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ONTARIO COUNTY.
Hopewell is a p. o. Elttleville is a hamlet in the s. w. corner of the town. Settlements were
made in 1789-90.1 There are 5 churches in town;2 the first church (Presb.) was formed in 1808.
MAMCHESTEK—was formed from Farmington, March 31, 1821, as “Burt,” and its name
was changed April 16, 1822. It lies upon the n. border of the co., e. of the center. Its surface is
nearly level in the s., but is occupied by irregular sand and gravel ridges of the drift formation in
the n. Canandaigua Outlet, Fall Creek, and Black Brook are the principal streams. The soil is
a gravelly loam and is very productive. Hydraulic limestone is quarried on “the Outlet.” There
are 3 flouring mills in town. Clifton Springs, (p. v.,) incorporated in 1859, a station on the
N. Y. C. 11. R., is situated in the e. part of the town. Pop. 340. At this place are the celebrated
Clifton Mineral Springs and an extensive water cure establishment.3 Manchester (p. v.)
contains 374 inhabitants; Sliortsville (p. v.) contains 35 dwellings and a large distillery; and
Port Cribson, (p. v.,) on the Erie Canal, 50 dwellings; Manchester Center (p.v.) con¬
tains 18 dwellings. Plainsville (Gypsum p. o.) contains 12 houses. Coonsville contains
a flouring mill, plaster mill, and 12 houses. The first settlement was made in 1793, by Stephen
Jared, Joel Phelps, and Joab Gillett.3 Rev. David Irish preached in Manchester in Jan. 1797,
and in Feb. following a Bap. society was organized. There are now 8 churches in town.4 Joe
Smith, the Mormon prophet, resided in this town with his father; and Mormon Hill, the place
where the gold Bible was found, is situated a little sr. w. of the center of the town.5
MAPEES6—was formed Jan. 27, 1789, as “Middletown.” The name was changed April 6,
1808. Italy was taken off in 1815, and a part of Springwater in 1816. It is the extreme s. town
of the co. The surface consists of a hilly and elevated upland, broken by the narrow and deep
valleys of Canandaigua and Honeoye Inlets and Grindstone Creek. The summits of the hills
are 600 to 1000 feet above the surface of the lake and 1300 to 1700 feet above tide. Their declivi¬
ties bordering on the streams are generally very steep. High Point and Hatch Hill are the
highest summits. The soil upon the hills consists of clay and gravel mixed with disintegrated
slate and shale; and in the valleys it is a rich, gravelly loam mixed with alluvium. Fruit grow¬
ing is receiving much attention. Peaches are produced in great abundance; and an experiment
is being made in the cultivation of grapes, which promises to be successful. Over 30 acres are
now devoted to this object, and very satisfactory results have been realized. Maples, (p.v.,)
on the Canandaigua Inlet, 4 mi. from the lake, contains 5 churches and 3 flouring mills.
Pop. 700. The first settlement was commenced in 1790, by a company from Berkshire co., Mass.,
by whom the town was purchased from Phelps and Gorham.7 The first sermon was preached by
Rev. Zadock Hunn, in June, 1792.®
PHELPS8—was formed in 1796, under the act of Jan. 27, 1789. A part was annexed to
Lyons, (Wayne co.,) April 11, 1823. It is the n. e. corner town of the co. Its surface is rolling,
* the ridges rising in gentle slopes 20 to 100 feet above the valleys. The highest point is 300 feet
above Canandaigua Lake. The soil in the e. is a sandy loam with a clay subsoil, in the n. a
mixed sandy and clayey loam, and in the w. a sandy and coarse gravelly loam, all highly produc¬
tive. Canandaigua Outlet, the principal stream, flows e. and n. through the center. Along its
course are extensive quarries of gypsum and water limestone. In the town are quarries of Onon
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Hydrosulphuric and carbonic acids are also found in small
quantities.
* Nathan Pierce and John McLouth, from Berkshire, Mass.,
settled in the town in 1795; and John Van Fleet, Jedediah
Dewey, Benjamin Barney, William Mitchell, and Peleg Bedfield
soon after. Sharon Boothe and a daughter of Joab Gillett were
married in 1793. Theophilus Short erected the first mill, at
Shortsville, in 1804; and the first store was opened by Nathan
Burton. Elam Crane taught the first school, in 1800.
3 2 Bap., 3 M. E., 2 Prot. Meth., and a Univ.
6 See p. 494.
I Originally called “WatJcinstown,” from Wm. Watkins, of
Berkshire, Mass., one of the purchasers under Phelps and Gor
ham, and called by the Indians NurJda-wa-o, great hill.
8 In Feb. 1790, Samuel, Reuben, and Levi Parish, with their
families, came in; and in April following, Nathan and Wm.
Watkins, John Johnson, Jonathan Lee, and WTilliam Clark,
with their families, 30 persons in all. The first birth was that
of Phineas P. Lee; and the first marriage, that of Benj. Clark
and Thankful Watkins, in 1795. The first sawmill was erected
in 1792, by Benj. Clark and Jabez Metcalf. Susannah Parish
taught the first school, in 1792. Myron H. Clark, late Governor
of the State, was born in this town, Oct. 23, 1806.
0 There are 5 churches in town; Bap., M. E., Presb., Wes.
Meth., and Christian.
10 Named from Oliver Phelps, one of the original proprietors of
the town. |
Total....................... 33.42
1
Among tho first settlers were Daniel Gates, Daniel Warner,
■ Sweet, Ezra.Platt, Samuel Day, George and Israel Chapin,
jr., Frederick Follett, Benj. Wells, and Thomas Sawyer, mostly
from Mass., and William Wyckoff, from Penn. The first child—
Benj. Wells, jr.—was horn Feb. 4,1791. Calvin Bacon taught
the first school, in 1792. The first tavern was kept by Ezra
Platt; and the first mill was built by Oliver Phelps and Israel
Chapin, in 1789.
2
3 M. E., Wes. Meth., and Presb.
3
Sulphate of lime....................................... 17.30 grs.
“ “ magnesia................................ 4.12 “
4
, “ “ soda....................................... 1.94 “
5
Carbonate of lime..................................... 2.42 “
“ “ magnesia.............................. 3.28 “
6
l Chloride of sodium.................................... 2.32 “
7
“ “ calcium.............................. 1.02 “
8
Organic matter......................................... trace.
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