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STEUBEN COUNTY.
1813.1 The first religious association (M. E.) was formed in 1814; Rev. Parker Buell was the
first preacher.2
TROUPSBURGH3 —was formed from “ Middletown” (now Addison) and Canisteo, Feb. 12,
1808. Parts of Greenwood and Jasper were taken off in 1827, and, a part of Woodhull in 1828.
A part of Canisteo was annexed April 4, 1818. It lies on the s. border of the co., w. of the center.
Its surface is principally a hilly upland, broken by the deep valleys of small streams. The highest
summits are 2,500 feet above tide and are tbe highest points in the co. Troups Creek, flowing s.,
is the principal stream. The soil is a slaty and clayey loam. Troispsburgli Center, (Troups-
burgh p.o.,) on Troups Creek, near the center of the town, contains an academy4 and 20 dwellings;
South Troupslmrgii (p.v.) contains 16 dwellings. East Troupstmrgh, (p.o.,) West
Troupsburgli, (p.o.,) and Young' Hickory (p.o.) are hamlets. The pioneer settler was
Samuel B. Rice, from Conn., who located e. of the center of the town in 1805.5 The first religious
association (M.E.) was formed at the house of Samuel Cady, by Rev. Parker Buell, first preacher.
The census reports 5 churches.6
URBANA—was formed from Bath, April 17, 1822. A part was annexed to Bath in 1839; a
part of Wheeler was annexed May 3, 1839, and a part of Pulteney April 12, 1848. It lies at the
head of Crooked Lake, n.e. of the center of the co. Its surface is divided by Pleasant Yalley (a
continuation of Crooked Lake Yalley) into two series of highlands, rising 800 to 1,000 feet ahove
the lake. Cold Spring Creek takes its rise in this valley and flows n. e. to- the lake. The soil in
the valleys is alluvial, and on the hilltops a heavy, gravelly loam. From their sheltered situation,
the slopes of the hills descending to the s. and e. are finely adapted to the culture of the grape.6
The town is noted for the production of a superior quality of fine wool. Hnmmondsport,
(Urbana p.o.,) at the head of Crooked Lake, was incorp. June 16, 1856. It contains 2 churches
and several manufacturing establishments. A daily line of steamboats plies between this place
and Penn Yan. Pop. 560. North Urbana, (p.v.,) in the n.e. part of the town, contains 2
churches and 20 houses. Cold Spring is a hamlet; and Mount Washington, in the
s.e., is a p.o. William Aulls and his son Ephraim, from Penn., settled at Pleasant Valley in
1793.8 Elder Ephraim Sanford (Bap.) preached the first sermon, at the house of Mr. Baker, in 1795.7
"• WAYLAID8—was formed from Cohocton and Dansville, April 12,1848. A part of Fremont
was taken off in 1854. It is the most western town upon the N. border of the co. Its surface is an
upland, rolling in the n. and moderately hilly in the s. It forms a portion of the watershed be¬
tween Susquehanna River and Lake Ontario; and its highest summits are 1,600 to 1,800 feet ahove
tide. The streams are small creeks and brooks. Loon and Mud Lakes are situated in a valley in
the s. part of the town, and their waters flow in opposite directions. The outlet of the former is
subterranean for half a mi.; and where it comes to the surface it is in sufficient volume to form a
valuable mill stream. The soil in the n. is gravel and muck, and in the s. a shaly loam. Way-
land, (Wayland Depot p.o.,) in the n.e. part of the town, contains 40 dwellings. It is a station
on the B., N. Y. & E. R. R. Perkinjsville, 2 mi. s.w. of Wayland, contains 2 churches and
30 dwellings. Patchins Mills is a hamlet. Leon Eake is a p. o. The first settlement
was made in 1806-07, hy Thos. Bowles and John H. Miller.11 The census reports 3 churches.12
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8 Samuel Baker, Eli Read, and William Barney settled in
Pleasant Valley in 1794; and Capt. Amos Stone, Capt. John
Shether, James Shether, and Richard Daniels in 1795. These
settlers were from New England, most of them from Conn.
They had served through the Revolutionary War, some of them
with distinction as officers; and. all were inured to the privations
and dangers incident to pioneer settlement. The first child bom
Was Sami. Baker, jr.; the first marriage, that of Jonathan Bar¬
ney and Polly Aulls, in 1794; and the first death, that of John
Phillips, in Sept. of the same year. Eliphalet Norris taught the
first school, in 1795, at. Pleasant Valley; Caleb Chapman kept
the first inn, at N. Urbana; Henry A. Townsend the first store,
at Cold Spring, in 1815. John Shether built the first sawmill,
in Pleasant Yalley, in 1795; and Gen. Geo., McClure, the first
gristmill, at Cold Spring, in 1802.
9 The census reports 6 churches; 2 Bap., and 1 each Presb.,
M. E., Prot. E., and R. C.
10 Named from Rev. Dr. Francis Wayland, of R. I.
11 Among the early settlers were Adam Zimmerman, David
Brown, - Kaizier, Stephen Hicks, Thos. Begole, Solomon,
James, and Elisha Brownson, Isaac Willie, Walter and Dr. War¬
ren Patchin, Dennis Hess, Benj. Perkins, and Samuel Draper.
The first sawmill was built by Benj. Perkins; and the first
gristmill, by Dugald Cameron and Abijah Eowler, in 1816. Sami.
Taggart kept the first inn, in 1827; and James L. Monier, tho
first store, in 1830. The first school was taught hy Thos. Wil¬
bur, in 1811.
12 Evang. Luth., Union, and R. C. |
1
Amos Dickinson settled in 1814; and Joseph Fluent at
Bonny Hill in 1817. The first settlers at Aldrich settlement
were William Jack, Samuel Fisk, and Thomas Aldrich, in 1823.
The first child horn was Irena Smith, in 1813; the first mar¬
riage, that of Joseph Fluent and Fanny Dickinson, in 1818; and
the first death, that of Anderson Carpenter, killed hy the falling
of a tree, in 1817. The first school was taught.at Bonny Hill, by
Caroline Vinan, in 1818; the first store was kept by Harlow
Sears, at Merchantville.' No tavern was ever kept in tho town,
and no license was ever granted to sell liquor.
2
The census reports 4 churches; 2 M. E., Bap., and Christian.
3
Named from Robert Troup,' of N. Y., general agent of the
Pulteney estate.—Turner’s Phelps and Gorham Purchase, p. 279.
4
This institution has an average attendance of about 60 pupils.
5
Peter Young and Peter Dalson, from Addison, settled near
Mr. Rice, in 1806; Lieut. Reynolds and Jonathan Rogers settled
at the same place in 1809, Geo. Martin in 1810, and James Works
in 1811. The first child born was Polly Young; the first mar¬
riage, that of Zebulon Tubbs and Sarah Rice; and the first death,
that of Jeremiah Martin. Abner Thomas taught the first school,
a little b. of Troupsburgh Village; Lieut. Reynolds kept the first
inn, 4 mi. from the Center, and Ichabod C. Leach the first store,
6
In 1857, 30 acres were devoted to vineyards; and the success
7
doubled in 1858. There are about 2,000 acres in town with the
8
f). and is. inclination adapted to this purpose.
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