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WYOMING COUNTY.
$175,000, and is the largest wooden k. k. bridge in the world. The Genesee Yalley Canal also
crosses the river at this point by an aqueduct built upon stone abutments 40 ft. high; the struc¬
ture cost $70,000. The first settlements were made on the river, above Portageville, in 1804, by
John, Samuel, and Seth Fields.1 The first religious meeting was held by Rev. John Griffith,
(M. E.,) in 1809; and the first church (Bap.) was formed by Rev. Joseph Case, at “Bigelows Cor¬
ners,” in 1818.2
JAVA—was formed from China, April 20, 1832. It lies on the w. border of the co., s. of the
center. Its surface is an elevated region, broken by hills and the deep valleys of the streams.
The highest summits are 400 to 600 ft. above the valleys and 1,000 to 1,200 ft. above Lake
Erie. Buffalo Creek flows through the w. part, and receives a large number of tributaries. Catta¬
raugus Creek takes its rise in the e. part. Cattaraugus Lake is a small sheet of water in the s. e.
part, nearly surrounded by steep hills. It forms one of the sources of Cattaraugus Creek. The
soil upon the hills is a thin, dark loam underlaid by hardpan; in the valleys it is principally a
gravelly loam. About 1 mi. e. of Java Village is a quarry of fine building stone. Java, Vil¬
lage (p. v.) lies upon Buffalo Creek, in the sr. w. part of the town. Pop. about 200. JVortti
Java, (p. v.,) in the n. e. corner of the town, contains a church and about 100 inhabitants.
Java Center, (p. o.,) East Java, (p. o.,) in the s. e. part of the town, Curriers Corners,
(Java p. o.,) in the s. w., and Williams ville, near the e. border, are hamlets. The first set¬
tlement was made on Lot 32, in the n. w. part of the town, in 1810, by Wm. Richardson and
Timothy Kirby, from Lowell, Mass.3 The first church (R. C.) was formed in 1838.4
MIDDLE BURY—was formed from Warsaw, March 20,1812. It lies on the n. border of the
co., e. of the center. Its surface is a rolling upland, broken by the deep valleys of the streams.
Oatka Creek flows through the s. e. corner, and Little -Tonawanda Creek through the w. part. A
deep ravine extends e. and w. through near the center of the town, forming a natural pass
between the valleys of these two streams. The hills that border upon Oatka Creek are steep and
400 to 600 ft. high. The soil is a gravelly and clayey loam. Wyoming, (p.v.,) on Oatka
Creek, near the e. border of the town, contains the Middlebury Academy,5 3 churches, and 378 in¬
habitants. West Middlebury, (Dale p. o.,) a station on the B. & N. Y. City R. R., contains
20 dwellings. The first settlement was made by Jonas Sellick, (from Rutland co., Yt.,) in 1802,
near Wrights Corners.6 There are 5 churches in town.7
©HAJSTGEVIEEE—was formed from Attica, Feb. 14, 1816. Wethersfield was taken off in
1823. It is an interior town, lying n. w. of the center of the co. Its surface is a rolling upland,
broken by deep ravines. The streams are Tonawanda Creek and its branches, draining the w,,
and small branches of Oatka and East Coy Creeks, draining the e. parts of the town. The sum¬
mits of the highest hills are 400 to 700 ft. above the valleys. The soil is a gravelly and clayey
loam underlaid by hardpan. Orangeville Center (Orangeville p. o.) contains 15 houses;
Jolinsonsburgb, (p. v.,) on Tonawanda Creek, lies partly in Sheldon. Pop. about 100.
Halls Corners (East Orangeville p. o.) is a hamlet. The first settlement was made in
1805, by John Duncan, on Lot 13, and Elisha Doty, from Cayuga co., on Lot 12.® The first
church (Presb.) was organized by Rev. John Alexander, July 11,1812.8
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Corners; the first gristmill was built by Silas Newell, in 1813,
near Wyoming Village; the first sawmill, by A. Worden, in 1809,
at West Middlebury; Amzi Wright kept the first inn, at Wrights
Corners, in 1806. In May, 1817, Artemus Shattuck, a citizen
of this town, went into the woods, a distance from home, to
chop. While cutting off a log that had been partially split
open, his foot was caught in the crack, and he hung for a long
time suspended by his foot and partially supported by one hand.
Despairing of receiving aid, and entirely unable to extricate
himself, he finally unjointed his ankle with his pocket knife,
made a crutch of a crooked stick, and started for the house.
He was found about dark, and carried to the house, where his
leg was amputated by a surgeon. He recovered, became a Bap.
minister, and lived many years.
1 2 Bap., and 1 each F. W. Bap., Presb., and M. E.
8 Lemuel Chase and James Sayer settled about the same time,
and Seth and Adial Sherwood, Silas Merrifield, and Asahel
Ward in 1806; Truman Lewis and a number of other families
in 1807. The first child born was a son of Seth Sherwood, in
1807; the first marriage was that of Adial Sherwood and Miss
Wood, in 1809 ; and the first death, that of Mrs. James Sayer.
Corinna Lewis and Mary McKnight commenced the first schools,
May 1,1811; Isaac Moore kept the first inn, in 1811, at the
Center; and Silas Hubbard the first store, in 1814, at the same
place. Robert Hopkins erected the first sawmill, in 1810, and
Levi Johnson the first gristmill, in 1817.
® The census reports 4 churches; Presb., Bap., Eef. Prot. D,
and Friends. |
1
Nathan and Joseph Dixon, Joseph and Justice Bailey, and
Sebetiah Ward settled previous to 1807. The first death was
that of Sophia Smith, in 1817. The first school was taught by
Maria Bellinger, in 1809. The first inn was kept by Lewis
Wood, at Portageville, in 1824; and the first store, by Foot &
Martin, the same year. The first sawmill was erected in 1812,
and the first gristmill in 1820, on the river, by Mumford, Smith,
& McKay.
2
The census reports 5 churches; Bap., M. E., Presb., Univ.,
and R. C.
3
In 1812 and ’14, Chas. Bichardson and Daniel H. Worcester
settled at Java Village, and Charles Fox at Curriers Corners.
The first mill was erected by Daniel H. Worcester, at Java Vil¬
lage, in 1816; the first inn was kept by Chas. Fox, at Curriers
Corners, in 1818; and the first store, by Mr. Comstock, at Java
Village, in 1820.
4
* The census reports 4 churches; Cong., M. E., F. W. Bap., and
5
E. C.
6
This academy was founded mainly by the efforts and libe¬
rality of several of the first settlers of the village. Its main
building was erected by subscription, in 1817. It now has
some endowments, and is under the charge of the Baptist de¬
nomination. For many years it was considered the first insti¬
tution w. of the Genesee Eiver, and still maintains a high repu¬
tation.
7
« In 1803 a number of immigrants from Yt. settled in the
town, among whom were Reuben Chamberlain, Jabez Warren,
8
first store was kept by Edwin Putnam, in 1810, near Wrights
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