TOWN OF ERWIN. 



289 



serious accident, but with severe toil, we arrived safely at 

 home with the first stock of merchandise." 



In 1801, John E. Evans came to Painted Post and 

 boarded with Benjamin Patterson. He afterwards pur- 

 chased a farm about a mile and a half south of the village, 

 and built a house (the farm now owned by C. F. Piatt). 

 Mr. Evans was born in the city of London, England, and 

 came to Philadelphia in 1800. Before leaving England 

 he had been liberally educated. He possessed those active 

 and business qualifications w^hich made him a leading man 

 in the early settlement of this portion of Steuben County. 

 He taught the first school in the town, and numbered 

 among his pupils Robert and John Patterson, Gen. F. E. 

 Erwin, of Painted Post ; Gen. Wm. D. Knox, of Junction 

 City, Kas. ; John Erwin, Esq., of Cleveland, 0. ; Col. F. 

 E. Young, of Hornellsville ; Thomas Wheat, Arthur H. 

 Erwin, John McBurney, Samuel Shannon, Philander Knox, 

 and many other well-remembered names. During the war 

 of 1812 he was collector of revenue, afterwards postmaster. 

 He was the first clerk in the town of Erwin, was re-elected 

 six times ; was justice of the peace ; and in all his public 

 and official positions maintained a character for capacity, 

 honor, and integrity. He died, Feb. 27, 1854, at the age 

 of seventy, leaving his second wife and three children. 



In the early spring of 1803, Capt. Samuel Erwin re- 

 moved with his family to Painted Post from Easton, Pa. 

 His furniture and goods were carted to Wilkesbarre, the 

 metropolis of the far-famed Wyoming Valley, on the Sus- 

 quehanna River, and there shipped on a Durham boat and 

 brought up the rivers to Painted Post. Capt. Erwin, wife 

 and daughter, the latter then about fifteen months old (now 

 Mrs. Eliza E. Townsend, living with her son, Edward E. 

 Townsend, at the " Pines," four miles south of the village), 

 came the entire distance on horseback, he carrying the 

 child on a pillow in front of him. The distance was about 

 three hundred miles. After a short delay at the house of 

 David Fuller they moved into their new residence, a log 

 house, situated a few rods east and south of the old log 

 barn still standing upon the farm now owned by Gen. 

 Francis E. Erwin, about a mile and a half west of the 

 village. They lived in that house until about 1811, when 

 they moved into the log tavern formerly owned and occu- 

 pied by David Fuller, where they remained till 1823. 

 Charles H. Erwin, the youngest son of Capt. Samuel 

 Erwin, was born in the town of Erwin, where he still 

 resides, April 30, 1822. 



By this time there had been made in various parts of 

 the town many new settlements. George Young, father of 

 Col. Francis E. Young, and of Clement H. Young, of 

 Corning ; Edmund C. Cooper, father of Levi C. Cooper, 

 of Painted Post, settled in the town about 1823, Mr. 

 Young, then a single man, was from Philadelphia. 



DITISION OF THE ERWIN ESTATE. 



After the death of Col. Arthur Erwin his property was 

 by allotment divided equally between his ten children, who 

 were all then living. Of the number, Capt. Samuel, 

 Francis, Maj. Arthur, Mrs. Rebecca McKean, and Mrs. 

 Mulhollon, became settlers upon their portions in the town 

 of Erwin. The other brothers and sisters, except Mrs. 

 37 



Dr. John Cooper, subsequently disposed of their property 

 in the town, chiefly to the brothers and sisters who had 

 settled here. ^' Captain Sam" and *' Uncle Frank," as they 

 were usually called, came into possession of their portion, 

 upon which the village now stands, and Maj. Arthur of 

 the extreme southwestern portion of the town. 



The division was made by commissioners chosen by the 

 heirs of Col. Arthur Erwin, pursuant to an act of the 

 Legislature, passed March 16, 1785, consisting of John 

 Konkle, Eleazer Lindley, and Henry McCormick. A map 

 of the town of Erwin, showing the several allotments 

 made to each heir, may be found in the county clerk's office 

 of Steuben County. 



THE TOWN IN 1812. 



In 1812 the settlement had grown to a size that required 

 them to assist in adjusting the national difficulties with 

 England. A day was appointed for determining, by draft, 

 who should have the honor of defending our rights and 

 privileges from the Tories. The draft was made in Bath, 

 and several residing at Painted Post were chosen, among 

 whom were Abner Trowbridge, Edmund C. Cooper, James 

 Gillen, Thomas Wheat, and several more whose names can- 

 not be obtained. Joseph Gillett, then living on Little 

 Flats, below Corning, was a lieutenant in the regiment, and 

 was wounded. Judge Thomas McBurney also held a com- 

 mission. Edmund C. Cooper procured a substitute. Daniel 

 Mulhollon, since removed to Jasper, enlisted twice before 

 the draft ; the first time his father obtained a release, con- 

 trary to his wishes ; he enlisted again, and in one of the 

 battles in Canada lost his left hand, or rather, had it so 

 severely wounded that amputation was necessary. The 

 drafted men were engaged in several battles. Lieut. Joseph 

 Gillett was wounded, and compelled to come home. He 

 detached from his company Mr. Trowbridge to accompany 

 him, and neglecting to have this put properly upon record, 

 Mr. Trowbridge was, very unjustly, put down as a deserter. 

 Mr. Erwin, who states this fact in his pamphlet (Hist. 

 Painted Post), says, " A truer patriot never went to war." 



Those who were called out upon the second draft did not 

 reach the scene of action before peace was declared. 



'' THE GREAT PUMPKIN FLOOD." 



In the autumn of 1817, the town was visited with what 

 has been designated the " great pumpkin flood." At this 

 time few, if any, of the settlements extended far beyond 

 the river-flats, and the waters overflowed the banks and 

 swept nearly all the late produce ofi*. The pumpkins, which 

 upon the rich soil had grown in great abundance and to a 

 great size, were very conspicuous, covering the face of the 

 deep, swift current. The experience of a pioneer, which 

 probably resembled that of many others, is given by Mr. 

 Samuel Cook, as follcfws : " My father was then living in a 

 log house, just above and on the opposite side of Tioga Kiver 

 from Erwin Centre. We had on the second floor, which 

 was made of split hewn logs, some corn in the ear. The 

 flood had driven two families to our house, and my father 

 brought the sheep to the house in a canoe, and we shoveled 

 the corn back, raised the floor and put the sheep in the 

 second story. The water qame in on the first floor and 



