USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Ellicott > The early history of the town of Ellicott, Chautauqua County, N.Y. > Part 33
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A long arbor capable of seating nearly a hundred and fifty had been constructed by your direction, and after the regular order of speeches, etc. was over, we boys each selected a young lady and marched to the table. I was honored by the hand of Miss Kittie Ha- zeltine. The bountiful repast had been purchased by
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yourself and mainly cooked under your wife's superin- tendence, and we children were waited on by the older young ladies of the town, tastefully dressed in national colors. I can recall Miss Eliza Kent, Miss Mary Mar- vin, and Miss Florence Allen among the number.
No dinner could be complete without toasts, and the regular ones were from your pen. Let me give them, as printed in the Democrat of that time :
To the memory of the boy who could not tell a lie-George Washington.
To the memory of the laziest boy, and the greatest orator of the Revolution-Patrick Henry.
Young America-That's ourselves. The present and future governors of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Africa and Japan.
Our Parents-Fossils-rendered obscure by the luxuriant growth of Young American moss which sur- rounds them.
The 4th of July-May it continue to be celebrated by American Boys and Girls, as long as a Chinaman remains in the world to make fire-crackers, and until that time shall come when turpentine will not blaze, nor gunpowder make a noise.
Brother Jonathan-Known all over the world and everywhere else as the Governor of America from 1776 to 1860. If any inquire as to his genius, his muscle or courage, we have the pleasure of referring them to Mr. John Bull for further information.
The following were volunteer toasts :
By Master Willie Pier-The Lowry Light Guards -They shall be Captains and Colonels when we are in the Cabinet.
How quickly thereafter the first portion of this toast proved true !
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THE TOWN OF ELLICOTT.
By Master Pickney Marvin-Dr. and Mrs. Hazel- tine-The friends of Young America. May the day soon come when we shall be able to return their many acts of kindness, and their self-sacrificing devotedness to our happiness.
By Master Fred Hawley-The Museum Society-
Composed of priceless gems and pearls,
Of manly boys and lovely girls. With modest pride we claim to be Fair types of Young America.
By Master Charlie Hazeltine-Our Country. May it ever extend from ocean to ocean, and reach from the ice bound north to the orange groves of the south.
By Master Robert Hazeltine-Our Commissary Committee-Our elder sisters. We love them, and we think our elder brothers do too.
By Master Eddy Dickinson-The Banner of the Republic,-
May our path of duty be straight as its bars,
And shine forth in beauty as bright as its stars.
Our appetites, not small by any means, having been fully satisfied, the Lowry Light Guards and friends who had waited upon us sat down. These again were succeeded by poor boys and girls who had not been expected. Such was your kindness and hos- pitality.
The afternoon was spent in games, and in the evening a fine display of fireworks (your own munifi- cent gift ) under the management of Mr. Westcott, was given.
Such, in brief, are the recollections of a happy day of childhood. Many of the participants have passed away, but all those living still feel indebted to you, my dear Doctor, for this and many other pleasures.
.
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Hoping that your life may be long spared, I re- main, your sincere friend,
DWIGHT DICKINSON,
Surgeon U. S. N.
That pleasant occasion was 26 years ago-and Time within that short period has completely changed everything here. The town, its inhabitants, the pur- suits, everything is completely and most thor- oughly changed. True, a few of those inhab- itants of 26 years ago still walk our streets, but even they must be included in this great change-they are not the same men and women in appearance, in pursuits, in desires, in thoughts or in feelings-and those children of the Mu-
Society, more of them are with the
seum
dead than with the living.
We cannot give a list of those children, those living or of those dead, but we at this moment have painfully in mind one of the queens of that day, and the May Day queen in the pageant held on our grounds the previous May Day. So beautiful, so full of robust life and health, the chief blooming, fascinating little minx of them all-the pride of the Museum Society, beloved by all who knew her, none ever nearer the soul of parents, of brothers, sisters and friends. The beautiful earthly casket which contained that bright soul, lies not far distant from another beautiful earthly casket in which once lived our own beloved little Kitty; the lovely be- ing we have sketched above was BELLE MARVIN.
And where are those who labored so hard on that Independence day and for a week previous-we should have written for years previous, that these children might be good and happy? Gone, all gone. Thus it is, our most pleasing retrospections are min-
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gled with feelings of deepest sorrow. Grief and bitter- ness cloud and mar our most happy retrospect.
WILLIAM BROADHEAD.
When speaking of our early blacksmiths and other tradesmen of early days we were at a loss whether to rank this great man of business with the past or the present. He is to-day with his sons, Sheldon and Almet Broadhead, owner of the most extensive manu- facturing establishment of our city, if not of Western New York; nevertheless, he was one of Jamestown's early day workers and must not be omitted, because he and his sons, (born in Jamestown) are owners and op- erators of an establishment built but a few years ago. We heard the ring of the anvil, struck by William Broadhead's hammer as it resounded through our humble streets, forty-five years ago. He pounded iron in Gen. Harvey's old shop, and at the same time the anvil music played by Lyman Crane might be heard coming from another old shop three squares away. We shall not pass by such men by any man- ner of means.
William Broadhead was born at Thornton Heights in England in 1819, and Victoria, Queen of England, was born at Kensington Gardens the same year. To this coincidence we are inclined to attribute a por- tion of Mr. Broadhead's royal good fortune. His father was one of those sturdy specimens of the Yorkshire coun- try who could not have been of the Barebones school
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THE EARLY HISTORY OF
of Nonconformists, for after the day's work over the an- vil was completed, he was accustomed to call his children around him and lecture them upon the value of good conduct, and impressed on their minds that no one could succeed in any undertaking without indus- try and strict integrity. William Broadhead in his youthful days labored at the loom, and learned the art of weaving; afterwards he worked with his father at the anvil. Having attained his majority, he con- cluded to leave "Old England's shores," and in the " new world " seek the fortune he so much desired.
In 1842 we find him pounding iron in the shop of Safford Eddy (the Harvey shop) in Jamestown. He found plenty to do, for he was a master of his trade, and one of those broad shouldered, thick muscled specimens, indigenous to the English highlands, to whom the heavy work of the smith would prove more a pastime than a labor. He was diligent in his busi- ness, and appeared to accumulate this world's wealth, while his neighbors engaged in the same business, and equally laborious, found it difficult to realize more than was sufficient for a livelihood, and some not that. His associates seemed to think that William Broad- head must be a penurious sort of man, who gave noth- ing in charity and lived on what would starve a Yan- kee. They soon learned, however, that he was far the most charitable of their ilk in town, and that he dined at a table supplied with the best our markets offered. It was certain, that in a remarkably short time he had accumulated a fair little sum, while they remained quite as poor as when Broadhead first came to town. One looking into the matter more closely, found that what he and his companions spent for whiskey (and they were temperate men) and other expenditures for
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THE TOWN OF ELLICOTT.
themselves and families, and which ministered neither to their standing in society, or to their good, if saved, would put into their pockets a considerable amount of money; but this did not explain the whole difference, and judging from transactions, with which he had become acquainted, he was forced to the conclusion that there was a financial ability in their English competitor which he and his associates did not pos- sess. Whenever he purchased a piece of property as an investment, if he did not absolutely lose, he seldom made anything, whilst Broadhead always appeared to be lucky-always gained something, and not unfre- quently doubled his money.
With means thus accumulated by diligent work, and by good judgment in buying and selling property he after a few years bought an interest in what was then termed a Scythe Snath factory (see Chapter VI). This industry was founded on the inventions of Sam- uel Garfield, and the first factory was operated by him, and was at that time the most profitable business in Jamestown. Under Mr. Broadhead's management the business was more than doubled in the amount of goods manufactured, the expenses lessened and the profits increased. Twice his factory was a total loss to him and his company by fire, and after several years of hard but profitable labor he went out of the busi- ness little richer than when he entered it. But he had established a standing with financial and monied men which was the key of his future success. He had gained for himself a name for strict integrity, great financial ability, and undivided attention to business. This of itself was a fortune, and he had the ability to avail himself of it, when the time arrived and the proper opportunity presented. For years afterwards
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he confined himself to diligent labor and to operations within his means.
Finally, his two sons having arrived at the age of manhood, and showing a turn and ability for mer- chandising, he established a clothing store and took the sons as partners. This establishment under the management of the sons, grew into the largest estab- lishment of the kind in Jamestown or in this section of the country.
In 1872 Mr. Broadhead, accompanied by his wife and daughter, made a visit to his old home and many remaining friends in England ; and to that visit our present large, intelligent, and rapidly increasing Eng- lish population is to be attributed. Being a weaver in his boyhood days, it was but natural that he should visit the old and many new factories in the neighbor- hood of his old home, in which cloths of all kinds were manufactured. During his visit to these factories, the idea came into his mind that an establishment for the manufacture of alpaca and other dress goods would be a good thing for him to introduce into Jamestown. After a thorough examination he concluded that an Alpaca mill would be a profitable thing for Jamestown as well as for Wm. Broadhead, and what would be profitable to both must be accomplished. He returned home with his mind filled with this grand enterprise. His first move was to purchase the land on which the Hall Alpaca mill now stands. Under his leadership buildings were speedily erected, and the manufactur- ing company of Hall, Broadhead & Turner formed. Machinery was purchased in Bradford, England, and Mr. Turner, one of the company, Appleyard and oth- ers, thoroughly schooled in all branches of the busi- ness, with a host of operatives emigrated, and took up
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THIE TOWN OF ELLICOTT.
residence in Jamestown, and soon the new enter- prise was in successful operation. After a couple of years Mr. Broadhead withdrew from this company, and not long after, at the urgent request and counsel of Mr. Appleyard, a man of education and thoroughly conversant with all branches of the business, he pur- chased the site on which once stood Hazeltine & Fal- coner's Woolen Factory, and thereon erected a building to accommodate fifty looms and the other necessary machinery for the manufacture of worsted goods. The company building and operating this second factory is now, and has been from the commencement-Wil- liam Broadhead and his two sons, Sheldon and Almet Broadhead. They have enlarged and continued to en- large their borders, until the Worsted mills of Wm. Broadhead & Sons cover an acreage we dare not esti- mate, the last enormous building being six stories (or more) in height. The first great addition was in 1878, accommodating 272 looms and other necessary ma- chines. New buildings were added in 1880-82, and the last enormous buildings were erected the past sea- son. Now 550 looms and all other machinery required are in full operation and more soon to be added. The two sons, who have been thoroughly bred to the busi- ness, are responsible for the right conduct of this es- tablishment. William has too much building to at- tend to to be occupied with such business. He is now finishing up a large brick building, containing three large stores-what else we are not informed-which spans the outlet. Where and what he is to build the coming season has not transpired. Such is a history in brief of Jamestown's
VILLAGE BLACKSMITH.
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THE EARLY BURIALS AT THE RAPIDS-THE FIRST BURYING GROUNDS-CEMETERIES.
We stated in a former chapter that there were no deaths in Jamestown until the fall of 1815. The first person to die here was a relative of Judge Prendergast named Elisha Wing; he died at the Judge's house in November, 1815. Capt. Forbes and two or three oth- ers were requested to select a suitable place for the burial. The hills to the west of the village, and be- tween the swamp and the present steamboat landing, had been denuded of a large portion of the pine, and a few acres, in various portions cleared and used as potato patches, etc. At that time a spot somewhere in this locality must be selected, for all others were in the forest. No permanent location for burial purposes could be made. On the top of the highest hill was a clearing of about two acres, and this was the place se- lected for Wing's interment. The location was where now is the crossing of Clinton and Fourth streets, and here Wing was buried. The second death was nearly two years afterwards, when a Mrs. Simmons hung her- self with a skein of yarn, and was also buried here. The third person to die at the rapids was Austin Nel- son, the Schoolmaster, a relative of the Cheneys, who died of fever at our father's house,and as no selection for burying ground had been made, was buried here, late in December, 1820. The fourth adult burial was a young man by the name of Jones who died a few days after Nelson of the same fever, and soon after a young man name Willard Blanchar died of the fever, and was the fifth and last adult buried at this locality; and these were all the adult deaths in Jamestown between its first settlement in 1811 and 1823, a period of twelve
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THE TOWN OF ELLICOTT.
years. During that time eight infant children were also buried there.
In 1823 new ground was selected, above Fifth street and between Cherry and Washington streets. The writer well remembers the first burial in that ground, or what was so intended. It was a child of Aaron Taylor, who lived in the log house at the Still. The ground selected was in a thicket of second-growth pines, extending from Main street to the boatlanding, and south to the swamp, that is to Fourth street. Many of the hard wood trees were also standing and a few pines. This interment was made precisely where Hoyt's house stands on the southwest corner of Fifth and Cherry street. It was soon after ascertained that the burial was not on the ground intended, but the grave there remained until C. N. Butler built the house in which Mr. Hoyt now resides.
The year previous to Judge Prendergast deeding this lot for burial purposes to the Congregational church, Sam'l A. Brown had strongly opposed its being located on the other side of the outlet; for this reason, this field was for a time called Sammy Brown's grave yard. In 1844 this burial place was becoming crowded, and the village bought the next square north, includ- ing the street, of Henry Baker, and added it as an ad- dition to the square which had been given by Judge Prendergast. In 1858 the grounds were again becom- ing crowded, when the writer prepared and published in the village papers a series of articles, with the inten- tion of showing that the burying ground was contam- inating our springs-that the grounds then in use would be insufficient after two or three years-that in truth no desirable locations at that time for burials remained, and urged the immediate selection and pur-
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THE EARLY HISTORY OF
chase of grounds for a cemetery. In July of that year a meeting of the citizens was held at Shaw's Ho- tel at which the trustees of the village voted the sum of $1,500 for a cemetery. It was then urged that this would not purchase a sufficient amount of ground. The writer, who was Chairman of that meeting, had previously had several conversations with Milton Ford and Zalmon Hollister who owned the north portions of the present cemetery, and had obtained their terms. In order to purchase both pieces-the Ford and the Hollister-a Cemetery Association was formed accord- ing to statute. By joint vote of the Trustees of the Village and the Association, Warner D. Shaw and S. S. Cady were made a committe to meet the owners of of the land and purchase the same as advantageously as possible. A few days afterwards the land was pur- chased, officers were appointed, and the writer as Sec- retary and Superintendent went immediately to work, clearing up the then exceedingly rough and uninvit- ing piece of ground, and laying out the land into a cemetery. After getting thoroughly to work, Warner D. Shaw and ourself made up our minds to buy the ten acres adjoining on the south owned by Mr. Daw- ley, and add the same to the association portion of the cemetery, thus giving a street on three sides of it. Prominent citizens approved and promised their sup- port and the means to make the purchase. A. F. Al- len, Henry Baker and Wm. H. Lowry promised that they would together contribute $500 towards the Daw- ley purchase. E. T. Foote of New Haven promised $50, Warner D. Shaw and G. W. Hazeltine $50 each, A. T. Prendergast gave us $50 as a donation. Not one cent promised by Allen, Baker, Lowry and Foote was ever paid. With the exception of $150 paid by Shaw,
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Hazeltine and Prendergast, the Dawley purchase was paid for out of the sale of lots.
On October 5, 1859, Lake View Cemetery was ded- icated with appropriate ceremonies, a large assembly of citizens being present."
Our object in mentioning Burials in this volume is this. We believe Lake View Cemetery the most tastefully laid out cemetery of its size we have ever seen. We worked faithfully over it for several years. The plan of that cemetery with all of its beauties and all of its faults is our own and no one's else. We are proud of it, and if justice is done the credit will be to our small account of good deeds accomplished here. We claim it as our due and as our right, and here pub- lish and record our claim. Justitia virtutem regina.
*Those desiring further information we refer to a small volume- of 100 pages prepared by us, and entitled Lake View Cemetery, pub lished in 1860. By referring to the Secretary's report of the proceed- ings of the first Cemetery meeting it will be seen that the motion to call the grounds Lake View Cemetery was made by G. W. Hazeltine. In the volume above mentioned, the credit, if any, is given to an- other. When the manuscript was in the hands of the printer, a per- son, not present at the meeting, ordered the change. Why, was not stated.
CHAPTER XVII.
SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF THE CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY AG- RICULTURAL SOCIETY-DEDICATION OF THE LOG HOUSE ON MARVIN PARK.
On the 1st of September, 1886, the semi-centennial meeting of the Chautauqua County Agricultural So- ciety was held on Marvin Park, and a log house erect- ed by the old citizens of Jamestown and vicinity, as a memorial to their fathers-the pioneer settlers of Chautauqua County, was dedicated by appropriate ser- vices. So many interesting happenings, all at the same time, and all connected with or having reference to the first settlement of the county, should not be passed by with no reference to them in this volume. The event awakened in us many early recollections ; some recorded at the time, others we now place on record.
At an early day the largest and most densely in- habited of all the swamps bordering on the outlet was called the " Big Fly," and extended on both sides of the stream from the lake to the rapids, and with a few
1
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short breaks to the Conewango. It was filled with all kinds of wild beasts, habitats of the country. They doubtless considered it a secure and pleasant locality in which to live. It was covered by a heavy growth of large trees, was the especial home of wild animals ; and prominently of the bear and the wild cat (lynx). The most blood-curdling stories of "painters" (panthers) used to be told in those early days. Many had fre- quently seen them, or imagined they had seen them. They were of enormous size-as large as a dozen ordi- nary panthers ought to be. Some had frequently heard them crying like a child-trying, they said, to coax children down into the Fly, and if any should thoughtlessly be induced to go the painters would de- vour them. During the early settlement of the coun- try a few panthers were killed in this neighborhood, two we remember in the Fly, and two on Moon brook; we also remember that old hunters, those who came in as hunters, and not as settlers, used to say they expected to find many panthers here, but were dissappointed, that there were very few of them in this wilderness. Doubtless these nursery tales about painters were in- vented and told to their children by early settlers to keep them from wandering too far from home and into dangerous places, for bears were plenty, and we believe far more dangerous than the panther. They were continually snooping about the clearings, and made it an especial business to examine every farm- er's pig pen and tip over his beehives. The few pan- thers kept aloof from human habitations and concealed themselves in deep recesses of the forest ; nevertheless we could write a chapter of thrilling adventures that occurred in or near the " Big Fly," in early days, but space forbids. We have already been admonished
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that a sufficient number of pages have been given up to bear stories.
Twenty-five or thirty years ago Judge Marvin purchased a large tract in this swamp which is now included within the boundaries of our city. Ever since he made the purchase of this almost valueless land as then considered, which it was necessary to fence to keep cows out of instead of keeping them in, the Judge has been yearly detected busily engaged in farming thereon, and finally there were whisperings among his neighbors that they feared the Judge was becoming a little daft. We would not dare to esti- mate the miles of ditches he caused to be built in that swamp-many of them costly and covered up, under- drains we believe they are called. Year after year it has been observed that the cows could feed nearer and near the outlet, and that the Judge's potato patches
were in close pursuit of the cows. The Judge finally bought some large hills, very small mountains, in the neighborhood, and for many years, during the sum- mer time a score or more of men might be seen scoop- ing away at these hills, and a line of wagons convey- ing the gravel to the swamp. In the meantime the Judge was growing older, and the wisperings of his friends about daftness became audible and unmistak- able. The hills slowly but surely disappeared, and in useless localities valuable building lots commenced to appear. Miles of thoroughly built, high, close board fence were built, enclosing about one hundred acres of this swamp. The purest and best of spring water was brought by underground pipes from the surrounding hills, and is now flowing in and out of appropriate troughs in all parts of the ground, which has been by the ditches and gravel rendered as dry and firm as any
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of the surrounding hill lands. Permanent, well roofed sheds covering a mile or more in extent, for cattle and horses, to which another mile is to be added in the near future, have been built. One of the finest tracks for the speeding of horses and the exhibition of cattle is now building ; a hamlet of substantial, fine-appearing buildings-we can give but few names-Floral Hall, Dairy Hall, Mechanic's Hall, Machinery Hall, Dining Hall, Offices, etc., etc. etc .- have already been built, and to cap all a substantial log house was erected last summer (1886) to which a log school house and other buildings of logs, patterned after the log buildings of the early days, are to be added, Col. Winsor, the projector informs us, if re- quired for certain purposes. These magnificent grounds, this wonderful erection,is the Tamarac swamp of forty years ago, the great or " Big Fly" when James- town was the Rapids, and to-day Marvin Park, a crea- tion of which we are, and well may be proud. Mrs. Grundy is most profoundly silent, not even the faint- est whisper is heard-the Judge is not daft.
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