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 31
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In the late summer Orsamus Turner came from Pal- myra, New York, just at his majority, and purchased the Observatory office. Mr. Ferguson had recently been dis- charged. The first number issued by Mr. Turner was dated September 26, 1822. He was Lockport's first editor, and was connected with the press here almost continuously until his death, in 1855. The printing office was in a framed building on the site now occupied by the Exchange Bank.
The office of the Canal Commissioners and Canal Engi- neers was in the same building.
The Observatory was published until 1827, when it was united with the Niagara Sentinel, and issued under the title Democrat and Sentinel.
A copy of the first number of the Observatory was pre- served by Morris H. Tucker, and was subsequently depos- ited in the cornerstone of Grace Church.
ORSAMUS TURNER.
The first bridge across the canal at Main street was formed of two log stringers reaching from shore to shore, across which split logs were placed, bark side up. It was wide enough for only one team.
In April, 1822, Franklin J. Le Valley came from Royal- ton to Lockport Village, being then six years old. He died ,in 1899, in his eighty-fourth year.
Daniel Washburn was Supervisor of Royalton in 1822-3.
Elliott Lewis, pioneer harness and saddle maker, came in 1822, and continued in that occupation until 1846. He
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
was then the owner of about twenty acres on and about Washburn Street. He laid out Lewis Street, and the city named it after him. Mr. Lewis died in 1881.
Shepard & Towner opened the first shoe shop in Lockport.
Miss Ordelia De Lozier "came to Rockport hamlet ;" her father was Peter De Lozier. She became the wife of B. H. Whitcher in 1825, and lived to an advanced age.
Jonathan Chase, M. D., came in 1822. He was a pop- ular physician, and the owner of considerable real estate. He died in 1852.
R. L. Wilson erected a log school house at his own ex- pense, in 1822, and taught school there for quite a while. It was about on the site of the Free Methodist Church, Park avenue. In 1830 R. L. Wilson was ordained in Somerset,
A postoffice was established in 1822, and was kept in House & Boughton's store. George H. Boughton was the Postmaster.
Chipman P. Turner, a brother of Orsamus, was a horse- back mail carrier from Molyneaux's, by the old road from the Ridge to Lockport.
In July, 1822, Lockport was selected as the County seat. A two-acre lot on Niagara street was purchased from William M. Bond for the site of the County buildings.
Elias Ransom, Jr., was the pioneer lawyer.
John Birdsall, Esq., came about 1822, and was the partner of E. Ransom, in the firm of Birdsall & Ransom.
James F. Mason, attorney, was here in 1822.
June 6 N. S. Roberts, resident Engineer on the canal.
LOCKPORT HOUSE
THE OLD LOCKPORT HOUSE, MARKET AND EXCHANGE STREETS.
this County, and became pastor of the Baptist Church there. In 1839 he resigned.
Sidney Smith came about 1822. He kept a store for some years in the stone building that stood on No. 15 Main street.
"HERSEY'S" EXCHANGE COFFEE HOUSE.
The Exchange Coffee House, corner of Hawley street and Park avenue, was built about 1822 by Gideon Hersey, who came that year. It was a popular tavern, being located near the Court House, and "Gid." Hersey was a popular landlord; but business moved away from that locality east- ward, and has continued to advance in that direction. The ancient structure is still standing, and is the private resi- dence of H. K. Wicker. For several years after it was aban- doned as a public house, the name on the front was visible, although covered with paint. Over fifty years ago it was occupied by Prof. James B. Chase as a popular boarding school.
OTHER EVENTS OF 1822.
Charles Wynkoop came from Pennsylvania with his father's family in 1822, and resided ever afterwards in the Town of Lockport. He died in 1898, in the ninety-fourth year of his age.
John Pound came from Farmington, Ontario County. He had a meat market on the triangle where the fire alarm bell is now placed. He died in 1832, aged fifty-four years. His daughter, Amy, became the wife of Lyman A. Spalding. Joseph S. Pound, a miller, came. Died in 1859. Moses C. Crapsey came.
Harvey H. Wakeman, son of Stephen Wakeman, was born on the homestead, in 1822.
advertised , "1,000 men wanted at Lockport-twelve dollars per month and found."
Asher Saxton took forty acres, on east side Transit, in trade with Jared Comstock.
Pardon G. Richardson came in 1822: opened the first tin shop next west of Masonic Hall, West Main street.
John Richardson, father of Pardon G., came from Oneida County.
Dr. Isaac Southworth came; Mortimer M., his son, came with him.
William P. Daniels came from Whiting, Vermont.
Alexander Pound came.
Dr. Henry Maxwell came prior to 1822.
Benjamin S. Davenport came.
Jacob Hall was here in 1822.
Hiram Gardner was admitted to the bar in New York City in 1822. Came to Lockport the same year.
August I Culver & Maynard, canal contractors, adver- tised to purchase pork, flour, whiskey, oats and hay for cash.
August 19 Otis Hathaway advertised "stage wagon daily from Lockport to Buck's tavern, on Ridge Road."
In September Seamans & Battey, canal boot, shoe and leather store, Buffalo street, was opened.
Lyman A. Spalding came in December, 1822, on foot from Wright's Corners.
Solomon Wright settled on the Ridge in 1822, and opened a tavern. The place was called Wright's Corners from him.
CHRONOLOGY OF IS23.
In January John Gooding came from Henrietta, New
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
York. Stephen F. Gooding, his son, came with him.
The First Presbyterian Church was organized "third Sabbath in January, 1823," and a small framed building on Court House square, south side of Niagara street, was built. The society availed itself of the Holland Land Company's offer of 100 acres of land to the first church organized in a town, which had been declined by the Society of Friends, and selected a plot on the Transit, about two miles south of the village, which was afterwards sold for $1,000 and the proceeds applied towards the expense of building.
Harvey W. Campbell came, with his family, from Le- banon, New York, in April, 1823, and opened a store in a small wooden building on the southwest corner of Main and Cottage streets, living in the rear part. He was one of the original members of the First Presbyterian Church, and a prominent Mason. Late in life he was Tax Collector,
He died in 1880. He wrote, in 1878, an interesting account of the village when he came, mentioning localities and per- sons, from which several items below are selected :
"William Fox, a barber, had his shop in a small build- ing on the northeast corner of Main and Transit streets. There was a small store in the same building.
"Dr. Maxwell's office adjoined Samuel Jenning's hotel, on the east.
"Allen Skinner's blacksmith shop came next.
"These two buildings were about where the Kenmore now stands.
"House & Boughton's store was next.
"A little further along A. T. Prentice had a small build- ing, in which he repaired watches and kept a small stock of jewelry.
"Where the Congregational Church now stands, on
OHIO & ROME
THE LOCKS, 1825.
also a Justice of the Peace. He died in 1858, aged seventy- Niagara street, was a small building used for a tavern. one years.
Price & Rounds, in 1823, had a grocery adjoining H. W. Campbell's store.
Samuel Pound came, in 1823, with an ox team.
James Rogers came. Solomon Hersey came about 1823.
Deacon Stephen Story came from Norwich, Connec- ticut.
July 9, 1823, the first stone of locks was laid. John Birdsall, Esq., stood upon the foundation stone and an- nounced the commencement.
Ezekiel Folsom came from Ontario County.
Merritt Johnson settled at Rapids.
Road to Wright's Corners cut through the dense forest. Washington House built on northwest corner Transit street and Park avenue.
In July the first Circuit Court was held in Lockport, in the upper room of the Mansion House, that being the largest room in the village. Judge Rochester presided.
Alonzo T. Prentice, jeweler, came from Buffalo in 1823. He carried on that business for many years. He was, at different times, Justice of the Peace, Supervisor and Trus- tee of the village. He died in 1872, in the seventy-third year of his age.
Marcus Moses came in the fall of 1823, from Rochester.
"About at the northeast corner Cottage and Main streets John Birdsall had a law office. There was no other building between this and a yellow store kept by William Parsons & Co., which stood upon or near the ground now occupied by the Moyer block.
"The next was a stone building, a part of which was used for a store, and occupied by Thomas Smith ; still stand- ing. The ground between this and the store of Lyman A. Spalding, which stood where the Farmers' and Mechanics' Savings Bank does now, was vacant, and used as a passage way to the locks and to the front of a building which stood on the bank at the head of the locks. In this a grocery was kept, and it was afterward used as an office by Asa W. Doug- las, the first toll collector.
"Next east of Spalding's store James F. Mason had a law office; he was Deputy County Clerk and kept the rec- ords of the County in his office.
"H. Kimberly & Co. kept a store adjoining the law office of J. F. Mason.
"At the top of the hill, where the Hodge Opera House stands, was the residence of M. H. Tucker. (Mr. Tucker was married in 1822, in Geneseo, New York, to Esther Chaffee McClean.)
"Where the American House is was a log building used
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
as a tavern. Timber was standing close about this building, and great stumps were yet in the street.
"Lyman A. Spalding lived on the southwest corner of Main and Locust streets, in a story and a half framed build- ing. He bought the lot-one-quarter acre-of Jared Com- stock for $250.
"From there down to Pine street, on the south side of Main, not much improvement was made, as it was quite away from the business portion of the village. I well re- member Isaac Price having urged me to buy a lot of him about where the Breyfogle building stands; but the location was too far out of town. It was then thought that the bus- iness would be done west of the canal. It was about in front of Breyfogle's that I paid my first highway tax. There was a gigantic stump standing in the street at this place, and myself and several others were two days busily em-
were piles of stone so high that the buildings on the opposite side of Main street were hidden from sight.
"On the point of ground between the canal and Main street, about opposite where the Judson House stands, was a stone building. In one part Hiram Gardner had a law office, and in another part a shoe store was kept. In the upper story the Masonic Hall was first established."
Chauncey B. Woodward had a bakery, corner Main and Transit streets.
Moses Goble kept a meat market west of Transit street, on West Main.
The members of the bar residing in Lockport in 1823, aside from those already mentioned, were Harvey Leonard and Theodore Chapin.
William Parsons came prior to 1823. He was an influ-
THE LOCKS, 1902.
ployed in removing it. Before the street was graded, the surface where the American House stands was about up to the floor of the stoop on that building, as it is now, and con- tinued nearly level westward to where Breyfogle's store stands, where it was higher than the second floor of that building ; from that westward it fell away quite abruptly.
"The Green store, occupied by Nathan B. and George W. Rogers as a grocery, stood a little west of Pine street, south side of Main. Adjoining this Elias Ransom had his law office; and there was Dr. Isaac Smith's office. From there west was a vacant lot enclosed by a stone wall. Then came the 'Red Store,' kept by William Kennedy, who died soon after on a canal boat near Rome, while on his way home from New York. West from the 'Red Store' was a passage way for teams to the yard of the Cottage hotel. The Cottage was a log house, of much renown in those days. kept by Joseph Langdon. He always kept a good fire when * * The Cottage stood upon the ground needed. *
where the spacious Ringueberg block now stands.
"Gillett & Bacon kept grocery on Buffalo street, the fourth from corner Cottage and Main.
"There were some other small buildings and a black- smith shop along what is now Buffalo street, but in front
ential man in business, official and church affairs. Died in 1855.
In October, 1823, the First Methodist Church was in- corporated.
Eagle hotel (called Black Eagle), corner Niagara and Prospect streets, was built in 1823, and kept by one Holmes.
Wheat was sold in village markets on the Holland Pur- chase, this year, as low as thirty-seven and one-half cents.
Ellis F. Pierce came prior to 1823. Mr. Pierce kept a record of the date of arrival of the principal residents, and the time of death. The following, in addition to those al- ready noted, came prior to 1823: George W. Douglas, George Richardson, Orin Fisk, A. G. White, J. G. Gustin, Job Layton, Jacob Bolard, Justus Jenney, James Harris, Samuel Larned.
CHRONOLOGY OF 1824.
In 1824, February 2, an act was passed by Legislature "to erect the Town of Lockport ;" from the eastern part of Cambria and western part of Royalton ; including an area of 35,397 acres.
On the first Tuesday of April, town meeting for elec- tion of officers, Daniel Washburn was chosen Supervisor ; Morris H. Tucker, Town Clerk; Eli Bruce, Collector. One
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
hundred dollars was voted for the support of the poor, and fifty dollars for building a pound for the town. Ezekiel Fol- som was appointed Pound Master.
February 6 Ames Royal Arch Chapter, No. 88, char- tered. First officers installed March 25.
Col. Asher Saxton came from Cambria.
Eli Bruce came about 1824. Had been a resident of Niagara County for some years.
June 5 Lockport Lodge, No. 73, Free and Accepted Masons, chartered.
Small building erected on Genesee street, between Pine and Cottage, for First Methodist Episcopal church.
Isaac Allen came, and his sisters, Mrs. Phoebe A. Dav- enport, Mrs. H. Belding and Mrs. Budlong.
Chauncey Leonard came about 1824.
David Maxwell settled on farm at Wright's Corners.
Otis Hathaway built first grist mill, near waste-weir, Market street, about 1824.
Jesse Shaeffer came with his father, Samuel Shaeffer, who died in 1857.
Erie Canal was navigable to foot of locks in 1824.
"Black Store" is advertised by J. Van Rensselaer. stood on corner Cottage and Main streets.
It
O. Turner's printing office, in upper story of stone building on the point between Main street and the canal.
John L. Hovey came about 1824.
First composition ink roller in America cast for Lock- port Observatory, by a young Irish printer from Dublin.
Charter obtained for toll road from Wright's Corners to Warren's Corners.
EVENTS OF 1825.
In 1825 population of Town of Lockport 3,007.
Previous to 1825 only about 600 acres were cleared, in four square miles, with the Village of Lockport as the center.
In January the Court House was finished, and first court held.
David Maxwell got the contract to carry the mail from Wright's Corners to Lockport.
Samuel Stearns, cabinet maker, came about 1825.
The Baptist Church was formed in 1817 with twelve members and was called the Cambria Baptist Church. In July, 1825, the name was changed to the Lockport Baptist Church. Rev. Reuben Winchell began to preach in April of that year, and resigned in 1829.
Seth Parsons came about 1825.
Charles Belden opened a "Tin and Sheet Iron Factory" on Buffalo street.
George Reynale was the first settler at Reynale's Basin, about 1825.
Hopkins C. Pomroy was born in Town of Lockport in 1825.
On June 6, 1825, occurred the visit of Gen. La Fayette, with his son, George Washington, and his private secretary. William A. Van Valkenburgh came.
Ezra P. Wenthworth came.
June 24 locks completed. Celebration of laying cap- stone.
Birdsall & Ransom, attorneys, opened an office.
William McCollum came.
In the summer of 1825 the right to use the surplus wa- ters of the Erie Canal, at Lockport, was sold to Kennedy, of Lockport, and Hatch, of New York, for $200 per year.
L. A. Spalding bought, in 1825, the land on which the
State race was constructed. He afterwards owned land on north side of the locks.
Cottage tavern managed by Dr. Seymour Scovell, as- sisted by John Gooding.
D. A. Van Valkenburgh came.
On October 26 the Erie Canal was opened from Buf- falo to Albany. Governor De Witt Clinton visited Lock- port. A thirty-two-pounder, belonging to Perry's fleet, was brought here from "Put-in-Bay," and was one of the line of cannon stationed from Buffalo to Sandy Hook, fired to tel- egraph the news that the first boats had started from Buffalo for New York.
Asa W. Douglas was the first Canal Collector here.
L. A. Spalding erected a sawmille, with power from his race.
Long causeway removed and turnpike made by David Maxwell. First toll road in the County.
November I L. A. Spalding commenced excavating for flour mill, seven stories, eight run of stone. It was run- ning in the fall of 1826.
Population of Niagara County 14,069.
IN 1826.
In 1826, March 9, complaint in "Observatory" of unfin- ished canal bridge, and unprotected banks, twenty-five or thirty feet perpendicular.
Joel McCollum came from Palmyra, New York.
On June I advertisement in "Observatory" of packets from Buffalo to Utica : "Through in three days."
On June 10 Pomroy & Bass advertised carding ma- chines having gone into operation at the Locks.
Caleb Marsh came from Danvers, Massachusetts, about 1826, and bought a farm on Chestnut Ridge, afterwards the
PROF. O. C. MARSII.
residence of Hon. Jonathan L. Woods. Is now known as the Wright Stock Farm. The wife of Mr. Marsh was Mary Gaines Peabody, the sister of George Peabody, the philan- thropist, of London. Mrs. Marsh died in 1834, and was buried in the family cemetery on Chestnut Ridge. She was the mother of Prof. O. C. Marsh, of Yale University, from whom the writer received the above facts not long before the demise of the Professor. Caleb Marsh died in 1865, on a farm which he purchased in 1843, about one mile west of the Village of Lockport.
A law was passed, in 1826, establishing a State Road
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
from Rochester to Lockport, along the canal. In the Vil- lage of Lockport this road became Market street.
Hiram Gardner was appointed Associate Judge of Com- mon Pleas Court.
M. McKenney came.
Charles Hinman and wife came from Saratoga County, New York, to the Town of Lockport.
Edward W. Raymond came. Built log tavern, which he kept for many years.
L. A. Spalding's big mill commenced running.
December 26 Genesee Commandery chartered.
Canal tolls collected at Lockport during 1826, $7,053,- 38.
IN 1827.
In 1827 The Niagara Sentinel, which was removed by Oliver Grace from Lewiston to Lockport, in 1824, was united with the Observatory, and issued as the Democrat and Sentinel; O. Turner, editor.
Hiram A. Cook came, in 1827.
Lower Town commenced, 1827.
March 6, 1827, Joel McCollum, Seymour Scovell, Otis Hathaway and Sylvester R. Hathaway purchased 300 acres of Nathan Comstock, which extended from Main street to the Old Niagara Road.
Peter Oliphant came. Died in Cambria, 1902, in his ninety-seventh year.
Canal tolls collected at Lockport during 1827 were $7,868.41.
IN 1828.
May I, Niagara Courier's first issue. Mr. Cadwallader, editor and publisher. Weekly.
May 8, High bridge ; timber on the ground; to be done by September next.
May 10, Ben Barton and Robert Fleming, Commis- sioners, advertised for proposals for building a Clerk's office in the Public Square, Lockport.
May 30, Lorenzo Dow preached in this village to a large assemblage.
Washington Hunt came from Hunt's Hollow, Liv- ingston County, New York. He entered the store of Tucker & Bissell, remaining two years.
John W. Rogers came; Eliza Faxon; later, the wife of John W. Rogers came.
Joseph Center was in practice here in 1828.
Peter Besancon purchased the Democrat and Sentinel, and changed it to the Lockport Journal.
Dr. John S. Shuler came.
Edward Bissell in business here in 1828. The Bissell mill, a large flouring mill, between Market street and the ca- nal was built in that year ; E. Bissell's sawmill was also built in 1828. It was located where the Trevor Manufacturing Company's machine shop now stands.
Jeremiah Dyer came from Porter, New York. His son, Oliver Dyer, came with him.
Mrs. Alexander Pound came.
Isaiah Stahler came from Seneca County, New York. The raceway was extended to the Bissell mill.
July, George W. Hildreth, a native of Boston, Massa- chusetts, came from the regions of Northern New York. He established a manufactory of iron articles. He was a musician, and for a long time played the bass viol in the First Presbyterian Church, when that congregation did not possess an organ. He died in 1882.
Edward A. Wakeman came into the village of Lockport to live.
December, John Gooding built "Gooding cottage," cor- ner Gooding and Washington streets, about 1828.
Postoffice established at Wright's Corners. Solomon Wright was Postmaster for many years.
May 8, Cooley & Lathrop, Book and Job Printers ; office
of "Priest Craft Exposed," a few rods south of the locks. Chaplin & Hart, attorneys, Canal street.
L. Fellows & Co., "in the business of merchandizing."
Lot Clark came about 1828. Albany Land Company
LOT CLARK.
purchased a controlling interest in real estate in Lower Lockport, Lot Clark being manager.
Pioneer stage line started, to run only six days in the week. "Deacon John Gooding was one of the stockholders, residing near the intersection of Washington and Gooding streets. The stages of this line stopped there on their way to and from the Niagara frontier. He had stables fitted up for their accommodation, and a blacksmith shop was near at hand. Mr. Gooding owned an extensive tract of land in the vicinity, extending back toward the branch of the Eighteen- Mile Creek, and from this fact, and the circumstances already enumerated, that portion of the village received the name of Pioneer Hill, by which it was familiarly known for a long time after." The Pioneer line of stages continued for about two years, and not proving a paying investment was closed
December 9, meeting held to remonstrate against dis- continuing Sunday mail. It was well attended. The rep- resentation sent to Washington stated that "there were within the village 400 or 500 buildings of various kinds, a population of about 2,000, and twenty-five respectable mer- cantile establishments. It emphatically denied that a ma- jority of the business men favored the project of discon- tinuing the Sunday mail."
December 17, Old Line Mail Coach from Lewiston, via Lockport, to Rochester, passes Lockport, going east at 9 a. m. "Baggage at the risk of the owners."
Canal tolls collected at Lockport during 1828, $13 .- 530.07.
Joel McCollum built and occupied the second habitation below the hill in the fall of 1828. Now No. 301 Market street.
156
SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
IN 1829.
February 23, Grace Church organized. Lapsed a few years later.
February 19, James Catlin has recently established a drug store in the room adjoining postoffice, on Canal street.
February 26, M. H. Tucker & Co. advertise 2,000 gal- lons whiskey for sale by the barrel.
March 5, Rogers & Brown advertise 3,500 gallons whis- key, 500 bushels oats, 200 bushels corn.
An act incorporating Village of Lockport passed March 26.
First meeting of Trustees of village, May 13, 1829, held at the office of James F. Mason. Present : Joel McCollum, Levi Taylor, Levi E. Rounds, Joshua G. Driscoll and James F. Mason, the full board. Joel McCollum was appionted President ; Henry K. Hopkins, Clerk.
George W. Rogers appointed first Chief Engineer of Fire Department, May 18.
On May 18 the Village Trustees ordered the appoint- ment of sixteen firemen ; and Sylvester Seeley, John Hallock, Amos Bigelow and George Hildreth were appointed at that meeting.
It was also ordered that sixteen hook and ladder men be appointed; Richard Southard, Horace Comstock, Erastus O. Smith and Elisha Hecox were appointed.
May 21, village Trustees appointed Edwin A. Cooley, William F. Stickney, Sanford L. Collins, John Scarborough, Darius Bucklin, A. G. White, William P. Slocum, Randolph Compton, Solomon B. Conley, Jacob Flint, William Pound and Chauncey D. Woodward, hook and ladder men, complet- ing the number.
Charles F. Mitchell, Washington Hunt, Caleb Kniffen, Alfred R. Benedict, Stephen Bush, Norman Shepherd, Sam- uel G. Hamilton, Stephen Story, George Richardson, Wil- liam T. Lewis, Saxton Burr and Joseph Pound were ap- pointed firemen.
Lockport Balance established in Lower Town. Asa Story purchased Lockport Journal and changed it to Lock- port Balance.
Isaac C. Colton came from Royalton.
County farm purchased in western part of the Town of Lockport.
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