USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Ellicott > The early history of the town of Ellicott, Chautauqua County, N.Y. > Part 32
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38
COL. NATHANIEL FENTON was born in New England in 1763. He joined the Revolutionary army when but a boy, and was an important, bold, brave and trusty scout before he was 18. Among Arnold's early efforts in painting was the representation of Fenton on horseback shooting a British officer who was pur- suing him, both at full speed. Col. Fenton after the war settled in Otsego county. His wife was Rachel Fletcher, who bore him five children. Ovilla, the eldest daughter, married William Smith. They were early settlers in the town of Ellery. Fannie became the wife of Horace Allen, and they were among the earliest settlers of Ellicott. Elsie became the wife of Cyrus Coe, and they also became early settlers of that part of Ellicott now included in the town of Po- land. Richard Fletcher Fenton, whose first wife was the eldest daughter of William Tew and a sister of Wm. H. Tew, were among the early settlers of Jamestown. R. F. Fenton was an active business man and intimately connected with the early history of the country. He married for a second wife a sister of the wife of the late Henry Barrett and afterwards of the late Smith Seymourr. The second Mrs. Fenton died a few years ago; her children reside in the old home- stead opposite the Union school, and which was built by Mr. Fenton over 60 years ago.
449
THE TOWN OF ELLICOTT.
Fluvanna,-or Fluvia-the youngest child of Col- Fenton, became the wife of Sumner Allen. They be- came residents on lot 58 in that part of Ellicott now in- cluded in the town of Poland. Allen was an important man in that portion of the town, and for several years he was the supervisor when set off as the town of Po- land. Fluvia Allen died over forty years ago. Sum- ner survived many years and married again, but died several years ago. The eldest daughter of Sumner and Fluvia Allen became the wife of Flint Blanchard and the mother of our present Dr. Blanchard of James- town. A younger daughter (Delia) became the wife of Thomas A. Shaw. The two sons of Sumner Allen several years ago emigrated to the west.
· ELIAS TRACY, SEN., was one of the earliest comers in this part of the town. He settled on lot 49, and we think died there many years ago. He was excessively fond of hunting, so much so that he was frequently called the old hunter, and we remember, when game was beginning to thin out somewhat in this section, he made a journey to Arkansaw, then in the Indian Ter- ritory, to follow his favorite amusement. He was a man of a quick, fiery temper, undoubted integrity, of a kind and affectionate disposition, and eccentric in dress and habits. "He did hate a mean, woman beat- ing, drunken, lazy, lousy man, was than rattlesnakes like pisin;' and such men would pisin a rattlesnake any day. Such men should always live in Ireland." The above sentence, with its hates and misplaced likes will be understood by a few ; it is here recorded for them only. Many anecdotes were in early days told of Tracy and his mule, but they are not adapted to the present day. Mr. Tracy was a man of sterling worth and was highly respected. He had a large family. We
450
THE EARLY HISTORY OF
have the impression the sons are all dead. Col. Elias Tracy, one of his sons, died at Falconer several years ago. The wife of Wm. H. Fenton, Esq., was a daugh- ter of Elias Tracy, Sen., and is still living. Of the 3d and 4th generations there are many now living within the boundaries of the old town of Ellicott.
We have doubtless omitted to mention a number of the first settlers of the town of Ellicott who should have been mentioned in a work purporting to be a his- tory of the town. We have not claimed to write a com- plete history-we do not believe there are historic memorandums extant from which such a history could be compiled. This volume is largely the writer's own recollections, strengthened by memorandums made at the time by himself or his father. Those happenings before his remembrance and before he was born, have been compiled from memorandums and history of oc- currences and events written by Dr. Hazeltine, and found among his papers when they came into our hands after his death.
We might have made this history more perfect had we been able to get from home and visit certain . families with whom our acquaintance is slight, and whom we seldom see. A few persons and families have been quite out of our memory, and from time to time during the past six months we have picked them up and placed them in their proper places. Some, possibly, we have after all failed to bring to our remembrance- but not intentionally. A few persons, either by failing to furnish us with the proper data, or by the plain, outspoken request that we would not mention them by act or by name in anything we might write, we have tried to accommodate; in fact, there are but two per-
451
THE TOWN OF ELLICOTT.
sons who have made this request who would have been mentioned had we been so inclined, and they are of the smallest importance possible so far as the early his- tory of the town is concerned, their fathers coming in as late as 1834. The types have made several errors we have attempted to correct-probably many remain which we have overlooked. We have been obliged to be our own proof reader, and have not had sufficient practice to be perfect.
Mr. Fred P. Hall took it upon himself to correct the press on dates. He assures us that he has personally compared the dates with the original copy and he be- lieves them to be correct.
At one time it was our intention to add to our His- tory a chapter on the early settlers of Busti, of which but a small part ever belonged to the town of Ellicott. With this in view we had collected considerable mat- ter, in addition to the facts previously in our posses- sion. When we came to put the facts we had collected in order for publication, we found that we must aban- don the design. Our carly history of the Franks alone, and which is as interesting and more romantic than romance itself, would require from fifty to a hundred pages, and a tolerable history of Busti would require nearly the number of pages found in this volume. We exceedingly regret our inability to carry out our orig- inal intention, for in our own estimation the history of Busti is fully equal in interest to Ellicott, but if it is ever written it must be in a volume exclusively de- voted to it. We would be pleased to be authorized to attempt the work.
As the conclusion of our work draws near, we have carefully reviewed what we have written, and we con- fess to a feeling of satisfaction. Not a line has been
452
THE EARLY HISTORY OF
written under the impulse of ill feeling. If we had an inclination so to do, we have had watchful guardians over us who would have instantly suppressed such expressions. So far as the facts of this book are taken from memorandums written by our father years ago and at the time of their occurrence, there is no one who ever knew Laban Hazeltine who doubts their truthfulness. So far as they depend on our own mem- ory we believe we havegiven a fair version of the occur- rences. In this we are supported by other eye wit- nesses still living.
Our object has been to show to those who come after us what noble men our fathers were, the labor they had to perform, the trials they had to endure. There was little they did that was not praiseworthy, and that little we have strove to drop out of sight. And the few things that we mention in this volume as not praiseworthy were not the acts of bad men, but were the acts of the best and most praiseworthy of Ellicott's early citizens. The worst that can be said of them is-they were mistaken.
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY BANK-ROBERT NEWLAND, THE JAMESTOWN BANKER-THE MUSEUM SOCIETY AND FOURTH OF JULY, 1860-WILLIAM BROADHEAD- LAKE VIEW CEMETERY.
THE CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY BANK.
But one of Jamestown's banks dates back into the times reviewed in these pages. The Chautauqua Co. Bank received its charter in 1821, and belonged to what was then known as the safety fund system, which was peculiar to New York, and was considered the ' safest system then in vogue. There was a great vari- ation in the value of bank bills up to the establish- ment of the National banking system.
The first break made upon Judge Prendergast's yard, described in Chapter IV, was a strip on the north side, the width of L. L. Mason's store and the store below it, for Alvin Plumb's store and store house. The object in selling was to hide from view the barn yard of the Ballard tavern. To accomplish this Plumb contracted to build a long store house reaching from his store to what is now Mechanics alley. The Second break was a strip on the south side of his lot next to
454
THE EARLY HISTORY OF
Second street, to accommodate the new bank. It was represented to him that the best and most appropriate place for it was on the corner of Main and Second streets. At the urgent request of Barrett, Baker and Plumb, who supposed those who had the bank in charge would place the building on the corner, he finally sold for a nominal sum the strip of land on the south side of his house to the bank. The north line of what is now known as Sharpe's store was the north line of the lot sold, and was within two feet of the windows on the south side of James Prendergast's house, and which sup- plied it with the larger portion of its light. To reward him for this generosity, those who had the manage- ment of the bank in charge at that time, erected a one-story building close to and shutting out the light from these windows. At that time Judge Prendergast made the first threat, that he would sell his property and leave Jamestown ; a town he had done so much for, and which had done so little for him. "He could not see why it was, a few persons hated him so pro- foundly ; he had given them no cause, on the con- trary had assisted them when their undertakings were laudable ; it must be they wished him dead, surely they were willing to shut the light of heaven from his humble house, and he considered that a broad hint for him to die or leave." "I sold them those lots for less than half their value, expecting they would erect a good building on the corner ; instead, they have put up a concern that is a disgrace to the town, and so placed it as to shut out at least three-quarters of the light from my house. At my favorite window, where I do my writing and read my newspaper I cannot see to either read or write on the brightest day." "I will sell my property here at a sacrifice, and leave. I have
455
THE TOWN OF ELLICOTT.
lived here long enough, the last sixteen years have been years of turmoil and trouble for me." The Judge never forgot the injury, and probably from that time on was firmly resolved to sell his prop- erty and leave Jamestown.
The first cashier of the bank was Arad Joy, a gen- tleman of intelligence and high standing. He had a large family and when he came it was his intention and expectation to make it his future home. During his residence here he occupied the house on Third street which for several years past was the residence of Joel Hoyt, and was lately moved back to make room for Peter Hoyt's fine row of residences. He also bought of Judge Prendergast nine acres of land now known as Fairmount, on which he expected to erect his home. He became so disgusted with the management and condition of things that in about six months he resigned, and within a year of his coming left, shak- ing off the dust of the town from his shoes forever.
In the spring of 1832 Aaron D. Patchin of Albany was induced to take the situation of cashier. He was a man of energy and great force of character, and he brought with him prompt business methods and habits, and soon put the institution on that sound financial basis and business condition which has ever since attended it. After a residence of four years in Jamestown, having received the appointment of cashier of the State Bank at Albany, he removed to that city and afterwards established the Patchin Bank in Buffalo. His brother, Thaddeus W. Patchin of Troy succeeded him as cashier of the Chautauqua Co. Bank. Perhaps it is well to state that the year after Aaron D. Patchin came to Jamestown (1833) it was decided to enlarge their banking house and make a much needed
456
THE EARLY HISTORY OF
residence for the cashier. A substantial brick edifice was erected on the corner of Main and Second streets, built so as to include the old office, which was in use during the whole time in which they were erecting the new building. This substantial structure, one of the landmarks, was totally destroyed in the great con- flagration of January, 1861.
ROBERT NEWLAND.
Robert Newland, of noble Scotch parentage-for in addition to noble blood he has the hair and com- plexion of the ancient Caledonian-came from his paternal home in Albany in 1834, to occupy the post of teller in this bank, and he has been connected with it ever since. For many years he was its cashier, and for many years he has been and is now its President. The Newlands appear to take easy and naturally to banking, for one of this Scotch clan, Abraham New- land, has for many years been the head of a rich and noted banking house in London.
In 1846 Robert Newland married Evelyn, the youngest daughter of Dr. Patchin of Troy, and sister of A. D. and T. W. Patchin, the previous cashiers of the bank. They had two children; the eldest, a son,died in infancy; the daughter is the wife of Daniel H. Post. Robert Newland is in every sense a citizen of Jamestown. He is intimately connected with all of its interests, and has always been active in all undertakings to promote its welfare. He has forbid our speaking of him in the laudatory manner we had
457
THE TOWN OF ELLICOTT.
intended, (and we cannot speak otherwise and tell the truth) which the citizens of Jamestown will expect, but we yield to his wishes and pass him by with very few words. He came here a young man, he now quiet- ly takes his seat with the aged. For nearly 53 years he has been connected with the Chautauqua County Bank. For that length of time he has quietly and thoroughly, and with the greatest satisfaction to every one interested, done the business alloted to him to do. He has seldom been away from Jamestown, and then for a short time. He is most thoroughly acquainted with the town and the surrounding country, with all of its wants and itsneeds. There is not a man in the country, however lowly his occupation, with whom he is not in sympathy, provided he attends to his busi- ness and is industrious. Temperate and industrious himself, he believes it the duty of every man to be temperate and industrious. He has always been plain in his attire, unostentatious in his intercourse with bus- iness men, retiring in manner to seeming timidity, he is nevertheless firm in his convictions and unswerv- ing from his sense of duty and of right. Envy, hatred, malice and all uncharitableness never found a resting place in his heart. There never has been any room there for any but the noblest feelings, and the most ennobling traits of human nature.
Robert Newland is not only noted in Jamestown for his unswerving integrity, his laborious habits and close attention to business-and as being on all occa- sions and circumstances, the business man's true helper and friend-but above all, has always been one of that noble few, noted for reaching out the helping hand to the poor, the needy and the unfortunate. We say this with diffidence, for he is most signally, one of
1
458
THE EARLY HISTORY OF
those men who believes in, and practices the doctrine, " Let not your left hand know what your right hand doeth," and he has warned us not to speak of his pri- vate affairs or in words of eulogy ; holding as he does, firmly the opinion that "No man should be praised for his integrity, for diligence in business, for doing right, and helping those who need help ; if a man does not these things he is a disgrace to society, and if he does them he merely does what is the duty of every man to do, and should not be praised therefor." Knowing that this is his opinion, nevertheless, we are determined to say, for it is true, no man has lived in Jamestown for 53 years whose charities equal those of Robert Newland, or who is so deeply beloved by every class of its citizens. There is no laudation in our say- ing there is no man who excels him in the warmth of his affections, in conscientiousness, in generosity, in his devotion to truth, and to the highest interests of the town of which for more than half a century he has been a citizen. No man has evinced higher or more correct powers of judgment, greater financial ability, or more good traits of head and heart, which every man loves and praises, even if he lacks the abil- ity, or that something more than integrity, to follow.
The memory of such men never perish from the face of the earth ; their names may not be enrolled on the scroll of the world's great and most noted ones, although they are the nation's true, but more humble advancers in enlightenment and Christianity. They are the moulders and makers of the higher com- munities, which in their aggregate make the nations. Their names will have a far more glorious and ever- lasting enrollment on the tablets of another world. The lives and deeds of such men ameliorate the con-
459
THE TOWN OF ELLICOTT.
dition of man centuries after they have passed away, and their names are forgotten on earth forever, but they are remembered in that world in which good deeds and noble lives are rewarded.
THE MUSEUM SOCIETY AND THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1860-A SKETCH FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE PRESENT. From the year 1855 to 1860 there existed in Jamestown a society called the Museum Society, com- posed of Masters and Misses between the ages of ten and fifteen, some twenty in number, and mostly child- ren from the primary department of Jamestown Acad- emy. We will not write how this society originated, merely remarking that it was a very successful under- taking, and useful to the children engaged in it.
Many of those bright, happy children as they passed along the path of life, dropped by the wayside, and marble slabs and columns in our cemeteries have been reared to their memory-others have found homes far distant from the town that gave them birth, and the scenes of their youthful pleasures-a few only re- main as citizens of Jamestown, and at the present moment we can bring to mind only three-Daniel H. Post, Edward F. Dickinson, and Mary Fletcher.
Those who aided the children in the formation of their society have all passed away from earth but one -perhaps we should say two, for Eliza Kent, then a teacher in Jamestown Academy, was interested in the children's welfare, and occasionally met with them and aided in their exercises.
When it was fully understood that we would com-
460
THE EARLY HISTORY OF
pile this volume, there came to us from all parts of the country, "Remember the Museum Society in your history;" and now as we are drawing it to a close, from all directions come letters, as if by conspiracy, saying, "You must not forget the Museum Society." Among them is a lengthy communication from Dwight Dickinson, Surgeon in the United States Navy, which we have determined to give in this con- nection. We send it to the press as we received it. If it affects the remaining members of the Museum So- ciety as it has us, it will prove far superior to anything we could write upon the subject, and our space will not admit of more. Surgeon Dickinson is attached to the U. S. ship Portsmouth, and is now on duty, we believe, in the West Indies.
One of the most pleasant-one of the saddest- one of the sweetest-one of the most bitter excursions a human being advanced in life can make, is to go back with his memory and review these scenes of the past, which now seem all of life that has been worth the living. We cannot believe that these are our re- flections only; are they not common to the human race ? As we approach the bourne from which there is no return,-when life as it were has been lived, and as we wait for the great last change which closes this drama of being, are not these sweet sad memories given us to loose our hold on this world of sunshine and flowers, in which we have quaffed the sweetest draughts, but find in the dregs, bitterness. Are not these, preparations for the near at hand rest, and per- chance life,-in the which all of these sweet joys which memory pictures, shall be repeated, and enjoyed, not for a time, but forever.
461
THE TOWN OF ELLICOTT.
SURGEON DWIGHT DICKINSON'S LETTER.
U. S. S. PORTSMOUTH.
MY DEAR DOCTOR :- I am sure that the articles on the early history of Ellicott, written by yourself, which have appeared from time to time in the James- town Journal, have been read with great interest, not · only by the present residents of the town, but by all those whom fortune has driven from their native place.
It is pleasant to think that the sites of old build- ings and the deeds of our fathers, the pioneers, are be- ing suitably recorded, and I hope these records will appear again in a less perishable form than in the col- umns of the daily newspaper.
Permit me to request that a chapter be devoted to some of those old settlers who took great interest in the youth of the town, in their education and in their sports. Among such you must take a foremost place. I remember well the dialogues you used to write for us children to speak in the Jamestown Academy; the class in botany that you organized; the lectures on physiology, and the instruction in chemistry; and that during the latter, your eldest son received evidence of an experiment which he bears to this day."
In promoting our sports you were active and ener- getic. Your residence and grounds occupied the whole square between Third and Fourth, Washington and Lafayette streets. The large, two-story building had an extension of sheds and barns stretching at right angles to Washington street. In one of the rooms in
* The accident referred to is this: In illustrating the pressure of the atmosphere we took a wine glass, lit a piece of paper dipped in alcohol, and clapped it on my son Charles' left cheek. The boy
dodged and brought the burning paper on the cheek.
The result was a scar which is slightly visible to the present day.
462
THE EARLY HISTORY OF
this extension, a society of children, none over fifteen years of age, met weekly, after the carly closing of school on Friday afternoons. The idea of the society was derived, I think, from the series of Rollo books published by Abbot, and the particular one called Rol- lo's Museum.
You freely gave us the use of the room, and the large lawn adjoining for a play ground. Your kind and gentle wife, Mrs. Eliza Hazeltine, always had cakes and cookies ready for the appetite that attends children's play, for games were indulged in, after the regular exercises of the society.
Our society had regular officers, president, vice- president, secretary, constitution and by-laws, which you helped us to frame. At every meeting an original composition was read by some member previously des- ignated by the president. No one could escape, though some of the girls begged for a reprieve. Weekly, also, each member was required to bring some mineral, wood, shell, some article of curiosity, in short, which was carefully preserved and exhibited in our room. Somewhere there must be several boxes of those child- ish relics now.
The height of our importance was reached, how- ever, July 4, 1860, when, as many of the older resi- dents had gone to Randolph to assist in the ceremo- nies attendant on the completion of the Atlantic & Great Western Railway to that town, we were permit- ted to take entire charge of Jamestown's celebration of the National holiday.
Never were boys and girls prouder or more exalt- ed, and we scarcely realized that our keen enjoyment was almost entirely the result of your wife's and your
463
THE TOWN OF ELLICOTT.
own untiring labors. Nearing middle age as we are now, that fact stands out prominently to us.
We assembled in the old Academy grounds, corner of Fourth and Spring-many in costume, the girls wearing crowns to designate the states, Kittie Hazel- tine being Goddess of Liberty, while Will Fuller was ar- rayed as Brother Jonathan; "Old 76 " represented by Charlie Hazeltine. Promptly at 1 p. m. we marched under guidance of Robert Hazeltine, as Marshal, and George Harrington, Assistant Marshal. We were pre- ceded by the Lowry Light Guards, a military organ- ization of the town, many of whom were soon to make undying names for themselves, under command of the heroic Captain, James M. Brown.
From the Academy we proceeded to your grounds and there, under the shade of the lofty trees, we ar- ranged ourselves on a platform erected by the boys, and decorated with flags. The parents and friends, with a large audience, gathered around, while an order of exercise was faithfully carried out. The president, Ed. C. Burns, introduced the Reverend T. H. Rouse, who made a prayer. Then the Declaration of Inde- pendence was read, after which an oration was deliv- ered by Charles Hazeltine, and Will Pier made a patri- otic speech. My part consisted in reciting a poem, something about Uncle Sam, who had never a wife, but daughters thirty-three. The number is now in- creased to thirty-eight, I believe.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.