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George Leonard White
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People
People of the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
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Cadiz

Abolitionist

George Lenoard White was born in Cadiz on September 20, 1838.  His father Willam was the village blacksmith and his small white house and shop were located on Main Street at the crossing of Ischua Creek.  His father was a devoted Baptist who often led village prayers.  He believed in the Temperance Movement (prohibiting the use of alcoholic beverages) and was proud to proclaim himself as an Abolitionist.

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People
Military
Civil War
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Farmersville
Franklinville

Marvin Older was born in Middletown, Delaware on August 22, 1810.  He was one of 16 children born to William and Hannah Older.  The family moved to Otisco in Onondaga County where they remained for 3 years.  Marvin used to say that during that time in his life nothing notable happened "except that I invariably stood at the head of the class in district school, from the fact that there were but two in the class, and one of them at least was lamentably underwitted, which of course was the other fellow".

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People
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Cadiz
Franklinville
Hinsdale

Benjamin Howard was born in 1817 in Schoharie County and first came here in 1842.  He settled in an old hotel on the northwest corner of the crossroads at Cadiz.  For several years he ran this hotel.  This was a highly traveled stagecoach route for stages between Pike and Ellicottville and from Olean Points to Buffalo.  His house was one of the principal stops along the way.  It was not unusual for 40 to 50 teams loaded with goods to stop there daily.

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People
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Mansfield

James M. Smith was the son of Amasa and Mercy Burroughs Smith. He was born in Marcelllus, NY on September 5, 1813.  When James was 15 years old his father moved the family westward.  Amasa had been a soldier in the War of 1812 and moved to Mansfield, NY settling on Lot 39 in 1828.  Amasa served as justice of the peace as early as 1834. He died on November 24, 1846. 

Postcard photo of Covered Bridge
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Themes
Transportation
Roads
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Delevan (Village)
Yorkshire

It was April 13, 1820, when the town of Yorkshire was formed and the first town meeting was scheduled to "be held at the house of Robert Steele, in said town, on the first Tuesday of March next".  At this meeting on March 6, 1821, town officers were elected to the positions of supervisor, town clerk, assessors, collector, commissioners of highways, overseers of the poor, and commissioners of common school. The first supervisor elected was Samuel G. Sulton.

Albert France of Red House, NY
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People
Industry
Lumber
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Salamanca

TOUGHEST MAN IN TOWN.

The toughest man ALL AROUND. This is ALBERT FRANCE, who's nick name was "Ab". Albert France was born in the France Brook area of the town of Red House, back in 1839, and lived his entire life there, as he Died in 1897, at the age of 58 years old.

Mr. Giles Stoddard Jr, his wife, Sarah and their son, Theodore
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People
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Salamanca

An extremely old and rare photo from the early 1860s, showing Giles Stoddard, Jr., his wife Sarah and their first born, son Ted(Theodore). 

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Themes
Transportation
Roads
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Lyndon

Early on the Township [of Lyndon ] was divided into sections and all the 'roads' therein were under the direction of path masters or overseers. These people directed the efforts of the residents on each road in maintaining them and making improvements and reported to a town commisssioner.

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Themes
Industry
Recreation
Agriculture
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Lyndon

Lydon prospered and peaked about 1870. Farmers owned their farms and had money in the bank. Cheese factories were busy and even a narrow gauge railway skirted the eastern end of Lyndon on its way from Rushford to Cuba. Then the decline set in as settlers, particularly their children, began to move further west to more productive land. The lure of steady income from the growing industrialization of the country drew even more people away from the farms.

Picture of the barn and home
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National Registry Historic Site
Themes
Agriculture
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Salamanca

This article is a reprint of news from September 26, 1913. It was found in the September 25, 2013 issue of the Randolph Register:

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Coldspring
Randolph

The following report is a reprint of news that happened one hundred years ago in September 1913. This article was taken from the Randolph Register dated September 25, 2013:

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Seneca Nation of Indians
People
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Coldspring

This article about person being placed on the Erie railroad tracks near Red House was found in a newspaper section titled,

“From Old Times in Randolph”: printed in the Randolph Register, dated September 25, 2012:

September 12, 1888

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Folklore
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Coldspring
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School Houses
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Great Valley

This horse drawn school bus may be one of the earliest vehicles to transport students to school. This was used in the early 1900s in the Killbuck area.

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Mansfield

Locating information related to old buildings in townships is very difficult.  The Fish Hill Tavern in the Town of Mansfield has held interest for many years as one of the resting stops on the Old Chautauqua Road.  This article from the viewpoint of Mr. Windsor is another tale of the area. 

Photo of Fish Hill Tavern
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National Registry Historic Site
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Mansfield

This house, long known as “Fish Tavern” was built in the early 1800’s by Nathaniel Fish, who came here from Sandwich, Mass., March 1, 1812. Shortly thereafter he built this house and opened it as an inn or place of entertainment, the first in the town of Mansfield, then named Cecilius.

This house, the first frame house to built in the town of Mansfield, being located on the Chautauqua Road, was a  welcome haven of rest for many a weary traveler moving west during the “Great Migration”.

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South Valley

Note:  The Town of EIko, formerly a part of the Town of South Valley, was annexed to Coldspring and South Valley when the Kinzua Dam was built on the Allegany River.

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Themes
Recreation
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Franklinville

Park Square - The Trial

Park Square in Franklinville, NY was the place for community gatherings for many years. Here is a little background of events that were not always positive.

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Folklore
Tag Municipality:
Lyndon

The following excerpt is from the Journal of Roy Van Hosen (1873-1964). Roy was a printer and publisher in the village of Franklinville, New York.

 

Picture of the Miller Block in Allegany, NY
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Allegany

This is a photo of the Miller Block in the village of Allegany that was built by John Miller in 1883.  Photo circa 1893-96.

The buildings are still there, minus the 3rd floor that was lost to fire in the 1920s.

Picture submitted by F. Potter

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