History of Chautauqua County
Table of Contents
CHAUTAUQUA ANTERIOR TO ITS PIONEER SETTLEMENT.The Mound Builders, 17. The Neutral and other Huron-Iroquois Nations, 20. The Jesuits, 24. Wars of the Huron-Nations, 25. La Salle, 26. Baron La Honton, 29. Indian Occupation, 30. Events leading to the French and Indian Wars, 34. Origin of the name Chautauqua, 35. The Portage-Road, 37. Washington's journey to French Creek, 45. The French War, 45. Pontiac's War, 48. Col. Broadhead's Expedition, 50. British Expedition over Chautauqua Lake, in 1782, 51. Washington's correspondence with Gen. Irvine, 54. Survey of the State Boundary Line, 6o. Indian Wars, and the conclusion, 61.
PRELIMINARY HISTORY-HOLLAND COMPANY'S PURCHASE.
Discovery of America; British grants; efforts to establish colonies, 63. Cession of Western lands to the general government, 64. Phelps and Gorharn's Purchase, 64. Holland Company's Purchase, 66-9.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTY.
Controversy concerning the first settlement, 70. John and James McMahan's Purchases, 73. Settlements in Westfield, Ripley, and Canadaway, 73-6. Portland and Hanover, 76. South-east part of the county, 77. Chautauqua, 77. Kiantone, 77.
Early dwellings, 78. Clearing land, 80. Wild animals, 81. Early farming, 85. Early cooking, 87. Fare of the early settlers, 88. Household manufactures, 89. Stores and trade, 91. Ashes a staple product, 94. Nature of trade, 97. Division of business, 98.
REFLECTIONS ON PIONEER LIFE, 99-101.
Early schools; course of instruction ; manner of teaching; description of a school-house; dunce block; school fund, 102-4.
Early occupation of the county by missionaries-Rev. John Spencer, and others, 108-8. Gospel land, 108..
ORGANIZATION OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.
Division of the State into counties, 109-13. First county officers, 113. Building courthouses, 114. Division of the county into towns, 115.
Old Portage Road, 116-17. Road from Pennsylvania to Chautauqua lake, 117. Mayville and Cattaraugus road, 118
Early mail contractors, post-offices, and postmasters, 119-26.
POLICY OF THE HOLLAND LAND COMPANY.
Price of land and terms of sale, 126. Condition of the settlers, 128. Sale of the Company's lands; Genesee land tariff; land-office destroyed, 129-131. Policy of Mr. Seward, 131-5. Cherry Valley Company's purchase, 135.
Sketch of La Fayette, 135. Reception at Westfield, 136. Reception at Fredonia, 139-42.
Drinking customs, 142. Temperance reform measures, 144-46.
Early measures of abolitionists; violent opposition; action of Congress, 146-8.
Chautauqua County Medical Society, 148. Eclectic Medical Society, 148.
Early encouraged by DeWitt Clinton, 149. Chautauqua County Agricultural Society formed, 150.
New York and Erie Railroad Company, 150. Celebration at Dunkirk, 151. Buffalo & Erie and other railroads, 153. Atlantic & Great Western Railway, 153. Dunkirk, Allegany & Pittsburgh and other railroads, 154-55.
Early parties and their principles ; the federalists and republicans; nature of the Union, 155-58. Alien and sedition laws; Virginia and Kentucky resolutions, 158-60. Political parties in Chautauqua, 160-2. Parties in the state; Clintonians and Bucktails, 162-6. Anti-masonic party, 166-9. American party, 169-71. Present parties, 171.
Causes of the war; war declared, 172-3. Chautauqua militia, 173-5. British cruisers, battle of Black Rock, 175-7. Officers of the militia companies; results of the war, 178-81.
Origin of the war, 182-4. Commencement of hostilities; confederate government; Lincoln's proclamation, 184-6. Movements in the North; public meetings, 186-9. Further action of the government; more troops raised, 189-91. Suspension of habeas corpus, 191. Close of the war, 193-4.
COUNTY NEWSPAPERS, 194-7, 634.
Reunion at Fredonia, 197-207. Reunion at Forestville, 207-210. Reunion at Jamestown, 210-218.
THE GREAT ECLIPSE OF 1806, 218-19.
TOWN HISTORIES
ARKWRIGHT.
Formation of the town, and its settlement, 220-25. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 225-27. Churches, 227. [See Supplement, 625.]
BUSTI.
Formation and settlement of the town, 227-33. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 233-41. Churches, 241.
CARROLL.
Formation of the town and its settlement, 241-6. Mills and factories, 247. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 248-50. Baptist church, 251. [Supplement-John Frew and Thomas Russell, 625. M. E. Church, 626.]
CHARLOTTE.
Formation and settlement of the town, 251-56. Dunkirk, Warren & Pittsburgh railroad, 257. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 258-61. Churches and Lodges, 261-2.
CHAUTAUQUA
Formation and settlement, 262-70. Emigration of the Prendergast family, 264-6. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 270-53. Churches and other associations, 253-4. Supplement-Lowry Families, 626 ; insecurity of land titles in Western Pennsylvania, 627-9; Lowrys, who settled in this county, and other settlers, 629-30.
CHERRY CREEK.
Formation and settlement, 254-91. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 291-3. Churches, and other associations, 293-4.
CLYMER.
Formation and settlement, 295-300. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 300-2. Churches, 302.
DUNKIRK.
Formation and settlement, 302-4. Village of Dunkirk, sketch of, 304-7. Manufactures, 305-7, 630-31. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 307-12. Churches, 312-13.
ELLERY.
Formation and settlement, 313-20. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 320-26. Churches, 326.
ELLICOTT.
Formation and settlement, 327-30. First Independence celebration, 33!. Worksburg, 332. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 333-4. JAMESTOWN its survey and settlement, 333-6. Mills, 336 rising of water in the lake, 337. Settlers in the village, 337-42. Territorial enlargement, 343. Village incorporated, 343. Manufactures, 344-50. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 350-72. Jamestown land association, 372. Cemeteries, 372. Churches and other associations, 373-6. Lumber manufacture, 3 76-9.
ELLINGTON.
Formation and settlement, 379-84. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 385-6. Churches, 386-7.
FRENCH CREEK.
Formation and topography of the town, 388-9. Its settlement, 389-93. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 394-5. Churches, 395-6.
GERRY.
When formed, 396. Settlement of, 396-9. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 400-2. Churches, 403.
HANOVER.
Erection and settlement of the town, 403-S. Silver Creek, 409-13. Great black-walnut tree, 414. Forestville, 413-15. Irving, 415-16. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 416-26. Churches, &c., 426-9.
HARMONY.
Erection, description, and settlement of, 429-36. Mills, stores, &c., 437-S. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 435-43. Churches, 443-5.
KIANTO NE.
Formation and description of, 445. Settlement of, 445-8. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 449-51. Churches, 452.
MINA.
Formation and settlement of, 452-6. Mills, stores, &c., 456-8. Churches, 459.
POLAND.
Erection, description, and settlement of, 459-63. Mills, 463. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 464-6. Churches, 466.
POMFRET.
Formation and settlement of, 466-75. Fredonia Academy, &c., 475-6. Laona, 477-8. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 478-94. Churches, 494-6. [See also Supplement, town of Pomfret, 646.]
PORTLAND.
Formation, description, and settlement of, 497-9. Early mechanics, merchants, mills, &c., 500-3. Grape and wine culture, 504-6. Biographical and genealogical sketches, 5o6-g. Churches, 509-12. [See also Supplement, Portland, 647.]
RIPLEY.
Formation, description, and settlement of, 512-16. Mills, stores, &c., 517-IS. Biographical sketches, 518-31. Churches, 53 1-2. [See Supplement, 640-2.]
SHERIDAN.
Formation and settlement of, 533-5. Biographical sketches, 535-44.
SHERMAN.
Formation and settlement of, 544-7. Mills, machinery, &c., 547-8. Biographical sketches, 548-53. Churches, 553-4. [See Supplement, 642.]
STOCKTON.
Formation and settlement of, 554-61. Early merchants, mechanics, mills, etc., 561-2. Biographical sketches, 563-7!. Churches, 571-3. [See Supplement, 643-5.]
VILLENOVA.
Erection and settlement of, 573-9. Mills, stores, and mechanics, 579-80. Biographical sketches, 580-4. Churches, 584. [See Supplement, 645.]
WESTFIELD.
Formation and settlement of, 584-S. Early stores, taverns, and physicians, 588-9. Mills, manufactories, etc., 590-I. "Warsaw club," 592. Barcelona, 592. Biographical sketches, 593-615. Churches, 6i5-i8. [See also Supplement, 646.]
SUPPLEMENT.
CHAUTAUQUA ANTIQUITIES.
A trench filled with human bones, uncovered in Harmony, 619-20. Indian mounds in Ellicott, 620.
INDIANS.
Reservations, on the Holland Purchase-Cattaraugus Reservation, 621. Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, and Tonawanda, 622. Tuscarora, 623.
COLD SUMMER-623-4.
ARKWRIHT.
William Wilcox, genealogical sketch of, 623. [See portrait and sketch, 227.]
CARROLL.
John Frew and Thomas Russell, early settlers in this town, 625-6. Methodist Episcopal Church, 626.
CHAUTAUQUA.
Lowry Families, 626-9. Land titles in North-western Pennsylvania, 627-9. Additional names of settlers in Mayville, 629-30.
DUNKIRK.
Locomotive works, and other manufacturing establishments, 630-1. Churches, 631-2.
ELLICOTT-JAMESTOWN.
Family sketches of R. E. Fenton, Corydon Hitchcock, and N. A. Lowry, 632-3.
HANOVER.
Sketches of J. G. Hopkins, S. J. Smith, 633-4. Chautauqua Farmer, 634.
HARMONY.
Morris Norton, Charles Parker, and Stephen \V. Steward, 634-5.
POLAND.
William -Falconer, Varanus Page, 635. Churches, 635-6.
POMFRET.
Settlement and sketches of additional settlers in this town, 636-9. Manufactures, 639. M. E. church, 639. H. Bosworth, N. D. Snow, R. H. Hall, W. H. Abell, 646-7.
RIPLEY.
Judd W. Cass and John B. Dinsmore, early settlers, 640. Elihu and Dudley Marvin, 641.
SHERMAN.
Josiah R. Keeler, an early settler in this town, and a prominent citizen, 642.
STOCKTON.
Ellsworth family, 643. Fisher families, 643-4. Sawyer Phillips' family, 644.
VILLENOVA.
Villeroy Balcom, an early settler; biographical sketch of, 645. Freewill Baptist church, organization and sketch of, 645-6.
WESTFIELD.
Sherman Williams, correction of biographical sketch of, 646.
CONEWANGO, CATTARAUGUS CO.
Thomas J. Wheeler, biographical and genealogical sketch of, 647-8.
RETIREMENT OF JUDGES.
Judges Elial T. Foote and Thomas B. Campbell decline reappointments; action of the court thereon, 648-50.
BANKS, 650-2.
OFFICIAL REGISTER.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Appointment of, by council of appointment, for Genesee county, and of Niagara, 652.
CORONERS.
Appointments for Genesee and Niagara counties, 652.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
Election of, in the districts of which Chautauqua was a part, 652-3.
STATE SENATORS.
The districts they represented, and the years in which they served, 653.
MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY.
The districts and counties they represented, and the ears in which they served, 654.
DELEGATES TO CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.
The districts or counties they represented, and the year of each convention, 655.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.
From districts including the county of Chautauqua, 655.
CIRCUIT AND COUNTY JUDGES, JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT, 655-6.
DISTRICT ATTORNEYS, SURROGATES, SHERIFFS, CLERKS, TREASURERS, 656-7.
SUPERINTENDENTS OF POOR, AND OF COMMON SCHOOLS, 658.
CHAUTAUQUA LAKE.
A summer resort; its steamers, 659-62; hotels, 662-3. Fair Point, Point Chautauqua, 663-5.
REAL AND PERSONAL ESTATE, TAXES, POPULATION, 665-6.
NOTES AND CORRECTIONS, 657.