“First Settlement” Monument Gets Much Needed Repairs
“First Settlement” marker, U.S. Route 20
The stone monument commemorating the site of Sheridan’s first recorded white “settlement” finally has a new concrete surround, thanks to property owners Tony and Rose Ann Falcone. The Falcones were pleased to donate the materials and labor, so that the site could be ready for its annual Memorial Day planting.
“Tony and I are only a part of the list of those who have taken care of the monument over the years,” Rose Ann said. Although the Town of Sheridan officially oversees the site, the historical society has always taken responsibility for planting flowers every May. Since joining the Society several years ago, the Falcones have happily taken up the charge.
“I have always thought the landmark was, and is, an important part of the history of Sheridan,” Rose Ann shared, adding, “We are proud to own the land around the site.”
When it was erected on August 25, 1904, the monument was in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Francis Webber’s purchase of the land in 1804. Although he was soon followed by members of the Stebbins family across the road, Webber was the first white settler to purchase land within the Holland Land Company township that eventually became Sheridan, New York. Early county histories also indicate that he kept an early tavern on site.
This year marks the 220th anniversary of this early milestone. That would be reason enough to celebrate the monument’s repair. The Falcones’ generosity adds another layer of appreciation. The elements had taken a toll on the existing skirting, leaving it too damaged for minor repairs. After receiving the blessing of town officials, Tony saw to the replacement of the concrete and also added fill before reseeding the surrounding grass. The grass may not be up in time for Memorial Day, but the flowers surely will be! The historical society is grateful to both Tony and Rose Ann for all they have done to keep the monument standing proud and strong.
How quickly a power outage can shock us back to the 1800s! How dependent we, in the 21st century, have become on electric lights and automatic heat – not to mention cable TV, internet, and phones. Lack of access to the outside world hits home with the realization that your emergency cell phone isn’t charged. So, when the power poles and cables just west of Sheridan Center toppled in 70 mph gusts, I traveled back to 1871 by necessity, and with curiosity.
Rather than tune to the news of the day, I lit two candles to explore an 1871-1873 journal kept by George E. McLaury, a former Sheridan resident. Two candles seemed fitting for this endeavor. My mother used to talk about how her father used one candle to read most of his print material. But when the Saturday Evening Post arrived, two were lit. Also, I was well aware that George McLaury likely recorded his thoughts by candle or kerosene lamp light. What follows is a glimpse of what my candle glow revealed about life in Sheridan at that time, along with additional background on this journal keeper.
George Everell McLaury, ca. 1900
George Everell McLaury (1838–1919) was a farmer best known in local history as supervisor for the town of Sheridan from 1898 to 1904. He was the son of Thomas Moore (1815-1879) and Hannah L. (1815-1867) McLaury. Eleven-year-old George appears in the 1850 federal census with his family in the town of Evans, N.Y. He arrived in Sheridan with his father in 1858 and remained in town, except for his time spent in Ohio during the Civil War. He and Carrie (Caroline) Eliza Jackson (1838–1916) were married August 27, 1860, and were enumerated in Sheridan in the 1865 New York State census. A map of Sheridan in The New Topographical Atlas of Chautauqua County, New York, 1867 indicates that George owned property on the north side of U.S. Route 20, a little west of what was known as Merrill Road in Lot 28. His father owned property in Lot 27 on the south side, across from Merrill Road. By 1881, it appears that they had switched properties, possibly in 1871; on April 1, 1871 he declared in the forward to his journal how he came to said property:
Have hired of Father his share of this place consisting of 26 acres together with his share of stock which consists of 3 ½ cows and heifers value about $170 – 2 calves value about $20 – 8 ½ sheep value about $25. for which I am to pay him $150 per annum & all taxes & if there is fruit he is to have what apples he wants to use
This note was followed by a further inventory of tools:
List of Farming tools & other personal property owned by me at present time as near as I can remember: 1 mowing machine, 1 plow, 1 Horse hoe, ½ Hay rack, ½ Double harness, 1 Single harness, 1 Single buggy, 1 Barn shovel, 1 ditching shovel, Hay fork (2 tines), 1 Hoe, 1 wool press, ½ each of the three horses & colts named Jim, Dick & Fanny.
He also stated he had only one large debt: “I owe $200 to Marcus Stebbins.”
McLaury’s property mapped out for crops. U.S. Route 20 runs in front of Sectors 1-3.
In an upper corner of the first page, George plotted out his property into sections, giving each a number – one through eight. Presumably, these sections referenced fields where specific crops were planted, along with his household garden.
McLaury was a steady journalist, starting out determinedly with a column for the weather and one entitled “General Remarks” followed by columns noting where he did his work, how long he worked, and “Specifications of Outgo and Income.” The general remarks revolved around how he spent his day, where he went, who he did business with or who came to visit. For example, on April 10, 1871, he wrote:
a little cooler, sprinkled some PM Rolled two acres plowed ground for Mrs. Hart Got stone for horse block AM Sold oats to Mr. Haskins. S. Morse changed 10 bu. oats for seed – plowed garden
The subsequent columns indicate that the garden was in Sector One on his map and he worked there for a quarter of an hour. Further, he purchased 10 pounds of catfish for $.70 and sold the oats for $6.40. Though well-intentioned, sector notations gradually decreased, as seen in this entry from early 1873:
January 7, 1873: Went to the woods to work – came home at 3 PM & found Dr. Bishop & wife & Alice Shelley & Ed McCreary
Other entries illustrate how neighbors helped each other in these and other farm tasks as time from their own farms allowed. Throughout the journal we see that George labored for his father and his neighbors as well as himself, sometimes for payment and other times in kind. Both he and Carrie were willing to lend a hand:
October 11, 1871: pleasant AM raining PM Helped McConnell thresh all day Eve [Evening] Carrie went to S. Morses to sit up with Mrs. Morse who has a baby about 36 hours old.
Most of George’s days were spent in seasonal farm work. Journal entries include crops of corn, oats, potatoes, hay, wheat, and clover. All of these individually needed his attention throughout the year, requiring the preparing of the soil, planting, cultivating, and harvesting for market or personal use. The horses George shared with his father helped him with fieldwork and travel. There was apple picking and cider making in the fall. He kept hogs, chickens, sheep for wool, and cows that produced milk for butter or cheese. George delivered milk to the factory near Beaver Creek. He attended cheese factory meetings and was elected chairman at one meeting. He also had a wood lot where trees were cut for lumber and fuel. Much of the off season was spent in drawing and sawing wood.
The corn crop in 1871 started on May 10 by preparing the field, planting corn and “dragging on corn ground.” By May 26 the “corn was nicely up.” On June 1 cultivation began and on June 16 George was “plastering the corn” which meant putting hydrated lime on the silk once the ears formed to keep the worms out. By July 1 some tassels appeared. On August 21 the corn was cut and the barn was filled by September 30. Husking commenced on October 3 and, on October 11, the stalks were put up. Eventually some of the corn was taken to the mill in Silver Creek.
A few days in July 1872 give an impression of the clover and hay harvest:
1st – Carried milk drove Fan [Fannie the horse] Mowed two acres of clover Raked part of it 2nd – Got in my clover 3rd – Cut 1 acre of clover in upper field & raked it up at night Eve [Evening] went to Brays to party 4th – Did not go anywhere Made some ice cream for Su Ensign Eve went to M. J. Tookes & got basket of cherries Eve Kate Hart here 5th – Cut a little clover & stirred out some that had got wet Went to Fredonia Carrie with me Eve went to Lodge on foot 6th – Worked at hay all day 7th – Went to church morn Children’s meeting Eve J. M. Bray preached 8th – Finished cutting my grass Cultivated some PM & raked up my hay Charley Andrews came 9th – Got in my hay Charley helped me PM Charley & I went to Lake Charley took cars [Erie Railroad] at center 6 PM Helped My [Myron] Davis get in some hay
On September 26, 1872, the McLaury farm was ready for the thresher, though it didn’t arrive until dinner time. They got 66 bushels of wheat and 15 bushels of oats. It rained all day the following day, so no threshing took place. But threshing moved nearby to Otis Ensign’s property on September 28 to continue.
November and December saw the butchering of hogs, young heifers, and an occasional sheep with participants receiving portions of the meat, as indicated in this entry:
November 25, 1872: Helped My Davis butcher D Carpenter D Convis & My Davis and myself killed 6 Went to Center after Su Aunt Becky here
Holidays seemed to pass quietly, though some witnessed unrelated events. July 4, 1871 brought a rained-out picnic, though folks later came to see “the little boys have their bon fire and fire balls.” On May 30, 1872, George quietly mentions going “to Fredonia for grave decoration.” Christmas 1871 had elements of both the expected and unexpected:
December 24,1871: Went to church Carrie heard M Bray Eve went to church heard Bray talk some & 25 S School scholars repeat as many verses
December 25, 1871: Christmas Tinkered some Johnny Pattersons horses ran with him from the Center to Chesbros before he could stop them Peter Frye came and took Belle to Silver Creek to take the cars for Angola
December 26, 1871: Went to town to see Grand Duke Alexis of Russia went on foot The train which he was on did not stop causing disappointment to a great many people Got a ride to Center with Grant Griswold from there to Rilys [sic] with Sam Patterson Eve Carrie went to see Aunt Hannah [The Grand Duke was traveling around the country and was passing through on his way from Buffalo to Cleveland.]
Christmas 1872, meanwhile, passed amid news of horrible tragedy in the town of Portland. At least 20 people were killed on Christmas Eve when a passenger train went off the trestle at Prospect Station and the cars erupted into flames. George recorded the following:
December 24, 1872: Very cold & Stormy – awful accident today at Prospect Station on Crosscut RR 26 killed Went to Silver Creek PM
Sample expenses (above) & income (below), as reported in the journal
In January 1872, there were big doings in the county that George attended:
January 16, 1872: Chored around some getting ready to go to Nashville Father drew home his straw Eve Carrie & I went to church (paid preacher $6.00) [Chores appear to be the daily tending of his animals or seeing to things around the house as specifics are rarely mentioned about those duties.]
January 17, 1872: Got up early Took it afoot to Forestville Took 8 o’clock train Billy Ensign got train to stop at Turners bridge to let me off [William Ensign was a railroad brakeman and George’s next door neighbor.] Walked from there to Nashville Joined convention Saw Mrs. Norman Brown Staid all night at Nevins (RR fare $.25, conference ticket $.50, candy $.05)
January 18, 1872: Attended convention all day Eve staid all night at Nevins
January 19, 1872: Attended convention all day Walked to Smiths Mills & took train to Sheridan Center Staid to Lodge Came home found folks abed Ambrose Cash & wife here (RR fare $.20)
As there were no refrigerators in the 1870s, ice was an important commodity for preservation:
January 23, 1872: Rigged up wagon & went to cheese factory to get ice Drew two loads before dinner Came home and found Uncle A D Jackson & daughter Drew one load of ice just [sic] night
January 24, 1872: Drew two loads of ice which was all the house would hold Eve went to church
Throughout these years, George McLaury was a faithful worshipper, attending choir practice on Saturday evenings and church, sometimes twice, on Sundays. Only severe weather or illness kept him at bay. He attended the Methodist Episcopal Church at Sheridan Center which had its beginnings about 1808 and its first structure built in 1833-34. Several different preachers were mentioned in the journal, but J.M. Bray and E.D. McCreary appear frequently.
George speaks often about “Lodge” which seems to be in reference to the Good Templars in Sheridan. In one post he got the Good Templar mail, in another he arrived at the Good Templar Hall [possibly Tooke’s Hall that eventually became the Sheridan Grange] to help prepare it for an event, and in a third he attended the G. T. Lodge and Festival. Other entries on this topic include:
November 24, 1871: Husked some Eve went to Lodge Debated with Bray on question of Resolved that the present license system is a detriment to temperance.
February 2, 1872: Went to woods about noon & worked until about 3 o’clock Eve went to Center to Good Templars was installed W. C. T.
February 19, 1872: Worked around the house until noon PM went to Republican caucus Eve Went to Fredonia with Bray to Public installation I. O. of G. T.
A separate source states that George McLaury was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) Were some of his lodge meetings for this organization?
George was active in civic and political endeavors. He was a Republican and cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Besides his terms as town supervisor, George served the community in other ways. In the Gazetteer andDirectory of Chautauqua County, N.Y. for 1873-74, George’s father Thomas is listed as a town assessor. It appears George assisted him, then took over that role for many years. Several journal entries talk of assessing properties and meeting with the other assessors. About 1899, he became a justice of the peace.
At the Sheridan centennial celebration on August 31, 1904, in his last year as Supervisor, George gave one of several speeches commemorating the early settlement on the Collins property. It began:
We meet today to glance over the course along which the past century has come to us. The fruitage of a full hundred years has been gathered into God’s great storehouse.
The full speech and other details of this event can be found in the Sheridan section of The Centennial History of Chautauqua County, Volume II (1904).
George wrote several other essays in his day. Though his journal was concise, his way with words in essays reflected his educational background. He attended school at Eden Center, Forestville, the Fredonia Academy, and Evandale Academy of Angola. He attained a teaching certificate in 1875 and taught in a district school some winters. In August of 1871, George wrote an essay for the “Harvest Home” picnic. A few days later he consulted Dr. Bishop “for criticism on the essay.” He also noted an essay he wrote for Sunday School on the life of Joseph.
Opening entries of McLaury’s journal, dating to April 1871
Community events received more ink than regular daily activities:
July 11, 1871: warm & sunny Went with milk rained hard PM went to George Morses bot hog ($8) & then to S. Center to law suit between road corn & Beman Butler.
July 26, 1871: pleasant Went on to Baldwins hill to see about place to hold picnic Elder Bray and WR Miner with me Concluded to hold picnic there PM went to Silver Creek to get my horse shod Carrie went to Albert Stebbins Came back & took supper at Abs
August 16, 1871: Went to picnic at Baldwins Grove rode with band from Forestville My [Myron] Davis took my team & carried ice cream & Harry Shelley to grounds I read essay on Harvest home S. Clark of S Creek spoke also Prof Peate & Bro Bray Had ice cream saloon to pay expenses of band Worked in it all day Came home tired and dusty
August 20, 1871: Went to north woods & fought fire nearly all day It came near to catching on Philip Browns house We wet roof & wind changed a little so we saved it Fire burning in Micah Englishs & also on Pattersons wood job
March 15, 1872: Went down in the north woods to see about RR accident Accommodation train off the track Engine & Baggage car in the ditch & nobody killed and only Fireman & Engineer not Brakeman on wricking [sic] train killed last night. Watched them getting cars on track until 2 o’clock & then came home Eve went to Lodge on foot Rode home with Marvin Morse [An accommodation train is one that stops at all or nearly all stations.]
At this time people traveled on foot, by horse, horse and buggy or wagon, or train. George recorded his travel expenses as a matter of course. Often, neighbors would give each other a ride. George would report that someone would ride back with him from meetings or he with them.
On September 21, 1871 George went to the Fair (ticket $.50), took notes for the Chautauqua Farmer, later wrote up the notes, and then took them to the Farmer office in Forestville. In October, George also attended an international fair in Buffalo taking him three hours to get home.
As the entries below illustrate, there were celebrations and entertainment like picnics, speakers, overnight visitors, sugar parties, and concerts when the weather cooperated.
September 5, 1871: pleasant Went to Charlotte with Otis [Ensign] and wife to Kate Hart’s picnic Started at 8 AM got back 6 ½ PM
February 8,1872: Worked in woods PM AM tinkered bob sleighs Eve went to concert at Fredonia Su Ensign & Kate Hart with us After concert went to Abe Tunkeys they gave us some refreshments Got home about midnight The Concert was given by Co convention (concert $1.00) [Abram Tunkey was a blacksmith in Fredonia.]
February 13, 1872: Went to Center to get my boots tapped Otis with me could not get them done Eve started to go to concert at Fredonia but when we got to Rush Miners it stormed so we turned around and came back to Convisses & staid part of eve [It stormed for two days following.]
At the end of March 1872, George summarized his year in his “Outgo and Income” columns:
Household expenses including charity & leisure about $160.00 Had on the whole a poor season Stand just about as I did one year ago Whole amount sold for year about $425.00
Occasionally, George would become introspective for a moment as noted in these two entries:
August 27, 1872: My Birthday Can it be possible that I am 34 years old today May my future days be spent in a better manner than those that are past – Plowed nearly all day with Fannie.
April 1,1873: Two years have passed since I commenced keeping this diary How swift time flies May each passing year only serve to make me better prepared for Eternity Got 200 dollars from Kate Hart to pay Marcus Stebbins – split some wood Mr & Mrs Stebbins here Eve
George paid off his “one large debt” in two years. He also paid rent to his father as money came in, sometimes in cash and other times in product as in this example:
April 30,1872: I finished planting my potatoes Fathers garden Turned yearlings into woods (rent $75 – 1 ½ in potatoes)
Deaths, births, marriages, and sickness were recorded. Among the funerals George noted were: Mrs. Caroline Edmunds, Amelia Eldred, Mr. McBride, Uncle Tyler Featherly, Ed Tuttle (he and George Durfee were killed by inhaling gas while digging a well), Minerva Baldwin, Leroy Perkins (killed on railroad), Uncle Bill Griswold, Mrs. Albert Homan, Jack Davis, Mrs. McConnell and Mrs. Van Schoonhoven. The graves of several of these folks can be found in the Sheridan Center Cemetery. Some of the family surnames can also be seen in period atlases showing the location of family residences.
1867 Chautauqua County atlas showing McLaury properties in Lots 27 & 28 and their closest neighbors.
On August 2, 1872, George entered this simple statement at the end of his entry: “ Marlow hung today.” Charles Marlow was a brewer in Jamestown, NY who was accused of killing William Bachmann. Details surrounding this incident can be found at https://www.murderbygaslight.com/2013/11/the-marlow-murder.html. It was an event that marked the times.
On a more pleasant note, George wrote of the birth of his daughter in what follows. (This blessed event and the plans leading up to it were nearly missed. Two candles were not the enough when reading faded 150-year-old ink and inadvertently skipping a page.)
February 8, 1873: Went to Rush Miners to get Lydia to see Amanda Carrier about working for us as Su [Ensign] is about to get married PM went to Silver Creek with Su Could not get Amanda so I engaged Nett Baldwin. [Nett commenced work on February 10]
March 5, 1873: Went to Su Ensigns wedding She was married to H Miner by Rev. McCreary & then left for Falls
March 16, 1873: Took Mrs. Johnson home very cold & windy. Nett went home & staid nearly all day Eve Carrie taken sick Went after Dr. Bishop at Silver Creek at 9 o’clock & got back about 11 Old Mrs. McConnell died today
March 17, 1873: Carrie sick – little girl baby born at 3 o’clock AM – staid in house all day PM went to Forestville after Aunt Rebecca
The next three days George “staid around the house.” The baby was named Emma, but in all entries following her birth she is referred to as “baby.” Emma E. McLaury (1873–1944) in time was to be known as Elsie. She married Almon Louis Cook (1872–1945) and together they had three children: Everell A., Elsie, and Rachel. Rachel (1908–1984) married William Hohenstein (1908–1989) and they had three children: William, Shirley, and Roger.
Life events continued after the baby was born:
April 26, 1873: Plowed Nett Baldwin left
April 27, 1873: Staid home & took care of baby
June 19, 1873: Mrs Hart married today to Mr Barker
Many surnames mentioned in the document are very familiar to Sheridan: Davis, Baldwin, Merrill, Ensign, McConnell, Collins, Featherly, Patterson, Chesbro, Griswold, Johnson, Tooke, Mead, Munson, Shattuck, Carpenter, Miner, Newell, Stebbins, and Morse, to name a few.
George McLaury appears to have been a healthy man. Rarely an ailment was mentioned, though during a week of putting new shingles on his roof, he did pause for a “sick headache.”
In between major crop endeavors, George “chored around,” “tinkered up some fence,” drew wood, got horses shod and harness oiled, repaired equipment, washed sheep, “fussed with yearling,” went to the Center for mail, got a haircut, visited neighbors “of an evening” who were “plucking geese for market,” and participated in all the other minutia of daily life.
Eventually daily chores, working the farm, family responsibilities, and other obligations led to the shortening of his journal entries, as seen in the following notes from July 1873:
July 13, 1873: Baby Sick… Dr. here yesterday & today
July 14, 1873: Baby a little better Finished cultivating potatoes Fixed reaper Cut around my wheat
July 26, 1873: Rainy AM Dr came and lanced babys neck Father Jackson & Carries Uncle Holbrook here
July 27, 1873: Did not go to church on account of baby being sick
The last entry was August 17, 1873 and simply said, “Went to church in Paynes church.” August 18, 1873 was without comment.
On one page towards the back dated November 13, 1874, George drafted the beginning of a letter seeking to hire someone to teach in a district school. It was followed by lines of letters as if practicing his cursive script. At the very back was a page recording receipts and payments.
This was a serendipitous journey. It supplied a multitude of details of daily life in early 1870’s Sheridan and its people. As I blew out the candles on that dark, dark night, I no longer had to imagine what it was like for George E. McLaury, his family and neighbors to live at that time. I had taken a brief tour through the seasons of his years to appreciate his hard work and dedication. Many thanks to Roger and Romaine Hohenstein for the loan of this wonderful primary source document as well as other of their family artifacts donated to the Sheridan Historical Society.
The Society finished 2023 by paying tribute to its two longest continuously serving members: the indefatigable Mary and Richard Langworthy. Although Mary and Dick have had to step back from their activities in recent months, they remain stalwart supporters of the Society and its mission.
Mary’s time with the group began over 25 years ago, when the late Vera Bell and Beatrice Mirth started to gather a sizable collection of Sheridan artifacts (many from their own families) in the unused second floor of the former town hall (now the Sheridan Historical Center). Mary was one of a handful of people who came together to support the women’s efforts. Together, they resurrected the town’s defunct historical society and, in 1999, began the arduous task of getting the Society chartered by the New York State Board of Regents.
With no heat in the “collection room” at the town hall, the devoted few poured over the chartering requirements at Mary and Dick’s West Sheridan home. Joining the effort were the couple’s daughter, Traci, and former Sheridan Town Clerk Julie Szumigala, both of whom remain active in the SHS. After several evening mega-meetings, the voluminous paperwork was nearly ready to send to Albany. The last step was for the group to adopt its constitution and bylaws and elect its first-ever Board of Trustees. With that accomplished in January 2000, the petition for chartering went in the U.S. mail, with Mary’s signature as SHS president. June brought the good news: The SHS was officially incorporated in the state of New York.
Mary arranging visitors display
Mary went on to serve in various offices through 2022. All told, she has logged 15 years as president, five years as vice-president, and three years as secretary. No doubt, she would still be a regular at events were it not for a serious injury she suffered in late 2021. Dick, too, enjoyed a stint as Society president, serving in that role between 2003 and 2005 before taking up the treasurer’s post for 11 years, from 2009 to 2019.
The couple’s combined years in office hardly tell the full story, however. As Virginia Becker, a founding board member, described it, “Mary and Dick Langworthy embody the loyal qualities of service to an organization. In their many years of involvement with the historical society they have been in the forefront of making it visible and viable. Mary and Dick have contributed greatly in making the society what it is today.”
Dick grilling hot dogs at a fundraiser
Indeed, it might be said that the Langworthys’ lives have been intertwined with that of the Society. Seldom has a major project been undertaken since 2000 without Dick and Mary being part of the team. As the Society’s unofficial facilities manager, Dick has tended to everything from annual furnace inspections and pest prevention to building repairs and exhibit construction. Mary was a driving force behind the Society’s involvement in the town’s 2004 bicentennial celebration. The couple also worked diligently to help the SHS purchase the current Historical Center in 2015.
Although it might have gone without saying, the SHS board used the occasion of this past Christmas to make sure the couple knows how much they are appreciated. On Dec. 8, members held a surprise party in their honor at the Sheridan Memorial VFW Post No. 6390. Dick was on hand to receive the group’s gratitude firsthand. Well wishes and gifts were sent to Mary at Absolut Care in Westfield.
These official gestures were not without more personal meaning. Current Treasurer Susan Bigler noted how much she has learned from the Langworthys, both in and outside of their mutual Society work. “I will forever be grateful I have gotten to know them,” she said. As for their contributions to the SHS, Bigler added: “I really can’t say enough about how Mary and Dick have been so instrumental in the continuation of the historical society, and how they kept it operating, with Dick maintaining the building and keeping the books for a long time and Mary leading us as president and contributing so much to everything we have tried to accomplish. It certainly has not been, and will never be, the same without them at our meetings.”
“Although my parents can’t be as active as they once were in the group, I know they will continue to support the Society’s work as they are able,” Traci Langworthy said. “I also know how much they appreciate the group’s words of support and thanks,” she added.
The most fitting words of tribute may be those offered by the couple’s niece, Lori Mayr, who has served as the Society’s president since 2018. “For many years our SHS has been blessed with two dedicated individuals. Their ideas, support, and passion for our mission have remained steadfast,” Mayr said. “No words can truly express our gratitude for their efforts to keep Sheridan history alive,” she concluded. “Mary and Dick, we honor and love you!”
The historical society will be presenting a display in Floral Hall during the Chautauqua County Fair commemorating the life of Congressman Daniel A. Reed, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for the district including Chautauqua County from 1919 to his death in 1959. Congressman Reed was a native of the town of Sheridan and made his home in Dunkirk for most of his adult life, when he was not in Washington D.C. He is now buried in Sheridan Cemetery on Center Road. The display will show some of his accomplishments while in service of our country and highlight the seven presidential administrations he served under.
The fair runs Tuesday, July 18, through Sunday, July 23. Floral Hall is located at the front of the fair grounds, on the corner of Central Avenue and Waldorff Road.
A ceremony is being planned for Saturday, Sept. 23, at 1:00 p.m. to dedicate a plaque to be placed at his gravesite in Sheridan, which acknowledges his service in the U.S. Congress. The plaque has been funded by the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, the Reed family, and various local donors. The ceremony in September will be held at the gravesite with a reception following at the Sheridan Historical Center.
U.S. Rep. Daniel Reed is the subject of the society’s booth at the 2023 county fair.
When you travel U.S. Route 5 through Barcelona, you cannot miss the old cylindrical lakeside structure that looms next to the road. Join us at the Sheridan Historical Center at 7 p.m. Monday night, June 19th, to learn more about the Barcelona Lighthouse through an informative presentation given by Cristie Herbst, President of the Chautauqua County Historical Society. Among other details, Cristie will describe how Barcelona became an important port on the Great Lakes and what led to its decline. Refreshments will be served following the presentation.
This is the first of our SHS events planned for summer 2023. Please see below for what else is in store!
The Historical Center is located on the corner of U.S. Rt. 20 and Center Road in Sheridan, New York.
New Effort to Honor Rep. Daniel A. Reed Aims to Revive Town Pride
Last fall, SHS Trustee Susan Bigler began a special fundraising drive to raise money for the installation of a historical plaque honoring the late Rep. Daniel A. Reed, a 20-term United States Congressman who called Sheridan home. This spring brought the welcome news that our goal has been met, thanks to the generosity of many individuals.
The final seed money comes from a Community Benefit Grant in the sum of $655 from the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation. When combined with the donations of the Town of Sheridan and several local individuals, the grant will cover the cost of a long overdue tribute to one of Sheridan’s most distinguished citizens.
Although a historical marker stands outside Reed’s boyhood home on Center Road in Sheridan, no special tribute exists at his final resting place in Sheridan Center Cemetery. In the article that follows, Bigler shares more of the congressman’s history and what inspired her to spearhead this community project.
SHS President Lori Mayr and Treasurer Susan Bigler display check for recent NCCF grant
By Susan Bigler
The Town of Sheridan is divided by zip codes and by school districts. A sense of community has been lost. In order for a Sheridan identity to continue, we need things in common. My idea to revive our pride took me to Daniel Alden Reed and the proud history he represents.
The library at SUNY College at Fredonia is named after Daniel Reed. The pier at Barcelona has his name. We don’t give it a thought. But who was he, anyway? A house on the corner of Center and Chapin roads in Sheridan has a marker in its yard with perennials growing around it. What is that for? How many folks in Sheridan know the answer, that it was the boyhood home of Daniel Reed?
U.S. Rep. Daniel A. Reed
Daniel A. Reed was born in Sheridan, N.Y. on September 15, 1875. He attendedprimary school in the one-room schoolhouse No. 3 in Sheridan and graduated from Silver Creek High School. He went on to earn a law degree from Cornell University and establish a practice in Dunkirk. He coached college football, including for his alma mater, Cornell. Later, he presented local lectures and was instrumental in organizing municipal chambers of commerce. During and immediately following World War I he organized Liberty Loan programs, a Red Cross fundraising drive, and a food conservation program. President Herbert Hoover next appointed him to a commission studying post-war food needs in England and France.
Then came the part of his life for which he is most known today. In November 1918, he was elected to the United States Congress to represent our area, then part of the 43rd Congressional District. The district covered Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties. (Boundaries and district numbers have changed over the years.)
Early in his congressional career, he became chairman of the Committee on Education where, ahead of his time, he twice attempted to pass a bill to establish a Department of Education with a cabinet secretary. This effort did not become a reality until 1979, under the Carter administration. Meanwhile, Congressman Reed continued to be re-elected. He served in the United States House of Representatives for 20 consecutive terms. He was the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee under President Eisenhower. At the age of 83, he fell ill and passed away in Washington D.C. in February of 1959.
Rep. Reed’s grave, Sheridan Center Cemetery
Now, how many Sheridan residents know that this man who played a significant role in our national government for 40 years has a final resting place in the town of his birth? He is buried in Sheridan Center Cemetery on Center Road. If you look for an imposing monument adorned with floral tribute, you won’t find it. His gravestone is a modest rectangular stone with only his name and life dates.
I have a vague memory of the funeral procession when he was buried, but only second-hand because I was 6 years old and in grade school. I’m sure my memories stem from pictures and stories. Those who grew up in Sheridan a bit earlier remember the day. For a time, the gravesite was attended. I believe it was surrounded by a hedge for a while.
Before Memorial Day last year, my cousin and I were in the cemetery with flowers for our family graves. I don’t recall how the subject of Daniel Reed came up, but conversation must have led to it somehow and I remarked how I didn’t remember where he was buried. My cousin remembered the general area and we found it. I was appalled by what I saw. Rep. Reed was a national public servant, with positions of authority in Congress and by presidential appointments. His constituents obviously respected him to have re-elected him to office so many times. Yet his final resting place was all but forgotten, with no flag or flower. It just didn’t feel right. From now on, we hope to remedy that.
No matter what his politics were, Congressman Reed dedicated his life to serving his country and the people of his district. Upon his death, he was described by his fellow congressmen as a gentleman of strength, integrity, and courage, with service above self. Such a man deserves to be honored and serve as an example still today.
Much as we honor our military servicemen and women with commemorative plaques on their graves, I felt that such a plaque belongs on the grave of Daniel Reed for his service to his country also. It should be different, since he served in a different way. But I resolved to begin raising money to erect an appropriate marker. I received some nice donations early on. The historical society then agreed to back the project, enabling us to apply for grant money from the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, which was gratefully received.
These funds have enabled us to purchase a plaque from Mark Woolley of Riles and Woolley Monuments. Woolley will also help with an upright frame for the plaque, so that it will stand behind Daniel Reed’s stone. Any further donations anyone would like to contribute will be earmarked for this project and will go toward maintaining flowers at the gravesite yearly until the funds are used up.
A ceremony is planned in the cemetery for Saturday afternoon, September 23rd to dedicate the plaque. A reception will follow at the Sheridan Historical Center, where attendees will also have a chance to view the historical displays. Residents of Sheridan are encouraged to attend to learn about one significant part of our town’s history of which we can all take pride.
Daniel A. Reed’s legacy also has meaning beyond Sheridan, to the other two counties he represented in Congress and beyond. The honors bestowed upon him by SUNY Fredonia and the Barcelona harbor show his contribution is recognized outside of his hometown. Shouldn’t it be recognized by his hometown, as well? If this helps in any way to revive our pride, it is worth the effort.
The town of Sheridan has a proud history. But it is forgotten too often. Current residents may think of Sheridan as a quiet rural town, removed from all the development happening elsewhere. But Sheridan has been at the center of a lot of important history, as Congressman Reed’s legacy reminds us. I believe that some of the reasons we can be proud of our town can be reestablished, and hopefully encourage interest, growth and revitalization.
Merritt Family Artifacts Return to Sheridan, by Way of Cornell University
By Virginia Becker
The Covid pandemic raised havoc among educational institutions, shutting down most to the public. With no in-person visitors to serve, many institutions devoted extra time to evaluating their collections. Sometimes duplicate examples of artifacts are discovered in an inventory, and it may be beneficial to deaccession (remove) the items from the collection. Such was the case for the Cornell Fashion and Textile Collection in Ithaca, N.Y. with eighteen pieces of children’s clothing and shoes that had been donated to Cornell several years ago by a graduate from Sheridan, N.Y.
Child’s wool lace bonnet, leather shoes, and pink stockings from the Merritt family, early 1900s
Initially, the collection’s curators offered the items to the Chautauqua County Historical Society at the McClurg in Westfield, N.Y. As it happened, the McClurg was also conducting an inventory and found it had enough examples of this type in its textile collection. But since the items were originally worn by Sheridan residents in the early 1900s, a representative of the McClurg suggested the Sheridan Historical Society as a suitable home. In the fall of 2022, Lisa Romano, a trustee for the society, drove to Ithaca to pick up a box that included children’s booties, shoes, stockings, a bib, a bonnet, cotton dresses, and a nightgown. All of the items were part of a large collection of clothes and patterns donated to Cornell in 2009 by representatives of Rachel Merritt. They had been worn by Rachel and her brother as young children.
Rachel Alice Merritt (1904 – 1995) was the daughter of James Tooke Merritt and Luella Moon Merritt, the second of four siblings. Her mother died shortly after Rachel turned three. She and her brother, James Manley Merritt, appear to have remained with their father, while their older brother and younger sister, Nelson Herbert Merritt and Barbara Grace Merritt, went to live with their grandparents, Nelson G. and Alice T. Merritt, and Aunt Bessie Merritt. Barbara was just 4 months old at the time. Rachel subsequently had four half-siblings after her father remarried.
In addition to being a thoughtful preserver of family artifacts, Rachel was also a distinguished graduate of Cornell University, which was no small achievement for a woman of her era. A brief biography on Rachel’s Findagrave.com page states that she graduated from Cornell University in 1928 and received a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College. She taught homemaking in Alexandria Bay, N.Y. and was a home demonstration agent near Massena and for Broome and Otsego Counties. She served with the New York State Cooperative Extension Service for 32 years and was Assistant State Leader of Home Demonstration Agents when she retired in 1963.
Rachel was brought home for burial near her mother and father in the Sheridan Center Cemetery. Over one hundred years after they were worn, a portion of Rachel’s childhood clothing made it back to Sheridan as well.
The year after we moved to Sheridan [1923], the Main Road was paved from the corner east toward Silver Creek. The following winter we had quite a bad ice storm and the boys were able to ice skate to school [District #6] two days on the pavement. It was not dangerous because there was very little or no automobile traffic. During the winter there were a number of bobsleighs on the roads as there was generally snow on the ground from late October until late March. Usually the bobs were hauling wood, hay or feed. The boys spent a good lot of their free time on their sleds hitching rides behind the bobs for a ways up or down the road and then catching another bob going in the opposite direction.
At that time there had not been as many wooded areas cleared. The trees provided protection against strong winds and the lake froze over smoothly for a couple of miles out. We used to go ice skating off the end of Center Road. After skating, we went to the Light House and Frank Kraft, the owner, would make us an oyster stew. Ray Tuttle, who lived along the Lake Road, told me that when they were kids going to District #2 school, the boys used to go skating during noon hour on the lake. They would skate out to meet other skaters from Canada, return to home shore, and get home at the regular time from school so their parents did not always know of their trip on the ice.
Over the years the climate in the Sheridan area has changed a lot. At one time the snow was so deep that kids could walk on the drifts along Center Road and touch the telephone wires. It took the county plow almost all day to clear the road between Route 20 and Route 5. Of course, heavy snow removal equipment was not available at that time. As I remember, I think it was in February of 1934 that the temperature did not get above zero, even at noon with the sun shining.
Leo Tucker with his great-great granddaughter, 2005
Local Historian shares tale of disaster on Lake Erie
Silver Creek Historian Louis Pelletter presents a September SHS program on the 1838 burning of the steamship George Washington
By Virginia Becker
A full house of local residents gathered at the Historical Center on September 22 to hear Louis Pelletter, Village of Silver Creek historian, share his research regarding the steamship George Washington. The ill-fated vessel burned on Lake Erie about three miles off the harbor at Silver Creek, NY.
Pelletter prefaced the horrific story by explaining that his journey in uncovering the facts was fraught with inconsistencies. He cited several examples of reports that did not agree. In particular, which way the ship was headed, was it her maiden voyage, what was the actual date, who was the captain, how many were on board, and how many perished? Ferreting out the true details of an event make the journey of the historian all the more interesting, if not at times frustrating, and also make for a fascinating presentation.
After much research with many sources, the truth of the event began to emerge. The George Washington was a side-wheeled wooden steamship built with a boiler in 1837-38 in Ashtabula, Ohio. This was an early age for ships powered by steam and not all the new technology had been worked out. On June 16, 1838, the ship was traveling west from Buffalo to Cleveland with Captain Brown in command and some estimated 80 to 100 passengers. Sometime between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., it was discovered that the Washington was on fire, probably starting in the boiler. The attempt to point the ship towards shore was thwarted by the wheel rope steering mechanism. The ropes burned through thus leaving the ship uncontrollable and finally stranded. As an aside, Pelletter stated that the steering ropes in steamships were being replaced by iron rods. Had the iron rods been installed, the event might have had a different ending.
Pelletter explained that Silver Creek had a wharf built by Oliver Lee in the 1820s off Jackson Street. The harbor was deep enough at that time to allow lake ships to load and unload cargo. Someone on horseback alerted the people of the community to the fire, and several came to assist in the rescue using their own boats moored nearby or at the dock. The steamship North America was on the lake at the time and returned to assist as well. Meanwhile on the ship, passengers tried to escape the fire anyway they could. Some loaded onto a small onboard boat. As luck would have it, the ropes jammed. When it eventually slammed into the lake, some of the passengers spilled out. Others on the ship jumped of their own accord to escape burning to death, yet succumbed to the cold Lake Erie waters and drowned. Still others remained on the ship and were severely burned. The exact number of victims is not certain, but it’s been estimated that about 50 people died in the incident. Because the ship’s manifest and passenger list was lost to the fire, not everyone could be accounted for.
As with most tragedies, there was an investigation as to what went wrong and who was responsible. Some blamed the ship’s poor construction, others the owners and management or Captain Brown (who survived) and his crew. But in one rather weak rebuttal, it was stated that had the passengers remained calm, they all could have been saved.
Pelletter applied for a grant to purchase a historic plaque commemorating the tragedy of the steamship George Washington. He will place the plaque near the “Burning of the Steamship Erie” plaque at the George Borrello Park on Front Street in Silver Creek, N.Y.
After the presentation and questions, visitors remained to greet each other and share stories. Refreshments of cookies, brownies, pumpkin cake, and lemonade were served on the porch.
For greater details on this historic event and many more related facts about early Silver Creek, visit Louis Pelletter’s Facebook post at: https://www.facebook.com/2071493269600058/posts/the-tragic-end-of-the-steamship-george-washingtonby-louis-f-pellettersilver-cree/4939289689487054/ or by Googling “The Tragic End of the Steamship George Washington” by Louis F. Pelletter.
“Age of Homespun” Comes to Life in Early 19th Century Coverlet
By Virginia Becker
It’s hard to imagine today, in this era of machine-made everything, the amount of time and craftsmanship that went into making one particularly beautiful heirloom that found its way to the Society this past year. The woven wool coverlet is an impressive artifact of the early nineteenth century “Age of Homespun” with a stylish floral pattern in blue and white (pictured above). It arrived with a set of equally interesting treasures, including a hand-woven linen tablecloth, a silk shawl, a daily journal, and a family history of the White and Gould families to whom they belonged.
The journey of how they came to Sheridan is an interesting one that spans five generations. To tell this tale, we must initially acknowledge former Sheridan Town Historian, Mary Gould Miner, her brother Benjamin B. Gould, as well as several other descendants for keeping and sharing their histories over the years.
A pivotal person in this story is Mary Jane White who married Newell Gould of Sheridan in 1839. They made their home on a King Road farm that was crossed by the Erie Railroad. Prior to marriage, Mary Jane lived with her parents, Benjamin and Deliverance (sometimes Dilla or Delia) White and with three sisters (Catherine, Eliza, and Juliaett) on a Harmon Hill farm in Pomfret, N.Y. Eliza married James Renne, but upon his death, returned to live with her sisters and mother. Catherine and Juliaett never married.
A letter from St. Louis dated August 24, 1960 and written by Ben B. Gould after the death of his sister Mary Gould Miner describes the coverlet beautifully as:
a homemade woolen bedspread, large and heavy, of double thickness. I think that there is no doubt that it was made of wool that was grown at home, and was spun and woven at home. Woven in two of the corners is the label ‘Catherine White – 1837.’ It is rather dark blue and white. Wherever it is blue on one side it is white on the other. Part of the pattern looks like small trees but the main figures are daisy-like flowers with eight petals. It has at some time been slightly damaged by moths but there are no holes in it and you would have to search carefully to fine any traces.
Whether Catherine did all the work on the coverlet herself is not known for certain. During the 1830s there were local professionals who could provide services for carding, dyeing, weaving, and dressing cloth. An 1835 advertisement by Charles Simpson, an itinerant weaver who seemed to have settled in the area, states: “The subscriber informs those who have heretofore patronized him, and the public generally, that he has again commenced the weaving business at Laona in the building directly in front of the brick Woolen Factory, where he will be to attend promptly to all calls in the above line. Having for a good many years made this his business he has no doubt of his being able to give the best satisfaction. His prices will be moderate and terms of payment easy.” At other of Simpson’s earlier locations in the state we learn that he used a Jacquard loom for coverlet weaving.
Inset of coverlet showing Catharine S. White’s name and the date of 1837
Since Laona was just a short ride down Harmon Hill and Webster Road from the White Farm Catherine might have used Simpson’s services. The fact that Catherine’s name and date were woven into the piece also suggests she may have done the weaving herself, much like a sampler being signed by the stitcher. A second supporting fact for Catherine being the weaver is a linen table cloth that the family is sure she wove. Although a different type of loom would have been used, it does establish the craft as one she knew. However it came to be, the coverlet is beautifully done and recognized by all as “a wonderful antique.”
Family history suggests that Catherine came to live in Sheridan with her sister Mary Jane and her family. Censuses through the years have her placed on the farm in Pomfret through 1870. She died in 1872 and is buried with her parents in the Webster Road Cemetery. It is believed that she had cancer and perhaps came to stay with Mary Jane during her illness. Eliza and Juliaett, who stayed on the Harmon Hill Farm for a few years after her death, are enumerated in Sheridan with Mary Jane Gould by the 1892 New York State Census. It is certain that if the coverlet had not already resided in Sheridan at that point, it came with the sisters at this point along with the linen tablecloth and the silk shawl.
Julius and Martha Gould and their children (Mary, William, Benjamin, and Elizabeth) lived in the Gould homestead on King Road. Though Benjamin Gould never knew Catherine White, he did know Eliza Renne and Juliaett White because they “made their home with Grandma in the Gould house, keeping house in the west wing of the house.”
After the death of Julius Gould in 1925, Mary Gould Miner had the responsibility of disposing of all the Gould family possessions. The coverlet came to Benjamin. When Mary died in 1960, Ben wrote a letter to his niece, Mary Jane Brender Niemann, offering the coverlet to her. In turn, it came to her daughter, Nancy Niemann Palmquist, who made the trip from Indiana to donate it to the historical society. From its creation on a hand-operated 19th-century loom to its hand delivery by a 21st-century caretaker, the coverlet is a testament to the dedication of all the individuals who have played a part in its story.
As there were no refrigerators in the 1870s, ice was an important commodity for preservation:
