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CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.
KIAIVTOIVE—was formed from Carroll, Nov. 16, 1853. It lies upon the s. border of the co.,
e. of the center. The surface is undulating in the e., and hilly in the w. The highest summits
are about 100 ft. above Chautauqua Lake. Connewango Creek forms the greater part of the e.
boundary. Kiantone and Stillwater Creeks are the other principal streams. The soil is a clay
loam intermixed with gravel. Kiantone (p. v.) contains about 20 dwellings. The first settle¬
ment was made on Lot 1, in 1807, by Robt. Russel.1 The first religious meeting was held at the
house of Joseph Akins, in 1814, by Rev. Mr. Smith; and the first church (Cong.) was formed in
1815. There are 3 churches in town; Cong., M.E., and Univ.
MI1VA—was taken from Clymer, March 23, 1824. Sherman was taken off in 1832. It is
the central town upon the w. border of the co. Its surface is rolling and hilly. The principal
streams are French and several smaller creeks, flowing s. and w. Findleys Lake is a fine sheet
of water in the s. w. part. The soil is a clay and gravelly loam. Mina Corners, (Mina
p.o.,) a little e. of the center, contains 15 dwellings; and Findleys FaKe, (p. v.,) near the
outlet of the lake, 20 dwellings. Friends is a p.o. in the s. w. part. The first settlement
was made on Lot 52, in 1816, by Alex. Finley, from Penn., originally from Ireland.2 The first
religious services (Ref. Prot. D.) were held in the barn of Benj. Hazen, by Rev. Mr. Bradley,
in 1826. The first and only church (Ref. Prot. D.) was formed in 1853, and the church edifice
was erected in 1857.
POFAIVD—was formed from Ellicott, April 9, 1832. It lies on the e. border of the co., s.
of the center. Its surface is a hilly upland, divided into several distinct ridges,- The principal
streams are Connewango and Cassadaga Creeks, which form a junction near the s. line. The
soil is a clay and sandy loam. Considerable lumber is still manufactured. Falconer,3 (p.v.,)
on Connewango Creek, contains a church, gristmill, sawmill, and 23 dwellings. Poland Cen¬
ter is a p. o. The first settlement was made at Falconer, on the Connewango, in 1805, by Dr. Thos.
R. Kennedy, from Meadville, Pa.1 A church (Union)—the only one in town—is located at Falconer.
POMFRET—was formed from Chautauqua, March 11, 1808. Ellicott, Gerry, and Hanover
were taken off in 1812, a part of Sheridan in 1827, and parts of Arkwright in 1829 and J30.
Dunkirk was taken off Nov. 1859. A strip of comparatively level land extends along the n. border,
and the .remaining part is a rolling upland, the higher summits being 700 to 800 ft. above the n.
border. It is principally drained by Canadaway Creek and several smaller streams flowing into
the lake. Several small branches of Cassadaga Creek take their rise in the s. part. The soil is a
clay and gravelly loam. Quarries of excellent building stone are found along the n. portion.
DUNKIRK—was formed from Pomfret, Nov. 17, 1859, the division line being the n. line of
Lots 2, 9, 15, 21, 26, 31, 35, 38. DunKirli,5 (p.v.,) on Lake Erie, was incorp. May 15, 1837.
It is a commercial port, and the w. terminus of the N. Y. & Erie R. R. It has a fine harbor, and
commodious wharves and warehouses for the accommodation of the large amount of commerce that
centers here during the season of navigation.3 The r. r. company have also extensive ware¬
houses, work and repair shops, and accommodations for an immense freighting business. The
port is the most important one on the lake between Buffalo and Cleveland; and regular lines
of steam propellers run in connection with the r. r. The village contains 2 banks, 4 churches,
2 newspaper offices, a union school, several machine shops and furnaces, a flour mill, and a soap
factory. Pop. 5,500. Fred on ill, (p. y.,) upon Canadaway Creek,7 3 mi. s. of Dunkirk, was
incorp. May 2, 1829. It contains 4 churches, the Fredonia Academy, 2 banks, 2 weekly news¬
papers, 3 flouring mills, 1 furnace, and various other manufacturing establishments. The cele¬
brated “ Fredonia Garden Seeds” are raised and put up at this place:8 Pop. 2,490. Laona,
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Woodard were also early settlers. Dr. T. R. Kennedy erected the
first sawmill, in 1805, and the first gristmill, in 1806, on the Con¬
newango. The first lumber rafted down the Allegany was
made at Dr. Kennedy’s mill.
6 Formerly called “Chadwicks Bay,” from the first settler.
6 At this port were received, in 1857,242,957 bbls. flour, 38,532
bbls. whiskey, 20,153 bbls. beef, pork, and bacon, 93,448 bush,
wheat, 114,652 bush, corn, 2,152,800 lbs. wool, 1,208,400 lbs. butter,
9,236 head of cattle, 10,782 sheep, and 10,865 hogs. -
7 Upon the banks of the creek—just below the bridge, in the
village—is a spring of carburetted hydrogen gas, yielding about
10,000 cubic ft. of gas every 24 hours. This gas is collected in
a gasometer and distributed in pipes, affording sufficient light
for about one-half of the village. About one mi. e. of the village
the gas oozes from the shale rocks on the banks of the creek over
the Fpace of an acre. The amount of gas escaping here is sup¬
posed to be much greater than at the spring in the village, and
a company has been formed to collect it for use.
8 Over 600 acres of land are devoted to this business. |
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JameS Hall settled on Lot 28, in 1810. The first school was
taught hy Stephen Rogers, in 1814. Jas. Hall kept the first
store, on Lot 28, and Wm. Sears the first inn, on Lot'll. Robert
Russel built the first sawmill, on Kiantone Creek.
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8 Aaron Whitney, from Dunnville, Canada, settled on Lot 59,
Zina Reckford on Lot 28, and Roger Haskill on Lot 50, in 1821;
James Ottaway, from Kent co., England, on Lot 14, in*1823.
The first birth was that of a daughter of Nathaniel Throop, in
1823; the first marriage, that of Isaac Stedman and Nancy Wil¬
cox, in April, 1826; and the first death, that of the mother of
Nathaniel Throop. in 1825. The first school was taught by
Elisha More, near Finleys Mills, in 1826. Cullin Barnes kept
the first inn, oh Lot 20, in 1827, and Horace Brockway the first
store, in 1824, on Lot 52. Alex. Findley built the first mill, in
1824, on the outlet of Findley’s Lake.
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Miles, Jos. and Daniel Wheeler, Nicholas Dolloff, and Joshua
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