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ALLEGANY COUNTY.
(Bap.) was held by Rev. John Griffith. The first church (Presb.) was formed in July, 1824, by
Rev. Silas Hubbard.1 a
CEARKSVIEEE—was formed from Cuba, May 11,1835. It lies upon the w. border of the
co., s. of the center. Its surface is a mountainous upland, divided into several steep ridges by
the narrow valleys of the streams. The highest summits are 700 to 1,000 ft. above the canal at
Cuba. Dodges Creek and its branches form the principal drainage. The soil is principally a
heavy clqy loam. Considerable pine lumber is still made in town. . Clarksville Corners,
(IVe-st Clarksville p. o.,) near the center, contains a church, sawmill, and 12 dwellings. The first
settlement was made a little s. of the center, in 1822, by John and Horatio Slayton, from War¬
saw, Wyoming co.2 The first religious meeting (M. E.) was held at the house of Nelson Hoyt,
in 1828, by Rev. Mr. Cole, from Friendship; and the first church (Bap.) was organized by Rev.
Holden E. Prosser, in 1842, and is still the only church in town.
CUBA—was formed from Friendship, • Feb. 4, 1822. Genesee was taken off in 1830, and
Clarksville in 1835. It lies upon the w. border of the co., s. of the center. Its surface is a broken
and mountainous upland, divided into irregular ridges by steep and narrow valleys. Oil Creek
and its branches form the principal drainage. The canal and r. r, both extend through the narrow
valleys of this town.3 The highest summits are 600 to 800 ft. above the level of the canal. The
soil is a clayey and gravelly loam.4 Cuba, (p. v.,) on Oil Creek, incorp. Nov. 11,1850, contains 5
churches, a newspaper office, and several mills and manufactories. Pop. 816. North Cuba, (Sey¬
mour p. o.,) in the n. part, contains 20 houses. Cuba Summit is a r. r. station.- Settlement was
commenced in 1817, by Salmon Abbott, — Freer, and — Hall, from Conn.5 The first religious meet¬
ing was held by Rev. Robt. Hubbard, in 1818; and the first church (Bap.) was formed in 1824.®
FRIENDSHIP—was formed from Caneadea, March 24, 1815. Cuba was taken off in
1822, Bolivar in 1825, and a part of Wirt in 1838. It is an interior town, lying a little s. w.
of the center of the co. Its surface is broken by high, mountainous ridges, the summits of which
are 600 to 800 feet above the valleys. It is drained by Van Campens Creek and its branches^
The soil is a clay and gravelly loam. Friendship, (p. v.,) near the center, contains 4 churches,
the Friendship Academy, 2 flouring mills, 25 sawmills, and about 800 inhabitants; Nile, (p.v.,)
in the s. part of the town, contains a church, 3 mills, and 40 dwellings. The first settlement was
made in Nov. 1806, by Richard Frair, from Kingston, Ulster co.7 The first religious service was
held in a barn, by Samuel Vary, in July, 1810; and the first church (Presb.) was formed by
Rev. Robert Hubbard, in the spring of 1813.8
GENESEE—was formed from Cuba, April 16, 1830. It is the s. w. corner town in the co.
Its surface is very broken and mountainous; and the highest summits are 1,000 to 1,400 feet above
the valleys.9 The streams are Little Genesee, Dodges, Deer, Windfall, and Oswaya Creeks,—all
flowing through narrow, mountainous ravines. The soil is a sandy and clayey loam. A con¬
siderable portion of the surface is still covered with pine, and lumbering is extensively carried on.
Eittle Genesee, (p. v.,) in the s. e. part of the town, contains a church, sawmill, and 30
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and Strong Warner, Perkins B. Woodward, from Ashford, Conn.,
settled a little n. of the center, Sargent Morrell, from Vt., in the
s. part of the town, in 1810, and Benj. Blanchard, from Vt., on
Lot 25, in 1811. The first birth and the first death in town were
those of a child of Calvin P. Perry, in June. 1809; and the first mar¬
riage, that of Wm. Poy and Ruth Morrill, in 1811. Perkins B.
Woodward taught the first school, in the winter of 1813-14; Benj.
anjd Mark Blanchard and Eber Hotchkiss erected the first saw¬
mill, on Six Mile Creek, in 1813, and Russell Higgins and Pack¬
ard Bruce the first gristmill, in 1817, on the same stream. -
Thatcher kept the first inn, at the center, in 1810, and Sparrow
Smith the first store, at the same place, in 1820.
1 The census ■ reports 4 churches in town; 2 Presb., Cong.,
and M. E.
2 James McDongal, from Steuben co., settled a little E. of the
center, and Jabez Survey near the same place, in 1827. The
first child born was Jos. P. Slayton, in 1826 ; the first marriage,
that of Van Rensselaer Delivan and Harriet Palmer, in 1827;
and the first death, that of Mrs. Sally Olds, in 1831. The first
school was taught by Maria McDougal, e. of the center, in 1827.
Daniel S. Carpenter kept the first inn, near the center, in 1828;
and Samuel King erected the first sawmill, on Dodge Creek, in
1832. ’
8 The reservoir-costing 1150,000, built by the erection of a
dam across Oil Creek—is 60 feet high. It raises a pond that
covers an area of 500 acres, and finds an outlet near its head, so
that no water runs over the dam. Its capacity when full is esti¬
mated to be equal to 200 mi. of canal. |
4 The celebrated Oil Spring, in the w. part of this town, is
situated upon the Indian Oil Spring Reservation. It is a dirty
pool, 20 ft. in diameter, and has no outlet. The water is mixed
with bitumen, which collects upon the surface. There are
several quarries of good building stone in town.
8 John Bennett, Andrew Hawley, and Stephen Cole came about
the same time. The first death was that of Andrew Hull. The
first school was taught by David Row, in 1822., Stephen Cole
kept the first inn, near the center, in 1814, and King & Graves
the first store, in 1821 or ’22. The first sawmill was built by
Wm. Dovner, on Oil Creek, in 1815; and the first gristmill, by
Cady & Baldwin, on the same stream, in 1822.
6 The census reports 5 churches; Bap., Presb., Plot. E., M. E.,
and R. C.
1 John Harrison and Simon and Zebulon Gates settled in June,
1807. The first birth was that of Sherman Haskins, in a sugar'
camp, in March, 1808; the first marriage, that of Jas. Sanford
and Sally Harrison, in Dec. 1809; and the first death, that of
Hattie Frair, in Dec. 1806. The first school was taught by Pela-
tiah Morgan, in the winter of 1810-11. Simon Gates Opened the
first inn, in May, 1808, and Stephen Smith the first store, in tl.ie
spring of 1818. Sylvanus Meriman and Aaron Axtell built the
first gristmill, in 1810; and Ebenezer Steenrod the first sawmill,
in 1815, and a mill for wool carding and cloth dressing, in 1816.
8 The census reports 5 churches; Bap., Seventh Day Bap.,
Cong., M. E., and Univ.
9 Upon a high summit near the center is a locality known
as “ Rock City.” It consists of a tract of 40 acres covered with
conglomerate, composed of milkwhite pebbles broken into
regular layers, forming alleys and streets. |
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