USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Ellicott > The early history of the town of Ellicott, Chautauqua County, N.Y. > Part 29
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(Fish) Landon had a large family. William died in
Jamestown several years ago. Harvey died in Iowa. Lawrence, a member of Co. B, was killed in the war of the Rebellion ; Cyrus resides in Chicago, Charles is a banker in Plainview, Minnesota, and A. J. Landon is one of Jamestown's manufacturers. Maria Fish be- came the second wife of the late Henry Baker in 1828, and is the mother of his children, and is still living. Lucy, the youngest daughter of Cyrus Fish, Sen., died at the house of Henry Baker several years ago.
MILTON SHERWIN
An important early settler, came to the rapids in 1815, making the journey from Saratoga county with an ox team, in company with Oliver Higley and family, making the trip in a little more than a month, which was good time for those days. Mr. Sherwin first settled in what is now the town of Busti, on lands which afterwards belonged to Gideon Gifford and now to Walter, a son of the late Gideon Gifford. There was but one farm taken up and an improvement upon it at that time, between him and the rapids, and that was Deacon Wm. Deland's, afterwards known as the Solo-
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mon Butler farm, and is owned now, we are informed, by William Broadhead. Mr. Sherwin married Flora, daughter of Samuel Griffith and grand daughter of Jeremiah Griffith. in 1822. He became a resident of Jamestown in 1828, but had done much work here previous to that time. He became a member of the Congregational church at its organization in 1816. He was one of Jamestown's early builders and mill wrights. He is still living, next to Wm. H. Fenton, the father of the town.
ABRAHAM WINSOR
Was one of a Rhode Island family numbering twenty children. He married Sophia Bigelow in 1802, and came west into Madison Co., N. Y. to reside. He removed from there with his family in 1810, and came to Chautauqua, his first location being at Sinclair's- now Sinclairville. He was a Lieutenant in the war of 1812. I have not been able to obtain the precise date of his removal from Sinclairville to Jamestown, but I do remember attending a house warming in a building, erected by him, and in which now Mrs. Ezra Wood re- sides. His own family was half the size of his father's and we well remember when as men or boys they were all of them residents of Jamestown.
SAMUEL B. WINSOR,
A son of Abraham Winsor, was born in 1805 and has always remained a resident of Jamestown since his father's settlement here. To-day, seemingly he is as smart and active as forty years ago and can put up a log house as quickly and as well-taking the one on Marvin Park as a sample. The number of buildings erected by him in this town if counted up would be something amazing. His trade was that of a carpen- ter but emphatically he was a builder. Sam has been
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one of Jamestown's military men, although he has never smelt powder where they burned it in quantity, and were careless in the use of their guns. In 1824 he enlisted in "Tom Harvey's" Green Rifles 162 Reg. 43d Brigade, N. Y. State militia. A year later he was honored with a Corporal's warrant in that crack com- pany and two years later received a Captain's commis- sion in the best company ever formed in Chautauqua County previous to the war. In 1829 he had reached the height of his military ambition and was raised to the command of the old 162d, the proudest looking regiment, either fighting or non-fighting, that James- town has ever beheld. The Colonel has been a useful man in Southern Chautauqua from boyhood to old age. When called hence, although the then resident minister of the Methodist church of which he has so long been an adorning member will preach his funeral sermon, nevertheless a military funeral should be awarded. In 1831 he married Anna Sears, daughter of William Sears, one of the earliest settlers of what is now known as Kiantone. In a conversation with Mr. Winsor a few days ago he related the following anec- dote illustrating the generosity of Judge Prendergast and the way he assisted in every good cause in the early days. He said, "I have been a member of the Jamestown Methodist Episcopal church for over 56 years. When we were building the old church we had hard work to pull through with all the help we could get-our members were poor and not able to give much. In 1832 I took the job of finishing and seating the church at a much less figure than it was worth, but I thought that by hard work I could accomplish it. I went to Judge Prendergast and told him just how it was. He said to me, 'Sam, you go up,(where Pine street
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now joins Main street), cut your logs and draw them to the mill.' I did so. The lumber was sawed,and I accom- plished the work I had agreed to do. We raised some money which I concluded I would go and pay to the Judge on the lumber. He brought out the bill and it was a large one, as I expected. He inquired particu- larly about our church-how we were getting along, how much I had lost by the job, &c. He took the bill and receipted it in full. remarking, 'Sam, you are a I young man, that will help to give you a start.' never think of that transaction without feeling that there is a very soft place in my heart for Judge Pren- dergast, and I could mention many other cases show- ing the nobleness and kindness of that man. He did good even to his enemies; he was a father and a brother to all of us."
AUGUSTUS MOON
Was the first settler between the rapids and Walk- up's mill on the Cassadaga six miles above. He served during the war, and in 1814 came from Canandaigua with a friend named Dr. Jaffrey Thomas. They came in the middle of winter. The snow was deep and it was difficult to keep the Indian trails they were obliged to travel. The day after his arrival at the rapids he retraced his steps one and one-half miles to a low, gloomy valley, dark with the large pines and hem- locks with which it was crowded and in which the howl of the wolf seldom ceased. The locality was then noted for being the wildest and most gloomy and as containing more wild, dangerous animals than any other in the country. But it struck the fancy of Moon and a few days later he had in his pocket an article for a mile square containing several hundred acres. The rich farms of Deacon Blanchard and of his son
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Flint and surrounding farms are a part of that pur- chase. Moon who was a stout, hardy and withal go- ahead man, went immediately to work and built a log house. Finding on a portion of his purchase a suffic- ient number of maple trees to make it an object, he tapped about 50 of them and made a quantity of sugar which he boxed up and placed under the floor of his house. After this commencement he went east for his wife returning as soon as the journey could be made. He found his house all right, but the sugar gone, the Indians had used it up. Mr. Moon was soon joined by three of his brothers, Gideon, Jonathan and Samuel, to whom he sold each a portion of his land. For many years the locality was known as the Moon neighborhood. Jeffrey T. Moon, our noted policeman, is a son of Augustus Moon.
AMOS FERGUSON,
A special friend of Moon's, settled in an early day on the farm which has since been occupied by his son Amos, the poet. . Frequently they would meet at the old Allen tavern in Jamestown and flip the copper for farms. Gust would say, "Ame, you have got a good farm and I have got a good farm, both paid for-I will flip a copper with you to see which shall have both." " Done, Gust, flip away." The one beat would say, " Well I guess it was a fair flip, but will treat and back down." This operation would be kept up until the landlord informed them that they had as heavy a load as their horses could draw home; they were placed in their wagons and their faithful horses would go di- rectly home, with great intelligence, avoiding stumps and keeping in the road without staggering.
THE STRUNKS,
For a correct understanding of those early set-
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tlers in the north part of the town, the Strunks, it becomes necessary that we enter more fully into their history than we should otherwise do, for the space we intended to occupy is already used up. About the year 1750 a brother and sister, named Henry or Hendrick, and Katherine Strunk landed in the city of New York. They probably came from Lippe Det- mold in the north of Germany, as there are families still residing there of that name. They were poor, and as was then customary, their labor was sold for a series of years to pay their passage to this country. Henry was sold for five and Katherine for three years. Henry, after regaining his freedom, married in Albany and settled eight miles east of Troy, where he suffered all the ravages and privations, induced by the British soldiery during the Revolutionary war. 3 Notwith- standing the changes and vicissitudes of an eventful life, he raised a large family, became moderately wealthy and lived to a ripe old age, leaving ten children, the last of whom was born in the year 1775. Of these the 4th, Elsie, the 7th Jacob, and the 8th John, emigrated to the town of Ellicott and settled as hereinafter stated.
ELSIE STRUNK married Jonas Simmons, a native of Berlin, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., a descendant of one of the earliest settlers of that county. We have to record of Jonas that he was a Tory during the Revolution, and was with Burgoyne's army in 1777. When it was seen that a retreat was the only resource for the Brit- ish forces, Simmons was one of a party sent to clear the roads blockaded by timber felled by the Federal forces to prevent Burgoyne's retreat. This party, instead of clearing the roads made quick steps for the wilds of Canada. After the war Simmons returned to Rensse-
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laer County, and married Elsie Strunk in 1785. Tor- ies were not held in high esteem in that locality in those days and Jonas in 1809, came to the wilds of Chautauqua in search of a more congenial home. He made claim to the farm now owned by Gilbert Strunk at Fluvanna, returned to Rensselaer County, and dur- ing the following year emigrated with his family to his new home. He was accompanied by John Strunk, his wife's brother, and Benjamin Lee, whose sister was Strunk's wife. Simmons had 15 children, 13 of whom came with him. John Strunk had six children, four of whom came with him to Ellicott. Twenty children probably formed the largest train of emigrant school timber that ever moved into the county. John Strunk located on the farm now owned and occupied by Dwight Strunk, the grandson of his brother Jacob. Benjamin Lee afterwards married Katharine, a daughter of Jacob Strunk, and located a farm, north of the one taken up by Jonas Simmons. Jonas was one of our greatest hunters in those early days; he was a noted marksman, delighted in the chase and spent much of his time in hunting down the wild ani- mals of the much wilder country. Jonas Simmons's large family furnished wives to some of the best of our early settlers, and from whom have descended some of the most prominent and most worthy of our citizens. Elizabeth, the eldest daughter, married John M. Pierce in 1804, and came to Chautauqua with her father in 1810, bringing her husband and one child with her, who in 1842 became the second wife of Henry Strunk, her aunt, Anna Simmons, being his first wife. Elsie Simmons became the wife of Samuel Griffith, who died in the year 1876 at the age of 84, his wife surviving. Sally A. Simmons, born in 1802, married Joseph
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Cook, who first resided at Fluvanna, afterwards at Dex- terville. They had six children. Mr. Cook met with an accident and had his right arm amputated; many will remember him as "one-armed Cook;" his wife survived him several years, dying in 1878 at the age of 76. Abagail Simmons married Holder Gifford for a first husband, by whom she had two children; after- wards she was married to John Camp by whom she had three children. She died at the age of 70 in 1874. Anise Simmons married James Ploss of Ellery, by whom she had eleven children. She died several years ago. Almira Simmons, the youngest of the daughters, became the wife of Henry, the son of John Strunk.
JOHN STRUNK had six children; he died at the age of 80 in the year 1856. He was a genial, intelli- gent man, full of anecdotes and fond of companion- ship and the bottle. He was in the habit of coming to Jamestown about twice a month. On these occasions he would imbibe liberally of the juice of the rye, and then entertain those fond of good stories in Solomon Jones's bar room as long as prudent, and when quite mellow would have his half-gallon jug of Fenton & Whittemore's make filled with Monongahela and start for home, This jug furnished the daily stimulant un- til the next visit. His first wife, Mary Lee, concluded that the best way to reclaim him would be to doctor the jug, as her best efforts at argument and persuasion were not productive of the desired results. Uncle John was a good talker, and would have some apt story at command which would completely upset her best efforts at argument. Under these circumstances she called Dr. Laban Hazeltine in consultation. They concluded that three grains of tartar emetic thorough-
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ly dissolved and added to the jug when full, would be a good thing for the jug. The remedy was tried with excellent results. When the jug came home she would have a powder well dissolved in waiting, which she added to its contents and then the jug was well shaken. The next morning uncle John would imbibe his usual dose and drool and spit and declare he be- lieved he was going to be sick; would take a second dose as a remedy, and was sick unto vomiting. At first he was alarmed and would send for the doctor, who knowing the cause, would tell him he was afraid that whiskey was destroying the coats, of his stomach and he had better stop using it. Finally he came to the conclusion that the doctor was right, that the coats of his stomach had been injured; and he would cease drinking for several weeks, then hoping that the lin- ing of his stomach had recuperated he would come to town and get the jug refilled; but the watchful wife was prepared, he would have another turn of drooling, sickness and vomiting and finally was fully convinced that whiskey did not agree with his jnjured stomach under any circumstances and gave up its use for a long time. After his second marriage he considered it a duty to celebrate the occasion. There was no one to doctor the jug, the coats of his stomach to his great joy were healed; whiskey did agree with him, and never disagreed afterwards as long as he lived.
JACOB STRUNK and elder brother of John Strunk had ten children. He inherited the old homestead in Rensselaer county and was in tolerable circumstances, but disliking the tenure by which his land was held, and having so large a family to provide for, he con- cluded to remove to the then El Dorado of the west. In October, 1816, with his large family he started for
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the land of promise. He made a favorable trip, with- out adventure, and immediately settled on lot 53, town 2, range 11, where he lived the remainder of his life in comfortable circumstances. He died in the year 1836, after a twenty years' residence in his new home.
WM. H. STRUNK, his son, who had resided with him, and who later became one of Ellicott's rich men, succeeded his father on the farm, to which he added acre after acre and farm after farm, until he was one of the largest, if not the largest land owner in the town. In 1834 he was married to Jane A. Van Vleck by whom he had ten children. He was foremost in im- proving the breeds of stock, especially of swine and sheep. He was charitable to the poor, and gave lib- erally for religious purposes.
HENRY STRUNK, the eldest son of Jacob Strunk, came into the county with his father in 1816. Being strong, vigorous, full of energy and ambition, he did not remain under the parental roof, but struck out for himself. His energy conquered all difficulties, and he became one of our wealthy, solid citizens. He pur- chased the farm of his father-in-law, Jonas Simmons, on which he resided over fifty years, rendering it one of the most desirable and beautiful farms in the coun- try. In 1871, being in broken health, he sold his farm to his son Gilbert, and removed to Fluvanna, where he died in 1877, in the 83d year of his age. Few men were more widely known in Chautauqua, and none more generally respected. He had gained an enviable rep- utation for reliability in all his dealings, and for his enterprise and laudable ambition in improving his farm and his stock. Ile was a leader among the thrifty farmers of Chautauqua. His maxim was "thorough- ness in whatever you undertake." He was always
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abreast and frequently in advance of the times in all improvements in the use of modern methods. He wanted the best of everything and he had them.
Walter, the eldest son of Henry Strunk, married Polly, a daughter of Jacob Peterson. He has for many years been one of Ellery's substantial farmers. Elmira Strunk in 1843 married Ira Young, who during his life was a prominent farmer and stock raiser in Busti. Mr. Young died in 1879. His wife survives him. Gil- bert Strunk married Cornelia A. Burtis in 1859; is now living on the old homestead, one of the rich, go-ahead farmers of Ellicott. George W. and Elias D. many years ago emigrated to the west, where they still reside. The youngest son, Marshall P. Strunk, is a lawyer in Jamestown.
Polly, a sister of Henry Strunk, married Rev. Ab- ner Barlow in 1723. In 1835 they removed to Wis- consin. Polly faithfully shared with her husband the trials and privations of a missionary life in the west. She died in 1876, leaving a family of eleven children. Byron A., a son of Abner Barlow, has been for several years a resident of Jamestown, an active and successful lawyer.
Whatever may be our occupations or conditions in life-day laborer, mechanic, farmer, merchant, or dispensers of the professions, we cannot do better than to adopt the motto of Henry Strunk, "Whatever you do, do thoroughly."
JUDSON SOUTHLAND
Came into the county in the spring of 1818, taught school in Mayville during the summer, returned on horse back to Grafton, Mass., married Rhoda Forbush in May, 1819, and then returned to Chautauqua. He drove a three-horse team and had a tedious journey.
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In 1820 he built a plank house on what is now known as English hill; in 1825 he came to Jamestown, and kept the Allen tavern for a year, and in the meantime built a long, one-story house on the corner of Pine and Fourth street, where F. A. Fuller's residence now stands. He was for many years Deputy Sheriff of the county, and finally one term Sheriff commencing Jan. 1, 1838. In 1841 he purchased the farm east of the Uriah Bently farm in Busti, now known as the Southland farm, where he resided up to the time of his death. South- land had a large family of children. I think there are but two of the sons living at the present time. Silas, thr eldest and the hero of Smith's school, lives on the homestead, Edward in Toledo, O., and the two daugh- ters in Iowa.
URIAH BENTLEY
It is said, came into the county but a short time after James Prendergast took his celebrated tramp after the horses, coming down from Mayville to Miles landing in the Miles canoe. He finally settled on lot 9, range 12, tp. 2. He built a log house, and in the fall of 1809 he returned to Rensselaer Co., and the next year with his family came back to his new home. As near as we can remember Mr. Bentley died about forty years ago. He was a man of energy. and as the old saying was, full of days work. He cleared up a fine farm, on which his son Gustavus now resides. He had a large family of children, of which Gustavus is the only one now living. He spent nearly all his days, and raised his large family in the log house under the hill. A year or so before his death he erected a fine brick mansion in which his son now resides. We be- believe it was the first brick residence erected in the coun- try-at least weremember no other. This exhausts our
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memorandums relating to Uriah Bentley excepting the account of the meeting at Frank's already given. Among early settlers he was a prominent and impor- tant man.
JOSHUA WOODWARD
Came into the country in 1816, and settled on lot 52, now in the town of Poland. He had five sons, all of whom, we believe, are now dead. A grandson of Mr. Woodward now occupies the old homestead.
AARON FORBES
Settled in the town of Ellicott in 1814 on lot 57, now in the town of Poland. He had four sons, all now dead except Levi, who lives on the old homestead taken up by his father 73 years ago.
SAMUEL HALLIDAY
As long ago as we can remember, lived a neighbor of Forbes. He died many years ago leaving several sons, one of whom now has the honor of being the present efficient President of the Chautauqua County Agricultural Society. His mother, we think, was a daughter of Ezra Smith, another early settler in that neighborhood. Smith's mother lived to be over 100 years old.
RUSSELL D. SHAW
Came to Jamestown in the year 1828. He had been a druggist in Albany, and was burned out. Soon after he came to Jamestown he set up a drug store in a story and a half building which stood just north of Fenner's brick store on the east side of Main street ; a store in which so many, first and last, commenced mer- chandizing, and which burned up several years ago. A year or so later his brother, Warner D., came to town, purchased his store and Russell D. moved to Flu- vanna. Afterwards he returned to Jamestown and en-
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gaged in hotel keeping and other pursuits. He had a large family of children, many of them now dead. Thos. A. Shaw of our city was, I think, his eldest son. Nelson Griffith married the eldest daughter. Another daughter was the wife of Capt. Darwin Willard, killed at the battle of Williamsburg, now the wife of John Vanderburgh. A third daughter married Alfred Dun- ham.
WARNER D. SHAW,
After running the drug store for two or three years bought the old Solomon Jones tavern and ran it for several years as Shaw's hotel. His wife was the daughter of Benjamin Runyan. They had, I think, five children. His eldest son, William, is a noted hotel man, the eldest daughter became the wife of E. P. Up- ham, and the second of B. B. Partridge. Mr. Shaw afterwards bought the Allen house, which was de- stroved by fire in the great disaster of 1861. He after- wards erected on the same ground a larger building, of poor brick and illy calculated for a hotel. It is now the property of F. E. Gifford, who has remodeled it into stores and offices. We understand Mr. Shaw is still living with his youngest son in Michigan. He has been one of Jamestown's most prominent citizens.
OLIVER SHEARMAN
Came to Ellicott in 1828 and bought the Amos Bird farm, upon which his son, Gideon Shearman, now lives. Mr. Shearman's wife died before he came into the country, but he had a large family of grown up children. He was an excellent farmer, a man of great natural abilities, and as a mathematician excelled by few.
JOSEPH GARFIELD, SEN.,
Was a brother of Deacon Samuel Garfield, the in-
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ventor of the patent scythe snath mentioned in Chapter VI; they were born in Worcester Co., Mass. The Gar- fields, through many generations, were defenders of the country down to our lamented president Gen. Gar- field, who sprang from the same family stock. Elia- kim Garfield, the father, who was a soldier of the Rev- olution, removed with his family from Massachusetts to Vermont soon after the war; Joseph was born in 1780, and was but a boy at the time of the removal. In 1803 he married Lydia Stearns of Stratton, Vt. He served as Captain during the war of 1812. One pleasant day in May, 1815, Samuel Garfield, who came in the year previous, was agreeably surprised to see his brother Joseph enter his log house in the wilderness ; he had walked the whole distance from Vermont to Busti. In those early days, however, when three-quarters of the whole state was yet a wilderness, and civilization and its accompanying good roads was confined to the neighborhood of the Hudson river, walking to a man inured to labor was the easiest and most expeditious mode of traveling then in vogue. He spent the sum- mer in viewing the country, and early in the fall pur- chased a farm on the Conewango about two miles above what is now the village of Russellsburg, and which for many years past has been known as the Sloan farm. In November he returned to Vermont, this time on horseback. The next spring he returned with his family and commenced his battle with the wilder- ness. Three years afterwards he sold this Pennsylvania farm, and in 1820 bought the farm two miles south from Jamestown, upon which he resided up to the day of his death. Garfield was among the foremost of our early farmers ; his farm was among the first in the country in appearance, eliciting the remark of the
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