TOWN OF HORNELLSVILLE. 



325 



houses, two churches, and two school-houses. Cobb's Hotel, 

 corner of Main and Canisteo Streets, opposite Mr. Adsit's 

 store, was the resort of the weary traveler. 



One week previous to the grand opening day of the 

 road, engine No. 73, on a gravel-train, sank in the quick- 

 sand at Tip-Top Summit, just west of the water-tank, and 

 it took over a week to get her out. She has been of great 

 service since. 



THE ERIE SHOPS. 



The first Erie shop (or shed) was built in 1849. It was 

 enlarged in 1850 to accommodate three engines, and ma- 

 chinery for repairing the same. It was burned in 1856. 

 The ground was broken for new shops and engine-house, 

 and the foundation laid in 1854, the old shops being too 

 small. The building was completed in 1856, and was dedi- 

 cated by a grand ball, September 4, 1856. H. E. Bur- 

 ringer, ticket-agent for the company at that time, sold 

 tickets for the ball. He has remained in the company's 

 service ever since, holding positions of responsibihty and 

 trust. 



The Erie shops, at Hornellsville, cover six acres of 

 ground, including two round-houses. The latter will 

 accommodate 42 engines. The car-shops employ 50 men ; 

 the machine-shops and round-houses employ 172 men ; be- 

 sides, there are 120 engineers and firemen on the Western 

 Division of the Erie Road, and 300 engineers and firemen 

 on the Buffalo Division. W. H. Van Deusen is chief clerk 

 of the shops. A. M. Rollins had charge, as general fore- 

 man, previous to 1851 ; in that year he was succeeded by 

 Stephen Hobbs, but was returned by Mr. Martin in 1854. 

 John Latham served as general foreman from 1859 to 

 1869 ; W. E. Cooper, from 1869 to Feb. 14, 1874 ; J. W. 

 Chapman, from Feb. 14, 1874, to June, 1878. G. H. 

 Griggs, present master mechanic, took charge of the shops 

 June 15, 1878. There are four yard-masters: A. A. 

 Dudley, William Branzen, George H. Bullock, and Ami 

 Osgood. Thomas Stoddard, baggageman ; Louis Hienderf, 

 railway police ; J. E. Neff", night police ; A. E. Brow, chief 

 telegraph operator. 75 men are employed in the yard, 

 freight-house, ticket-office, and around the station, under 

 the control of the station-agent, D. K. Belknap. 



The railroads add about 2500 to the population of Hor- 

 nellsville. The average monthly pay-roll of men living in 

 the village is, for the Western Division, $23,000, and for 

 all three divisions, $40,000. There are about 30 miles of 

 switching in the Hornellsville yard, and from 500 to 800 

 cars pass through the town each way every day. 



DANIEL K. BELKNAP 



was born in Bethany, Wayne Co., Pa., Mar. 17, 1828. His 

 ancestor, Samuel Belknap, emigrated from Wales, and 

 settled in the town of Windsor, Conn., about the latter part 

 of the seventeenth century. 



His great-grandfather, Abel Belknap, born in 1739, 

 married Elizabeth Stevens, and moved to Stillwater, Sara- 

 toga Co., N. Y., where he followed farming, and on his farm 

 was fought the ever-memorable battle between Gates and 

 Burgoyne, "The Battle of Saratoga." He was a soldier 

 of the Revolution, first ranking as ensign, and at the close 

 of the war as lieutenant of artillery. 



His grandfather, Abel Belknap, Jr., was also a soldier of 

 the Revolution, and after the close of the war moved to 

 Cherry Valley, Otsego Co., where he became one of the 

 early settlers. His children were five sons and three daugh- 

 ters, of whom Horace Belknap, father of the subject of this 

 sketch, was second, and was born at Cherry Valley, in the 



year 1792 ; married Susan, daughter of Joseph Skinner, of 

 Damascus, Wayne Co., Pa. The Skinner family were de- 

 scendants of Admiral Skinner, who was one of the first set- 

 tlers on the Dealware River, west of Port Jervis ; was 

 driven away by the Indians and Tories, and returned after 

 the close of the war. Horace Belknap followed farming 

 and lumbering; was in the war of 1812 as a musician (a 

 fifer), lived the most of his life in Wayne Co., Pa., and 

 died in Tioga Co., Pa., at the age of sixty-one. Of their 

 five sons and three daughters, Daniel K. was third child. 



He received only a limited early education. At the age 

 of eighteen he went into the busy world for himself, re- 

 solved to do whatever would bring an honest livelihood. 

 For five years he was with a company of civil engineers on 

 the Pennsylvania coal roads, and his experience in this new 

 business led him to desire more of a railroad life. Upon 

 the completion of the Erie Railway he at once obtained a 

 position, and for twenty-seven years has been connected 

 with that great highway, in various positions of trust and 

 responsibility. There are very few, if any, in the employ 

 of the Erie Company who can trace their business relations 

 with the road through all its administrations, as can Mr. 

 Belknap. And it is said, that during its entire length, no 

 man is better or more favorably known by all the employees 

 of the road. For eleven years he was stationed at Deposit, 

 N. Y., as agent, and for the past six years he ha'S been lo- 

 cated at Hornellsville. With all the changes in connection 



