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172 ALLEGANY COUNTY.
a clay loam underlaid by hardpan. Birdsall, (p. o.,) in the n. w. part, and Birdsall Cen¬
ter, (p.o.,) are hamlets. The first settlement was made by Josiah Whitman, on Lot 24, in 1816.
The first religious meeting was held at the house of Wm. Dey, in 1823,1 by Rev. Robert Hub¬
bard; and the first church (M. E.) was formed by Rev. Eleazur Hey, in 1825.2
BOLS7AR—was formed from Friendship, Feb. 15, 1825; and a part of Wirt was taken off in
1838. It lies upon the s. border of the co., w. of the center. Its surface is a broken, moun¬
tainous upland, in some parts too steep for profitable cultivation. The streams are Little Genesee,
Honeoye, and Horse Creeks. The soil upon the hills is a reddish clay loam, and in the valleys a
gravelly loam. Bolivar, (p. v.,) n, of the center, contains a church, flouring mill, and 157
inhabitants. Honeoye Corners (S. Bolivar p. o.) is a hamlet near the s. border. Timothy
Cowles, from Otsego co., settled in the w. part of the town in 1819.2 The first religious services
were held by Austin Cowles, (M. E.,) in 1820; and the first church (M. E.) was organized in 1828.4
BERMS—was formed from Ossian, (Livingston eo.,) March 17, 1826. It lies upon the e.
border of the co., N. of the center. Its surface is very hilly and broken, the highest summits
being 400 to 700 feet above the valleys. The principal streams are Canaseraga, South Yalley,
and Slader Creeks. Canaseragn,3 (p. v.,) in the n. part, contains 2 churches, the Canaseraga
Academy,4 several mills, and about 200 inhabitants. It is a station on the B. & N. Y. City R. R.
Barms, (p. v.,) on the e. line of the town, contains 1 church and 20 dwellings. It is also a r. r
station. Whitneys Crossing is a p. o. in the w. part. The first settlement was made at
Whitney Yalley, in 1805, by Moses and Jeremiah Gregory, John Gaddis, and Samuel Rodman.5
The first religious meeting (M. E.) was held at the house of Moses Gregory, by Robert Parker, in
1806; and the first church (Bap.) was formed at Whitney Yalley, by Rev. Jesse Braman, in 1817.6
. CAIEADEA—was formed from Angelica, March 11, 1808. Friendship was taken off in
1815, Rushford in 1816, “ Orrinsburgh” (now Belfast) in 1824, and a part of Belfast in 1831. It
is an interior town, lying n. w. of the center of the co. Its surface is divided into two ridges
by Genesee River, which flows in a northerly direction through the center. The soil upon
the highlands is a gravelly and clayey loam, and in the valleys a gravelly loam and alluvium.
Upon Caneadea Creek is a valuable stone quarry. Oramel, (p.v.,) upon the Genesee, in the
s. part, was incorp. June 9, 1856. It is an important canal village, and contains 2 churches,
several mills, and 733 inhabitants. Caneadea, (p-v.,) at the mouth of Caneadea Creek, con¬
tains 1 church, 3 mills, and about 400 inhabitants. Rouglfttoji Creek is a p. o. in the n.
part. The first settlement was made about the commencement of the century, by a Mr. Schoon¬
over, from Penn.9 The first religious meeting (J3ap.) was held by Elder Ephraim Sanford, in his
own house, at Oramel Village, in 1804.10
CEMTERV1ILUE—was formed from Pike, (Wyoming co.,) Jan. 15, 1819. It is the n. w.
corner town of the co. Its surface is a moderately hilly upland. Six Town Creek and its branches
form the principal drainage. The soil is a heavy clay loam. Centerville (p. v.) contains 2
churches and about 150 inhabitants. The first, settlements were' made by Jos. Maxson, of R. I.,
in April, 1.808, and by James Ward, in the fall of the same year.11 The first religious meeting
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Penn., at De Witts Valley,- and Sam’l Boylan, at Whitney Val¬
ley, in 1806. The first child horn was Lewis W. Carroll, Aug. 1,
1807; the first marriage, that of John Gregory and Betsey Doty;
and the first'deaths, those of Jeremiah Gregory; who was killed
by the fall of a tree, April 4, 1812, and his twin-brother, killed
in the same manner, Sept. 17 of the same year. The first school
was taught at Canaseraga, by Wm. Crooks, in 1810. S. De Witt
Brown kept the first inn, at “De Witts Yalley,” (now Burns Vil¬
lage,}in 1826, and Haac N. Town the first store, at Canaseraga,
in 1828. Daniel Schull erected the first gristmill, in 1810, and
David McCardy the first sawmill, in 1813.
8 There are 5 churches in town; Bap., F. W. Bap., Presb.,
Prot. E., and M. E.
9 Ephraim Sanford, jr., Zephaniah Huff, David Sanford, and
Nehemiah Sears settled in 1803, and Ezra Sanford and others
soon after. The first children horn were Moses V. Chamberlain
and Betsey Sanford, both in 1806. The first school was taught,
near the center, by Asa Harris, in 1811. The first inn was kept
by Widow Bradley, from Penn., at the center, in 1810; and the
first store, at the same place, by Hunt, in 1812. John Hoyt
erected the first sawmill, at the mouth of Caneadea Creek, in
1816, and David Hitchcock put the first carding machine in
operation, in 1810, on Caneadea Creek.
19 The census reports 2 churches; Cong, and M. E.
11 Calvin P. Perry, from Berkshire eo., Mass., settled near Mr.
Maxson in 1809. Abraham and David Jolatt, brothers, were the
next settlers in the order of time; and nextwere Zaccheus, Thos., |
1
James Mathews, from N. J., settled on Section 21, near the
center, in 1818. Previous to this, Vance, Wm. P. Schaanck,
from N. J., Jeremiah Van Wormer, and Wm. Dey, from Cayuga
co., had located in town. The first child born was James E.
Mathews, March 7, 1820; and the first marriage, that of Sam’l
Yan Wickle and Harriet Freeman, in 1821. Hannah Scott
taught the first school, in 1822. Josiah Whitman kept the first
inn, in 1820, and Joseph B. Welch the first store, in 1828. The
first sawmill was erected on Black Creek, by Elias Hull and David
Peterson, In 182.3.
2
8 Christopher Tyler settled in 1819, Austin and Asa Cowles in
1820, in the W. part of the town,—all from Otsego co. The first
birth was that of Almond W. Cowles, in 1820; the first mar¬
riage, that of Daniel Kellogg and Sophia Hitchcock, in 1825;
and the first death, that of a child of Luther Austin, in 182-3.
The first school was taught by Austin Cowles, in 1820-21. Hollis
B. Newton kept the first inn, in 1831, and Newton & Cowles the
first store, in 1825. The first sawmill was built by Asa and
Austin Cowles, near the village, on Genesee Creek, in 1822, and
the first gristmill by Asa Cowles, at the village, in 1824.
3
8 Formerly called “Whitney Valley.”
4
8 This institution was formed in 1856, and is in charge of the
Bap. denomination.
5
Wm. Carroll and Wm. Hopkins settled at South Valley, Elijah
6
and Daniel Abbott, Elias Yan Scoter, and Thos. Quick, all from
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