TOWN OF CANISTEO. 



223 



in the Bennett family. It grew into the present brick 

 hotel, known as the Canisteo House, which was built by 

 William Bennett about 1827, and has more recently been 

 added to and greatly improved in size and appearance. 

 Solomon Bennett was succeeded in mercantile business by 

 Dr. Mordecai Hale, who carried on the business some four 

 or five years. 



The Erie Railway, opened through the Canisteo Valley in 

 1850, gave this village a station on its through line from 

 New York to Dunkirk, and superseded, for the transporta- 

 tion of its small amount of freight and travel, the old river 

 navigation ; but still Canisteo was only a small rural ham- 

 let, and but for the wise and liberal policy of her citizens in 

 introducing and encouraging manufacturing interests, might 

 forever have remained so. The impulse given to the growth 

 of the place dates from the first establishment of manufac- 

 tures in 1868. In that year the large boot- and shoe-fac- 

 tory of L. Allison was put in operation. This was followed 

 by the various planing-mills, sash-, door-, and blind-factory, 

 chair-factory, and another shoe-factory, and bent-wood- 

 works, so that the aggregate manufacturing interests now 

 amounts to $1,000,000 a year. The effect of these 

 interests on the growth and population of the place is 

 shown in a striking manner by the fact that, in June, 

 1868, an actual census showed the population of the vil- 

 lage to be only 842 souls; now the number of inhabitants 

 is over 2000. This is probably the greatest growth of any 

 similar village during the last decade. 



The manufacturers also brightened up all other interests : 

 large blocks have been erected, a fine banking-house, the 

 hotel raised another story and refitted, the stores supplied 

 with larger stocks of goods, new ones opened, a new school- 

 house built, and two churches remodeled and enlarged to 

 meet the wants of growing congregations. In every way 

 the effects of these various industries are visible, — in the 

 improved streets and sidewalks, the new buildings, and the 

 ' general air of thrift and activity which pervades the place. 



INCORPORATION. 



The village of Canisteo was incorporated under the gen- 

 eral law in 1873. The first charter election was held on 

 the 17th day of May, 1873, and resulted in the choice of 

 the following officers : Lucius A. Waldo, President ; Mor- 

 timer Allison, L. P. Weed, Smith Eason, Trustees; Daniel 

 Upson, Collector; William H. Mead, Treasurer. 



At a meeting of the board of trustees, held May 19, Wil- 

 liam E. Stephens was appointed Clerk ; Hiram J. Colgrove, 

 Police Constable ; and Hiram C. Whitwood, Street Com- 

 missioner. 



The village officers met at the office of Burrell & Soule, 

 May 19, 1873, and took the oath of office, after which the 

 president and trustees organized a board and proceeded to 

 business. 



^^ Resolved^ That the treasurer and collector each give a 

 bond in the penalty of $1500, and that the street commis- 

 sioner and police constable give a bond in the penalty of 

 $500 each." 



The bonds being given and approved, a survey of the 

 village was ordered by the trustees, and it was voted to 

 raise $500 by tax for the purpose of purchasing a site and 



erecting a lock-up. At this meeting a set of by-laws and 

 regulations was adopted. 



Presidents of the Village. — 1873, Lucius A. Waldo; 

 1874, George Davison; 1875, Lucius A.Waldo; 1876, 

 Albert J. Carter; 1877, John E. McCaio;; 1878, William 

 J. Bailey. 



The village was laid out and a map made of it by John 

 H. Consalus, Esq., at the time of the incorporation. Mr. 

 Consalus settled in the village in 1840, and has been en- 

 gaged in lumber, hardware, and furnace business. 



CANISTEO ACADEMY. 



This institution was chartered March 16, 1868, with the 

 following Board of Trustees: Lewis F. Laine, Henry 

 Hamilton, Commodore P. Chamberlain, Nathaniel C. Tay- 

 lor, G-eorge Riddell, John H. Consalus, Joshua C. Stephens, 

 Edward P. Bartlett, Mortimer Allison, Lucius A. Waldo, 

 John Davis, and Richard Allison. 



The academy building is of brick, three stories, beauti- 

 fully situated on an eminence overlooking the village, of 

 tasteful architecture, and commodious in size and appoint- 

 ments. It was finished and opened in September, 1871, 

 and cost, including furniture, library, and apparatus, 

 $17,500. Two thousand dollars endowment has since been 

 added. 



The following have been the principal and teachers: Bev. 

 J. S. Bingham and Mrs. Bingham, assisted by Miss Huy- 

 son ; Prof. Ira Sayles, assisted by Miss Lizzie Conderman ; 

 Prof. Willington La Monte and Mrs. La Monte ; Prof. D. 

 M, Estee, assisted by Miss Ahida Beebe. 



Trustees. — Bev. L. F. Laine, President; Dr. George 

 Biddell, Vice-President; W. E. Stephens, Secretary; John 

 H. Consalus, Treasurer; A. M. Burrell, J. S. Hall, L. 

 Davison, A. Davison, W. H. Mead, Rev. 0. O. Lothrop, 

 Wm. H. Ordway, John Carter, Smith Eason, M. Allison, 

 L. A. Cook, L. A. Waldo. 



Attendance for the year ending June 28, 1878: males, 

 38; females, 73; total. 111. 



CANISTEO GRADED SCHOOL. 



This school occupies a new wooden building, which was 

 erected at a cost, including furniture, of $6000. It employs 

 five teachers, as follows : Principal, J. B. Hargrave ; Assis- 

 tants, Miss Mary A. Forest, Miss Sarah Lothrop, Miss Ida 

 Whiting, Miss Frank M. Brown. 



Trustee. — William B. Taylor. 



The number of children in the district of school age is 

 434 ; attendance, 350. Assessed value of school property 

 (assessed at one-third) is $178,000 ; value of school property 

 (aside from the academy), $8000 ; expended during the 

 year for teachers' wages, $1500. 



MANUFACTURES. 



Of the principal manufacturing interests of the village 

 we give the following summary : 



Boot- and Shoe-Factory of L. Allison & Co., established 

 by L. Allison, in the spring of 1868. — In 1873, Isaac Alli- 

 son became a partner in the business. This firm manufac- 

 ture hand-pegged boots and shoes, employing from 100 to 

 110 hands. Their sales have sometimes run up to $300,000 



