abram Hutchings, 1816; John Haze, 1817; Nathan Sherwood, 1817; John Cudaback, 1813; Benjamin Douglass, 1817; Joshua Williams, Joseph Aiken, Abner Crossman, Moses Barber, Henry Lockwood, David Burgess, Lemuel Bradley, Burgoyne Kemp, Hul and David Bixby, Elisha Stevens, John U. Pease, the McChesney brothers (Robert L., "The Squire," and Henry S., "The Doctor,") and Col. E. H. Par- melee, who served under Gen. Scott at Lundy's Lane.
The first to come here of any of the present residents are believed to be John and William O. Pettit, who came here with their widowed mother and other members of the family in 1832. John Holmes came before 1818, and his son, Daniel, and son-in-law, Peter Crosby, during that year. Daniel Holmes was in politics a Whig, while the town, then and for many years, was a Democratic stronghold, but was elected Town Clerk at the first town meeting. It is an in- teresting circumstance that the present Town Clerk, Henry L. Perrigs, is his great grandson. Daniel Holmes was for many years Commissioner of Deeds, and took the acknowl- edgements of many of the old conveyances of land.
BEGINNING OF THE POSTAL SERVICE.
The first postoffice was established in town in 1824. Reuben Wilson was Postmaster, and his son Luther, Deputy. Daniel Holmes was the first mail carrier, having a route from Olcott to Youngstown, weekly. Later it extended east to Hartland, on the Ridge. His oldest son, Richard C., began carrying this mail on horseback in 1825, being then twelve years old. But Daniel Holmes is chiefly remembered as a Christian.
FIRST RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
Previous to 1818 the only religious services in town had been week day meetings, held by a Methodist Episcopal preacher, at long intervals, in private houses. In January, 1819, Rev. David M. Smith, pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Lewiston, came to the house of John Holmes, on the east bank of Hopkins Creek, then in the Town of Wil- son, and there organized a Presbyterian Church, consisting of John Holmes and Anna, his wife; Daniel Holmes and Sally, his wife : Peter Crosby and Ruth, his wife. When the ice broke up in the creek that spring Daniel Holmes was grieved to see so many spending the Sabbath in fishing, and gave notice that there would be religious services the next Sunday in the school house just built, perhaps a mile this side of Olcott. A goodly number attended this service. He took charge of it, leading in prayer and singing and read- ing a printed sermon. These services, thus led by Daniel Holmes when no minister was present, were kept up regu- larly from that time on, and additions were soon made to the little church. During the summer these services were held in Abner Crossman's new barn. They were then mioved to a new school house on the Squire Wilson place, on the Lake Road, a mile east of the village; then to a school house on the corner of Town Line Road and Youngstown Road; still later to a school house south of where the depot now is, and then to one just south of "Hosmer's Corners," where there was talk of building a church, and where some thought the village of the town would be. For about ten years this church had but one minister, and he, Rev. Ebenezer Everett. came in 1823 and staid one or two years. Daniel Holmes
started a Sunday school in connection with this church in 1820. He also, for years, had a school each Sunday in the school house on Lake Road, two or three miles west of the village. His son, Richard C., had much the same spirit, and later used often to go miles from home on Sabbath after- noons to hold Sunday schools at places distant from any church.
THE HOG AS AN ARGUMENT.
Daniel Holmes was mich interested in temperance and the anti-slavery cause, when these movements were not pop- ular. On one occasion an anti-slavery meeting was being held in the Presbyterian Church, and some parties not in sympathy with it caught a large pig, running, as was the cus- tom then, in the road, and put it into the church. It walked up the aisle and lay down in front of the pulpit. The speaker, taking the pulpit Bible in his hands, said, "Here is our argument," and (pointing to the hog) "there is theirs."
ROADS OF YE OLDEN TIMES.
The first road in town was along the lake shore. There was at a very early day a road from the ridge along the Eighteen-Mile Creek to the lake. But all the country be- tween Niagara River and the Eighteen-Mile Creek, from the lake to the ridge, was a trackless forest. It is related that when one of the daughters of John Holmes was to be mar- ried the minister from Lewiston was engaged to perform the ceremony. He started down the ridge on horseback to fulfill his engagement, but, thinking to greatly shorten his journey, he struck off into the woods when about south of his destination, but got lost in the woods and got out to the lake shore about noon the next day, when he found he had lost his job, for late in the evening before Squire Wilson had been sent for and performed the service.
The Youngstown road, from Youngstown to Van Horn's, was surveyed in 1816; the town line road from the lake to the ridge the same year, and the Slash road, now
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
LAKE ISLAND PARK, WILSON, NEW YORK.
called Maple Street, two or three years later. This latter was slashed-the trees all cut and left as they fell till dry enough to burn-by Daniel Holmes by contract. Other roads were laid out from time to time, usually taking their names from some nearby settler.
LAST OF WILD ANIMALS.
Wild animals were never very numerous here after the advent of the white man. But wolves, bears and deer were found here. At the first town meeting a bounty of five dol- lars was voted to be paid for every wolf killed in town. It is claimed that the last female wolf, with her cubs, was killed in the winter of 1837-8 by Frank Brown, a boy seventeen or eighteen years of age, in a hollow tree near the Ransomville and Lockport road, and her male companion by a man named Miller the next winter near the Daniels road.
A bear was frequently reported to have been seen in the south part of the town since the memory of the writer. Most of the people laughed at such reports, but it is claimed that bruin was finally killed about 1860. The writer remem- bers seeing, when a boy, a party of hunters chasing a deer across the Lake Road farms, about three miles west of the village. He was killed near the lake shore, west of the harbor.
WILSON HARBOR IMPROVEMENT,
In 1846 Luther Wilson, having obtained permission from the Secretary of War, built a pier out into the lake about 200 feet, from each side of the mouth of Twelve-Mile Creek, and from that time on for many years he continued to improve the harbor by extending the piers and dredging out the channel. The dredging was done by horse power, the horses walking around on the board in a circle like an old- fashioned horse power for threshing. In 1867 a company was formed, called "The Wilson Harbor Company," and a
contract was made with the Wilsons, that if certain things were done by this company, by a certain time, the harbor and so much adjoining land was to be turned over to this company in exchange for a certain amount of its stock. The conditions were found impossible of fulfillment, and after the neighboring farmers had subscribed and paid and the company expended several thousand dollars, the com- pany went down and the ownership of the premises re- mained as before. Since that time Congress has made several appropriations for the improvement of the harbor, with which the piers have been largely rebuilt and extended, and the channel several times cleaned out and deepened with a steam dredge.
GRAIN AND LUMBER MARKETS.
Luther Wilson built a store house at the harbor in 1846 and commenced buying grain there. Morgan Johnson also bought produce there for years. Up to the time the rail- road was built through town quite large quantities of grain and fruit were brought there each year and shipped in ves- sels to Oswego. Beginning in about 1868, and lasting till the railroad came into use, two Boston firms bought apples at the harbor each year, some years taking in 12,000 or 13,000 barrels there. Since the coming of the railroad the business there has been mostly confined to the receipt of Canada lumber and the calling of excursion steamers. In the early spring of 1878 the shore end of the west pier was carried away, and a bar of sand and gravel quickly formed across the mouth of the creek. A small vessel that had wintered in the harbor was got out with much difficulty. Thousands of loads of excellent gravel were got from this bar for the village streets and nearby roads. The Govern- ment soon replaced the pier. Since 1846 this has been a port of entry and a customs officer has been stationed here
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
during the season of navigation. The first one was Abram Vosburgh. A few years ago his grandson, Miles S. Vos- burgh, held the same position.
SHIP BUILDING.
Luther Wilson, at an early age, commenced building ships at the harbor, and built quite a number, the forests about furnishing excellent timber for the purpose. Some of them, like the "Geraldine," a three-master, were as large as could then pass through the Welland Canal, while others, like the "R. F. Wilson," used here for years in the grain carrying trade, had a capacity of about 3,000 bushels of wheat. A sad accident occurred at the launching of one of these vessels. By some mistake some of the supports were prematurely removed and the boat slid gracefully down the skids into the water, but in doing so passed over Nathan Ash, one of the workmen, and killed him. Those on the boat and the crowd on the shore cheered and waved flags and handkerchiefs, not knowing of the accident. As soon as it became known their joy was turned to sadness.
Considerably later another sad thing happened in the capsizing, in a sudden squall, of the vessel "Fleetwing," then and for a long time commanded by Capt. Orren Quick. His wife and boy and Samuel Cluck, the cook, were all drowned in the cabin. The captain and sailors climbed up, on the upturned boat and hung on till rescued.
Daniel Haner also built a large vessel at the end of the town line road (Lake Street), some distance north of where the shore now is. The sawmill was on the second lot north of the Anderson lot, now the northermost one. This vessel was launched endways, sliding between two skids to the wa- ter, but in some way as it left the skids it stuck fast on the lake bottom and stopped, with one end still on the timbers. A tug from Oswego got the vessel off after considerable difficulty and towed it to Oswego, to be completed. The sawmill stood there until the lake had washed well under it. when it was drawn up town, where the dry house now stands, near "Tabor's bridge," and finally burned, while in use as a planing mill and sash and blind factory.
Ira and Roswell Sweet, with the assistance of their brother, Levi G., also built several vessels at the harbor, and Henry Putnam built one or two further up the creek.
TRAFFIC WITH CANADA.
Niagara, on the Canada side, at the mouth of Niagara River, was the principal market and trading place for the first settlers here. The journey to and from there was gen- erally made by boat, but later many drove to Youngstown and crossed in a ferry boat. For a time a ferry boat was in use there that was propelled by a wheel, which was made to revolve by horses walking on the deck of the boat. Those going from their homes by small boat sometimes had se- vere times before they could get back, because of the storms on the lake. There was also much complaint about the quality of the provisions procured there. About the only articles the first settlers had to sell were "long butts" and "black salts." The former were white oak staves, split or "rived," about four feet long and six inches wide. They were piled up along the lake shore, and inspectors from Ni- agara examined and measured them, and if accepted they were taken off by small sailing vessels, sent from Niagara for them. "Black salts" were made by leaching the ashes from the burned log heaps, then boiling down the lye until it became solid, so as to be shipped in old boxes or brarels
EARLY AGRICULTURAL METHODS.
As soon as there was any chance to do so, wheat or rye
was sown or corn planted among girdled chestnut trees, or around the stumps of trees that had just been cut down and burned. The new, rich soil, gave good crops, where there was no chance to plow or cultivate except with a small heavy "A" shaped drag. The grain thus raised was often eaten- boiled whole -- for there was no mill near to grind it.
MILLING.
As a substitute for a mill a large mortar was made be- side the Lake Road, about midway between Olcott and Wil- son, by hollowing out the top of a very large stump, until the "bowl" would hold a bushel or two of grain. A heavy hard wood pounder, or pestle, was hung on a spring pole over this, and with this corn was pounded and broken. It was then sifted and the coarsest boiled for "samp," "while the finer was made into "Johnny cake." Often in the morning quite a crowd would be in line waiting their turn to use this "mill."
Before long a little grist mill was built at Van Horn's on the Eighteen-Mile Creek, and another on Honeyie Creek, east of Olcott, near the lake. There were water-power mills, but as the Erie Canl was not yet built, the only water sup- ply was from rainfall, and at some seasons of the year these mills were useless for lack of power. The boy who went to one of these mills with a bushel of wheat or corti, on the back of a horse, often found the "miller' a long distance from the mill in the field at work, and was obliged to wait until time for dinner or supper, when, if water enough had accu- mulated above the dam, he got his grinding done. Some went with an ox team, often led by their only horse, ridden by a boy, to Niagara Falls to mill.
In 1825 Reuben Wilson built a grist mill on the Twelve- Mile Creek, but here, too, water power was very unreliable. Afterwards Luther Wilson put in steam power. For many years Gen. Taylor, as he was called, was the miller, while John T. Ward attended to the engine.
LAYING OUT THE VILLAGE LOTS.
In 1842 Luther Wilson employed Jesse P. Haines, a su- veyor, to lay off a part of his land into village lots. The land was at the southeast corner of Lot 9. Township 15, Range 8, of the Holland Land Company's survey, bounded east by the Town Line road (Lake Street), north by lands of Luman Case, and south by land of Simon Shelden. A map was filed in County Clerk's office.
About the same time, or soon after, Simon Shelden had the same thing done to a part of his farm, the northeast cor- ner of Lot 8, Township 15, Range 8, by William Woods, a surveyor. The Town Line Road was his east line and his north line. Between his tract and that of Luther Wilson is about four rods, and one village lot north of Seminary street.
Andrew Brown, whose farm was the northwest corner of Lot 90, Township 15, Range 7, bounded west by Town Line Road and north by Youngstown Road (Young Street) also began selling off village lots at an early day, and sold off his whole front, except the village lot where he lived.
Then John Onderdonk, who came to Wilson about 1850, purchased the farm, in the south west corner of Lot 91, Township 15, Range 8, bounded west by Town Line Road and south by Youngstown Road, and as Wilson was having quite a "boom" at that time, he soon sold off the larg- est part of it for village lots, at a good profit, including the corner lot, with the old farm house, and he built for himself a large brick house, a little further east.
FIRST VILLAGE MAP-INCORPORATION.
The first complete map of the village was made, in 1889,
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
11
VIEW OF HARBOR AT LAKE ISLAND PARK, WILSON, NEW YORK.
by E. V. W. Dox, Surveyor, and a copy was filed in the office of the State Comptroller, at Albany, one in the Niagara County Clerk's office, and another in the Village Clerk's office. The latter was unfortunately destroyed by fire a little over a year ago. Wilson Village was incorporated un- der the laws of the State in 1858, the first Trustees being : Luther Wilson, President; Luren D. Wilson, Reuben F. Wilson, Henry S. McChesney and William P. Grout; John Hosmer, Clerk. It then contained 715 people and about 416 acres of land.
FIRES.
The village has sustained some severe losses by fire, of stores and public buildings, as well as some dwelling houses. There was the burning, in about 1879, of a three- story brick store and two small frame ones, on the north side of Young street, just west of Lake street; of the Ma- sonic block, corner of Young and Catherine streets, consist- ing of two brick stores and hall overhead; of two stores and a dwelling house, corner of Young and McChesney streets ; of the Ontario House, a stone hotel, and Presbyterian Church, in 1894, on west side of Lake street, between Young and Mechanic streets; of the brick American hotel, corner of Young and Center streets ; and a year ago last June of eight stores or other business buildings, with eleven separate bus- iness enterprises, including the postoffice, on the north side of Young street. In nearly every case the buildings de- stroyed have been promptly replaced by better ones. The church and both hotels have been replaced by modern struc- tures, that are great improvements over the ones burned. Three single and two double stores have already risen from the ashes of the last fire, all much finer than the ones for- merly occupying the ground, and in addition a fine two-story, double brick store is nearly completed on the opposite side of the street.
THE RAILROAD.
In 1869 there was much talk about a railroad, to be built
through the town, and an attempt, finally successful, was made to get the town to bond itself for twenty per cent. of its assessed valuation, in aid of the construction of such road. Hezekiah Seeley, William Hamblin and James C. Hopkins were appointed Railroad Commissioners, and issued bonds for $117,000, payable, a certain sum of principal annually for forty years, with interest at seven per cent.
These bonds were in some way disposed of, theoreti- cally, at least to aid the Lake Ontario Shore Line Road Com- pany in building its road. In return the town was to receive stock in the company, to the amount of the bonds, and the taxes on the railroad property were to be set aside by the County Treasurer, for the payment of the bonds. But some of the people in town disputed the legality of this bond issue, and litigation was commenced, which lasted nearly ten years, and resulted in the bonds being held to be legal and a lien upon the property of the town. In 1872 the road was most- ly graded through this town, but the railroad company then failed, and the road, as it was, was sold on mortgage foreclosure. This rendered the stock worthless. After a few years the road was completed and put in operation as a division of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Rail- road. It has since been leased, for a long term of years, by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Com- pany. In the spring of 1881 the office of Railroad Commis- sioner having been abolished, and the Legislature having, by special act, authorized certain bonded towns to settle their bonded indebtedness by the issue of new bonds, the Supervisor and Justices issued new bonds to replace the old and pay costs and interest accrued during litigation on old bonds at four and one-half per cent, which the bondholders had agreed to take. These bonds were to the amount of $163,000, payable $4,000 of principal each year and interest at five per cent. Probably owing to the litigation, and con- sequent uncertainty as to the legality of these first bonds. the County Treasurer had failed to set aside the railroad tax
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