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ORLEANS COUNTY. -4 - 515
KEN35AEE1—was taken from Murray, April 7, 1837. It lies on the lake shore,2 in the E.
part of the co., and is crossed by Bald Eagle Creek near the center, and Sandy Creek in the s.
part. Its surface is level; and the soil, with the exception of a belt of clay across the s. part, is
a sandy loam. There are several small salt springs in the town. Kendall (p.v.) contains 4
churches and about 25 dwellings. West Kendall (p.o.) and Kendall Mills (p.o.) are
hamlets. The first settlement was made in 1812, by Samuel Bates, from Chittenden co., Vt.3
The first religious service, conducted by Elder Stephen Randall, was held in the spring of 1816.*
MURRAY—was formed from “Northampton ” (nowGates, Monroe co.,) April 8,1808. Sweden
was taken off in 1813, Clarkson in 1819, and Kendall in 1837. It lies on the e. border of the co.,
between Clarendon and Kendall, and is crossed by Sandy Creek, the two branches of which unite
at Murray, in the n. part of the town. This stream has worn a deep channel; at Holley it is
about 75 feet below the level of the land. The embankment over wbich the N. Y. C. R. R. crosses
the gulf is one of the largest on the line of that road. The surface is generally level, except in
the s. w. part, where it is rolling. The soil is mostly a sandy loam; in some parts, however, it is
clayey. Near Holley are two sulphur and several salt springs, at the latter of which salt was manu¬
factured previous to the opening of the canal. The Medina sandstone approaches near the sur¬
face ; and quarries have been opened in tbe neighborhood of Hulberton.4 Holley,5 (p.v.,) incorp.
Sept. 3, 1850, a station on the N. Y. C. R. R., is situated in the s. part of the town, on the Erie
Canal. It contains 2 churches, the Holley Academy, and several manufacturing establishments.6
Pop. 614. Hulberton (p.v.) contains 278 inhabitants; and Hindstmrgla (p.v.) 167.
Murray7 (p.o.) and Hrocbville are bamlets. Murray Repot is a r. r. station. The
first settlement was made by Epaphras Mattison, prior to 1809.8 The first church (Cong.) was
formed Jan. 5, 1819, by Rev. John P. Bliss.9
RIDGEWAY10—was formed from Batavia, (Genesee co.,) June 8, 1812. Gaines was taken
off in 1816, Shelby in 1818, and Yates and a part of Carlton in 1822. It lies on the w. border
of tbe co., between Shelby and Yates, and is crossed by Johnsons and Oak Orchard Creeks. Upon
the latter, at Medina, is a waterfall about 30 feet high; and at Jeddo and Oak Orchard, where
the streams cross the lake ridge, are low waterfalls. The surface is generally level, and the soil a
sandy loam. Some of the most important of the salt springs of this co. are in this town.11
Within and near the village of Medina are extensive quarries; and large quantities of building,
flagging, and paving stone are sent to Rochester, Buffalo, and other places on the canal.12 Me¬
dina, (p.v.,) incorp. March 30, 1832, lies on the Erie Canal, mostly within this town. It is an
important station on the N. Y. C. R. R., and is connected with Ridgeway on the n. and Shelby
Center on the s. by the Medina & Alabama Plank Road. It contains 5 churches, an academy,13 a
newspaper office, and several manufactories.15 Pop. in 1855, 2,104,—in Ridgeway 1,915, in Shelby
189. Knowlesville,16 (p.v.,) a station on the N. Y. C. R. R., situated in the e. part of the
town, on the Erie Canal, contains 3 churches and several manufactories.17 Pop. 490. Oak Or¬
chard18 (p.v.) has a pop. of 136; Jeddo (p.v.) of 124; and Ridgeway (p.v.) of 64.
North Ridgeway is a p. o. The first settlement was made by Ezra D. Barnes, from De Ruyter,
1815; and the first gristmill was built by Perry & Luce, in 1816.
Fanny Furguson taught the first school, in the summer of 1814.
10 There are 4 churches in town; Bap. and Presb. at Holley,
M. E. at Hulberton, and Bap. in w. part of town.
11 So named from the ridge way-or road formed by the lake
ridge running E. and w. through the town.
12 Salt works were erected at a spring n. of Medina by the Hol¬
land Land Co. as early as 1805, and thrown open for the use of
the settlers. Two roads opened hy the Co. at the same time—
one from the works s. to the “ Old Buffalo Road,” and the other
e. to the “ Oak Orchard Road”—were widely known as the “Salt
Works Roads.”
18 The principal quarries are owned by Isaac Hathaway and
John Ryan. The upper layers cleave off in smooth slabs from
2 to 5 inches thick. The succeeding layers are thicker,—some
of the lower onSs several feet. Besides what has been sent to
the larger places for building, flagging, and paving, large quanti¬
ties have been quarried for building bridge abutments and canal
walls.
44 The Medina Academy was incorp. in 1849, and is both an
academy and a common school, participating in both the litera¬
ture and common school funds. The average number of pupils
is 400.
16 5 flouring and grist mills, with an aggregate of 22 run of
stone, 2 oil mills, 2 iron founderies, 2 sash and blind factories, a
tannery, and a machine shop.
46 Named after Dea. Knowles, one of the earliest settlers
44 A steam sawmill, steam gristmill, tannery, and plaster mill.
48 At Oak Orchard is a distillery.
1
Named in honor of Amos Kendall, P. M. Gen.
2
Near the mouth of Bald Eagle Creek the lake makes rapid
encroachments upon the land, and whole fields have been swept
away.
3
8 Among the early settlers were Amos Randall, David Jones,
Benj. Morse, and Nathaniel Brown, who came in 1815. The
first birth was that of Bartlett Morse, in 1816; the first mar¬
riage, that of James Aiken and Esther A. Bates, March 2, 1817;
and the first death, that of a son of Geo. Balcom, in 1816. The
first store was kept hy Hiram Thompson, in 1823 ; the first inn,
by Lyman Spicer, in 1823; and the first sawmill was built by
Ammon Auger & Ebenezer Boyden, in 1819. The first school
was taught by Gerdon Balcom, In 1819.
4
St. Paul’s Church in Buffalo is built of material obtained at
one of these quarries.
5
Named in honor of Myron Holley, one of the first canal
commissioners.
6
4 A gristmill, a tannery, a furnace and plow factory, and a
cabinet ware manufactory.
7
Locally known as “ Sandy Creek.”
8
Among the early settlers were Daniel Wait, Joshua Rock-
9
wood, and Peleg Sisson. The first birth in town was that of
10
Betsey Mattison, in 1811; the first marriage, that of ZImri Per-
11
rigo and Lucetta Spafford, Jan. 17, 1815; and the first death,
12
that, of Mrs. Daniel Reed, in 1814. The first inn was kept hy
13
Epaphras Mattison, in 1809; the first store, by Isaac Leach, in
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