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VOLUME I. 



ROCHESTER, MARCH 5, 1831. 



NUMBER 9. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



FUR THE GENESEE FARMEft. 



THE GENESEE COUNTRY. 



Messrs. Editors — I read with much pleasure 

 :he Essay on " The first and last Census of New 

 York," copied from the New-York Standard, into 

 your 6th niimbor — because of its exhibit of the vast 

 acquisition of population of the territory known to 

 its early settlers as the Genesee Country, (in compli- 

 ment to which, you have named your useful paper,) 

 'hen, Ontario County, containing 1031 souls; — and 

 now, 407,421, comprised in 13 counties: — being an 

 increase of nearly 400 to one, in the space of forty 

 years. 



And with a view to show the progressive wealth 

 of the Genesee Country, as well as its population, I 

 annex a return of the assessed valuation of the real 

 and personal property therein, for 1828 : 



Covntks. R:al Estate. Personal. Amount. 

 Ontario, $5,696,240 625.087 6,321,327 



Steuben, 1,408,889 61572 1,470,461 



Yates, 1,540,203 75,418 1,615,621 



Wayne, 2,922,426 116.743 3.039.169 



Monroe, 5,191,643 524 823 5,716.466 



Livingston, 3.098,906 228 628 3,327,534 

 Ueneaee, 3,956 793 32S 825 4,285,618 



Orleans, 1,442,686 43,384 1,486,070 



Niagara,* 1,430,000 



Ejrie,* 2,740,000 



Allegany,* 1.635,000 



Cattaraugus,* 1,130,487 



Chautauque, 1,754,333 43,897 1,798,247 



$27,012,136 2,048,377 35,996,000 



■ These counties are given by estimates. 



Making an amount of nearly thirty-sis millions of 

 dollars ; and the valuation for 1830, may bo presu- 

 med at 38 millions ; from which deduct about the 

 east half of the eounty of Wayne, which lies on the 

 Military Tract; leaving nearly thirty seven millions 

 for the present value of the territory, which the state 

 of Massachusetts, about forty-four years ago, sold to 

 .Uessrs. Phelps & Gorham, for one million. 



But I sincerely regret to notice there were several 

 errors in that Essay, both in the geography and his- 

 tory of the country, and which is interesting tons, 

 as its residents, to have corrected, in order to check 

 : .he errors which might otherwise creep into its early 

 history, in its descent to posterity, and render it par- 

 .'ially fabulous. 



In that, the town of Rush, is put down for T. 

 No. 11, in the 6th R. 

 Henrietta, - - 12 - " 

 Brighton, - - 13 - 5th 

 when they are all in the 7th Range of Tow nships, 

 and lying on the east bank of Genesee River 



Again — "the pre-emption line," "touching the 

 west side of Seneca Lake," "and thence to Lake 

 Ontario, a few miles east of Sodus Bay" — [See this 

 corrected below.] 



But the most material error is contained in the fol- 

 lowing eAtrr.;: ; 



" The territory between the pre-emption line, and 

 what was termed the transit line, which ran nearly 

 on the meridian of the Genesee river, was early con- 

 veyed by Massachusetts to the Pulteney family, or 

 company ; and the territory west of the transit line, 

 was, in the same manner, sold to the Holland Com- 

 pany." 



The writer must have been very ignorant of the 

 facts relating to the early sales and settlement of the 

 country, to have jumbled together so many errors, 

 both in its geography and hittory, into so short a 

 paragraph. The line he terms the transit, was ne- 

 ver known by any other name than the meridional 

 line, forming a part of the western boundary of the 

 Phelps & Gorham purchase. 



All the transit lines of the country [being only 

 two,] belong to the surveys of the Holland Compa- 

 ny's Lands; the first of which forms their eastern 

 boundary. It lies twelve miles west of,& runs about 

 parallel with the meridian line, and crosses the Buf- 

 falo road.ai Black Creek,in Stafford, six miles east 

 of Batavia. The second transit line forms the west 

 boundary of the first of the three mortgages which 

 Robert Morris made to the Holland Companv, com- 

 prehending one million of aeies ; it is the dividing 

 Jme between the 6th and 7th Range of Townships, 

 in their large traet, and passes through the village of 

 fcockpqrt. 



But the most egregious error, and that which has 

 induced me take this notice of it, for correction, is 

 contained in the following expressions, viz — " The 

 territory east," " was early conveyed by Massachu- 

 setts to the Pulteney family, or company ; and the 

 territory west of the transit line, was, in the same 

 manner, sold to the Holland Company," — because 

 it so utterly obliterates from memory, and the page 

 of history, the enterprize, toils, hardships, merits and 

 character of the pioneers & early settlers of this now 

 beautiful section of the state of New York, and es- 

 pecially the name of Oliver Phelps, who was the 

 Father of the whole project. 



The following extract, taken from our Village Di- 

 rectory, printed by Everard Peck, in 1827, will serve 

 to correct the principal errors noted above : but that 

 was written on the spur of the moment,entirely from 

 memory, without the advantage of recurrence to doc- 

 uments, for correction, and subject to inaccuracies 

 It is too brief for the history of the early settlement 

 of our country ; its only recommendation consists 

 in its being the most full and accurate sketch of I he 

 subject, yet in print. 



In 1796 or '7, Charles Williamson published, un- 

 der the borrowed name of Robert G. Monroe,a small 

 pamphlet on the Genesee Country. But that was 

 mostly a topographical description of the territory, 

 to invite emigrants to the settlement of it,rathcr than 

 a history of its early settlement. It is but too proba- 

 ble that it is now entirely out of print. 



It would seem that the present wealth and popu- 

 lation of the Genesee Country could afford a remu 

 neration for the history of its early settlement, with 

 narrations of the adventures, fatigues, privations and 

 hardships of the pioneers of a wilderness, and ma- 

 king their settlements in it, then, so remote from ci- 

 vilized society, and its accommodations for the com- 

 forts and enjoyment of life, with, a biographical 

 sketch of many of them, and particularly of its foun- 

 der, Oliver Phelps. To leave the subject delayed 

 but a few years longer, and many of the early events 

 which would entertain and interest the present resi- 

 dents and their posterity, will have passed from the 

 memory of man. 



But who is there now remaining among the first 

 settlers, to write it ? Messrs. James Wadstvorth, Au- 

 gustus Porter, and Peter B. Porter, are the most pro- 

 minent among them which occur to my mind ; and 

 it seems to be required of them ; but should they 

 decline the undertaking, it then appears as if it must 

 devolve upon the present Oliver Phelps,ihe grandson, 

 who enjoys the domicil of his ancestor, at Canan- 

 daigtia ; and who has the largest portion of the doc- 

 uments. 



THE EXTRACT. 



"The preemptive title, however, to this Territo- 

 ry, was claimed by Massachusetts, under its coloni- 

 al charter, which comprehended the whole region 

 between its north and south boundaries, from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific ocean. The charter of the 

 state of New York interfered with this claim, and 

 after various unsuccessful attempts to adjust their 

 differences, under the Congress of the old confedera- 

 tion, they were happily terminated at last, by com- 

 missioners mutually appointed by each state, who 

 met at Hartford, in Connecticut, and on the 16th De- 

 cember, 1786, agreed that Massachusetts cede to 

 New York the sovereignty and jurisdiction of all 

 the teritory, claimed by the former, within the limits 

 of the latter ; and, that New York cede to Massa- 

 chusetts the property of the soil ; or, in the words 

 of the settlement, " the right of pre-emption of the 

 soil from the native Indians" — " to all the lands now 

 in the state, lying west of a line running due north, 

 from the 82d mile stone, on the north boundary of 

 Pennsylvania, to the British possessions in Canada, 

 except a tract of one mile in width, along the Niaga- 

 ra river." 



This line commences in the 42d degree of north 

 latitude, 82 miles west of the northeast corner of 

 Pennsylvania, and is called the Pre-emption Line. — 

 It runs through the middle of the Seneca Lake at its 

 noith end, abont one mile east of Geneva, and also 

 through Sodus Bay. Dr. Spafford, in his Gazetteer 

 of New York, says it proves to be the meridian of 

 the city of Washington.t 



In 1787,Massachuselts sold the Whole of this tract, 

 containing six million of acres, to Messrs. Oliver 



t It is also the west boundary line of the Kcw York 

 Military Lands, which contain 23 Tew nships, each con 

 tammy It-n square miles — that yroud and SfiUaitid mon- 

 ument «/ the gratitude of Tieto York, to her Revolu- 

 tionary Heroes. £iro gave D&0 acres of gXrod land to 

 every soklier '• ■ I 



Phelps & Nathaniel Gorham, for one million of dol- 

 lars ; or, three notes of £100,000 each, New-Eng- 

 land currency, payable in consolidated securities, at 

 par. 



In the following spring, Oliver Phelps, then living 

 at Granville, Massachusetts, prepared himself with 

 men and means, to explore the country thus ac quired, 

 and with great resolution and intrepidity, took leave 

 of his family and his neighbours, together with the 

 Minister of the Parish, who had assembled on the 

 occasion, and started on his expedition, leaving them 

 all m tears, bidding him a final adieu, scarcely ho- 

 ping for his return from a wilderness, in an Indian 

 country, hardly yet pacified. 



He persevered, and penetrated the forest from 

 the German Flats, to Canandaiguat a distance 01 188 

 miles, by the present improved road — sent out run- 

 ners, and collected the Sachems, Chiefs, and War- 

 riors of the Six-Nations, and in July 1788, with the 

 aid of the Rev. Samuel Kirtland, as State Commis- 

 sioner and Indian Missionary, concluded a treaty of 

 purchase of a tract containing 2 1-4 millions of acres ; 

 bouuded east by the pre-emption line, and west by a 

 meridional line, running from a point in the north line 

 of Pennsylvania, 42 miles east of the 82d mile stone. 

 to an dm tree, in the forks of the Genesee and Cana- 

 saraga, thence down the Genesee, as it meanders, to 

 a point two miles north of the Cauawagus village, 

 [near Avon Bridge] thence due west, 12 miles, [1 1-2 

 miles south of Le Roy village,] thence northwardly, 

 parallel to the general course of the Genesee River. 

 [N. 24 dg. E.] to Lake Ontario ; which course jfiwra 

 the east line of the tract called the Trianglef&xid is 

 about 24 miles long. 



The reason of this remarkable offset, of 12 miles 

 to the westward, may not be unworthy of notice, a* 

 illustrative of the change, or progress of landed 

 property, with the growth of the country : the Indi- 

 ans were disposed to confine Mr. Phelps to the Gene- 

 see river, as his western boundary. lie proposed the 

 erection of mills, at the falls of the river, now at 

 Rochester, and asked of them that offset for a Mill 

 yard ; to which they assented, making a squaro of 

 12 miles by 24 for that purpose. 



After Ebenezer Allen erected his mill at the falls, 

 [near the west end of the canal aqueduct] and the 

 Indians came to see it, and the quantity of ground 

 requisite for a mill-yurd, they nttercd their interjec- 

 tion of surprise, quoah ! and added Kuushonchicos ! 

 [signifying waterfall, in the Seneca language] and 

 which, ever after, became the Indian name for Mr. 

 Phelps. 



The kindness,however,and good faith with which 

 Mr. Phelps, like the celebraled William Penn, al- 

 ways conducted his intercourse with the Indians, 

 secured to him their confidence and affection ; in to- 

 ken of which, they adopted both him and his son, 

 Oliver L. Phelps, as honorary members of their na- 

 tional councils. 



The leading chiefs and warriors, concerned in 

 these negociations, were Parmer's Brother,the Grand 

 Sachem, and who for his political wisdom, might be 

 called the George Clinton of the Six-Nations — and 

 Red Jacket, the celebrated orator. 



After the treaty, Mr. Phelps surveyed the land in- 

 to tracts, denominated Ranges, running north anil 

 south, and subdivided the ranges into tracts of six 

 miles square, denominated Townshim ; and designa- 

 ted each, by numbers, beginning tojpumber both thf- 

 ranges and townships, at the 82d£mjle stone, in the 

 southeast corner of the tract, [now tree southeast cor- 

 nerof Steuben county] numbering nsrthwardly to the 

 lake, from 1 to 14, and the ranges \testwardly, from 

 1 to 7 : thus Bath is designated as township No. 4-, 

 in the 3d range ; Canandaiguaas township No. 10, in 

 the 3d range ; Pittsford, as No. 12, in the 5th range ; 

 and Brighton as No. 13 in the 7th range of town* 

 ships, in Gorham and Phelps' purchase. 



As the Genesee river runs about 24 degs. east Qf 

 north, below Avon, and Mr. Phelps continuing his 

 7th range of townships to Lake Ontario, the 5th range 

 was left to contain but twelve, and the 6th range 

 but ten townships ; and in order to square the tract 

 lynig west of Genesee river,he sat offtwo townships 

 near the Lake, which he called the Short Range, 

 now comprising the towns of Gates and Greece ; 

 and the present towns of Caledonia, Whe atland, 

 Chili, Riga,Ogden and Parma, being four townships, 

 he called the first range of townships, Weslof Gen- 

 esee River, in Gorham and Phelps' purchase. 



This entire tract formed the counties of Ontario and 

 Steuben, for many years, until 1821, when Monrpe 



* Meaning a cltozcn plan, in tho Indian la^iguajev 





