SUMMARY OF THE FIRST AND OLDEST
MR. WIGGIN M. FARRAR
is the only survivor of the men
who were here prior to 1818.
HEMAN G. BUTTON,
CHESTER and
NATHAN ASHCRAFT,
can claim the earliest residence, having lived here since 1817. The first
framed house in town was erected by
WIGGIN M. FARRAR,
in 1821; when nearly finished, he sold it to
J. M. L. BROWN,
who completed it. It stood southeast of the corners in Machias village, on land
now owned by MRS.
ALLEN.
OBADIAH BROWN
built the first framed barn. It is now owned by
JARED A. BREWER.
ANDREW McBUZZELL
built the first saw-mill, on the outlet of Lime Lake, in 1820. The first
grist-mill, a small affair with but one run of stone and no bolting, was
established by
DANIEL POTTER
in 1823. When Lime Lake burst its boundaries in 1832, and went bowling down the
valley which confines the outlet, this mill was swept from its foundations, and
was replaced by the present mill.
G. W. FARRAR
owned the first buggy.
WARNER SANFORD
kept tavern at the Lake, 1830, and
IRA STEVENS
at Machias village, 1832.
HOWARD PECK
and ALVA JEFFERSON
opened the first store, in 1822, at the Lake.
JOSEPH KINNE, JR.,
was the first postmaster. His office was established at Machias village about
1827. ISAAC
CARPENTER
of Franklinville, carried the first mail, on horseback.
MISS AMRILLA
BROWN
taught the first school in the summer of 1820, in a house built by
JOHN MOREAN,
which was situated on the south part of lot 24.
NATHANIEL BOWEN
taught the winter following, and his school was the first which was entitled to
school funds.
The first school-house was built in 1827, in district No. 1, and was situated
about one mile north of the village. It was burned in 1830, and an insane man,
HENRY DAVIS,
who had been placed there for safe-keeping through the night, was burned with
it. The Free-Will Baptists formed the first religious society, 1818, and
REV. HERMAN JENKINS
was the first preacher.
DRS. BARBER, KNEELAND, and
ISSAC SHAW
were the first physicians to reside here.
NEHEMIAH LOVEWELL
was the first surveyor. The first marriage was that of
ELISHA BROWN
and the widow
MASON,
about 1820.
JEREMIAH BENNETT
and OLIVA BROWN
the second and
BRIGHAM BROWN,
son of ELISHA
and POLLY MASON,
daughter of the widow, the third marriage.
*The above information was obtained from the History of Cattaraugus County, New York by L. H. EVERTS, 1879.