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Franklinville

The campaign for President of the United States and the election in the year 2008 was an historic one for women.  A woman came very close to being the candidate for President on the Democratic ticket while another woman was chosen to represent the Republican Party for Vice President. 

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Franklinville

Miss Jessie McCaa of Franklinville became the only lady mail carrier in the United States as a result of a recent ruling of the Post Office Department.  She was demoted on account of her sex when the local post office went under a city carrier system.  Her many friends and patrons protested so vehemently that the Washington authorities reconsidered their ruling and allowed her to contrinue work.  This appeared under her picture in THE CHRONICLE in February 1927. 

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Randolph

Solomon Nichols (1796 – 1890) appears as “Col.

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Hinsdale
Scotts Corners

Hollis Scott store located at Scotts Corners, Hinsdale reported to be a stop on the Underground Railroad.

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Cattaraugus County

This article was written in 1962 by Bill Lamale for the Buffalo Courier Express and found on the fultonhistory.com website. It must be regarded as oral history, however, it gives us the story of Alfred Rice that has been repeatedly told in many articles through the years.  The Rice family lived past the border of Cattaraugus County. It has been said they were a strong connection to Cattaraugus County's "railway", often coming into the Franklinville, Cadiz area to pick up passengers. 

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Great Valley

From the Historical Gazetteer and Biographical Memorial of Cattaraugus County, N.Y.  Edited by William Adams.

Sylvester Cowles
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Cattaraugus County
Ellicottville

One of the principals in forming the Anti-Slavery Society of Ellicottville, NY in 1836

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Cadiz
Franklinville

The following is a statement in the information regarding Isaac Searle:  Isaac Searle’s daughter married John Burlingame. That union indicated there may have been a family connection to the Underground Railroad activity.

Helene Phelan in her book, And Why Not Everyman has listed the Burlingame home as a station on the Underground Railroad.  The tradition and oral history of this area of Cattaraugus County has included the Burlingame home as a station on the route slaves took north.   

Judge James Brooks
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Cattaraugus County
Olean

James Brooks was the son of Cornelius Brooks. Permanently settling in Cattaraugus County in 1808, after he had first arrived in 1806. . He took the oath of office as judge on May 27, 1817, the year Cattaraugus County was chartered.  According to the Everts’s History of the Cattaraugus County, “Judge Brooks was noted for his profuse hospitality, and it is said by one who knew him well that for several years prior to his death the family scarcely ever sat down to a meal without some visitor.”  The judge’s residence was known as the ‘Methodist Tavern’ or ‘House of Refuge’.

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Cattaraugus County
Versailles

Underground Railroad Stations by Eber Russell

The era preceding the Civil War for many years was marked by the activity of an open defiance of the Fugitive Slave Laws.  Dedicated and conscientious men who were opposed to slavery, made a business of helping escaped slaves on their trip to Canada where the Fugitive Slave Law could not touch the negro. 

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Olean

First Black Church
African Methodist Episcopal

The Barker Pettit Home in Versailles
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Perrysburg
Versailles

The Pettit family played an instrumental role in the Western New York Underground Railroad. Doctor James Pettit was born in 1767 and practiced in

map with location of Hiram Chapman Residence
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Versailles

Hiram Chapman the son of Thomas Chapman (1782-1846) and Anna Welton Chapman (1787-1863) was born April 9, 1810 in Jefferson, Schoharie County, NY and died April 8, 1889 in Versailles, Cattaraugus County, NY

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Yorkshire

Mr. Humphrey Smith died at the age of 108, Nov.4, 1892.  He was known as a n industrious and honest man. He was respected by all who knew him as reported in his obituary in the Springville Local News.

Illustration of Isaac Searl
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Cadiz

Isaac Searl was born on 03 October 1789 in the town of Whitehall, Washington County. He was one of fifteen children of Gideon and Hannah Searl. His biography in Everts, 1879 described him "as having an inbred love of truth and ever a faithful devotee at honor’s shrine in all the social, civil, financial and political relations of life.”

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Olean

    "Young Marse John and me waz born, dey say, de same day.  We growed up togeddar, and he was mighty nice to me.  He teach me de ABC's on de sly.  W'en Ol' Miss find out, she thrass us bot.  Bimby Ol' Marse die.  Mo'gage on de plantation.  I heah dey goin' sell de ol' silber, furntiture, me and dat kin' ob stuff. 
    "Nex' mornin'.  Marse John he say to me, 'dey going sell you ijnto Georgia.  Yo better go 'way and stay a while'.  No I say, who milk de cow?  'Cow milk herself,' he say.  I keep quiet, didn't say much".

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Leon
Leon Center

Genevieve was born on Earle Hill Road in the town of Leon, December 17, 1912.  Her parents were Merritt Jay and Anna J. Eddy Earle.  Grandparents, Thomas and Eva (Miranda) Eddy Earle, Jay Enos and Anna Mary Bush Eddy.  The farm was the home of the first settler James Wells and history claims this farm was used as a station for the Underground railroad.  This "railroad" crossed the state line near Sugar Grove, passed through Busti, Jamestown, Falconer, Ellington and then Leon.  There were two lines of this "railroad" from Leon. 

Baptist Church in Leon
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Leon
Sarah Johnson
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Olean

The following essay was written by a 12 year old student from Portville, NY.

The Underground Railroad was a passage to freedom for many slaves from the 1780's until the end of slavery in 1865. The penalty for assisting a fleeing slave was a $1,000 fine and imprisonment; all those involved showed great bravery. One of those valorous people was my heroine, Sarah Johnson.

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