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i
456 NIAGARA COUNTY.
axe common to all parts of this co., considerable quantities of apples, peaches, and other fruits are
raised. Youngstown,1 (p. y.,) incorp. Aug. 22,1854, is situated on Niagara River, about one
mi. from its mouth. It contains 3 churches and has a pop. of 768. Ransom ville,2 (p.v.,)
in the s. e. part of the town, contains 2 churches. Pop. 195. East Porter is a p. o. Fort
Niagara3 is situated on the lake shore, at the mouth of Niagara River. Transient settlements
were made at very early periods by the French at Ft. Niagara; but no permanent settlement was
made until the early part of the present century.4 There are 7 churches in town.5
ROYALTOY6—was formed from Hartland, April 5,1817, and a part of Lockport was taken
off in 1824. It is the s. e. corner town of the co. The surface is generally level or undulating,
except in the n. part, where the mountain ridge crosses the town. Johnsons, Eighteen Mile, and
Mud Creeks take their rise in this town, and the Tonawanda forms its s. boundary. The soil is a
clayey loam. Middleport7 (p. v.) incorporated in 1858, lies partly in Hartland, but principally
in the n. e. part of this town. It is situated upon the Erie Canal, and is a station on the R. &
N. F. R. R. It contains 5 churches and has a pop. of 689, (586 in Royalton, 103 in Hartland.)
Gasport,8 (p.v.,) situated on the canal near Eighteen Mile Creek, is a station on the R. & N. F.
R. R. It contains 1 church and an academy.9 Pop. 273. Orangeport, (p.v.,) on the canal,
in the n.w. part of the town, has a pop. of 224; Royalton, (p.v.,) in the central part, of 168;
and Reynales Basin, (p. v.,) on the canal, of 132. Eocust Tree and South Royal¬
ton are p. offices. McNalls Corners is a hamlet in the w. part. The first settlement was
made in 1803, by Thos. Slayton and Gad Warner.10 The first religious services were held in 1806;
the first religious society (Christian) was organized in 1817, and the first church edifice was built
the same year.11 There are 12 churches in town.12
SOMERSET—was formed from Hartland, Feb. 8, 1823, and a part of Newfane was taken
off in 1824. It is the most easterly town upon the lake shore. The surface is level. Golden Hill
and Fish Creeks cross the town in a n. e. direction. The soil is generally a sandy loam; but in
some places it is clayey. Near the mouth of Fish Creek is a small salt spring, from which salt was
formerly made. Somerset, (p.v.,) n. of the center of the town, contains 3 churches and about
30 dwellings. County Eine, on the line of Orleans co., and Eake Road and West Somer¬
set, are p. offices. The first settlement was made in 1810, by Jacob Fitts and Zacharias Pat¬
terson.13 The first religious services were conducted by Daniel Shepardson, in 1816, and the first
church (Bap.) was organized in 1820. There are 5 churches in town.14
WHEATFIEED—was formed from Niagara, May 12, 1836. It is the most southerly town
in the co., and lies partly on Niagara River and partly on Tonawanda Creek. The surface is level
or gently undulating. Cayuga and Sawyers Creeks cross the town, the former in the western
part and the latter in the eastern. The soil is generally a hard, clayey loam, difficult to cultivate.
About a mi. e. of Tonawanda is a sour spring, and about 2 mi. n. a sulphur spring. A considerable
part of the town is yet unimproved. The greater proportion of the population consists of immi¬
grants from Prussia and other parts of Germany.15 Berglioltz,16 (p.v.,) near the center of the
town, contains 1 church and about 80 houses; Martinsville, (p.v.,) in the s.e. part, 1 church
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chase. It was painted red, and was called “ The Bed Meeting
House.”
12 3 M. E„ Bap., Christian, Cong., F.W. Bap., Luth., Presb., R. C,
Univ., and Wes. Meth.
13 Archibald Whitton, Philip Fitts, and Truman and David
Mudgett settled in the town the same year. The -first birth was
that of Delilah Fitts, in 1811; the first marriage, that of John
Sherwood and Rebecca Mead, in 1817; and the first death, that
of Philip Fitts, in 1814. Josiah S. Bailey opened the first inn, in
1817, and Jos. M. Carpenter the first store, in 1823. The first saw¬
mill was built by John Randolph, in 1822, and the first gristmill
by Archibald McDowell, in 1826. The first school was taught by
Marston Sherwood, in the winter of 1817.
14 2 Bap., Friends, Presb., and M. E.
15 They nearly all cultivate the soil; but their farms are
usually very small, consisting generally of not more than 5 to 10
acres. They retain in a great measure their own manners, cus¬
toms, and nationality. They have their own churches and
schools: their pastors and schoolmasters came from Germany
with them, and German is the language of the pulpit and the
schoolroom. Their houses are nearly all one story, rough framed
buildings, unclapboarded, and filled in with unburned bricks.
Several of them are built of hewn logs, the crevices filled with
clay; and some are clapboarded on the gable ends down as far
as the level of the eaves.
16 These villages were named from places of the same names
in Germany. |
1
Named from John Young, the first merchant at the place.
2
Named from Clark Ransom, one of the early settlers,
s See pages 45,452.
3
* John Lloyd, who was a soldier stationed at Fort Niagara in
1799, settled in town in 1801,3 mi. from the fort. Silas Hopkins
settled in 1802, Thos. Brown, Elijah Doty, John Clement, and
John Waterhouse, in 1803, and John Brown in 1805. Bobert
Gurnsett kept the first inn, and John Young the first store, in
4
1808. John Clapsaddle built the first sawmill, in 1816, and the
first gristmill, in 1817. The first school was taught by Wm.
Cogswell, in the winter of 1806.
5
b 3 M. E., Bap., Presb., Wes. Meth., and R. C.
6
Named from Royalton, Vt.
7
1 So named from its being midway on the canal between
“Newport” (now Albion) and Lockport.
8
So called from the fact that gas escapes from the earth here.
This gas is inflammable; and at one time it was conveyed through
iron pipes from the spring to a store, which was lighted by it.
9
Founded in 1854.
10
i° Joshua Slayton, Elsworth, Louden Andrews, and Alex.
11
Haskins settled in town in 1804, Stephen Bugby, Stephen Hoyt,
12
and Sam’l Capon, in 1805, and Barnum Treadwell in 1806. The
13
u This was one of the first churches upon the Holland Pur¬
14
of Henry Elsworth and Polly Cornish, in the spring of 1810;
15
and the "first death, that of Elsworth, in 1804. Gad Warner
16
built the first sawmill, in 1817. The first tavern was opened in
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