USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Ellicott > The early history of the town of Ellicott, Chautauqua County, N.Y. > Part 16
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and beyond on the west side of Pine street are three small houses in which live Chas. R. Harvey, Wm. Breed and Horace Blanchar, and on Second street is Phineas Stevens' house. There are other houses in Jamestown but these are all that can be seen from where we stand. This is a true picture of my earliest remembrance, from the point spoken of, of my native town.
S. A. Brown, in his History of the Town of Ellicott, relates an anecdote of Fenton's tavern, somewhat as follows; During 1816 the race was dug, from the saw mill to Daniel Hazeltine's woolen factory. A dissipat- ed man by the name of Osborne, commonly called "Mud Lark," had the contract and employed several men in doing the work. Jacob Fenton's tavern was but a few rods away, and he had plenty of the "good creature" which he dispensed by the drink to whoever called. Change was scarce and Osborne wished to run up a score. The question arose how the accounts should be kept and the following expedient was re- sorted to: Osborne should cut a stick of particular size and shape, which should be deposited for a drink. In this way Osborne obtained his drinks for a long time, and a large number of sticks had accumulated in Fen- ton's desk. The time finally came for Osborne to pay his account. "Honest Jacob was as much astonished as Osborne to find that four or five times as many sticks had accumulated as drinks had been furnished, according to the mutual opinion of the landlord and his customer. Fenton knew he had dealt out as many drinks as he had sticks, but was thoroughly of the opinion that Osborne had not had the one-half of them and probably not over one-fourth of them. It was finally ascertained, that the hands had noticed Osborne's method of ob-
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taining drinks, and had cut sticks like them, and had got whiskey of the bar keeper without stint by the "forgery." Brown calls this the "factory race forgery," and quite unlike any he could find in the books; like the county, it was quite new.
The year following, 1815, appears to have been a re- markable one for erecting large frame buildings for hotel purposes. In the spring of that year Phineas Palmeter put up and enclosed a large two story build- ing on the southwest corner of Main and Third streets, for a tavern, if any one desired it for that purpose; or for stores, possibly for a lawyer's office, or a doctor's of- fice, or a printing office; he believed it would be a good place for a theatre; that if the place ever got pious enough he would put on a steeple and make it into a church. Palmeter lived to see that building used for all the purposes he had so jokingly enumer- ated years previously, and for many other purposes in addition. Soon after the building was enclosed, a room was finished in the northeast corner of it for S. A. Brown's law office. The building remained unfinished for two or three years and was then sold to Gilbert Ballard, additions made to it, and a large barn built on the corner of Third street and Mechanic's alley and a long shed south of it; the space between the house and the barn filled by a one story building for a din- ing room and kitchen, and the whole finished into a tavern. The house was opened as such by Ballard the spring of 1818.
In the summer of the same season (1815) Horatio Dix and Jesse Smith, erected a large building on the southeast corner of Main and Third streets for a tay- ern. Although this house was quickly, it was well built, and nearly completed that season, and a ball
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was given in it January 1, 1816, the first ever given in Jamestown. The "ball room," so called, which in those days was considered as necessary in a tavern as a kitchen, perhaps not quite as much so as a bar room, they had not been able to complete in time for this hopping occasion, and Royal Keyes and Jediah E. Budlong although new comers got dancing mad over it. But they had sent out invitations for miles round, and those the most interested, Deacon Dix and his soon after son-in-law Jesse, were determined that those who desired to dance on New Year's day should be ac- commodated. So they waltzed around, removed a half-finished partition between two large rooms on the first floor and had a larger and better dancing room than they would have had in the regular ball room had it been finished. Everybody had been invited and everybody was there, but the persons mentioned. The ball room, as it was arranged, had a door at one end opening into the street, and a large fireplace, just small enough to escape the appellation of "Dutch" at the other. There was wandering about the town a large, white, blind, old horse, who went as led, or oth- erwise, by a slap on the haunches and the word of command, "go it blind!" While the company was busily engaged in the evolutions of that fine old coun- try dance of "Money Musk," some one placed "Old Whitey" in position, suddenly threw open the door, gave him the slap, and the command, "go it blind!" He danced down the center, with a pace quickened by the music, in a straight line, with no allemand either to "the right" or to "the left," scattering the Terpsi- chorian performers, and brought up in the fireplace. "Old Whitey" was as much astonished as were the company he was in, but he found even there old friends
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and acquaintances. He "changed partners," was quietly led to the open door, the slap was given, "go it blind!" uttered and he "chassezed" out into the open air, having attended his first and last dance. This celebrated dance was long known as "The Blind Horse Ball." *
This house was finished early in 1816, and sold to Elisha Allen, who opened it to the public during the summer of that year, and also a large room filled with all possible kinds of merchandise, excepting dry goods. The principal articles kept by Allen were whiskey, pork, cable, old and new; ironware, tinware, salt fish, peltries, etc. His clerk and general superintendent was W.m. Hall, (the late Wm. Hall, Esq. ) a young man who two years previously had emigrated from Wards- boro, Vt., to the town of Carroll. Hall agreed with the proprietor to manage this multifarious establishment for him, to keep and settle the accounts, the proprietor agreeing not to interfere or meddle with the business in any way whatever. Occasionally the proprietor would undertake to settle an account himself, in doing which, he would pay no attention to Hall's additions, footings, credits, balances, red lines, etc., but would add all together, from the bottom to the top of the page, making an indebtedness that astounded even himself. But it was correct; there were the figures; "Hall made them, and you must pay immediately." The amount claimed frequently was hundreds of dollars, where but two or three dollars were due. Hall would try to ex- plain to his principal that he was wrong, and that the
" Several vears after J. E. Budlong was elected Colonel and Royal Keyes Major of the 162d regiment, and the blind horse trick they had played on others was repeated with interest on themselves at the Ballard tavern See chapter on militia trainings.
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red lines showed where payments or settlements were made. Allen, in his way, would reply: "H-1, Mr. Hall, (this was his one only, peculiar. swear word) " I don't know anything about your red lines and don't want to know; the figures must be right; you made them, and that is what the man owes; figures don't lie. When an account is paid the right way is to mark it out by putting a cross over it with a pen! But have it your own way, Mr. Hall, make as many red marks as you choose, Bill Hall. H-1, I can stand it, Hall, my name is Allen. Mr. Hall, my bookkeeper, who does all the business says you have paid your account. I will never trust you again as long as I live, remember that; but I'll treat, come on. Mr. Hall, Bill Hall, my book- keeper don't drink. H-1, I would discharge him in five minutes if he did. No, no, I knew the Halls in Wadsberry before I came to this miserable swamp; the Halls are nice folks; I knew them in Wadsberry. Bill Hall was born in Wadsberry, and knows how to keep books, and don't drink."
Allen was a shrewd business man and usually kind and benevolent; but he became addicted to drink, after which he was shrewd enough to employ the best men ยท to manage for him his large business. His appetite was his destruction; he died in the year 1830, still a young man. At the time of his death he was consid- ered the most wealthy man in Jamestown, next to Judge Prendergast.
In the spring of 1820 Mr. Allen rented this tavern to Solomon Jones, and removed to what was then known as the Cass tavern, which at that time was not only the finest appearing but really the best building in the town. This house was on the southwest corner of Main and Second streets. Plinny Cass commenced
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this building in 1817, but it was not completed until a short time before its purchase by Allen. He opened this house immediately as a hotel, consequently the little village of Jamestown at this early period had ample accommodations for "men and beasts" of all kinds. An energetic young man named Disher, who had been a clerk in Prendergast's store, had become proprietor of the Fenton house, which thereafter known as Disher's tavern. Jamestown now had four fair-sized hostelries, Disher's tavern, Ballard's tavern, Jones's tavern and Allen's tavern, all of them abund- antly supplied with "Solid food and liquid refresh- ments," as was chalked on the Jones house; "Venison and whiskey" as was chalked in large letters on the Bal- lard tavern; "Pork and Monongahela" was the legend done in coal on the Allen tavern. Disher displayed a regular painted sign, the first ever displayed in James- town. It was an unplaned 16-foot gang board, on which was scrawled " The Disher House," and was the first time any other word than tarern was known to have been used to designate a public house-or as we now say-hotel. S. A. Brown, Esq., in his History of Ellicott, relates the following anecdotes concerning the "Cass-Allen " tavern in the year 1820 :
"In those days, taverns were haunted by magis- trates as well as others. It was customary to appoint courts on Saturday, to the end that suitors and wit- nesses who chose so to do, might have a frolic on that day, and take the next to get sober and return home."
" Their resort with their retinue of pettifoggers, was often a tavern south of the bank which, with its long and lofty portico, was then much admired. The landlord was a large, bony, muscular man, and if he had a customer more impudent or abusive than him-
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self he would 'conquer peace.' A noted pettifogger used frequently to be at this house, and on one occa- sion he was very saucy, as gentlemen of his profession were apt to be. For this offence the landlord chas- tised him severely. He came to my office for a war- rant, very bloody and reasonably drunk, but being satisfied that the landlord had as much been sinned against as sinning it was refused."
"A certain justice used also to be at this house, who on one occasion, after having stayed about a week, some of the citizens thought they would give him a hint that his absence would be more agreeable than his company. In the center of the road opposite the tavern there was a large pine stump * against which an effigy of the justice was placed. When all things were in readiness the justice was invited has- tily to go to the door, when he and his bar room com- panions rushed to the portico, and in a moment a slow match communicated with the powder, and scattered the image to the winds of heaven. The next morning a monument with a poetic epitaph beginning:
(Here lies the Drunken Squire) **
was seen reclining against the stump. It was said that this gentle rebuke did the magistrate a great deal of good, as he did not haunt the tavern here afterwards for some time."
After a year or more experience as a tavern keeper Mr. Allen closed his house as a dispensary of " Pork
* This stump was of unusual size, and stood on the east side of the street, about twenty feet below Tew's corner. It was smotly re- moved under the "stump law." See chapter on Temperance Socie- ties
** There was also, the next morning, near the stump, a board on two barrels, on top of which were two bundles of straw wrapped up in a sheet to represent a corpse.
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and Monongahela," but made it his residence as long as he lived, renting the front rooms and all others he could spare to new settlers who wanted house room only for a few weeks or months. After 1830 it was again rented and used as a hotel.
In the fall of 1815 Seth Kidder, a young man from Wardsboro, Vt., erected the frame for a hotel on the norhwest corner of Main and Third streets, making the third of these corners occupied that year for public houses; and the fourth, the northeast corner, was soon after occupied as a horse barn for the Allen tavern. The streets at this locality were in the midst of an almost impassible swamp. The lots on the north side on which Kidder had erected this frame and on which the Allen barn was built, were swamp lots. At an early day the largest "deer lick " in the country was at the junction of Main and Third streets, and deer were killed there as late as 1813. It is within the writer's remembrance that there was a road made of logs across this swamp at the east side of Main street for the pass- age of teams, and slabs laid along the west side for pedestrians. The frame erected by Seth Kidder re- mained uninclosed until 1822, when it was bought with the four lots on which it and the barn which was to be, stood, by William Hall for $300 .* We now look upon that sum as a wonderfully small price for those lots. We must remember that this was 65 years ago, and what Hall bought wasan old frame that had stood seven years without being enclosed, and lots which Prendergast gaveto Kidder if he would erect the frame. Mr. Hall had the frame enclosed and finished in a manner suitable for a public house, and Solomon Jones
* Two of the lots fronted on Main and two on Cherry streets. All four of them were swamp lots.
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and William Hall occupied it as such in the fall of that year. For many years it was known as Jones's tavern.
WILLIAM HALL, in 1824, married Julia, the third daughter of Solomon Jones. In 1828 he built a house on his farm half a mile south of the village, to which he removed, and where he continued to reside for many years, a plain farmer. In 1846 he built a fine residence on the first bench of land south of the town, and which is yet occupied by his widow. Mr. Hall died on the 6th of July, 1880, one of the most wealthy men of the country.
SOLOMON JONES remained in the hotel for several years after Mr. Hall had removed to his farm. He retired from his publican pursuit in 1835, and for a short time, with one of his sons, was engaged in mer- chandising in the Hall building on the north side of Third street, but during the larger portion of the time he was the prominent justice of the peace, and contin- ued in this office until age forbade his performing its duties. He died at the age of 87 in August, 1862. Clarissa, his wife, also died at the age of 87 in Novem- ber, 1867.
We would record here that Main street, between Second and Third, has been the theater of three de- structive incendiary fires. The first occurred in the spring of 1837, in a store situated on the east side of the street, where the store of Wm. Broadhead occupied by Whitley, now stands. Seven buildings on that side of the street were burned, viz: Silas Tiffany's store on the corner of Main and Second streets, his residence north and joining, Dr. Foote's drug store, the store of Barrett & Baker, the store of Higley & Kellogg, and what was known as the old Forbes house, then occu-
.
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pied by Swift & Walbridge. The burnt district was soon rebuilt with better buildings, excepting the cor- ner owned by Mr. Tiffany, which is now occupied by a large wooden building containing three stores.
In 1852 we had a second incendiary fire, com- mencing in a store occupying the same ground in which the fire of 1837 commenced. This was still more destructive, sweeping away all of the buildings on the east side of the street between Second and Third, including the old Allen tavern. The ground was a second time rebuilt with brick buildings. On the site of the Allen tavern, A. F. and D. Allen erected a large, substantial brick hotel.
Sam'l A, Brown, in speaking of the Cass house bought by Elisha Allen, thus compares it with the fine brick hotel built by his sons : "This house, with its long and lofty portico was then as much admired as the elegant brick building erected by the Allens, with its superb stone columns, its lofty attic and splendid observatory."
After the retirement of Solomon Jones from the tavern, for a few years it changed landlords frequently, but finally was purchased by Warner D. Shaw, who continued it as a public house for several years, under the name of Shaw's hotel. Finally he purchased the Allen House, and removed thereto and closed the Shaw Hotel as a public house.
In the winter of 1861 came the third incendiary fire in this devoted district, far more destructive than either of the others. This fire commenced on the oppo- site (west) side of the street, and directly opposite to where the others had originated.
All of the buildings on both sides of Main street between Second and Third were burned, including the
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Allen house, the Shaw hotel north of Third and the buildings north of it, up to and including S. A. Brown's office; also the building on the south side of Third street between Main and Cherry streets. This was the most destructive fire Jamestown has ever experienced. It occurred in the winter and in the night, the de- struction of property was immense, and the scene pre- sented on that occasion baffles description. The Allen house was speedily replaced by a larger but much less substantial and cheaper edifice than the one destroyed and was soon found to be ill adapted to hotel pur- poses. Its history is an unfortunate one; it is not necessary to give it here. It was finally bought by Mr. Gifford, great and expensive changes made, and what was intended for a grand hotel has been con- verted into stores and offices much to the benefit of the present proprietor, and of the town. The Ballard having faithfully served its owners and the public " during its day and generation," was quietly disman- tled and laid away. It was the only one of the many Jamestown hotels, early and late, that did not go up or down in a blaze. It was finally purchased by Mr. Hall who substituted for the old tavern a large wooden building containing three large stores with offices and lodge rooms for societies on the upper floors. This was erected in time to go down in the great fire of 1861, when Mr. Hall erected the present substantial brick block.
The Allen tavern, on the corner of Main and Third streets after Solomon Jones had removed from it to Hall's new house on the opposite side of the street, had many landlords. We shall not attempt to enumerate them. We will record two or three unim- portant remembrances and leave the house and its
THE EARLY HISTORY OF
publicans to the long slumber upon which they have entered. Nat. (Nathaniel) Smith, grandfather of Judge Marvin Smith, succeeded Jones as the landlord of the Allen tavern. Indians were still more plenty in this section than white men, and although most of them were peaceable there were some ugly ones among them. All Indians are said to be fond of "fire water," and the best of them in those days would run great risk to obtain it. Old John Bale, the Indian spoken of in our second chapter and several other ugly sav- ages were in Smith's bar room one afternoon, wanting whiskey. As they were already drunk Smith refused. Bale immediately kicked down the door to the bar, clutched two or three decanters and gave them to his companions. Smith seized the heavy fire poker but before he could strike, Bale stabbed him in the shoul- der; before he could repeat the murderous act Smith dealt a blow which laid the copperhead sprawling on the floor. He laid still and quiet; his companions viewed him for a moment, put their hands on their knives, and in broken English said, "Smith kill Bale
a good deal. Bale now kill Smith." But Nat. was ready for them. Although at the time he considered himself fatally wounded, he swung the heavy poker and a large piece of the speaking Indian's nose lay on the floor six feet away. Several at that moment rushed in and the Indians left, John Bale with them. Smith had received a severe but not dangerous flesh wound, The writer, then less than nine years old. may date his introduction .to surgery to this transac- tion. Our father took up two or three small arteries in a long superficial wound on the back of Smith's shoulder, and a person whose name we will not men- tion was asked to tie them, but Silas Tiffany objected
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to the person, and Smith said that the boy could do it best as his fingers were small. The boy tied the "strings" as directed, and so adroitly as to receive great praise from all for his dexterity; but it was a bad job for the boy as it caused him many a heart- ache and more than one fight afterwards. Nearly everyone knows that boys, in the country at least, re- ceive nicknames, whether to their credit or not, that they hate with all their might, and soul, and strength. We shall always remember the first time "Gust" Allen called us "Doctor Pill Peddler." How many thous- and times we were given this harmless, unmeaning title we do not remember, but we do remember how cruelly it lacerated our feelings, and we can now sit down and call up the quarrels and the fights by the score we have had because of that nickname. And we were not alone in this resenting of silly, meaning- less, boyish nicknames. We know those who have been Judges, Members of Congress, Generals, Gov- ernors, D. D's., &c., who would fly into a furious rage and fight savagely because they were called by some supremely silly and meaningless nickname.
We take the privilege of relating another story, in which ourself and old John Bale are somewhat prom- inent. Six months or more after the stabbing of Nat. Smith, Benjamin Runyan, ourself and Eber Forbes, a boy of the same age, started out for a basket of fat pine for an evening's fishing on the rapids. Runyan owned the best light canoe on the outlet and had that day brought down from Crane's shop a new jack and two light spears. All was ready and the canoe drawn up on the race opposite to the present Erie express of- fice. We started for the pine. Up near where the bedstead factory now stands, we found old John Bale,
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Seneca Two Kittles, and another Indian and their squaws in camp. Seneca and Runyan were great friends, for Seneca had been a great help to Capt. Forbes who was a special friend of Runyan's on his retreat from Black Rock. Some one had given the Indian a small, poor, scrawny dog, with a very long tail. Seneca proposed to hold the dog, if Runyan would chop the tail off. "No Seneca, I hold dog, you chop tail." "Yes, me chop tail some," says Seneca. Runyan laid the dog on his side on a log, holding his hind legs in one hand and the tail in the other. Kit- tle raised his axe. Uncle Ben watched every motion and as the blow came down, he jerked the dog quickly towards him, and the axe came down on the side of the dogs neck, nearly severing the head from the body and killing him instantly. The Indian gazed for a moment with a look of astonishment, and then ex- claimed, "Ugh! Ben Seneca cut him short; much tail, little dog." He then shook hands with Runyan, as much as to say, "I harbor no ill feelings on account of the trick you have served me." Learning we wanted "fat pine" Bale took the basket and went into the bushes and soon returned with it heaping full of nice pine, which he set down before " Ebe." Runyan held out his hand to shake. John shook his head and offered his hand to "Ebe" and then to myself, saying, "Bale's pine catch pile of fish." Turning to Runyan he said, "John know the boys. Cross Eyed Ebe, Captain Forbes's boy, captain brave man. John and Seneca see cap-
tain at Conjockity. Brought home two men for cap- tain. Hurt some, well now." (This was after the bat- tle of Black Rock.) " And John knows Doctor Pill. tie up Nat. Smith. Nat. well. John glad." Runyan then shouldered the basket and soon we had it stowed
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away in the canoe and ready for a start to the rapids. John Bale's kind heart filled our canoe with the means of an evening's enjoyment; it was the whiskey that stabbed Nat. Smith.
In 1830 the landlord at the Allen tavern on the corner of Main and Third streets was a Dutchman named Van Velsor. He had a large number of board- ers, and very much desired a bell larger than the hand bells then in use, but none could be found. Phin. Palmiter, who was always in the way when wanted, came with his inventive genius to the aid of a Dutch- man's wants. He procured a large bar of steel and had it turned into an enormous triangle, which he had mounted in a frame on the roof of the house. Two pieces of heavy iron or steel bar were fastened to wooden arms and attached to the frame below the tri- angle. Cords fastened to the distal end of the wooden arms descended to the place where the operator of the machine was to stand. By pulling first one cord and then the other, a louder, clearer, sweeter tone was elic- ited than we ever heard from any ordinary bell. After the destruction of the Allen tavern it was the frequent remark of the old inhabitants that they sincerely mourned the loss of the triangle; they could scarcely keep house without it, for they regulated their own meals by it, and it made them sad to think they would never hear its silver tones again. Our advice to any- one wanting a first-class silver-toned "bell" is to get a triangle.
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