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ERIE COUNTY.
contains 2 churches, 2 sawmills, and 40 houses. Ellicott (p. o.) is a hamlet. The first settle
ment was made in 1803, by David Eddy, from Rutland, Yt.1 There are 3 churches in town ,
Friends, M. E., and Union.
EDEN—was formed from “Willink” (now Aurora,) March 20, 1812. Boston was taken off
in 1817, and Evfins in 1821. It is an interior town, lying s. w. of the center of the co. Its surface
is hilly and broken in the e. and level in the w. A ridge about 500 ft. above the lake extends
along the e. border. The principal streams are Eighteen Mile Creek and its branches. The soil
is a gravelly loam intermixed with clay. Edexkj (p.v.,) situated near the center of the town,
contains 3 churches, a sawmill, a stave and shingle mill, a tannery, and 63 houses; Eden Tal-
ley, (p.v.,) on Eighteen Mile Creek, contains a gristmill, a sawmill, and 20 houses. Claries»
burg'll (p. o.) and East Eden (p. o.) are hamlets. The first settlement was made in 1808, by
Benj., Joseph, and Samuel Tubbs.2 The first religious services were conducted by Rev. Wm. Hill,
in 1812. There are 8 churches in town.2
ELMA—was formed from Lancaster and Aurora, Dec. 4, 1857. It is an interior town, lying
n. e. of the center of the co. Its surface is gently rolling, the summits of the ridges being 50 to
100 ft. above the valleys. Big Buffalo and Cazenove Creeks flow through the town. The soil is a
clayey loam in the n. and a gravelly loam in the s. Spring' Brook, (p. v.,) on Cazenove
Creek, contains 2 churches and several manufactories.3 Pop. 300. Elina4 (p.v.) has several
manufacturing establishments6 and 34 houses; and Upper Ebenezer 27 houses. The first
settlement was made in 1827, by Taber Earlle.5 There are 2 churches in town; Presb. and R. C.
EVANS8—was formed from Eden, March 23,1821. A part of Hamburgh was annexed in 1826
and a part of Brandt was taken off in 1839. It lies upon the lake shore, in the s. part of the co
The land rises from the lake in a bluff 20 to 40 ft. high; and the highest part of the town, near the
e. border, is 160 ft. above the lake. The streams are Big and Little Sister Creeks. The soil is a sandy
and gravelly loam intermixed with clay. Evans, (p. v.,) situated on Big Sister Creek, contains 2
churches, a gristmill, a sawmill, a tannery, and about 45 houses; Angola, (p.v.,) on the same
stream, is Evans station on the E. R. R., and contains a gristmill, a sawmill, and about 45 houses;
Nortb Evans, (p. v.,) on Eighteen Mile Creek, in the n. e. part of the town, contains 3 churches,
a gristmill, a sawmill, a tannery, and about 40 houses; East Evans, (p.v.,) in the n. part of
the town, and Pontiac, (p. v.,) on Big Sister Creek, in the s. e. part, contain about 20 houses
each. The first settlement was made in 1804, by Joel Harvey.6 There are 7 churches in town.7
GRAND ISEAND—was formed from Tonawanda as a town, Oct. 19, 1852. It is the n.w.
corner town in the co., and comprises Grand, Buckhorn, and Beaver Islands, in Niagara River.
Its surface is nearly level, and a considerable portion of it is still covered with forests. The soil
of the upper part is clayey, and of the lower part sandy. The people are principally engaged in
grain raising and lumbering. Grand Island is a p. o. on the e. shore. There is no village
cm the island, although it is thickly settled along the shores. The first settlers were squatters,
who located soon after the War of 1812 and before it was decided to which Government the
island belonged.8 In 1820, Mordecai M. Noah, of New York, conceived the project of forming a
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first inn was kept by Taber Earlle, in 1829. Emily Paine taught
the first school, in 1831.
8 Named from David E. Evans, agent of tho Holland Land
Company.
9 Fisk and —Worder settled in the town in 1808, Aaron
Salisbury and Aaron Cash in 1809, and Andrew Tyler and Elijah
Gates in 1810. The first birth was that of -a daughter of David
Cash, in Jan. 1811; the first marriage, that of Whiting Cash aud
Persis Taylor, June 28,1815; and the first death, that of Jona¬
than Cash, in 1811. Henry Tuttle built the first mill, in 1817;
Joel Harvey kept the first inn, in 1806; and John Harris the
first store, in 1815. The first school was taught by Hib¬
bard, in 1811.
During the War of 1812 a party of British sailors and msriDerB
landed near Sturgeon Point, in the night, and commenced plun¬
dering the inhabitants. Judge Aaron Salisbury, then a young
man, seized his musket and started off alone to get a shot at
them. When he arrived they were retreating to their boats, and
an exchange of shots produced no damage on either side. They
started for the mouth of Eighteen Mile Creek, and he on foot
endeavored to get there before them; hut they had landed
when he arrived. He immediately commenced firing; and
they, not knowing how large a force was opposing them, re¬
treated to their boats and speedily left. Here one man fright¬
ened away 100 and saved the inhabitants from plunder.
i« 3 Bap., 3 Cong., 3 M. E., and B. C.
u The treaty of peace fixed the boundary between the two
countries along the principal branch of Niagara Biver. A dis
pute in regard to which was the principal branch was settled in |
1
Ezekiel Oook and Zenas Smith settled in the town in 1803,
and Amos Colvin and Ezekiel and Daniel Smith in 1804. The
first marriage was that of Almon C. Laire and Lydia Sprague,
in 1808; the first birth, that of a son of Daniel Smith, in 1805;
and the first death, that of the same child, in 1806. Dan’l Smith
built the first mill, in 1807; John Green kept the first inn, in
1807, and David Eddy the first store, in 1809. The first school
was taught by Anna Eddy, in 1807.
2
and Amasa Adams settled in the town in 1S3U, and Zima A.
3
2 sawmills, a shingle and turning mill, 2 gristmills, and a
tannery.
4
1 gristmill, 2 planing mills, and a chair factory.
5
Timothy Treat, Isaac Williams, Willard and Jas. Fairbanks,
6
Hemstreet, Abraham Taber, and Jacob Pettengill in 1831. The
first birth was that of H. Scott Fairbanks, in 1831; the first
7
marriage, that of Gould Hinman and Louisa Adams, in 1835;
8
and the first death, that of the wife of Isaac Williams, in 1830.
n>e first mill was built by Eastabrook, in 1824; and the
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