Gazetteer of New York, 1860 & 1861, page 386

OSSIAW—was formed from Angelica, (Allegany cO.,) March 11,1808. It was set off from Alle¬
gany co. in 1856. It is the center town on the s. border of the co. Its surface is broken and hilly,
the highest summits being 600 to 800 feet above the valleys. Sugar Creek flows s. e. through near
the center. The soil in the valleys is a gravelly loam, and on the hills a sandy loam, with some clay
in the e.part. In the n.w.part is a small gas spring. Ossian Center (Ossian p.o.) contains
2 churches and about 18 houses; and West View (p.v.) a sawmill and about 12 houses. Tho^
first settlement was made at the center, by Judge Richard W. Porter, and his brother, James Porter,
from N. J., in 1804.¹ The first church (Presb.) was formed Sept. 29, 1818.²

PORTAGE³—was formed from Nunda, March 8, 1827. It is the s.w. corner town of the co.

I ts surface is hilly, the highest point, near Portageville, being about 200 feet higher than the r. k.
Genesee River forms the w. boundary of the town. Its banks are steep and rocky, 100 to 200 ft.
high and in many places perpendicular. Coshaqua Creek flows through the e. part. The soil in
the e. part is a clay loam, and in the w. a sandy loam. Oakland, (p. v.) in the n. e. part, con¬
tains 2 churches, a grist and saw mill, woolen factory, tannery, furnace, and 35 houses ; Hunts
Hollow (p. v.) 2 churches, a tannery, and 31 houses. Portage Station, on the B. & N. Y.

C. R. R., is on the line of Wyoming co. Settlement was commenced by Jacob Shaver, on Lot 150,
in 1810.⁴ The first church (Presb.) was formed at Hunts Hollow, about 1820.⁵

SPARTA—was formed in Jan. 1789. A part of Springwater was taken off in 1816, West Sparta
in 1846, and parts of North Dansville in 1846 and ’49. A part of Dansville (Steuben co.) was annexed
in 1822, and a part of Groveland in 1856. It lies s. e. of the center of the co. Its surface is hilly, the
highest summits being 800 to 1,000 ft. high. Canaseraga Creek flows on the w. border. The soil on
the hills is a gravelly loam, and in the valleys a sandy, clayey, and gravelly loam. Several small
sulphur and gas springs are found near Scottsburgh. Scottstourgli,⁶ (p.v.,) in the n. part, con¬
tains 2 churches, a steam saw and grist mill, a furnace, and 34 houses. Wortli Sparta, (p. o.,)
in the n.w. corner, Sparta, (p. o.,) in the w., and Reeds Corners, in the s. part, are hamlets.
Settlement was commenced near Scottsburgh, by Jesse Collar, from Penn., about 1794.⁷ The
census reports 6 churches.⁸

SPRUtfGWATER—was formed from Sparta and Naples, (Ontario co.,) April 17,1816. It is
the s.e. corner town of the co. Its surface is very hilly, the highest summits being 600 to 1,000
ft. above the valleys. The principal stream is the inlet of Hemlock Lake, which flows n. through
the town, w. of the center. Conhocton River rises in the s. e. part and flows s. into Steuben co.
The soil is a sandy and gravelly loam. Springwater, (p. v.,) a r. r. station, n. w. of the center,
contains 2 churches, a sash and blind factory, a sawmill, and 62 houses. East Springwater,
(p.o.,) in the n.e., is a hamlet. The first settlement was made by Seth Knowles, from Conn., on
Lot 18, about 1807.⁸ The first church (Bap.) was formed in 1816.⁹

WEST SPARTA—was formed from Sparta, Feb. 27, 1846. It is an interior town, s. of the
center. Its surface is hilly, the summits being 500 to 700 ft. above the valleys. In the n.e. is an
extensive marsh, known as the Canaseraga Swamp. Canaseraga Creek flows n. along the e. border.
The soil is a clay loam in the n. and a sandy loam in the s. About one-half mi. n. of Byersville,
in a small stream called Butter Brook, is a perpendicular fall of about 60 ft. Kysorville,
(p.v.,) in the n. part, on the Dansville branch of the G. V. Canal, contains 79 inhabitants;
Union Corners, (p.v.,) on the line of Mt. Morris, 2 churches and 17 houses; Byersville,

⁵ There are 4 churches in town; Presb., Meth. Prot., Prot. E.,
and Bap.

⁶ Named from Matthew and William Scott, early settlers at
this place.

⁷ Darling Havens settled at North Sparta; John Niblack, on
Lot 28; John Smith, Asa Simmons, Robert Wilson, and Thomas
Hovey, previous to 1798; and Peter Roberts, on Lot 27, in 1799.
Samuel and James Rodman were early settlers. Most of these
were from Penn. The first school was taught by Thos. Bohanan,
in 1800-01. The first inn was kept by Darling Havens,, at North
Sparta, about 1800; and the first gristmill was built by Wm! D.
McNair, in 1810. ⁸ 2 M. B., 2 Presb., Bap., and Evang. Ref.

⁹ Among the other early settlers were Eber Watkins, Joshua
Herrick, Peter Welch, Adam Miller, and Samuel Hines, in 1808;
Reuben and Phineas Gilbert, from Mass., in 1810; Hugh Wilson,
Henry Cole, Samuel Sparks, James Blake, Benj. Livermore, and
David Frazer. Jacob Cannon settled op the E.' hill in 1812. The
first death was that of Mrs. Benjamin Farnham, in 1813. James
Blake taught the first school, in 1813-14. Oliver Jennings kept
the first inn, about 1815. Hosea II. Grover kept the first store,
in 1815. The first sawmill was built by Samuel Hines, in 1809;
and the first gristmill, by Hugh Wilson, in 1813.

1° There are 4 churches in town; Presb., Bap., M. E., Christian.

Haynes, and James Croghan, about 1806, Jacob Clendenin, in
1807, Orrison Cleveland, Wm. and John Gould, and Heman
Orton, about 1810. Luther Bisbee was an early settler in the
N. w. corner of the town. The first child born was Abraham
Porter, in 1805; the first marriage was that of John Gelson and
Betsey Shay, in 1816; and the first death, that of John Turner,

sehool, in 1813 and ’14; Oliver Stacy kept the first inn, in 1817;
and Daniel Canfield the first store, in 1824. The first sawmill
was built by Nathaniel Porter, in 1808 or ’09; and the first grist¬
mill, by John Smith, in 1826.

Name derived from the portage or carrying place around
the falls of Genesee Itiver. For description of Portage Falls and
R. R. Bridge, see pp. 710.