TOWN OF BATH. 



167 



curled maple. I chartered three brigs, and shipped my 

 cherry and curled maple and 500 barrels of flour to Boston. 

 I sold my flour at a fair price, but my lumber was a dead 

 weight on my hands. At length the inventor of a machine 

 for spinning wool by water-power ofl"ered to sell me one of 

 his machines for $2500 and take lumber in payment. I 

 closed a bargain with him, which induced me to embark in 

 woolen manufactures. I obtained a loan from the State, and 

 was doing well until Congress reduced the tariff" for the 

 protection of home industry to a mere nominal tax. The 

 country immediately after was flooded with foreign flibrics, 

 and but a few woolen-factories survived the shock. 



" I will now close my narrative, so far as it relates to my 

 own business concerns, with a single remark that although 

 I have been unfortunate at the close of my business, yet I 

 flatter myself that all will admit that I have done nothing 

 to retard the growth and prosperity of the village of Bath 

 or of the inhabitants of Steuben County generally, especially 

 at a time when there were no facilities for the farmers of 

 the county to transport their products to market other than 

 that which was off'ered them by my exertions. And whether 

 the people of Steuben or myself have received the most 

 benefit, I leave them to determine. 



" It would appear to be of very little consequence for me 

 to state the number of civil offices that I held during my 

 residence in Steuben County. It will only show how far 

 I had the good-will of the people. First, I was appointed 

 justice of the peace, next a judge of the Court of Common 

 Pleas, and surrogate of the county. In 1816 I was ap- 

 pointed high sheriff of the county, which office I held four 

 years. I held the office of postmaster of the village of Bath 

 about eight years. The good people of Steuben also elected 

 me three years in succession to represent them in the Legis- 

 lature of the State of New York. For all these favors I felt 

 then, and ever shall feel, grateful. 



" This brief narrative is nothing more than a mere synopsis 

 of some of the principal events of my life during the last 

 sixty years. I find that all labor, whether of the hand or 

 head, has become burdensome, which will be a sufficient 

 apology for its insufficiencies." 



SAVONA. 



At the time of the early settlement, and for many years 

 after, this part of the town of Bath was known as Mud 

 Creek, from the intersection of the creek of that name at 

 this point with the Conhocton liiver. The first settlers 

 were Thomas Corbit, who came from Pennsylvania with 

 Colonel Williamson in 1793, John Doleson, who removed 

 here from the Chemung in 1794, Henry Bush, and Henry 

 McElwee, father of Henry, who still resides on the old 

 homestead. Henry McElwee settled here some time during 

 the year 1794. 



A post-office was established here about 1823. The ear- 

 liest postmaster who can now be recollected was Elisha Mc- 

 Coy. He was followed by Archibald H. Gates, in 1835. 

 Then came the following in the order named : Marvin Wait, 

 Daniel Goodsell, D. P. Graves, Marsena Terry, Bichard 

 Graves (1851-62), Harry Cole, Thomas J. Ballou, James 

 Tyler, Charles Loucks, and John C. Mallory, the present 



postmaster. The post-office is kept in the drug-store of 

 A. Powers. 



John Moore, father of James Moore, now living at Sa- 

 vona, settled here about 1808. David Whitaker, father of 

 Joseph, Jonathan, and David Whitaker, became a resident 

 of the place in 1810. Uriah Hughes, father of the late 

 Dr. Hiram Hughes, came to the place about 1812. Ches- 

 ter Whitaker, who resided in this part of the town, was 

 several terms supervisor and many years a justice of the 

 peace. He died in 1867. 



Savona has now two physicians, — Dr. J. D. Mitchell and 

 Dr. Warren Stewart. 



Two teachers are employed in the district school. 

 There are several steam-mills and other manufacturing 

 establishments ; some half a dozen stores, including dry 

 goods, hardware, drugs, and groceries; about 150 dwel- 

 lings, and a population of 550. There is one hotel, the 

 Railroad House, kept by Marvin W. Clapp. 



The Methodist church of Savona was built in 1843. 

 Previous to this services had been held in the school-hou.se, 

 by Ilev. Mr. Story and other early preachers. Among the 

 oldest members of the church were Elisha McCoy and 

 Issachar Hughes. The Hughes family generally were 

 members and supporters of this church. Rev. J. Y. Lowell 

 is the present pastor, and his charge includes also the church 

 at Sonora. 



The Baptists held services with the Methodists at first, 

 and built their own church in 1856. Elder Eliphas Fisk 

 was one of the first preachers of this faith in the place, as 

 early as 1818. The present pastor. Rev. Mr. Mallory, has 

 had charge of the church for twenty-nine years. 



These churches both have prosperous Sunday-schools. 



KANONA. 



The first settlers in this part of the town of Bath were 

 Henry Kennedy, about 1800; Brigham, Elisha, Elijah, and 

 John Hanks, from Westboro, Vt., 1804 ; Jeremiah Wheeler, 

 orandfiither of Carlton and Andrew Wheeler, 1805. 



Henry Kennedy owned the land where the village now 

 stands, and kept the first hotel, giving to the place the 

 name of " Kennedyville," by which it was for many years 



known. 



Erastus Glass came in 1806, and afterwards built the old 

 Glass saw-mill, where Baker's mill now stands. 



Clinton Nixon afterwards kept the Kennedyville Hotel. 

 He built a saw-mill and tannery about half a mile below 

 the village, and was also a merchant and speculator about 

 1830. He subsequently removed to Wisconsin. 



John Ostrander, father of Edward E. Ostrander, came 

 to the town in 1811 or 1812, when nine years of age. He 

 was a lawyer, merchant, hotel-keeper, and speculator, and 

 died in 1865. 



The Neallys were one of the prominent early families 

 in this part of the town. 



Caleb Farnham was an early settler on the farm where 

 Zera Bradley now lives. This farm was first owned by 

 Elisha Hanks. William J. Neally settled on the place 

 where William Willis now resides. 



We find the following among some of the old papers : 



