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CATTARAUGUS COUNTY.
part of Perrysburgh in 1823, and a part of Ashford ih 1835. It lies on the n. line of the co., w.
of the center. . The surface is a hilly and broken upland. It is drained' w. by Cattaraugus Creek,
■which forms its n. boundary, and several tributaries, the principal of which is the South Branch,
forming the w. boundary. The soil is chiefly a hard, clay loam, with occasional spots of gravelly
loam.. Waverly, (Otto p. o.,) in the s. part, contains a church, woolen factory, and gristmill.
Pop. 277. The first settlement was made on Cattaraugus Creek, in 1816, by Joseph Adams and
his son Bina, and Joseph Bartlett.1 The first church (Christian) was formed about 1826.2
1®S-lBill YS BH7H.C*IIs—was formed from Olean and “Ischua,” now Franklinville, April 13,
1814, as “Perry.” Its name was changed April 10, 1818. Little Yalley was taken off in 1818,
Otto in 1823, and Dayton and Persia in 1835. Part of Otto was annexed in 1823. It is the n. w.
corner town in the co. Its surface is a hilly and broken upland. Cattaraugus Creek forms the
n. boundary. The streams are small branches of Cattaraugus and Silver Creeks. The soil is a clay
and gravelly loam, Perrysburgh; (p. v.,) s. of the center, contains a church and 23 dwellings.
It is a station on the N. Y. & E. R. R.- Versailles, (p. v.,) on Cattaraugus Creek, in the n.e.
part,- contains a church, 2 flouring mills, and a tannery. Pop. 274. The rapid descent in the
creek at this point affords an extensive water-power. The first settlement was made in 1815, by
John Clark.3 Religious meetings (M. E.) were held in 1820; but thet first church (Bap.) which
drew the lands granted by the Holland Land Co. was formed in 182l.4
PERSIA—was formed from Perrysburgh, Feb. 7, 1835. It lies on the n. line of the co., w. of
the center. The surface is a hilly upland, with a general inclination toward the n. The highest
points are about 650 feet above Lake Erie. The principal streams are Cattaraugus Creek, forming
the n. boundary, and South Branch. The soil is a clay and gravelly loam. Gowanda,5 (p.v.,)'
on Cattaraugus Creek, in the n. w. corner, was incorp. Dec. 7, 1847. It contains 2 churches, a
newspaper office, a large flouring mill, 2 sawmills, and various other manufacturing establishments.
Pop. 908, of which 520 are in Persia and 388 are in Collins, (Erieco.) The first settlement was
made a little above Gowanda Tillage, in 1811, by John Russell, from Yt. Upon the breaking out
of the War of 1812, he left with his family and never returned. In 1814, Ahaz Allen, from Yt.,
settled permanently on the lot left by Russell.6 The first religious meetings were held by Elder
Elnathan Finch, (F. W. Bap.,) in 1815-16. The first church (Presb.) was formed in 1826, at
Gowanda. » *
PORTVIRUE—was formed from Olean, April 27, 1837. It is the s. e. corner tovrn of the
co. The surface is mostly a hilly upland, the highest summits being 500 to 600 feet above the
valleys. The Allegany River enters the town upon the s. border, flows n. to near the center, and
thence n. w. to the w. border. It receives as tributaries Oswaya, Dodges, and Haskel Creeks.
The soil is a sandy loam; and the flats were originally covered with a magnificent growth of white
pine. Lumbering is the leading pursuit. Portville, (p.v.,) on the Allegany, contains 2
churches, 2 sawmills, and a gristmill. Pop. 287. Mill Grove, s. of Portville, on the Allegany,
contains 2 sawmills, a gristmill, and 18 dwellings. The first settlement was made in 1805, by
James Green, on Haskell Ci;eek, in the n; part of the town.9 The first church (M. E.) was formed
in 1824. The census reports 2 churches; M. E., and Presb. '
RAjVDOEPIS—was formed from Connewango, Feb. 1, 1826, and named from Randolph, Vt.
Apart of South Yalley was tak#n off in 1847. It lies upon the w. border of the co., s. of the
center. Its surface is an undulating and hilly upland, the highest summits being about 400 feet
above the valleys. Little Connewango Creek is the principal stream. The soil is mostly a clay
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7 Thomas Farnsworth located in 1814, and Merrill Aldrich
and Daniel Wheeler in 1815. The first child born was Anica
Farnsworth, in the summer of 1815. The first school was taught
by Polly Redfield, in 1817. Ahaz Allen erected the first sawmill,
in 1814; the first clothing works, in 1821; and first gristmill, in
1823, on Cattaraugus Creek. Phineas Spencer kept the first
store, about 1825, at Gowanda, “ Point Peter” is the name given
to a locality mi. above Gowanda that marks the site of an
ancient fortification.
8 There are 2 churches in town; Presb. and M. E.
9 The first child born was Hannah Green, daughter of Jas.
Green, April 28,1807; the first marriage was that of Jonathan
Dodge and Eunice Atherton, in 1809; and the first death, that
of David Heusten, killed by the spring of a tree'wliile getting
out spars, Tn the spring of 1807. Anna Carpenter taught the
first" school, near Portville Village, in the summer'of 1822. hu¬
man Rice kept the first inn, in 1822, and Allen Rice the first
store, in 1823. The first sawmill was erected by James Green
and AlpheUs Dodge, on Haskel Creek, in 3807; and the first
gristmill, by Samuel King, on Dodges Creek, iff 1830. |
1
Stephen, Isaac, and Benj. Ballard, from Vt., and Ephraim
Brown, settled in 1818, in different parts of the town. David S.
Elliott kept the first inn, and Vine Plumb the first store, in
1828, at Waverly. The first sawmill was erected by Isaac W.
Sherman, in 1822; and the first gristmill, by Stephen Rogers, in
1828, at Waverly..
2
There are now 3 churches in town; Christian, M. E., and Presb.
3
* Among the other early settlers were Edward Russell, Phineas
4
Spencer, Hugh Campbell, Ralph Griswold, Wm. Cooper, John
Sprague, and Simon Waterman, who came in about 1816; and
Elisha Ward, Stephen Crocker, and Freeman Edwards, who
located near "Perrysburgh Village in 1817. The first school was
taught by Olive Barto, in the summer of 1819. Benj. Waterman
kept the first inn, in 1816, and Cobb, Cook & Pelton the first
store, at the village, in 1827. The first sawmill was erected on
the branch of Siiver Creek, by Isaac Balcomb; and the first
gristmill, at Versailles, about 1820.
5
The census reports 4 churches; 3 M. E., and Bap.
6
• Formerfy called “ Lodi.”
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