TOWN OF AVOCA. 



157 



trious, and frugal. Prosperity and thrift are leaving their 

 impress on every department of industry. 



The first child born in the town was William McWhor- 

 ter. John Buchanan and Betsey McWhorter were the 

 next children born. They now lie buried in the pleasant 

 village cemetery by the side of most of the early settlers. 

 Spencer Moore, Abigail Moore, and David Robords are 

 probably the oldest living representatives of the first settlers 

 of the town. 



The first frame dwelling in the town was erected by 

 James McWhorter on the Buchanan farm. It is still 

 standing, and the descendants of the worthy couple who 

 began life there in a log cabin take special pride in keeping 

 it preserved without change. 



ORGANIZATION. 



Avoca was erected April 12, 1848, from the towns of 

 Bath, Cohocton, Howard, and Wheeler. The first town- 

 meeting appointed by law was held at the house of James 

 Gr. Barto, in the town of Avoca, on the first Monday of May, 

 1843, for the purpose of electing town officers for the ensu- 

 ing year. The following-named persons were duly elected : 

 Henry A. Louck. Supervisor ; Jesse Louck, Town Clerk ; 

 Oliver Bice, Simeon Holmes, Luther Tilton, Justices of 

 the Peace ; John Donahe, John L. Robords, Marcus Peck, 

 Assessors ; James Gorton, John Collier, John T. Allen, 

 Commissioners of Highways ; Allen Smith, John B. Ste- 

 venson, John Conner, Commissioners of Schools ; Charles 

 W. C. Howard, Addison Niles, School Inspectors ; Matthew 

 Fox, Joseph Matthewson, Salmon Waterbury, Inspectors 

 of Election; Jonathan Clisbee, Abram Towner, Poormas- 

 ters; Perry S. Donahe, Collector; Perry S. Donahe, Josiah 

 Devendorf, Almon Begel, Cornelius Vader, Oscar Smith, 

 Constables. 



LIST OF TOWN OFFICERS. 





Supervisors. 



Town Clerks. 



Collectors. 



1843. 



Henry A. Loucks. 



Jesse Loucks. 



Perry S. Donahe. 



1844. 



George W. Burnhair 



. a ii 



Jesse Devendorf. 



1845. 



i( u 



Bernard Fox. 



Amos Larkin. 



1846. 



i( K 



a a 



Darius Silsbee. 



1847. 



(( i( 



Peleg Gorton. 



Gideon Smith. 



1848. 



ii U 



a a 



a a 



1849. 



Henry H. Bouton. 



Andrew Bauter. 



George P. Fox. 



1850. 



i( (( 



Dexter Straight. 



a ii 



1851. 



a a 



Joseph G. Sprague. 



John B. Payne. 



1852. 



a u 



Dexter Straight. 



a a 



1853. 



Joseph I. Burnham 



. Peleg Gorton. 



Cornelius Vader. 



1854. 



Henry H. Bouton. 



a ii 



Erastus Olmstead. 



1855. 



Henry Goff. 



Simeon Wagner. 



Andrew Bauter. 



1856. 



Salmon Waterbury. 



Francis H. Guiwits. 



Z. J. Calkins. 



1857. 



(( a 



Simeon Wagner. 



George W. Towner. 



1858. 



Joel Carrington. 



a a 



a a 



1859. 



a u 



Joseph Guiwits. 



George P. Fox. 



1860. 



Henry A. Loucks. 



ii ii 



Oliver Zeilly. 



1861. 



A. M. Waterbury. 



a a 



Daniel A. Fox. 



1862. 



J. H. Nichoson. 



a a 



William S. Overhiser 



1863. 



i( (( 



James Hees. 



a i( 



1864. 



Salmon H. Palmer. 



a a 



Horace A. Silsbee. 



1865. 



U ii 



J. Wesley Calkins. 



Alexander Patten. 



1866. 



ii ii 



a a 



a a 



1867. 



Joel Carrington. 



a ii 



Joseph Ellis. 



1868. 



ii ii 



Henry Robertson. 



a a 



1869. 



L J. Haskin. 



ii a 



Henry Foults. 



1870. 



S. E. Haskin. 



John E. Storms. 



Luther G. Clark. 



1871 



I. J. Haskin. 



J. Wesley Calkins. 



W. G. Borden. 



Supervisors. 



1872. F. N. Barney. 



1873. I. J. Haskin. 



1874. D. E. Hoadley. 



1875. Thomas Cotton. 

 1876. 



1877. N. B. Chase. 



1878. '' " 



Town Clerks, 

 Chester Ellis. 

 W. H. Wood. 



James Tuel. 



a a 



George J. Shults. 

 W. H. Wood. 



Collectors, 

 George H. Shults. 

 W. G. Borden. 

 F. L. Shaver. 

 Wm. H. Hammond. 

 Alva Shunt. 

 William T. Slattery. 

 S. B. Haskin. 



JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 



1843. 



Oliver llice. 



1861. 



Peleg Gorton. 





Simeon Holmes. ; 



1862. 



Smith Tucker. 





Luther Tilton. 



1863. 



Sylvester D. Lewis. 



1844. 



Herman S, Rose. 





George A. Fox. 



1845. 



John L. Robords. 



1864. 



Nathaniel S. Wheeler 





Henry H. Bouton. 



1865. 



Peleg Gorton. 



1846. 



John L. Robords. 



1866. 



Leonard Wilson. 



1847. 



Henry H. Bouton. 



1867. 



G. W. Towner. 



1848. 



Herman S. Rose. 



1868. 



Nathaniel S. Wheeler. 



1849. 



Salmon H. Palmer. 



1869. 



Peleg Gorton. 



1850. 



John L. Robords. 



1870. 



G. W. Coolbaugh. 





Allen Smith. 





Leonard Wilson. 



1851. 



James Silsbee. 



1871. 



Forest H. Williams. 



1852. 



Herman S. Rose. 





Caleb C. Allen. 



1853. 



Henry Goff'. 



1872. 



a. W. Towner. 



1854. 



Ira Tucker. 





M. A. Peck. 





Marcus Peck. 



1873. 



F. H. Williams. 



1855. 



Lawson R. Hood. 



1874. 



Salmon H. Palmer. 



1856. 



Peleg Gorton. 





John Allen. 



1857. 



N. S. Wheeler. 



1875. 



G. W. Coolbaugh. 





F. H. Guiwits. 





G. W. Towner. 



1858. 



Ithiel C. Nichoson. 



1876. 



Alexander R. Ward. 





Peleg Gorton. 



1877. 



Salmon H. Palmer. 



1859. 



Sylvester D. Lewis. 





M. B. Walker. 



1860. 



Lawson R. Hood. 





J. B. Hamlin. 



CHURCHES. 



The religious sentiment of the early time was of the 

 Christian denomination, who held their religious worship in 

 the barn on the Buchanan farm, and continued to hold 

 services there and in the log school-house until 1827, when 

 the first Methodist Episcopal Church was organized at East 

 Hill. Elders Buzzel and Elisha Brownson were the first 

 ministers of the gospel, but there was another minister, 

 called the "star-gazer," who commenced to preach here 

 about that time. The Christian denomination continued 

 for some time to represent the predominant faith, but it 

 commenced to die out gradually, and to-day but few remain 

 of that order. At present the Baptists, Lutherans, and 

 Methodists are the leading denominations of the village 

 and town. 



The village of Avoca has three churches, — the Baptist, 

 Lutheran, and Methodist, — in which are held regular ser- 

 vices, and with which are connected prosperous Sunday- 

 schools. 



THE BAPTIST CHURCH. 



The Baptist Church was organized Jan. 13, 1847, by 

 adopting the Declaration of Faith and Church Covenant 

 published by the New Hampshire Baptist State Convention. 

 Twelve male and twenty-one female members constituted 

 the church, as originally organized. Kev. Horace -Spencer 

 was the first pastor, and James Van Deuzer first deacon. 

 On the 13th of August, 1847, the cliurcb was received into 

 the Steuben Baptist Association, with which it is still in 

 communion. 



The earliest meetings of the church were held in the 



