The Town of Machias was formed from the Town of Yorkshire in 1827 and was enlarged in 1847 by annexing lots on its northern boundary again from the Town of
Yorkshire. The Town of Machias derives its name from the first settlers who arrived here from Machias, Maine.
Machias is covered by a portion of the "dividing ridge" (highland) which forms a
watershed of the Allegheny River and Cattaraugus Creek. The Western New York &
Pennsylvania railroad and the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg railroad both served
the Town and both had a station at Machias Junction.
The outlet of Lime Lake is the Town's largest stream, followed by Ischua Creek.
Lime Lake, in the northeast part of the Town, derives its waters entirely from
springs beneath its surface. This Lake is a charming summer resort
which offered, in earlier years, employment in winter for ice harvesting.
The first settler in Machias arrived in 1813 with the first saw mill and grist
mill built in 1820 and 1823 respectively. The first store opened in 1822, with
the first school house being built in 1827. The inhabitants which engaged mainly
in farming, with maple sugar manufacturing, and cheese making (1st factory 1866).
Machias village, earlier known as Machias Five Corners or as Chickasaw, (near
Lime Lake), in the 1890's, contained 3 churches, a school house (1827), a hotel,
4 stores, several mechanics' shops, a cheese factory, a postoffice (1827), 3
doctors, and a lawyer. This village also saw a tavern (1832), a hardware store,
grocery store, a watch manufacturing shop, a harness shop, 3 wagon shops, 3
blacksmith shops, 2 shoe shops, a cooper shop, millinery, and dress making shop.
Just outside Machias village was the County Alms House, a house for the care of
the "indigent and insane" of Cattaraugus County. Today, here stands the Machias
Nursing Home.
The hamlet of Lime Lake was the location of the first store, first mill, and the
first and only wool - carding and cloth-dressing factory in the Town of Machias.
In the 1890's, this hamlet consisted of a tavern (1830 ), a hotel, a grist mill
(1823), a saw mill ( Lime Lake Mills - 1835), a school house. A station (1893)
of the Western New York & Pennsylvania railroad was established here known as
Odosagi which is of Indian origin meaning "clear spring water".
Machias Junction, the junction of the Western New York & Pennsylvania and the
Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg railroads, had established in the 1890's, a post
office, a hotel, two stores, and a school house.
Summit Station, situated on the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg railroad in the
southwestern part of Machias, contained a post office (1888), and a saw mill
(1881 - Jewell & VanDewater).