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CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY. 213
GERRY1 —was formed from Pomfret, June 1, 1812. Ellington was taken off in 1824, and
Charlotte in 1829. It is an interior town, lying a little e. of the center of the co. The surface
is a hilly upland, the highest summits, in the n. e, corner, being 900 ft. above Lake Erie. It is
drained by Cassadaga Creek and its tributaries, Mill Creek, and several smaller streams. The
soil is a clay loam upon the uplands, and a sandy loam in the valleys. There are several sulphur
springs in town. Upon Lot 44, s. w. of the center of the town, a gas spring has been found; and
the owner, James II. Mix, uses the gas for lighting his house. Buckling Corners, (Vermont
p.o.,) in the s. part, contains 23 dwellings7 The first settlement was made in 1811, by John
Love, jr. and Stephen Jones, in the n. w. part.2 The first religious meeting was held in the spring
of 1818, by Elder Jonathan Wilson. The first religious association (M. E.) was formed in 1819,
and drew the lot appropriated by the Holland Land Company for religious purposes. They
erected a church a little w. from the center, the only one now in town.
'* )
HAIVOYER—was formed from Pomfret, June 1, 1812. Villenova was taken off in 1823, and
a part of Sheridan in 1827. It lies upon Lake Erie, in the n. e. corner of the co. A part of Catta¬
raugus Indian Reservation lies in the n. e. part of the town. The surface along the lake is level
or undulating, and in the center and s. it is hilly, with an inclination toward the n. Cattaraugus
Creek forms a portion of the n. boundary. Silver Creek flows in a n.w. direction through the
town into Lake Erie, receiving Walnut Creek at-its mouth,3 and several other tributaries. The soil
is clay and gravelly loam. Silver Creek, (p.v.,) upon the lake shore, at the mouth of Silver
Creek, was incorp. June 8, 1848; it contains 2 churches, a bank, a weekly newspaper office, 2
mills, 2 tanneries, and various other manufacturing establishments. Pop. 652. Lake vessels
were formerly built at this place,4—the first by Ira Fairchild, in 1816. Irving', (p.v.,) on Cat¬
taraugus Creek, near its entrance into the lake, contains 2 churches, a gristmill, and 3 sawmills.
Pop. 510. At the mouth of the creek is a harbor admitting of the entrance of vessels. Smith
Mills, (p.v.,) a little s. from the center, contains a flouring mill, a distillery, and 22 dwellings.
Forestville, (p.v.,) in the s. w. part, was incorp. April 4,1849. It contains 3 churches, 2 grist¬
mills, and 2 sawmills. Pop. 557. It is a station on the N. Y. & Erie R. R. Nashville, (p. v.r) in
the s. e. part, contains 2 churches and 26 dwellings, Hanover is a hamlet. Amos Sottle set¬
tled at the mouth of Cattaraugus Creek in 1797.5 The first religious meetings (Bap.) were held
by Rev. Joy Handy, in 1811; and the first church (M.E.) was organized in 1816, at Forestville.6
HARMONY—was taken from Cliautauqua, Feb. 14,1816. A part of Busti was taken off in
1823. It lies upon the s. border of the co., a little w. of the center. The surface is a moderately
hilly upland, the highest summits being about 900 ft. above Lake Erie. Chautauqua Lake forms
the N. E. boundary. It is drained by Goose Creek and several smaller-streams, flowing n. into the
lake, and by Little Broken Straw Creek, flowing s. to Penn. The soil is clay, yellow and gravelly
loam. Quarries of a fine quality of sandstone for building purposes are found in several localities.
Ashvllle, (Harmony p. o.,) on Goose Creek, near Chautauqua Lake, contains 3 churches, a grist¬
mill and sawmill. Pop. 247. Panama, (p. v.,) upon Little Broken Straw Creek, near the
center, contains 4 churches and 500 inhabitants. Rlockville (p. v.) contains 20 dwellings.
Stedman is a p. o. in the n. part of the town. The first settlement was made on Lot 43, in
1806, by Reuben Slayton, fromi Otsego, co.7 The first religious meeting (Bap.) was held in a
schoolhouse at Blockville, by Rev. Simon Powers.8
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Richard Smith and Sally Mack, in 1807; and the first deatn,
that of Wm. Sidney, in Jan. 1807. John Mack kept the first
inn, in 1807, at the mouth of Cattaraugus Creek, and Parker
Brownell the first store, in 1811. Abel Cleveland and David
Dickerson built the first sawmill, in 1804, and the first gristmill,
in 1806, at Silver Creek. In 1805 Mr. Dickerson erected a saw
mill at Silver Creek, to which he attached a mortar and pestle,
for the purpose of pounding corn for food. Moore erected
a gristmill at Forestville about the same period.
8 There are 8 churches in town; 4 M. E., 3 Bap., and Presb.
7 Daniel B. Carpenter, from Washington co., settled on Lot 64,
in 1806; Jonathan Cheney on Lot 52, in 1807; Theron Bly, from
Otsego co., on Lot 44, and Wm. Mattison on Lot 52, in 1811;
and Jas. Carpenter on Lot 56, in 1816. The first child born was
Thos. Slayton, in Nov. 1807; the first marriage, that of Reuben
Slayton and Clarissa Slayton, in 1808; and the first death, th^t
of Thomas Slayton, Nov. 26, 1807. Eben Pratt taught the first
school, in 1817; Jas. McCallen kept the first inn, in 1816, on Lot
43; and Tibbets & Kellogg the first store, on the same lot, in
1818. Reuben Slayton built the first sawmill, on Lot 43, in 1818.
8 The census reports 9.churches; 5 M. E, 3 Bap., and PreSb. |
1
Named from Elbridge Gerry, a signer of the Declaration of
Independence.
2
Jesse Dexter, David Cobb, and Hugh B. Patterson were
among the early settlers. The town settled slowly until after
the close of the war in 1815, when the settlements progressed
rapidly. The first death was that of Alva Eaton, who was killed
by the fall, of a tree in the spring of .1818. Jas. Bucklin kept
the first inn, in 1820, and Howard B. Blodget the first store, in
1826, at Bucklins Corners. John Hines and Wm. Newton erected
the first sawmill, on Cassadaga Creek, in the s. w; part, in 1819,
and the first gristmill, in 1822.
3
2 Named from a gigantic walnut tree that grew near its
mouth. This tree was 9 ft. in diameter and 27 ft. in circum¬
4
ference. It was cut into sections and sold as curiosities.
5
* The steamboat W. E. P. Taylor was built here in 1836.
6
Among the first settlers were Wm. Sidney and Capt. Rose-
7
crantz, in 1801; Sylvanus Maybee, Benj. Kinyon, and Amos Avery,
at the mouth of Cattaraugus Creek, Nathan Cass, from Boston, Je-
hiel More and Jonas Green, at Forestville, in 1805 ; Abel Cleve¬
land and David Dickerson, in 1802; John E. Howard, in 1806; and
8
Artemus R. Clothier, in 1809,—all at Silver Creek. The first child
born was Caroline Sidney, in 1804; the first marriage, that of
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