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RESOURCES | Steuben
County ![]() New York |
ADDISON,* originally a
part of the old town of Painted Post, was organized as
Middletown at the time of
the
organization of Steuben
county in
March, 1796. The name
was changed to
Addison, in
honor of
Joseph Addison, the English author, on April 6, 1808. The
early settlers called it also "Tuscarora." It is an
interior town, situated
southeast of
the centre of the
county, and
lies
upon both sides of the
Canisteo
river. It
is bounded
north
by Thurston and a part of Campbell, east by Erwin,
south
by Tuscarora and west by
Rathbone. The surface is a
hilly
upland, broken
by the valley
of the
Canisteo and its
branches.
The principal valley is
about
one mile wide and
is bordered
by
steep hillsides
rising from three
to four
hundred
feet. The
chief
streams are the
Canisteo
river,
Tuscarora
and
Goodhue
creeks. Goodhue lake, in
the
northwest corner of the
town, covers an area of
about
fifty
acres. The alluvial soil
of the valleys is
rich and productive; on
the hills it is
clay mixed with the
debris
of
broken shale, and
compares
favorably with the average
farming lands of the
county. The population
of the town in
1890 was
2,884. *For a portion of this sketch we
are indebted to the late Rev. J. H. Blades.
The first settlement
was made by Samuel Rice in 1791. Mr. Rice was born
about
fifteen miles from the
city of
New
Haven, Conn., and when
but
fifteen years of age entered
the war
of
the revolution
and served
about six months. From
Connecticut he moved to the
state
of
New Hampshire, thence to
Chenango county in this
state.
His
settlement
in Addison was made a
short distance
up Tuscarora creek, near the Wombough
mills, where he
built the first
house erected by a white man in this town. He
married
Lucretia Martin. Their son
Stephen, born April 5,
1791,
was the
first
white child born in the town. Mr. Rice
moved with his family to Troupsburgh in
1805, of which
town also they were
the pioneers.
Of
those who
soon followed Mr. Rice in
the settlement of
Addison were
Reuben and
Lemuel Searles,
Oliver
MIller,
George Goodhue, who
had previously
settled near
Painted
Post;
John Martin, Jonathan
PAGE 93
Tracy, Abel White, Isaac and James Martin, James Benham, Asahel
Stiles, Silas Morey, Elisha Gilbert, Lemuel Stiles,
William Wombough and Martin
Young.
The latter came into
the country
with Col. Arthur Erwin.
He
subsequently
settled on the
road to
Rathboneville, just within the
present western boundary
line
of the
town of Addison. He
moved to Minnesota, where he
died not many years
since,
having
almost attained the
age of one hundred years. Lemuel
Searles was
the next
resident below
Mr. Young. He
occupied the George
Underwood
farm.
John
Martin, with a numerous
family,
lived
next below; then some years
later James
Baldwin settled on
the
next farm
east; and at the B. Jenning's place lived James
Jones, who
built a hotel at Cameron
about
1823.
Asahel Stiles built a
log
house near
the present site of the
Erie depot, and
there are
apple trees still
standing
upon the
bank in rear
of that
depot that
Mr. Stiles set out. His
mother, a
very
aged woman, came here with the family. On
one occasion she
was left at home
alone, and upon the return of the family she
informed them
that "a big black dog"
had been sitting for
some time
on
the ice
in the river.
Younger
members of the
family, with
better
eyesight than she
possessed,
soon
discovered that what
she had
mistaken for a dog was
in reality a
bear. "Uncle"
Samuel
Rice, who was
calling at the
Stiles
house at the
time, took
up a club and approaching
the
bear, struck him. Bruin resented such a salute,
and, with
a deep growl, turned on
his assailant. Mr. Rice retreated as fast as
he could,
which was not very rapid
as he had to adopt a
peculiar
sliding gait in
order to avoid
raising his heels
too near the
snout
of the infuriated
beast,
which was
close upon him. Mr.
Stiles
at this juncture came to the
rescue with a
heavy hoe, such
as in
those days
were made by the local
blacksmiths,
and
striking the bear a stunning blow upon
the head, felled him, after which he was
killed and
dressed. The Stiles
family, with some others of the first settlers,
used to
attend church at
Canandaigua, eighty miles
distant.
The
streams in
those
days were literally
alive with
the
finny tribe. Shad and
eel from
the Chesapeake Bay; trout,
pickerel,
bull-head,
bass, and many
other
varieties were
found.
This
was
one of
the
most famous pine-lumber
regions
in the state of New York,
and it was
also a central point
of
resort for
all the
lumbermen on
the norther border of Pennsylvania and what now
constitutes
Tuscarora, Woodhull,
Jasper, Greenwood and
Hornellsville;
and in the spring,
year after
year,
the surface of the
Canisteo
river was one universal
sheet
of
rafts from
Hornellsville to
the
"Deadwater," as
Addison was then
called. And it
had been
told
repeatedly by most reputable
persons that at
this
time a man
could
walk from Addison
to
Hornellsville
on rafts, except where there was a
dam or
swift water
where rafts
could
PAGE 94
not be landed. And this explains the fact that the Canisteo
Valley raftsmen were said to be the most efficient
managers of a raft in high
water, to
be found in all the
country.
The first
properly
authorized
town-record now in
existence bears date October 20, 1799,
and commences
its history by
publishing certain strayed
animals,
and by
whom
taken up or
cared for. For
illustration:
"Taken up
by
John Martin, Sept. 7th,
1802,
a
chestnut-brown horse three years
old. Taken
up by
Lemuel Benham the
10th day of
May, 1803, a red roan
horse,
three
years
old, and had a bell on, and a
dog
'tended him. Came to the plantation of Sam'l
Cole about
the first of October, in
the year 1805 a small ram sheep with horns,
has a crop on
left ear." And on the
margin of the record
is written
"sold."
And then
follows a long series of legalized
ear-marks for sheep
with the
several
names of owners of said
flocks
affixed.
This is
followed by a
record of the
first
town meeting, held in and for the town
of Middletown, as
follows:
"Votes and proceedings of a town meeting
held in and for
the town of
Middletown, on the first Tuesday in April, 1797.
Oliver
MIller, town clerk; Reuben
Stiles, supervisor;
Lemuel
Searl,
constable;
Jonathan Tracy, Asahel Styles,
poor-masters; John Martin, George Goodhue,
Stephen Dolson,
commissioners of
highways; Lemuel Searl, collector; Abel White,
Jonathan
Tracey, Oliver Miller,
school commissioners;
Reuben Searl,
James
Benham, poor-masters;
Elisha
Gilbert,
Silas Mory,
fence-viewers; Reuben
Searl,
pound-keeper.
Voted that
Reuben
Searl's barn-yard,
be a
town-pound. Reuben
Searl, George
Goodhue, John Wyman,
John Martin,
committe
for settling
with
town
of Painted Post." This
committee
was necessary as
Painted
Post was previously
connected
with
the town of
Middletown, and when the
territory was divided
certain
monies were left in the
town-treasury of
Middletown that
belonged to
Painted
Post.
"Voted, that a
lawful
fence be four
feet and a half
high, and but five
inches
between rails.
John Loton,
sealer of
weights and
measures.
Voted that a
ferry be kept
near where the
road crosses the
river, and
that
three pence be the
charge for a man
to cross. That
town-meeting
be
held in
school-house, in said town for the year
ensuing. Reuben
Searl to take
care of the fire, and
Timothy
Searl, was appointed to take care of the
school-house."
This item
is a
very important
feature
in the
early history of the
town of
Middletown and augured that
rapid
progress
in civilization
would
be the result, as this in all probability was the first
school-house ever built in the county of Steuben. If
it
did not have a right to
the honor
of
being the first
institution of
learning, ever erected in
the
county, it
must have been very
nearly so.
The next
town
meeting for the town of
Middletown, was held the
first
Tuesday in April,
1798. Oliver
Miller was elected
town clerk;
Reuben Searl re-elected
supervisor;
Jonathan
Tracy, George
Martin and
John Martin, were elected
assessors; Robert
Martin and
Jonathan Tracy,
PAGE 95
overseers of the poor; John Martin, Stephen Dolson and Asa
Comstock, were elected commissioners of highways; Reuben
Searl Jr., William
Morey,
constables; Robert Martin,
William
Morey and Asa Comstock,
path-masters;
James
Benham, Asahel
Stiles, Elisha
Stiles, fence-viewers. Voted that Reuben
Searl's
barn-yard be a
town-pound, Reuben Searl be
pound
keeper; Abel White
Esq.,
Oliver
Miller, Reuben Searl
Jr., school commissioners.
"Fence-viewers
wages be
four
shillings per day. Lawful fence
the same as last year. Voted that
a
sign-post be errected
on the north side of the river
where
the bridge is to
cross the
river."
It is evident
from this
resolution,
that the town
was
seriously
contemplating
building
a bridge
across the
Canisteo
river.
"Voted that
town
meeting be held at
the
school-house
for the
ensuing
year."
On the
account
of its
intense interest in
some of its
peculiar features, we will cite at least
a
part of the town meeting for the
year
1799;
"Held
on the second day
of April of said
year. At this meeting Oliver Miller was
elected town
clerk; Reuben
Searl re-elected to the office
of
supervisor;
Jonathan Tracy,
John
Martin and George
Martin,
assessors; Asa Comstock,
John Martin, Henry
Tracy,
commissioners of the
poor;
Reuben Searl, Jr.,
constable and
collector; Elisha Gilbert, Peter
Young
and
John
Van Camp,
path-masters;
Oliver
Miller, Reuben
Searl
and Abel White,
commissioners
of
schools;
Asahel Stiles,
Robert
Martin,
Timothy Searl,
re-elected
fence-viewers.
"Voted
five
pound fine for any
entire
horse
being allowed to run on
the commons after two years old.
To
be recovered
by any
person taking
up the same against the owner.
"Voted that a tax be made of twenty dollars,
to be
raised
for the support of the
poor.
To be
paid in
produce."
And then
follows one
of the most startling
statements that could
possibly come
under the eye of the
reader,
viz., that at
such a
late
date as 1801, only
ninety
years ago,
Middletown was
cursed
with that "sum
of all
villainies,"
human slavery - hence
the
following:
"Middletown,
January 20th, 1801. -
Recorded
two
slaves for the widow
Lace. The
age of Nancy four years,
the age of
Samuel
Hawkins three
years and three
months.
"Middletown the
9th day of
March, 1801. - Recorded
two
slaves
for Thomas
Thissel, the
age
of Luce 15 years, the
age of
Will 11
years."
In the
notes of the proceedings of the town
meeting for 1803
various monies were
paid to Jonathan Tracy, town clerk, for the
purpose of
building a bridge in
Middletown, doubtless the
first that
ever
spanned the waters of the
Canisteo river.
The following record
contains the
first tangible
evidence
of the
existence of a
board of
excise:
"Be
it
remembered that
we, the
commissioners
of excise for
Middletown, in the
county of Steuben, have resolved,
and liscensed
the
following persons
to Keep public
Inns or Taverns in said Middletown
for
PAGE 96
the year 1803, viz: Elisha Searl, Elisha Gilbert, Robert Martin
and Lemuel Benham, and have taken as a duty of excise for
the use of said
Middletown five
dollars for each and every
person so
liscensed as witness
our
hand this
4th day of
March,
1803.
"JOHN KNOX,
"REUBEN SEARL,
"ABEL
WHITE."
PAGE 97
The Eagle Hotel occupies the site of a public house kept by William Baskin Jones at a very early day. Jonathan Rowley kept a hotel near where the Methodist church stands. This house was afterward kept by James Baldwin and by a man named Lockerby. It was finally destroyed by fire. Caleb Wetherby also kept a hotel on the north side. James Van Vleck built the first hotel on the south side on the site of the American House. As late as 1819 there was but a small portion of the land south of the river cleared. There was a clearing at the Henry Wombough place at the south end of the suspension bridge, where then lived Wareham Ward. Upon the creek lived a widow named Catlin, and the family of Hezekiah Dolph. Farther up was Wombough's sawmill, near which lived Matthias Marlatte, who afterward moved to Woodhull, and Samuel Colgrove. These lived at the upper end of the village, and above them was the Brewster farm. Down the river near Curtis & Paxton's mill lived Reuben Newman in a small framed house. Next below, in a log house, lived Ebenezer Swartwood and his father Jacobus. The latter familliarly called "Coby" was a great hunter. Next below, on the Cowley farm was a tavern kept about this time (1819) by Samuel Colgrove. Near the site of the Goodhue tannery lived Isaiah Jones. He died about 1819, and his widow continued to live there many years. Nathan Gillan, an Irishman, was the last resident east until we reach the Erwin town line.PAGE 98
down the river. On one occasion he went down with two large craft
loaded with nearly all the salable produce the settlers
could spare. Upon his
return he
announced that he had lost
or been
robbed of the entire
proceeds of
his
sale and was
unable
to meet his
liabilities. This was severe blow to those
who
had entrusted him with their
years' crops, which with
many,
was all they had
to rely
upon.
All of Mr.
Colegrove's
available property was taken to pay
his
debts.
He
then kept, as we have
stated, a hotel which stood on the
Cowley place.
After a
time he
accumulated a little
money and went to the
state
of Ohio,
where
he purchased four hundred
acres of
land - a little prairie near a bay on Lake
Erie. He
returned to Addison and
tried to induce his family to locate on his
western
purchase with him. For some
unknown reason they
declined,
though
he
offered each of his four sons a fifty
acre farm off his purchase, if they would
settle on it. He
went back to Ohio
alone, and after a short residence there
returned east,
and traded his
western land for a farm at
Arkport
(now
owned by
Samuel Pitts), giving
a
mortgage on
the farm for the
difference in value. This
mortgage
he was
never able to raise,
so
lost
his farm. In the meantime his wife
had died and he
moved to Woodhull
where he married
the
widow of Bethiel
Tubbs,
and where he spent the
remainder
of his days. Col. Colgrove of Indiana, a
valiant soldier
of the late war, was
a son of the subject of this sketch. In
conclusion we will
add that the land
which Mr. Colgrove
took up in
Ohio
is
to-day covered by the most
valuable
portion of the city of
Sandusky.
Thomas
Phillps came here in 1825,
built the first mill
within the
present village
limits
near Cranes factory,
and
also the
first framed school house,
and
several stores. He
also
built a
bridge across the river at an early day. He
purchased
twenty-five hundred acres,
above Addison near the Derby
switch
which extended from the
Canisteo river to
Tuscarora
creek,
and
superintended several saw-mills at one
time. Mr.
Phillps married Esther
Wilcox of Oxford,
Chenango county.
Their children were
E.
Maria, wife of Seth Mullen; Eliza;
Austin; Ransom; Joseph; Libbeus; Thomas Jr.;
Theodore;
Louisa; Ann; Hannah;
Esther and Myra. Mr. Phillips brought his
family here
in
1827.
Lyman
Crane was born
in
Massachusetts, May 25, 1807, and
came
with his parents to
Cortland county,
N. Y., where
he
married Charlotte,
daughter of
Hezekiah Howe, on November 10,
1830.
They came
to this town in
1833, and
settled on
the
farm now owned
and
occupied by their son Ferrel J.,
on
road 7, or the Goodhue as it is
locally
known. Mr. Crane
engaged in
lumbering and farming, having purchased about two
hundred
acres of wild land. Their
children were as
follows:
Francis,
born May
23, 1832, Nancy, June 1, 1834,
Edmund Dennis, August 7, 1837, Addis E., April
22, 1839,
Manley D., March 9,
1841,
PAGE 99
Clarissa, March 29, 1843, Lois, June 29, 1845, Harriet, June 10,
1847, Matilda, January 9, 1851, and Ferrel J., December
15, 1856. The latter
married Amy,
daughter of Garrison
Briggs of
Addison. Their children
were Maud
E., deceased,
and Clara
Sophia.
The family of
Baldwin
is descended from Benjamin
Baldwin
who emigrated from
Buckingham
county, England, in
1636,
and settled in New
London,
Conn. His grandson, Isaac
Baldwin, Sr., removed with
his
family from Norwich, Conn.,
to Wyoming Valley,
Pa., where
they
remained but a few
years in
consequence of the Pennamite
and
Indian wars.
They removed to the
vicinity of
Ulster, and
subsequently, in the
year 1787,
farther up the Chemung
river to what
is now the
town of
Chemung,
then
a part of Tioga
county, N. Y.
He was
born in Norwich, Conn., June 12,
1730;
married Patience
Rathbun,
November
1751. They had eleven children, of whom
Rufus, the
father of the
subject of this narrative, was
eldest, born
March 8,
1753. Rufus Baldwin Jr.,
was born in
Canterbury, Conn., in 1795. His minority
was spent at
home. In 1812 he was
connected with the Light Guards, and soon
thereafter,
gained the rank of
major. He came to Tioga,
Pa., and in
1825,
married Parmelia,
daughter of
William
Wombough. In the
fall of
1834, having
disposed of his
property in
Pennsylvania, he
settled
about one mile east of the
village of Addison where
he
purchased some six
hundred
acres
of timber and
farming
land. In
1851 he moved to the
village
of Addison and retired
from
the
more active duties
of life. He
died in 1853, and his
wife in 1867.
Their
children
are Mrs.
Rufus N. Weatherby, William W., a
lawyer, who
died in 1852,
aged twenty-five
years; Walter
H.,
who died in 1854,
aged twenty-five years.
Henry, a
lawyer and banker, was
supervisor in
1859-61, and
sheriff of the county
from
1886-89. In 1861 he raised a
company, and as captain
joined
the 34th Regt.
N. Y.
Vols.
Was with his company and
regiment through the first
Shenandoah
Valley, at
Yorktown,
West
Point, Fair Oaks, and
Seven
Pines; the seven days'
retreat of McClelland
to
the Patomac, Antietam and
Fredericksburgh. In 1867 he
was
brevetted colonel, and in
1868,
major. James, a banker at
Addison; Rufus
Jr., who
died young;
Parmelia, deceased, wife
of
Hon. Byron G. Stout of Pontiac,
Mich.; and R.
Haskill
Baldwin, who
died in
childhood.
John
W. Dininny was
born in
the town of
Milford,
now
Oneonta, on the 23rd day
of
June, 1820. In 1832 he
emigrated
with
his parents to
the
town of Addison now Tuscarora
then a wilderness. For
several
years
he was engaged in
clearing land, lumbering
and
performing such labor as
was
common
in
that wild and
uncultivated
town. He
was educated
at the
Oneida
Institute
and the Genesee
Wesleyan Seminary,
finishing his
education at that
seminary in 1842.
For several years after he left
the
seminary in 1842. For
several
years
after he left the
seminary he
was engaged in teaching
school. The
last was a
high school
in the village of
Addison
PAGE 100
a high school in the village of Addison, which he closed in 1845.
In 1845 he entered the law office of Hon. Andrew G.
Chatfield in the village of
Addison
as a student, and in
Januray 1849,
was by an order of the
supreme court
admitted to practice in all the courts
of this state. In
March 1859, he was
admitted to practice as an attorney and
counsellor in the supreme court of the
United States at
Washington, D. C.
He was married in 1849 to Miss Sarah A.
Coburn. Four
children were
born to them namely, Harper F.,
Carleton V.,
William
B. and S.
Georgiana.
In 1850
he
formed a
partnership
for the
practice of law with his
brother, Hon.
Ferral C.
Dininny.
That
partnership
continued until
1863, when
Ferral C.
Dininny
retired,
leaving a
large and
extensive
business in charge
of Mr. John W. Dininny,
which he
conducted with success, except while he was
in the
army.
When the 141st regiment
New
York volunteers was
organized
he was
offered the
position
of
Major, which
he
accepted,
and in
September, 1862, was mustered
into the United States
service;
immediately left with the
regiment
to take part
in the
stirring
scenes at the
south.
He continued in active service as Major, much
of the time
in command of the
regiment, until February, 1863, when, on the
resignation
of Col. S. G. Hathaway,
he was promoted and
commissioned
colonel. He
was an active,
prompt
and
efficient officer, some
of the time
performing the
duties
of
a general officer. He took
part in many of the
exciting
incidents
connected with the
army in
Virginia,
in front of and
around
Richmond. Colonel
Dininny continued in active
service
at the front until a
disease
of his eyes
compelled
him to resign
his
commission.
He returned
to his home and again
took up the practice of
law, in
which he was engaged for
many
years. He was an earnest,
faithful, pains-taking
lawyer; had business
relations with
many of the leading
lawyers of the
State and was esteemed by them
as an able,
conscientious and
careful
counsellor.
Mr. Dininny always
took a deep
interest in the cause of education and in 1867,
largely
through his efforts and
influence, a Union Free
School,
with
Academic
department, was established in
Addison. He was elected at the first meeting of
the
district as a member of the
Board of Education, and at the first meeting of
the board
was elected its president.
He was annually
elected a
member of
said
board by the district and served
as
president for twenty-four years and until he
resigned
the office of member of the
board in April, 1891. During the time he
was president the
school steadily
advanced until it took
rank among
the
leading
institutions of learning
in
this
State.
L. D. Coburn
was born
in Cortland county, April
22, 1817. When eighteen years of age he came
to Addison
and finished serving an
ap-
PAGE 101
prenticeship to the harness-making trade. In 1840 he engaged in
business on his own account, and has remained in the same
almost continually to
the present
time. During the war he
was
appointed by Governor Fenton
New
York
state agent at
Annapolis,
Md., to look after sick
and wounded soldiers. Mr.
Coburn
erected the second business
building
- a shop -
that was
built
on the
south side of the
river. He married
first Harriet Stebbins of Nelson,
Madison
county, N. Y.,
and second
Harriet
Healy of Dansville. Two children were the
issue of this
marriage, Elsworth H.
and Carrie L., wife of
Rodney Teed,
both
deceased. His present
wife was
Mrs.
Marie L. Bates of
Cazenovia.
Col. George W. Farnham was born at
Canterbury, Conn., July
6,
1812. His
ancestors were of Puritan
stock. In boyhood
he was
the
boyhood he was
studious and eager for
education,
and
though early
thrown upon his own
resources
he acquired a good
education, and early engaged
in
active
business life as
book-keeper,
teacher and cotton
manufacturer. He came to
Addison in
1836, where he resided
until his
death which
occurred on
September
14, 1888. He engaged
extensively in
lumbering and
mercantile pursuits, as a
partner
with his
brother, Edmund
Farnham,
but the
last twenty years of his life
were
devoted principally to
farming.
He
rose to prominence
in
the old
militia
days, attaining the rank of
colonel,
which title clung to him
through life. His
name and energy
were identified with
the
growth and progress of the town for
more than fifty
years. His first
wife died in 1837.
In
1844 he
married
Julia J.,
daughter of
William
Wombough,
Sr. The children
of this marriage
were three,
viz.: Mrs.
Bryron G.
Stout of
Pontiac, Mich.,
George W.,
and William H. A.
Farnham of
Addison. In 1872 he
married Mary,
daughter of
the late
Nathan
Reynolds of
Elmira.
Jacob V.
Graham
was
born in
Ithaca, N. Y., Nov. 22,
1825,
and
resided there
until
September
6, 1846, when he
came to Addison village and
engaged
in the clothing
business.
Later he conducted
a
general store
in partnership with H.
K. Thurber,
now
proprietor of one
of
the
largest wholesale grocery houses
in the country, located
in New York
city. After
his dissolution with Mr.
Thurber
he
embarked in the hardware
business,
which he
continued
in for
many years. He married
Harriet,
daughter of Henry
Wombough, a
descendant of one of the
earliest
families in
the town, by
whom
he has one
child,
Clara, wife of F.
G. Parsons. Mr.
Graham is now
a member
of the firm
of
F. G. Parsons &
Co., a
description of whose business is given under the
head
of
"manufacturers."
Rev.
William
R. Olmsted was born
in
Greene
county, N. Y., and
came to
Addison
in 1830. He
subsequently lived in
Tyrone,
now
Schuyler county, and in
Troupsburgh. Mr. Olmsted was
a
local
preacher of the Baptist
denomination. He married
Elizabeth
Holmes
PAGE 102
of Oxford, Chenango county, with whom he lived for over fifty
years. There were twelve children born to them, among whom
are Hiram Olmsted of
Troupsburgh and
Samuel of
Addison.
Mr. Olmsted died in 1867,
aged
seventy-six
years.
Galen
Otis, son of
Isaac Otis was born in
Mansfield, Hamshire county, Mass.,
September 16, 1799. In April, 1818, he
removed to this
state and settled at
Otisville, Orange county. In 1848 he came
to the village
of Addison, where he
was engaged in
lumbering and in
mercantile
business for over
thirty
years. He retired in
1879. His wife was Fanny
King
of
Orange county, by whom
he had
six children, only
one
of
whom is now living,
namely, Mrs.
Almira Smith. Mrs. Otis
died
in 1876, and Mr. Otis on
April
8,
1891.
Ebenezer
Allen was born
and reared in Duchess
county, N. Y., and came to Addison
about 1849. He married Martha, daughter of
Abel Van Scoy
of North Salem. Their
children were Mary, who died in infancy;
Phoebe, (Mrs.
Epenetus Miller),
Ebenezer, Pearlee,
deceased, Martha
(Mrs. W.
Patchell), Hannah
(Mrs. D.
P.
Benjamin), and Hiram.
The latter
married Sarah
Benjamin by
whom he
had two sons,
Egbert and
Samuel of
Addison.
Hiram C.
McKay
was
born in Pompey, Onondaga
county,
N. Y., March 22, 1812,
and died at
his home in Addison by
keeping a
general store
in the old
Smith block about the
year 1851.
About the year 1861
Messrs. McKay and
Bliss bought
out the firm of O. N. Sage
& Co., in the
sash
and blind
factory, and in this
firm-name they
carried on the
business about four
years
when the
mill was burned, involving
a loss of
nearly $15,000. McKay &
Gillett then entered
into a
co-partnership, built up the
mill and ran it about
seven years,
doing such an immense
business that
Addison was popularly
known
almost all over
the United
States as headquarters
for sash and
blinds. After
this
firm
had been in successful
operation for
the above
specified time, the
factory
was
again consumed by fire,
incurring a loss of
$30,000.
Mr. McKay again built up the factory, and
took in for a
partner C. D. Hill and
under this firm name they carried on the
sash and blind
business about ten
years, when he (McKay)
sold out to
Mr.
Hill.
During this last period he
was
also
associated in the wholesale
sash and blind
business with
C. B.
Keough, in New
York city, averaging from $300,000 to
$400,000 per year.
That concern
ceased to exist soon after
he went
into
business
with C. D.
Hill.
Thomas P. Parsels
was
born in New
Fairfield, Conn.,
and in 1859 came
to the town
of Addison
and first
settled on
the
Goodhue where Richard
Tobin now
lives, and where he
resided until
his death
five years
later. He
married Mary M. Allen by whom he had five
children
PAGE 103
viz: Helen (Mrs. Daniel LaDue), deceased, Charles E. of Tuscarora,
James P. of Pennsylvania, Joseph
B. and
Debora
A.
(Mrs. J.
H. Houghtaling),
Charles
E., born October 20, 1849,
married
Hannah M., daughter of
Chauncey L.
Harder of
Jasper, in
January,
1870.
Solomon Curtis
came from Oxford, Chenango county, in 1821,
and
purchased
five hundred acres of
land
north of
the river where the
village
of Addison now stands. He
ran
a
distillery here
for some
years,
which stood near where the Erie railroad water
tank is
located, and paid for a
portion of this property
in
whiskey,
hence it
was called "the whiskey lot." His
son, Myron S. Curtis, was a boy of
eleven years when
the
family
came here. Solomon Curtis
donated the land for
the
village cemetery, and also
the
village square known as
Curtis
Square. He
died in March,
1850, and
Myron S.
Curtis
died October 16,
1881.
Seth
Mullen was born in Erie county, Pa., and
came to this town
in September,
1840. Worked on the old New York and Erie road,
engaged in
lumbering and rafting,
and purchased
a timber lot of
one hundred
and eight acres,
most of
which he cleared. He
has also engaged in
contracting
and
farming. He married
E. Maria,
daughter of Thomas Phillips, by whom he had
two daughters,
Alice E., deceased,
and Nellie
M.
John
Smith Lyon was born
near Albany, in 1805, and came to this
town about 1830.
He
built a portion
of the house owned
by the late Dr. Mitchell, was a blacksmith
by trade, and
carried on business
here many years. He
married Mary M.
Prentiss,
of
Chenango county. Their
children were
Prentiss S., Daniel
T., and Augustus W.
The
latter
married Sarah Landers,
by
whom he
has one son, John
S.
E.
Devillo
Root, son
of
Erastus D. Root, was
born
in
McDonough, Chenango county,
N. Y.,
May 31, 1840. Previous
to 1850 his father
moved to
this
town and settled in the
then thickly wooded hills, about
five
miles north of Addison village,
where he took up six
hundred acres. The subject
of this
memoir received his
education in the
Addison
Academy, and
after his
school
days engaged in
mercantile business.
Mr. Root is one of the
representative
men of Addison, and
has been honored
with
the office of
president
of the corporation,
and
for four
terms
has represented the town in the
board of
supervisors. He is also a
prominent
working member of the
local fire
department.
Frederick S.
Hooker was born near
Troy,
Bradford county, Pa., in
1833. Early
in life he engaged in
the profession
of
photography. In
1858 he moved to
Houston, Texas, and after the secession
of
Texas was the first to be brought
before a grand jury
for
treason to
the
Southern
Confederacy.
He was arrested and
taken
before a vigilance committee,
and the following week
was tried by
a secret
vigilance
committee
and condemned to
death,
but made his escape. As he
could not
PAGE 104
leave the state he enlisted for three months in the southern army
and served his time, after which he made his way to
Mexico, thence to
New York. He
afterward enlisted in
a Pennsylvania
regiment, was taken
prisoner
at
Gettysburgh, and
parolled.
He
has
been a resident of
Addison about twenty
years.
ADDISON VILLAGE
is
situated in the valley of
the Canisteo, a station
on
the
main line of the N. Y.,
L. E.
& W. R. R., and the
northern
terminus of the Addison
& Northern
Pennsylvania
railway. The
village was
incorporated under
the
general law of the
state in
January,
1854. At the
ensuing election
the following
board of trustees
and
officers were
chosen: Frederick
R. Wagner, Bradley Blakeslee, Parley
Guinnip, Stephen
Lewis, - White
and Thomas Paxton.
Dr. F. R.
Wagner
was
chosen president
and I. V.
L. Meigs clerk. The charter was
amended by a
special
act of the
Legislature,
approved April 12, 1873. By section third of
this
act the village was
divided into two wards as
follows: "The fist ward
shall
consist of all that
part of
said village which lies
north of the
Canisteo
river. The
second ward shall consist
of all
that part of said village
which lies south of the
Canisteo
river."
The lot
known as No.
3, or the
"Pompelly
Lot," was purchased by
William B. Jones. It was
previously
purchased by Solomon
Curtis from
Harmon
Pompelly, of
Owego, who
purchased it
from
Charles
Wilkes, proprietor of
the Wilkes tract, quite an
extensive
tract lying north of the
river.
Curtis laid out a portion of the
village on that
side. William
Wombough owned
lots
Nos. 3 and 4 on
the
south side, extending back to
the
town
line. He purchased his land at
an early
day, mostly of
contractors
with the
Pulteney estate, who were not able to
complete their
titles. He caused a
part of lot No. 3 on
the south side
to
be
laid out
in village lots about
1832,
it
being surveyed by John E.
Evans, of
Painted Post.
Samuel
Colegrove laid
out the north side
for Solomon Curtis the
same
year.
Goodhue Lake
P. O.
is
located at Goodhue
Lake in the northwest corner of the
town, and was established for the
convenience of the
farmers of
that
section.
Physicians. - Dr. Frederick R.
Wagner
was
the
first
physician in the
village.
He
continued
strictly in the
practice of his
profession from 1830
to
1865. After
retiring from active
practice he engaged in
the
drug
business, and held
the office
of examining
surgeon of
the
pension
bureau. He
died November
3,
1880.
The next
physician was
Dr. Sweeney,
who came
here in 1833, and remained but a short time.
Then came Dr.
William McIntyre who,
after a few
years practice,
removed to
California. Dr.
Erastus
N.
Foot came in 1841. He
practiced in
partnership with
Dr.
Wagner
one year, and
PAGE 105
after practicing alone for a short time, returned to Greene county
whence he came. Dr. William Beach
practiced
here a
few
years and then removed to
Louisiana, where he
died.
Dr. Reuben
Brown
was
born
in Bradford county, Pa.,
April 1,
1818. At the age of
fourteen
he began the
study of
medicine, and
graduated
from Hobart Medical College,
Geneva,
N. Y. In
1849 he
settled in
Addison, and his skill as
a
physician gave him
considerable
reputation, not only in his own village, but
in the
surrounding towns. He
practiced
medicine
continuously for
over forty years
and was never
known
to take
a holiday, so
devoted
was he to his profession. He married Sarah M., daughter of
William Evans, of Bradford county, Pa. Dr.
Brown
died
September 15,
1885.
Dr.
John
Mitchell, who practiced here for some
years, died October
4,
1886.
Dr. Miles Stevens was
born in Milford, Otsego county, December 7, 1823. He
came
to Addison in 1848 and
practiced
medicine until the
spring
of 1866, when he removed to
Watkins.
In 1882
he returned
to
Addison and opened a drug store, and is also engaged in
practice.
He is of the eclectic
school.
Dr. Herman Reeve
Ainsworth,
son of
Rev. S. C.
Ainsworth,
was born in Erieville, Madison
county,
N. Y., September
29, 1841.
The following year his
father removed to Truxton,
Cortland
county. Dr. Ainsworth entered Madison - now
Colgate -
University, at
Hamilton, N. Y. After studying
medicine with Drs. Newcomb and Nelson of Truxton,
he
graduated at the University of
New York in 1866, and soon after commenced
practice in
Addison and has been in
constant practice here
since.
Dr.
Rush P.
Brown, son
of Dr.
Reuben Brown
received his preliminary education at
Dansville, Livingston county, Alfred
University, Allegany
county, and
Falley Seminary, Fulton, N. Y. At the age of
twenty
he began to study the
medicine with his father, and
after
attending
lectures at Bellevue
Medical College
and New
York
University, was
graduated
from the
latter
institution in 1873.
He
at once
began practice in Addison,
in
partnership with
his father.
Since
the death of the
latter,
he has
practices
alone. Dr. Brown
makes a
specialty of surgery as his father did
before
him.
He
is
also largely interested in
farming.
He married Georgie N.
Cowley, daughter of
the
late Calvin
Cowley, a well known
citizen of
Addison.
Dr.
Daniel J.
Crittenden was born in
Greene,
Chenango county, N.
Y.,
November 4, 1832. When ten years
of
age his
parents
removed to
Whitney's Point, Broome county. When a young man he
removed
to the town of Rathbone, and
engaged in teaching
school.
In 1856
he commenced
studying
medicine, and
graduated at
the
University
Medical
PAGE 106
College of New York, March 4, 1859. He has practiced at
Cameron Mills and at Woodhull, and in several places
outside the county. On the
death of
Dr. John Mitchell he
assumed his
practice in
Addison.
Dr.
Melvin B.
Hubbs
was born in Orange,
Schuyler
county, N. Y., June 23,
1848.
He attended the schools of
that place,
and also
Starkey
Seminary, Corning Academy, the schools of
Williamsport,
Pa.,
and Haverling
Academy at Bath. After
teaching for
several
years, he took
up the
study
of medicine and
graduated from
the
College of
Physicians
and Surgeons at
Baltimore,
Md.,
in
the class of 1883. He
practiced four years in Cameron and
in
July 1887, came to
Addison.
Dr. David E.
Seely was
born in
Franklin, Delaware
county,
N. Y.,
October 1, 1823. At
the
age of
twenty-two years he
went to
Oneonta and tuook up
the
study of medicine, and
after three years
commenced practice in
Barbersville,
Delaware county. He
came
to Addison in December 1882. Dr.
Seeley is of the eclectic
school.
Dr. Albert
A.
Aldrich
was
born in Addison,
August
20, 1855. He
graduated from
the Syracuse
University
Medical
College in
1883, was
medical
superintendent of the Onondaga county poor house for
nearly
two years when he came to
Addison.
Clergymen. -
Rev. Francis
Gilliat was born in Newport, R. I., in 1839,
was
educated at Berkeley
Divinity School, Middletown,
Conn.,
and ordained in
1868. He was
instituted rector of
the Church of
the Redeemer Addison,
in January
1888.
Rev. John
H.
Blades, to
whom
we are
indebted for a portion
of the
history of Addison,
given in
these pages,
was born
in
West Burton, Yorkshire,
England,
July 19, 1828, and died
suddenly at
his home
in Addison
village,
April 12, 1891. Mr. Blades came to this country
in Addison
village, April 12,
1891. Mr. Blades came to
this
country
in 1853. The following
year he
united with the
ministry of
the M. E. Church in the
East Genesee
Conference, and
served
with great
acceptablility many charges in this and
adjoining
counties. In 1873,
because of physical
inability, he
was
obliged to
discontinue his
ministerial
labors. He selected
Addison, where
he already
owned
property, as
his permanent home, and here,
where he
had
many admirers and warm
friends,
he spent the remainder of
his days.
His family still
reside
here.
Rev. Thomas
Joseph
Carraher was born in
Ireland
in 1849. He was educated at
All Hallows College in the
city of
Dublin,
and in 1874
came to
America in the steamer
"Italy" of the National Line. His
theological
education was
completed at the Seminary
of Our
Lady of Angels at
Niagara, and he
was
ordained
at
Niagara
Falls May 22, 1875. His
first
ministrations in the office
of
priest was as the assistant of Rev. William McNab
in
Medina, Orleans county. Afterward
he served at Angola,
Erie
county,
and at
Batavia, where he
remained until
April, 1879, when he took
charge of
the church
at Cuba, Allegany county.
PAGE 107
To accept the larger field offered in the pastorate of St.
Catherine's church, Addison, he left to the parish over
which he had presided
for ten years
a handsome property
and one of the
finest church
structures in
Allegany
county.
CHURCHES.
Presbyterian. - The First Presbyterian church of Addison was organized in the month of September, 1832, by a committee of the Presbytery of Bath, consisting of Rev. A. Donaldson and Rev. E. D. Wills. The present handsome edifice of this society was dedicated in April, 1882, and is valued at $12,000. The number of members is one hundred and sixty. The present pastor is Rev. David Mackey.PAGE 108
oldest and most respected citizens, who also donated the site for
the building. It was erected in 1889. It contains
bath-rooms, gymnasium and a
free
reading room which is
open from 9 A.
M. to 10 P. M.
Services on
Sunday at
3
P.
M., and
workers' training
class at 8:30 on Thursday
evenings.
SCHOOLS.
In December, 1847, an association of
twelve prominent men of Addison and vicinity purchased
four acres of land north
of the
village as a site for an
academy,
and the next summer
erected an
academy
building
at an
expense of $3,600. A
flourishing school was organized and
continued until
the building was destroyed by fire
in
October 1856. Subsequently
a
number
of
citizens
established a
private
academic school. This
was well
supported and
continued until the
organization of the
Union Free
Academy in
connection with the
public school
system of the village. Plans for a new
bulding
submitted
by Walker &
Noland of
Rochester were acepted by the board of
education, and a
large, well lighted
and well ventilated
structure
was
completed, at a cost of $20,000, and first
occupied for the spring term of
1888.
The Addison
Grammar
School, after plans by C.
Walker of Rochester, was built
by
Drehmer & Wing, and E. Y.
Butler of
Hornellsville,
who also
were the builders of the
Union Free Academy. It
is a
model
structure, located on the
south side, on the
site of
the old
burying-ground on
Tuscarora street.
It was
finished and occupied for the
spring
term of 1889. The
cost of the
building was about
$9,000.
BANKS.
Addison Bank. - This bank was
originally a chartered institution, established by William
R. Smith and Charles
H.
Henderson in
1856. W. R. Smith,
president
and C. H. Henderson cashier.
About
1861 they
surrendered their
charter and Mr.
Henderson succeeded
to the business.
The
present
proprietors, Messrs.
Lattimer and Winton,
purchased his interest and
building
on the north side of
the river in 1867. In 1873 they
erected their
present fine
fire-proof building at a cost of $10,000. It is one
of the
most
completely furnished and
commodious
bank buildings in
this
part of
the state,
and the
business of the
firm is on a
very
properous
footing.
The Baldwin Bank was established
in January,
1874, by James Baldwin
and Charles D. Williams, and continued under
those
proprietors until April, 1880,
when Mr. Williams was
succeeded by Henry
Baldwin and
Mrs.
Sarah Weatherby.
Their
building, which is located on
Tuscarora
street, was
erected
especially for a bank, and
is provided with a very safe and
substantial fire-proof
vault.
This
bank is considered
among the
firm and
prosperous
monetary
institutions of
this part of the state.
PAGE 109
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.
A. G. Crane & Co.'s Blind Factory was established in connection with other works for the manufacture of sash and doors also, in 1845, and were the first works of the kind in this part of the state. They were built by Ames & Bliss, who, in 1865, were succeeded by C. C. Crane, and in 1874 Mr. Crane was succeeded by the present firm. The shops for manufacturing doors and sash have been destroyed by fire. They employ twelve men, and turn out about 1,800 pairs of blinds per year.PAGE 110
horse-power has been recently added, and the capacity is 60,000
doors per year, the same number of sashes and 30,000 pairs
of blinds. This firm
also
deals in
planed and matched
lumber,
and in mouldings and
brackets.
S.
Harrison
& Sons' Plow Handle
Factory commenced operation
in
1868 at the lower end of the
village near
the cemetery.
They
manufacture about 1,000 handles
a day, beside other
wood-work
for agricultural
implements.
Wheaton &
Brewster Brothers
Saw and
Planing-Mill is
located on Steuben
street. It is
run
by steam, emplys
about ten men,
and has a capacity
for sawing 15,000 feet a
day.
Stanchion
Factory. - F. G. Parsons
&
Company, manufacturers
of Smith's
self-adjusting swing
cattle
stanchion.
Though
this
invention dates from the
present decade and the present
firm
has been in operation six
years, yet it is
now known
throughout Canada and the United States. It is, as
its
name implies, a
swinging
stanchion.
They are made very
durable, of
strong
wood timber that
has
been well
seasoned and oiled.
They
turn on pivots made of
two-inch hardwood pins
at the
top
and bottom. The method of
opening
and closing is very
simple,
and a
boy will at once
become
acquainted with the necessary
manipulation. By the
use
of this stanchion cattle are
kept
cleaner and in a more natural position. They
can lie down
resting the head on the
shoulder, and, though securely fastened,
enjoy almost
natural freedom of
motion. The invention has
won the
first
prize at
several New York
state
fairs and is
warmly endorsed
by leading dairymen and
agricultural
editors all over the
country. A new
patent has recently been
granted
this firm,
with three
additonal
improvements.
The factory is
located on Steuben
street. It
employs several men
and
is
run by
steam
power.
The
Improved Home Bee Hive
Manufactory was established
here in January 1889, by L. S. Cook, and is
located on
Cleveland street. These
hives are constructed with a double wall,
having a
dead-air space surrounding
the entire chamber.
Each hive
is
furnished
with moveable frames holding
forty-eight one pound sections, which are so
arranged as
to cover the back and
top of hive. There are several other
improvements which
are covered by
letters patent. Mr. Cook
also
manufactures
apiarists'
supplies.
The
Goodhue
Tannery is
located on
the Goodhue creek near
its
mouth, about one
mile east of
Addison
village. It is
stated that
the first
tannery here was built by
Tiffany
&
Prindle. Miles
& Paxton
afterward ran if for
some years. The present
proprietor is George
W.
Stratton, who has
improved
and
enlarged the works
considerably.
Twelve men are em-
PAGE 111
ployed here, and the capacity is 20,000 sides per year. Mr.
Stratton came in possession in
1878.
Bridgeman's
saw and
feed mill was built by
Otis Bridgeman in 1865. The first mill on
this site was
built many years ago,
but by whom we were
unable to learn.
The
second was built by
Vincent
Hathaway.
The present mill
is under
the management
of Judson
Bridgman,
is run by water
power and has a capacity of 200,000 feet.
There is also a
shingle and
planing-mill in connection
with
it.
Phillips
Mills on road 4 was first
built
by Hamilton &
Dodge,
and
afterward owned by Lewis
Hathaway.
Of the
latter it was purchased by the
present owner, Charles
Phillips,
about 1856. It
is run by water and
steam
power.
Other
Industries. - The Addison Greenhouse is located
on
Steuben street where
is
constantly kept on hand a large
variety of choice flowering plants, and also
vegetable
plants with which the
local market and surrounding towns are supplied.
This
greenhouse was built by Mr.
Goodby in 1875, was
afterward
owned
by Mr. W.
Griffith, and is now under the
management of Mrs. A. Walker. It has
recently been
improved and a new
heating apparatus added. Floral pieces for
funerals are
made here on short
notice, also cut flowers
and designs
furnished
for weddings and
other
occasions.
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