Articles

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. 

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.

This information is from:  http://orbitist.com/2014/07/07/anti-slavery-activists-in-the-1800s/

By Douglas H. Shepard

This location is Private property.

This information is from: http://orbitist.com/2014/07/07/anti-slavery-activists-in-the-1800s/  Note from Sue M. Cross, Town of Mansfield Historian. Chamberlain is another of the men that helped to free the wife and son of run away slave Joseph (Jo) Norton whose tale is told in Eber Pettit's Sketches in the History of the Underground Railroad, ed. Willard McKinstry, Fredonia, Ny 1879. William Pitt Angel from Ellicottville, NY was another whose signature was on the letter to Hon. E. T.

This information is from: http://orbitist.com/2014/07/07/anti-slavery-activists-in-the-1800s/

 By Douglas H. Shepard

This location is Private property.

Information from:  http://orbitist.com/2014/07/07/ant

One evening, in the fall of 1895, a group of Leon people met in the Albert Ackler Cheese Factory on Wells HIll to discuss organizing a Grange.  It was decided to call Deputy E. C. Ferguson from Conewango for the purpose.  Mr. Ferguson met with these people October 7, 1895 in the Leon Hotel, and from the twenty-two charter members, the following members were elected as its officers:
-Worthy Master - Hiram Crofoot
-Overseer - Harrison Franklin
-Lecturer - Mrs. M.G. Peckham
-Assistant Steward - Mark Gorsline
-Gate Keeper - Aras Wood

The Plumb brothers, Joseph (1791-1870) and Alvin ( 1802-1877) were active abolitionists. Brother Ralph (1795-1865)  may also have been an abolitionist  However, at this time we do not have the documentation to make that claim.

This location is private property.

“The Old Remington Place” in the town of Ashford was a station on the Underground Railroad.  Conductor Joseph Remington spent many years assisting run away slaves on the road to freedom.