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CATTARAUGUS COUNTY.
The first religious meeting was held at the house of Abner Wise, in 1820, by Elder Hadley; and
the first church (Ref. Meth.) was formed by Rev. Ezra Amadon, in 1822.1
EITTEE VAEEEY—was formed from “Perry,” now Perrysburgh, April 10,1818. Conne¬
wango and Napoli were taken off in 1823, Mansfield and New Albion in 1830, and Bucktooth in
1854. It is an interior town, lying a little S; w. of the center of the co. The surface is mostly a
hilly upland, divided into two principal ridges by the deep valley of Little Yalley Creek. The
highest summits are 500 to 600 feet above the creek. Upon Lot 77, in the s.e. part of the town, is
a peculiar rock formation, known as “Rock City.”2 The soil is a hard, clay loam upon the hills,
and a gravelly loam in the valleys.3 JLittle Yalley, (p.v.,) in the n.w. corner, contains a
church and 36 dwellings. It is an important station upon the N. Y. & Erie R. R. Eittle
Valley Creek, near the center, contains a church and 11 dwellings. The first settlements
were made in the valley, in 1807, by John Green, Judge Benj. Chamberlin, and several other
families, who left during the War of 1812.4 The first church (F. W. Bap.) was formed by Elder
Richard M. Cary, Oct. 8, 1826.5
EYNHOV—was formed from Eranklinville, Jan. 24, 1829'. Its name was changed to “Elgin”
April 7, 1857, and back to Lyndon April 16, 1858. It lieg on the e. border of the co., n. of the
center. Its surface is hilly, the highest ridges, near the center, being about 500 feet above the
R. e. at Olean. It is drained by Oil Creek and branches- of Ischua Creek. The soil is chiefly
clay covered with a light vegetable mold upon the hills, and a' gravelly loam in the valleys.
Elgin, (p. o.,) near the center, and Rawson, (p.o.,) in the e. part, are hamlets. The first-
settlement was made by Solomon and Wm. Rawson, who located upon Lots 6 and 7 in 1808.®
The first religious services (F..W. Bap.) were conducted by Seth Markh'am, at his own house, in
1810. The first church (F. W. Bap.) was organized in the e. part of the town, in 1816, by Elders
Jeremiah and Abraham Folsom.7
MACISIAS—was formed from Yorkshire, April 16, 1827. A part of Yorkshire was.annexed
in 1847. It is an interior town, lying n. e. of the center of the*co. The surface forms a portion
of the elevated table land dividing the waters of Allegany River from those of Cattaraugus Creek.
Lime Lake, in the n. e. part, 1,100 feet above Lake Erie, discharges its waters n. into Cattaraugus
Creek. Ischua Creek flows s. into the Allegany. The soil is a clay and gravelly loam, mostly
of good quality., Maple sugar is largely produced. Macliias, (p. v.,) in the n. e. part, con¬
tains 2 churches, a gristmill, sawmill, and 30 dwellings. Lime -JLalie is a hamlet at the head
of the lake of the same name. Timothy Butler and Jeremiah Ballard, from Me., located on Lots 13
and 14, on the creek, below the village, in 1813.8 The first religious services were performed by
Rev. John Spencer, a missionary from Conn.; and the first church (M. E.) was organized in 1822.9
MAYSESEE1®—was formed from Little Yalley, Feb. 23,1830. It is an interior town, a little
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1820; the first marriage, that of Abner W. Wise and Laura
Davison, in 1823; aud the first death, that of Laura, daughter
of Capt. John Fairbanks, in 1821. Richard Outhout. taught the
first school, in the winter of 1822-23. Asa Franklin kept the
first inn, in 1823, and Johnson Noyes the first store, in 1828.
Ebenezer Collar erected the first sawmill, in 1824, on Mud Creek;
and Jabez Thompson, the first gristmill, on the same stream, in
1832.
1 There are now 3 churches in town; Bap., M. E:, and United
Brethren.
2 Rock City is situated upon the nearly level summit of a hill
400 feet above the valley and 2,000 feet above tide, and covers
an area of about 100 acres. The rock, consisting of Catskill con¬
glomerate, is arranged in regular blocks, with sharp angles and
perpendicular sides, presenting the appearance of courtyards or
squares in the midst of numerous streets and alleys. In a more
minute description of the place, Prof. Hall, in his “ Geology of
Hew York,” says, “The large trees which stand upon the top
of tlie immense blocks have often sent their roots down the sides,
where they are sustained by the deep soil, supporting the huge
growth above upon an almost barren rock. The rectangular
blocks, composed of pure white pebbles conglutinated, are from
30 to 35 feet in thickness, and, standing regularly arranged
along the line of outcrop, present an imposing appearance.”
3 A successful experiment in domesticating the American elk
has been made in this town by Mr. Lorenzo Stratton. This
gentleman purchased a pair in 1853, and subsequently 3 more,
from the head branches of the Missouri, and placed them in a
pasture of 125 acres of well fenced woodland. By frequent at¬
tention and feeding, the animals have become so domesticated
that they are dri-ven to the annual co. fairs without trouble.
His original number of 5 have increased to 15, including a pair
of 5 year olds sold for $1,000 for shipment to England, in 1857,
*nd a 3 year old buck slaughtered July 4, 1858. |
4 Among the first settlers before the war were Luther Stewart,
Wm. Gillmore, David Powers, and Alpheus Bascom. After the
war, Stephen Crosby, from Madison co., located on Lot 30, in
Feb. 1816; and Noah Culver, Enoch, David, and Alvin Chase,
and John Stratton, from New England, soon after. David
Powers built the first saw and grist mill, in 1809, on Little
Valley.Creek.
5 The census reports 3 churches; F. W. Bap., Cong., and Prot.
Meth.
6 Among the other early settlers were J. Simons, David, Se-th,
and Jephtha Markham, from Penn., who settled on Lot 7 in 1609.
The Markhams were originally from Conn. The first child horn
was Nattella, daughter of Solomon Rawson, in Aug. 1809; the
first marriage, that of Wm. Markham and Rachel Phillips, March
1,1815; and the first death, that of James Markham, tho father
of the 3 Markhams among the first settlers, in 1811. Sally
Osborne taught the first school, in the summer of 1815, in the a.
part of the town. The first inn was kept by Wm. Rawson, in
the e. part, in 1825, and the first store by Charles Gillmore’, at
tho center, in 1827. The first sawmill was built by Jason Sher¬
man. in 1843.
7 The census reports .4 churches; F. W. Bap., Wes. Meth.,
Asso. Presb., and Asso. Ref. Presb.
8 Joseph Kinney settled in 1815; Obadiah Vaughn in 1818; E.
T. Ashcraft, Chas. Button, Chas. H. Briggs, and Wiggen M. Far-
rer soon after. The first marriage was.that of Brigham Brown
and Polly Mason, in April, 1823; and the first death, that of
Esther Ashcraft, in Dec. 1819. Nathl. Bowen taught the first
school, in 1819, on Lot 25. Andrew McBuzzell erected the first
sawmill, in 1822, and Danl. Potter the first gristmill, in 1823,—
both on the outlet of Lime Lake. The first store was kept at
the same place, by Howard Peek and Alva Jefferson; and the
first inn, on Ischua Creek, hv Widow Freeman, in 1820.
2 The census reports 2 churches; M. E. and Christian. |
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