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WYOMING COUNTY. 711
according to law.1 The poorhouse is situated on a farm of 97 acres near the w. border of Orange¬
ville, 9 mi. w. of Warsaw. The average number of inmates is 73, supported at a cost of 75 cts. per
week each. The farm yields a revenue of about |300.2
The Buffalo, New York & Erie R. R. extends s. e. through Attica, Middlebury, Warsaw,
Gainesville, Castile, and Genesee Falls, crossing the Portage Falls and connecting with the N.
Y. & E. R. R. at Hornellsville. A r. r. route has been surveyed, and a road-bed graded, from
Attica s. w. to the Allegany River.3
There are 5 weekly newspapers published in the co.4
The eastern tier of towns in this co., with the exception of a portion of Castile, belonged to the
Ogden, Silver Lake, and Cotringer tracts of the Morris Reservation, and the remaining parts of
the co. to the Holland Land Purchase. The Gardeau Tract, containing 17,927 acres on both sides
of the Genesee, was reserved for Mary Jemison (the “old white woman”) by the Seneca Nation in
their treaty with Robert Morris in 1797.5 About one-half of this tract lies in the present town
of Castile. Upon this tract Mary Jemison and her descendants continued to reside until 1816,
when she sold all but 2 sq. mi. on the w. side of the river to Micah Brooks and Jellis Clute.
The remaining 2 mi. she sold in 1831 to Henry B. Gibson and Jellis Clute, and removed to the
Cattaraugus Reservation. The first white man that lived within the limits of the co. was a tory,
named Ebenezer Allen, who in consequence of his crimes fled from Penn, and joined the
Indians about 1780. He located upon the Genesee, and for a time lived upon the lands of Mary
Jemison. He aftei’ward built a saw and grist mill on the present site of Rochester, removed
thence to Oatka Creek,6 and thence to Canada.7 The first permanent white settlers were John
Tolies, Jacob Wright, Nathaniel Sprout, and Stephen Crow, in 1802. The settlements increased
rapidly, and in a few years most of the best lands of the co. were taken up. Most of the early
settlers were from New England; but the later immigrants have principally been Germans.
ATTICA—was formed from Sheldon, April 4,1811. Orangeville was taken off in 1816. It
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The Wyoming Republican was commenced at Warsaw by E. L.
Fuller in 1844; it was published until March, 1847.
The Attica Telegraph was commenced by Abraham Dinsmore in
Oct. 1846, and was published about 2 years.
The Old Eighth Whig was commenced at Attica, April 1,1848, by
R. W. Dibble and W. H. Civer. After about 6 mos. Mr.
Dibble retired, and Mr. Civer continued the paper, as
The Spirit of the Old Eighth, until 1850.
The Attica Atlas was commenced Jan. 1,1851, by Silas
Folsom, by whom it is still published.
The Christian Investigator was published at the office of the
Free Citizen for 1 year. Edited by Wm. Goeddell.
The Wyoming Co. Advertiser was commenced Dec. 22,1853, and
was published 1 year by Horace Wilcox.
The 'Wyoming Times was commenced at Perry by T.
S. Gillet in May, 1855. It was destroyed by fire in 1856,
and resuscitated soon after. It is still pub. by Mr. Gillet.
The Wyoming Co. Mirror was commenced at War¬
saw in 1848 by A. Holley. In 1856 it passed into the
hands of Babbitt & Lewis, in 1858 to Lewis & Merrill,
and in 1859 to II. A. Dudley, by whom it is still published.
The Arcade Enterprise was started March 31, 1859,
by J. H. Gibson, and is still published.
6 The parents of Mary Jemison emigrated from Ireland in
1743, and Mary was born during the voyage across the ocean.
The family settled upon the western frontiers of Penn., where
they remained in peace until the breaking out of the French
War in 1754. In 1755 a party of Indians visited the settlement
and took the family prisoners, and on their retreat murdered
all but Mary, then a girl of 12 or 13 years. She was carried
captive to an Indian settlement on the Ohio, and adopted by two
women who had lost a brother in the war. She grew to woman¬
hood among the Indians, adopted their habits and customs, was
twice married, and had 8 children,—3 sons and 5 daughters.
After the Revolution she had an opportunity to return to her
white friends; but she preferred to remain with her husband
and children. She was greatly beloved by the Indians, and
highly respected by the whites who became acquainted with
her. She retained her knowledge of the English language, and
to the last remembered the early instructions of her mother,
and the last counsel which that mother gave when they were
taken captive and the designs of the Indians to murder the
father and mother became manifest. She died at the Cattaraugus
Reservation, Sept. 19,1833, aged 90 or 91 years.
6 This creek is still locally known as Allens Creek.
7 Few characters mentioned in either history or fiction have
approached so near the idea of total depravity as this blood¬
thirsty monster. He was an open polygamist,—murdered several
persons while professing the greatest friendship for them,—and
while upon the war-trail with the Indians amused himself by
dashing out the brains of infants. |
1
The courthouse, jail, and clerk’s office were erected in 1842,
at a cost of $12,000.
2
The poorhouse contains 22 rooms, and the inmates are pro¬
vided with good, substantial food; but the house does not admit
of proper aecommodjjions for the paupers, or for classification of
the insane, of whiclWhere are always a number.
3
8 The Allegany Valley Railroad.
4
The Genesee Register, the first newspaper in the co., was
established at Warsaw in 1828 by L. & W. Walker, and
was continued 6 months.
The Warsaw Sentinel was commenced by Andrew W. Young in
May, 1830, and continued until Dec. 1831, when it was
merged in the Republican Advocate at Batavia.
The Attica Republican was commenced by David Scott in 1833-
34. It was soon after changed to
The Attica Republican and Genesee Advertiser. E. A. Cooley
became its publisher, and changed it to
The Attica Balance, and subsequently to
The Attica Democrat, and continued it until 1846.
The Genesee Recorder was commenced at Perry by Geo. M. Ship¬
per in 1834, and continued about 2 years.
The American Citizen was commenced at Warsaw in 1836 by J.
A. Hadley. After 1 year, it was removed to Perry and
published by Mitchell & Warren. Mr. Mitchell con¬
tinued the publication until Jan. 1841, when it was re¬
moved to Rochester.
The Pike Whig was commenced by ThoS. Carrier in 1838. Soon
after, its name was changed to
The Pike Gazette, and it was continued for about a year.
The Watchtower, a Bap. paper, was issued in 1839 from the oflBce
of The American Citizen. It was published 1 year by
Ansel Warren.
5
The Register, a campaign paper, was published at Perry in 1840
by Isaac N. Stoddard and John H. Bailey.
6
The Perry Democrat was commenced in 1841 by Pet. Lawrence.
In 1848 it passed to C. C. Britt, who continued it
until 1853.
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