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 40
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PROSEPRITY OF PRETTY LA SALLE.
The settlement now known as La Salle was first known :s Cayuga Creek, but later, in recognition of the fact that it was here Cavalier de La Salle, in the spring of 1679, built the Griffon, the first vessel to sail the upper lakes, the name La Salle was selected for the place. One of the first settlers was a man known as "Big Smith," who resided there very early in the last century, probably about 1806. The home
CHILDREN'S PLAY GROUND-NATURAL FOOD COMPANY.
of Samuel Tompkins was a favorite place for travelers in the early days, and the Tompkins family and the Dietrick family have long been connected with the place, as have also the Angevines, the Lymburners, the Smiths, Schmecks and Munsons. In 1852 the postoffice was established, the frst Postmaster being Henry Clark, son of Henry W. Clark. Uu to the latter part of 1897 La Salle had no village organi- zation, but on December 14, 1897, it was incorporated, feel- ing the impulse of the new development at Niagara Falls. The first village officers were: Frank E. Wilson, President;
SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
203
JOHN O. JEFFERY, NORTH TONAWANDA.
A. C. TUXBURY, NORTH TONAWANDA.
F. A. MOLOY, NORTH TONAWANDA.
STEPHEN SULT, LOCKPORT.
H. A. BARNUM, LEWISTON.
WM. J. JACKMAN, LOCKPORT.
FRANK S. COATES, LOCKPORT.
-2
JAMES A. M'COLLUM, NEWFANE.
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
John C. Mason, Joseph H. Jones, Trustees; W. F. Smut, Clerk ; August Muelentin, Collector ; J. Angevine, Treasurer.
The present officers are: Fred Brooks, President; H. S. Tompkins and John A. Reynolds, Trustees; J. H. Schmeck, Clerk; H. C. Kinsley, Treasurer ; Alex. Goetzman, Collector; L. J. Luick, Street Commissioner; Board of Health, John J. Hopkins, Chairman; J. H. Schmeck, Clerk ; Philip Goetzman, Health Officer; Dr. L. J. Hixon, Health Physician.
On May 24, 1902, a boulder monument to the memory of La Salle was unveiled and dedicated on the Angevine farm, the site of the building of the Griffon.
City of forth Tonawanda.
GEORGE W. MILLENER.
HE history of the Tonawandas are so far inter- woven that it will be necessary to consider Ton- awanda, Erie County. and North Tonawanda, Niagara County, as one. Legend says they might actually have been one had it not been for a cer- tain load of gravel. But that is not history :- that is come- dy, and another story.
The mounds of Tonawanda Island, now a part of the City of North Tonawanda, and the many Indian antiquities, and burial places discovered in this vicinity, show plainly that here must have been a center of population, probably, before America was discovered.
The aborigines were shrewd in choosing pleasant and practical locations for their villages; the matter of trans- portation seems to have been well considered by them.
Tradition points to the camps of the French trappers and fur buyers about 1645, as the first indications of a white settlement at the junction of Tonawanda Creek with Niag- ara River, from the proximity of the high lands, on the north side of the creek, to the water. It is natural to presume that the site of those camps was about what is now the cor- ner of Main and Tremont streets.
From about 1620 to date, one of the main routes for travelers from east to west has been along the banks of Ni- agara River through North Tonawanda. First we find a canoe was used to cross Tonawanda Creek, then a flat boat, next a float bridge. All of these were supported by toll. Now we have bridges in plenty, free to all.
The first official mention we have of the Tonawandas as a center of community interests, is the appointment of Palmer Cleveland as Postmaster, November 19, 1825.
April 4, 1837, the Town of Tonawanda was organized, with Grand Island as a part.
One of the first acts of the Town Board was to vote a bounty of three dollars for every wildcat destroyed in the town. The temperance question was agitated in 1846. In that year a special election was held in the town on the ques- tion of license or no license. Total votes cast 178, of which ninety-eight were for license, eighty for no license. Judging from the above result we are led to question the enormous gains claimed by the temperance advocates of today.
In 1824 the site of the City of North Tonawanda was occupied by the Village of Niagara. Even in those times this was considered a promising locality, as may be seen from a perusal of the prospectus of the village's proprietors.
The first town meeting of the Town of Wheatfield was held on June 6, 1836.
In 1836 a bank was opened. In 1843 the settlement of Martinsville, now a portion of North Tonawanda, was es-
tablished. The settlers of the hamlet were largely Prussian, of strong religious sentiments ; and its name shows their pe- culiar veneration for the memory of Martin Luther. In 1843 Tonawanda Island became the headquarters of the East Boston Company, the owners of Grand Island, which was purchased for its oak timber. This company built and operated a large sawmill on Grand Island, opposite the mouth of Tonawanda Creek. Daniel Webster was a mem- ber of this company, and the old settlers say he spent much time at the mansion on Tonawanda Island.
The Village of Tonawanda, made up of territory in Erie and Niagara Counties, was organized December 29, 1853. At the first election 114 votes were cast. Two residents of Erie County and two residents of Niagara County were elected Trustees.
Affairs seemed to progress smoothly and peace reigned supreme until the year 1857, when the Niagara County ter- ritory withdrew from the corporation.
June 22, 1865, the electors of the Village of North Ton- awanda held their first election, sixty-five votes being cast, electing four trustees and inaugurating our first really local government.
In the year 1897 the City of North Tonawanda was chartered. The growth of our town, the varied interests and the necessity of a local government, with greater powers than were possible under a village charter, induced our peo- ple to enter cityhood. The result has been satisfactory to all.
The encroachments of the British, leading to the War of 1812, caused the erection at the mouth of Tonawanda Creek of a block house. This was garrisoned by regular United States troops, and clearly demonstrated that this was considered a strategetic point. In 1812 this garrison, with the aid of the immediate settlers, by a display of force and strategy, prevented an invasion of British and Indians from Canada, via Grand Island. Most of our settlers vol- unteered early in this war, and served until its close. The women and children were left at home to shift for them- selves and to care for the few head of live stock and the small personal belongings, which made up the wealth of the frontiersmen. Their existence was one of much hardship during this period. Rumors of invasion were frequent, and at times they were forced to leave their homes and seek safety in the interior. The block house and most of the houses in the vicinity of Tonawanda Creek were destroyed by the British in 1813.
In the "forties" there were two militia organizations here, composed of our citizens ; a rifle and an artillery com- pany, duly armed and equipped, constituting a part of the Eighth Brigade, New York State National Guard.
The Civil War proved that the descendants of the fron- tier settlers were imbued with patriotism. The army rec- ords of that period show the names of many citizens of the Tonawandas as officers and privates. Our two local Grand Army posts are justly proud of the records of the brave men who early answered the call for volunteers, and who, like their forebears from this vicinity in the War of 1812, stayed until the end.
The Spanish-American War again showed the spirit of our people. At the first call for troops our local company of militia, the Twenty-fifth Separate Company, National Guard, volunteered and left at once for camp, ready and anxious for a call to active service. After an absence of nearly a year they returned and some of the members en- tered the regular service. Our locality is now represented
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
in all branches of the military service, and several of our young men and boys are serving in the navy.
Under present military conditions, our army to be reor- ganized, available points to be chosen as permanent camps for large bodies of troops, Tonawanda Island, located as it is, the facility with which it can be isolated from the sur- rounding country, thereby increasing its efficiency in matters of discipline, with the prestige of being in the immediate vicinity of one of the principal strategic points of the War of 1812, seems the proper place. Who would be surprised if it were chosen by our Army Board as the site of the pro- posed new military post for the Niagara frontier, thereby depriving commerce of one of the finest locations for bus- iness of magnitude in Western New York.
COMMENCEMENT OF COMMERCIAL PROSPERITY.
The Tonawandas experienced their first commercial boom in the "forties." The Cleveland Company built an elevator near what is now the Spillway, laying out and nam- ing many streets and adding much to the population. This was followed by the building of a distillery near what is now the foot of Thompson street. Both of these properties were destroyed by fire soon after commencing operations. A distillery was afterwards fitted up near the junction of Man- hattan and Sweeney streets. This was operated a short time, then dismantled, and afterwards turned into a shingle mill. The latter was run many years, and had a daily ca- pacity of about 500,000 of shingles, one of the largest, if not the largest, shingle mill ever operated.
GREAT LUMBER CENTER.
The Tonawandas, as a lumber center, began their exist- ence in the "sixties," first as a distributing point for logs and long timber, and as a lumber and shingle manufacturing town. Large quantities of logs were towed from Canada and Michigan to our port, and several regular lines of vessels carried square oak timber from the Ohio and Michigan for- ests to supply our local mills and foi transportation by canal to New York and other Eastern points.
Two large ship yards were engaged in building vessels for the growing lake commerce ; ten large sawmills and shin- gle mills were manufacturing yearly about 100,000,000 feet of logs and timber into masts, ship timber, bridge timber, building timber, and shingles, and the Tonawandas made a reputation fast.
SECOND LARGEST LUMBER MARKET.
The first cargo of sawed lumber was received on our docks in 1867. From that time our receipts increased, until in the year 1890 there was received and handled over our docks the enormous amount of 718,650,900 feet of lumber, and in addition shingles, lath, ties and fence posts in propor- tionately large quantities, making the Tonawandas, in fact, the second largest lumber market in the world. This lum- ber is shipped to the Eastern and Southern States, to South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, for we still hold the record in this line of business. Our harbor and dock facilities are such as to provide for handling these immense quantities of lumber and still leave plenty of room for other material of various kinds.
IRON INDUSTRIES.
It is apparent that iron and steel are to be the building materials of this century, and still the Tonawandas are in line. The plant of the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Company, erected in 1873, and since added to and improved, is now capable of producing 500 tons of iron daily from the crude
ore. The plant of the Buffalo Steel Company engaged in rolling flat steel, angle steel, light rails, agricultural bars, etc. ; capacity 150 tons daily ; the Buffalo Nut & Bolt Works, the largest plant of its kind in existence ; the Buffalo Steam Pump Company, the Niagara Radiator Works, and numer- ous other iron and steel working plants are producing ma- terial in such quantities as will soon place us in position as one of the centers of the iron and steel industry of the age.
And now work has commenced on a large paper mill, covering two acres of ground, for the manufacture of card- board.
AMUSEMENTS FOR THE WORLD.
Our city also caters to the lighter side of life. We do our part in furnishing the lowly and the children of the nations with harmless amusements. Three large factories within our borders are engaged in the manufacture of steam riding galleries, or merry-go-rounds. One large factory builds narrow-gauge railroads, steam locomotives and cars; and that all the world may dance when they will, we have a large factory engaged in the manufacture of orchestrions, barrel organs, and street pianos. You may say we have much to answer for on account of doing these things, but when one of our citizens traveling in South America, Asia or Africa, hears the hubbub and music incident to the proper man- agement of a riding gallery, and after much effort pierces the surrounding crowd, he usually feels very much elated when he reads, as he generally does, the large yellow letters setting forth that this machine and its organ was constructed in North Tonawanda, State of New York, United States of America, and is satisfied that the semi-civilized are as safe for the time as conscientious workmanship and skilled engi- necring can make them.
SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
We are eminently a social people, as may be seen from a partial enumeration of the societies supported and encour- aged by our citizens. In addition to our church societies. military and fire companies, we have from one to four lodges of the following orders: Masonic, Odd Fellows, Maccabes, Select Knights, Foresters, United Workmen, Royal Arca- num, Knights of Pythias, Knights of Columbus, Knights and Ladies of Honor, Order of Hibernians, Harugari, and others for charitable, social and benevolent purposes, offering a wide choice to that peculiar product of our American civil- ization, the joiner. Then our ladies have their societies for the study of history, literature and art. Were we to enum- erate even one-half our social advantages the limits set for this article would be much exceeded.
It is a matter of regret that the limits of this sketch prevents the mention of the names of the many prominent citizens, past and present, whose services to our people in the ministry, in medicines, in the law, in the schools, in bus- iness, in war and in politics entitles to the consideration and respect of all. At some later time space may be found to partially give their lives and works the high praise which is their just due.
The growth of our city has been phenomenal, the tem- perament of our people is exceptional. But two or three murders have occurred here in the memory of man, and all were perpetrated by transients. Robberies are almost un- known, and notwithstanding we manuaftcure much beer. drunkenness of the quarrelsome kind is exceptional.
Our people are thrifty ; we have a local Savings & Loan Association, with a capital of $228,000. This furnishes ready help to the workers and aids much in inducing the wage-
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
earner to own his own home, to save his earnings and to take an interest in the management of local affairs.
FUTURE PROSPECTS.
Though the youngest city of the County of Niagara, North Tonawanda promises to be in the near future the banner city, and the center of population and business, on the Niagara Frontier. Her location, nearly midway be- tween Buffalo and Niagara Falls, her close interests with Tonawanda, for Tonawanda and North Tonawanda are di- vided by but about 200 feet of smooth water and a county line, the water is well bridged ;(the county line might be were it not for the strife of local politics) ; they must be considered as one, with a united population of 18,300; with two com- modious high schools, well supplied with up-to-date instruc- tors and apparatus ; with a well-equipped manual training school; with seven district schools, modern in every par- ticular, for our educational facilities are not surpassed by any city in the State ; with four successful and well-managed banks; with twenty-six churches ; with a commodious and
well-equipped Young Men's Christian Association building, the finest in the county, backed by a strong society and the people generally ; with free delivery of mail; with one c" the best volunteer fire departments in the State, supplemented by modern fire alarm systems; with water and sewer ser- vice, not to be excelled; with unsurpassed shipping facili- ties, six lines of steam railroads, the Erie Canal, Niagara River, and Lake Erie; with her magnificent harbor at the foot of the navigable waters of the Great Lakes, and in close proximity to the great power plant.
With her enterprising and genial people, what better place can be found for business, what more salubrious place for homes away from the mists and roar of Niagara Falls ; just far enough from the City of Buffalo, with its perfume of drying grains and stagnant waters; located on the Frontier of Western New York, on the banks of Niagara River, at the center of the ideal portion of the most fruitful and healthful section of the Empire State, of the most enlight- ened Republic known to history ?
OLCOTT
LAKE ONTARIO
Ogdensburg
8
NEWFANE
Watertown
WILSON
YOUNGSTOWN
PORTER
nastown fronfie
Lockport & Olcott Ry.
"Lewiston &
HIFLEWISTON
L. TUSCARORA INDIAN/ 1
LOCKPORT
N.Morge RG
RESERVATION
NY C. B. H. R. R.A.
LOCKPORT
PENDLETON
WHEATFIELD
NIAGARA
----
TRY
GEMMAGARA FALLS
WANDA
CLARENCE
AMHERST
GRAND ISLAND
NY. C & H.R
R.R
TONAWAND
TONAWANDA
Lehigh
Limits DL & W RP
NYC &HR
valley
IRR
DEPE
Buffalo À
Y C & HR
NY. L. E & W R.R
BUFFALO
LANCASTER
LS&M 5
B. R & D RK
BGBVERY
LAKE ERIE
NY & Pa RR
ELMA
City
W. SPENCER
Shore R.H
west
city Limits
CHEEKTOWAGA
Depent Ry 7
DL & WAR
NYCHHR
withon srulle
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NIAGARA
RIVER
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CAMBRIA
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MAP OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRACTION COMPANY.
SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
207
HON. FRANKLIN SPALDING, Niagara Falls.
COL. GEORGE L. MOOTE, Porter.
HON. JOHN VAN HORN, Lockport.
JOHN G. FREEMAN, Lockport.
HON, THOMAS V. WELCH, Niagara Falls.
HON. JOHN HODGE, Lockport.
B. F. FELTON, North Tonawanda. PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE NIAGARA COUNTY PIONEER ASSOCIATION.
Press of niagara County.
OURNALISM took root at an early day in Ni- agara County, as an inspection of the record of the various newspapers given hereinafter will show. The history of each is prepared from memoranda . furnished by the present publishers. For over eighty years the news of the day has been chronicled, either weekly or daily, with a gradual improvement in frequency of issue, in typographical appearance and in the presenta- tion of news with promptness and accuracy. We have aimed to make these sketches strictly historical, and to exclude from them all the claims, and counter claims, that arise re- garding circulation and editorial and typographical excel- lence, that editors are apt to indulge in, but in respect of which the public are really the best judges. So here the newspaper men are gathered together in peaceful har- money, for once at least, good fellows all of them, whom The Journal desires to entertain in thorough equality and with simple and exact justice to all within the covers of this hospitable book.
LOCKPORT UNION-SUN.
The Lockport Union-Sun had its birth in Lewiston in 1821. At that time there was considerable rivalry between Lockport and Lewiston as to which should be the county seat. Lewiston had a shade the better of the argument in the fact that it had the only paper in the county, the Ni- agara Democrat, owned and edited by Bartemus Ferguson.
Lockport, with its characteristic energy and public en-
FRED W. CORSON.
terprise, saw the advantage of having its cause thus ad- vocated, and a committee was appointed to go to Lewiston, buy the printing establishment, engage the printer, and bring the whole outfit to Lockport.
So well did this committee perform its task that the first intimation most of Lewiston citizens had of the change was when they received copies of the paper, setting forth in blazing headlines, the advantages of Lockport as a county
seat. Orsamus Turner, the early historian of this region, published the paper for a number of years.
The many changes in name and ownership from 1821 down to the present day are part of the history of the county, and the fact that the Union-Sun, daily, and the Niagara Democrat and Niagara Sun, semi-weekly, are the successors and present day representatives of the first paper established in Niagara County is an undisputed fact.
MATTHEW H. HOOVER.
The names of Ransom Skeels, deceased, and Dr. E. W. Gantt, a resident of this city, were long associated with the Niagara Democrat and Daily Union as its editors, and men whose ability, honesty of purpose and energy did much toward making it the prominent factor in the business, political and social life of Niagara County.
The present editorial staff consists of Matthew H. Hoover, Managing Editor; Mrs. F. W. Corson, Associate Editor, Charles F. Foley, City Editor and Advertising Manager. The Union-Sun, Niagara Democrat and Ni- agara Sun, as they are today, speak in highest terms of their ability.
Under the management and proprietorship of Fred W. Corson the Union-Sun and Niagara Democrat and Ni- agara Sun have achieved a well deserved success. The management has recently purchased buildings and a site on East Avenue with a frontage of sixty feet, running 160 feet back to Pearl Street and containing some 14,000 feet of floor space. Its job work department has grown until its product necessitates six large presses and a large force of men and women.
LOCKPORT DAILY REVIEW.
The Lockport Daily Review was first issued from the office Nos. 26-28 Market Street, on March 27, 1895. The owners were six printers, Messrs. F. H. Fogel, J. W. Jenss, Eugene Kearns, R. C. Wilson, John M. Smith and T. T. Feeley, who invested in the plant. For the first year, the
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
paper was run on the cooperative plan. At the beginning of the second year a stock company was formed and two more printers were added to the list, namely John Tierney and John W. Berry, and since that time the paper has been run under the corporation laws of the State of New York. In
T. T. FEELEY.
1896 the Semi-Weekly Review was first issued. A job plant has been added and today The Review has a complete plant.
WOMAN'S TEMPERANCE WORK.
Woman's Temperance Work, published in Lockport, New York, is the official organ of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of the State of New York.
.
After this society had been organized about ten years a State paper was found to be a necessity, and in 1884 it be- came a fact. It closed its first year with a subscription list of 1,300. It was then called "Our Work." This name was afterward changed to "Woman's Christian Temperance Work," but as this proved to be rather too much of a title, it was finally called by the name it bears today, "Woman's Temperance Work."
During the early years of its existence, it was published in New York City, the office of the editor and publisher being headquarters for the W. C. T. U. of the State. In 1897, at the State convention of the W. C. T. U., Mrs. Frances W. Graham, of Lockport, was made editor and publisher and consequently the office and headquarters were changed to Lockport.
The paper is an eight page monthly, devoted principally to the progress of the temperance work in this State. It contains each month a letter from the State President and communications from the branch secretaries, besides giv- ing plans for carrying on the work of the various depart- ments. There is a department of "Field News" which gives the general outlook, and the editorials touch on the leading features of the temperance reform. Such a paper does much toward moulding temperance sentiment.
With the December issue of this year, it will enter upon its twentieth year, which proves that it was born to live. Under Mrs. Graham's management the paper has shown steady improvement. The subscription list, which had in- creased each year from the beginning, has doubled during the past five years, and the number now reaches 6,000, while the financial part of the publication is on a firmer basis than ever before,
Mrs. Graham's office is in her home, at 355 Market Street, and is a busy place, for in addition to her work as editor and publisher, Mrs. Graham is State Corresponding Secretary, and with 1,000 local organizations in the State and a membership of nearly 25,000, there is plenty of work
MRS. FRANCES W. GRAHAM.
for the Corresponding Secretary to do. She is ably assisted by Miss Amy A. Walker, who has been associated with her since 1898 as stenographer, bookkeeper and general as- sistant. Miss Walker is a graduate of the Commercial De- partment of the Lockport High School, and is well fitted for this position.
Mrs. Graham is also one of Lockport's favorite singers, and was for a number of years the solo soprano of the First Congregational Church. She is also the Musical Director for the National W. C. T. U. and her voice has been heard in the temperance reform in almost every State in the Union. Her home has always been in Lockport, and here as else- where, her influence has ever been given to every good cause.
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