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GENESEE COUNTY. 325
newspaper offices, 5 churches, an arsenal,1 and a number of manufacturing establishments.2 Pop.
2868. Bushville is a hamlet. In 1800, Joseph Ellicott fixed upon the site of Batavia Village
as the most eligible place for the location of the office of the Holland Land Co., and in the spring of
1802 the office was removed to this place. The land office building is still standing. The old court¬
house and jail is now occupied as a public hall. In March, 1801, Abel Rowe came to the place
and erected the first building, and immediately opened it as an inn.3 The first church (Cong.)
was formed by Rev. Royal Phelps, in 1809. Rev. Ephraim Chapin was «the first preacher.*
Batavia was the focus of the great anti-masonic excitement which followed the abduction of William
Morgan in 1826.4
BERGEN—was formed from Batavia, June 8, 1812. Byron was taken off in 1820. Its
surface is gently undulating, and has a slight inclination toward the n. Black Creek flows e.
through the town a little n. of the center. The soil is a gravelly and clay loam. He fit'll Cor¬
ners, (Bergen p. o.,) on the E. border of the town, contains 3 churches and 30 dwellings.
Wardviile, formerly called “ Cork” on the Central R.R., } mi,n. of Bergen Corners, contains
443 inhabitants. Stone ClturcSi (p. o.) is a hamlet on the line of Le Roy. Bfortli Bergen
(p. o.) and West Bergen (p. o.) are hamlets. East Bergen is a p. o. The first settlement was
made at Bergen Village, by Samuel Lincoln, from Conn. about 1805.5 The first religious meeting
was held at South. Bergen, in Sept. 1807; Rev. Calvin Ingals (Presb.) was the first settled
minister.6
BETHANY—was formed from Batavia, June 8, 1812. It lies on the s. border of the co., e.
of the center. Its surface is hilly in the s. and rolling in the n. Black Creek flows n. through
near the center of the town, and Little Tonawanda Creek through the s. w. and n. w. corners. The
soil in the e. is a dark, gravelly loam, and in the w. a heavy, clay loam. Weak brine springs have
been found; but all attempts to procure salt water by boring have proved unsuccessful. Belli any
Center (Bethany p.o.) contains 2 churches and 35 dwellings, East Bethany (p.v.) a church
and about 20 dwellings, and Elnden, (p.v.,) a station on the B. & N. Y. City R. R., a flouring
and sawmill, a furnace, and 40 dwellings. West Bethany Mills is a p.o. Canada (for¬
merly “Bennetts Settlement") is a hamlet. The first settlement was made in the n.e. part of the
town in 1803, by John Torrey, from Cayuga co.7 The census reports 5 churches in town.8
BfROI—named from Lord Byron—was formed from Bergen, April 4, 1820. It lies on the
N. border of the co., e. of the center. Its surface is gently undulating, with a slight inclination to
the n. Black Creek flows n. to near the center of the town, receiving the waters of Bigelow and
Spring Creeks, then turns n. e. and flows into Bergen. The soil is a fine quality of gravelly and
sandy loam. A sulphur spring, from which issues carburetted hydrogen gas, is found on Black
Creek a little n. of Byron. An acid spring, known as the “ Sour Spring," is found in the s. w.
part of the town.10 Byron, (p.v.,) located near the center of the town, contains 2 churches and
about 150 inhabitants. South Byron11 (p. v.) is a station on the Central R. R. Pop. about 200.
Pumpkin Hill12 is a hamlet. Benham Preston, from Batavia, w as the first settler, on lot 197,
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1808. The first child bom was Luther Crosby, in 1806; the first
inn -was kept at Bergen Corners by Samuel Butler, in 1810; the
first store by Levi Ward, in 1808. Jared Merrill erected the first
sawmill, in the n. w. part of the town, in 1811; and Titus Wilcox
(from Conn.) taught the first school, in the winter of 1807-08, at
Bergen Corners.
I The census reports 5 churches; 2 Cong., and 1 each Presb.,
M. E., and R. C.
8 In the same year Capt. Geo. Lathrop, from Conn., settled on
lot 40, in the n. part of the town, and Orsemus Kellogg, from
Sheffield, Mass., in the e. part. Lyman D. Prindle, from Hoosick,
settled at East Bethany in 1805 ; Joseph Adgate, from Ulster
co., and Mather Peck, from Lyme, Conn., near East Bethany in
1806. The first birth was that of a child of Orsemus Kellogg, in
1803; and the first death, that of Solomon Lathrop, in 1806.
Matilda Wedge, from New England, taught the first school, in
1808. Sylvester Lincoln kept the first inn; Elisha Hurlburt,
from Vt., the first store, in 1808; and Judge Wilson built the
first gristmill, in 1811.
: 9 2 Presb., and 1 each M. E., Bap., and F. W. Bap.
10 The acid spring issues from a hillock about 230 feet long and
100 broad, elevated 4 or 5 feet above the plain. The strength
of the acid is increased by drouth, and in some places it is quite
concentrated and nearly dry in its combination with the charred
vegetable coat which everywhere covers the hillock to a depth
of from 5 to 40 inches.—Beck’s Mineralogy IV. 17, p. 149.
II Locally known as “ BrusselviUe.”
12 Named from the fact that an early tavern sign at that place
was painted yellow and resembled a pumpkin. |
1
This arsenal was erected by the State, at Batavia, under an
act of 1808 for the protection of the northern and western fron¬
tiers. It continues in use as a depository of arms and military
equipage.
2
This village is one of the most important R. R. stations in
Western N.Y. From it three branches of the N. Y. Central R. R.
extend w. and s. w.,—one to Niagara Falls, one to Buffalo, and
one to Attica; and two toward theE.,—one to Rochester and one
to Canandaigua. The Buffalo, N. Y. & Erie R. Road also passes
through the place.
3
The village was named by Mr. Ellicott in 1802, the locality
having previously been known as “ The Bend.” The first road
was opened through the village in Feb. 1802. Among the early
settlers were Stephen Russell, Isaac Sutherland, Gen.Worthy L.
Churchill, Col. Wm. Rumsey, John Thomson, John Lamberton,
David E. Evans, James Brisbane, James W. Stevens, Richard
Abbey, Jedediah Crosby, Gideon Elliott, Cotton Leach, Samuel
F. Geer, Benajah Worden, and Munger. The first marriage
was that of Wm. Lestonand Lavinia How; and the first death,
4
* The census reports 6 churches; 2 Presb., Prot. E., Bap., M.
E.. and R. C.
5
See page 323.
6
6 Among the early settlers were Jedediah Crosby, David Pot¬
7
ter,'Wm. White, Jas. Landen, and David Franklin, (from Conn.,)
8
who came in 1805-06; and Simon Pierson, (also from Conn.,) in
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