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Notes taken from Newletters of Thelma Rogers Genealogical & Historical Society

These notes are property of Thelma Rogers Genealogical and Historical Society. Copyright©2004 Thelma Rogers Genealogical and Historical Society.  The information may be used for personal research, but, cannot be used in any commercial manner without the express permission of the Society.

 The following is excerpt from the November 2004 Newletter of the Thelma Rogers Genealogical and Historical Society.

Newsletter Editor - Shirley Engle 

ECHOES FROM THE ARCHIVES

FIRE AT CITY HALL

 This is a follow-up to last month's article on the building of Wellsville's City Hall in 1895. Thanks to Jane Pinney for providing the research for this article.  

December 1918

"The Demon Fire came near robbing Wellsville of its three story City Hall and Fire Department Headquarters." At 8:30 in the evening alarms brought a thousand or more spectators. Smoke poured from the second and third floor windows. "There was all kinds of help, everybody wanted to help everybody else and there was no less than 450 bosses on the job and Chief Wright had as much trouble getting control of the men as he did of the fire." The fire was, however, quickly put out with damage of approximately $1000 covered by insurance.  

Dec. 27, 1918

The barn behind City Hall burned under "mysterious circumstances," killing a team of grey horses belonging to the city and destroying most of the equipment.  

April 1, 1954 (Webmaster Note: Pictures of fire by tapping here: 1954)

"Early this morning a major blaze broke out in the upper floors of City Hall and smoke settled onto Main Street as thick as fog." Fire Chief Russell Dye summoned help from Scio, Belmont, Allentown, Willing and Cuba via the County Mutual Aid Radio System. "The good work done by the firemen in limiting the fire to the building where it started was considered one of the finest jobs ever done by a volunteer fire department."  

However, the building could not be saved. The top floors were gutted and the building considered destroyed.  In addition to village offices and fire department headquaters,  equipment and meeting rooms, the City Hall housed the police department, jail, Red Cross offices, an archery and rifle range. Insurance on the building was $37,000 and $2250 on the fire alarm system.  

When the remains of the building were taken down it provided an opportunity to extend Madison Street to the river. In 1956 a new Fire and Police complex was built between Park Ave. and the river, near Madison St. In 1971 the complex was forced to move again, this time to South Main St., when the state took the property for an arterial to bypass Main Street.

The following is excerpt from the October 2004 Newletter of the Thelma Rogers Genealogical and Historical Society.

Newsletter Editor - Shirley Engle

ECHOES FROM the ARCHIVES 

With the buildjng of a new jail getting underway, it seemed like a good time to look at a proposal for building a jail in 1895. The following is taken from a document at the museum containing a proposal to build the Wellsville Town Hall, including a jail. It is not clear whether this proposal was accepted. It is not signed and no costs are given. Wellsville did build a Town Hall(also known as City Hall) in 1895.

 "Specifications for the erection of a brick Town Hall to be built on the lot recently owned by William Duke on Main Street in the village of Wellsville in accordance with drawings made for the same by C.S.Story, architect."

 Van Dorn Iron Works of Cleveland, Ohio, submitted the following plan for the prison to be located in the basement of the building.

          4 cells in a 10 x 14 space, each cell measuring 7 x 5 x 6 ½  feet high. Walls and tops were of iron grating with spaces of 3 ½  x 11 3/8  inches between the bars. Each cell was supplied with a bunk of iron, canvas or plank and an iron bucket. In the area outside the cells was one water closet and an iron sink measuring 20 x 40 inches.

 Ceiling heights (I'm not sure why these varied so much)

          Basement - 8-10 ft. in the clear Fire .apparatus room - 17 feet Police justice room and rear of main hall - 12ft. 3 inches Front of main hall - 15 ft. 3 inches Voting room - 14 ft. 2nd floor - 11 V2 ft.

          3^rd  floor - Firemen's Hall - 19 ft. 5 inches at center, 13 ft at side wall

 Interior finish

          1^st floor -  wainscoted 4 ½ ft. high with North Carolina pine

          3^rd   floor - Firemen's Hall and all rooms to be wainscoted 4 ft. high

 Exterior

Roofs to be covered with best quality Bangor Black Slate Corrugated" painted iron to cover hose tower on 3 sides

Tin roof on the rear of the 2 story part, bell deck in tower and deck on main roof.

(Excerpts from) JUNE 2004 NEWSLETTER

"MUSEUM NOTES"

    The museum will be open from 10-2 on Saturday June 26, as part of Alumni Weekend.  Everybody, not just alumni, will be welcome.

    "BOOK AVAILABLE"

    Christina Wightman's re-publication of Martha Howe's 1963 History of the Town of Wellsville is available at the museum for $15.50.  The book has been updated and includes pictures.

"WHAT'S IN A NAME"

(The following information on names of Allegany County towns was taken from various scrapbooks at the museum)

• It was a dark and stormy night in 1832 and Gardner Wells decided to stay home from the town meeting.  His fellow townsmen named the new town Wellsville in his honor.

• Angelica was named for Angelica Schuyler Church.  Her son, Phillip Church chose the name for the town he founded.  At one time Church owned most of what is now Allegany County.

• Phillip Church had two towns named for him.  Belmont was originally called Phillipsville.  Phillips Creek was also named for him and retains that name, though at one time it was known as Squintville for a local tavern owner who was often seen on his porch squinting down the road, looking for customers.

• Belvidere,  meaning beautiful view, takes its name from the Villa Belvidere, the name Phillip Church gave his home, built nearby.

• Belfast was originally called Orrinsburg or Orrsburg, later Buttsville, for Martin Butts.  When residents decided to change the name again, heated arguments broke out.  Justice of the Peace, John McKean, suggested the name of his former hometown, Belfast, Maine and the name stuck.

• Scio takes its name from a Greek island.  A massacre by the Turks took place there in 1820 and was much in the news.  Daniel Webster made a widely reported speech about the event and in 1823 residents chose the name for their town.

• Alma was named for another place in the news, the battle in the Crimean War on the River Alma in Russia in 1854.

• Almond, according to local legend, was named because at the town meeting called for the purpose, someone passed around a plate of almonds.

• Friendship was once called Bloody Corners or Fighting Corners.  The name was changed to make the location more attractive to newcomers.

MAY 2004 NEWSLETTER

Author, Author!

Wellsville can claim to be the birthplace of two best-selling 20th century authors.  Charles Monroe Sheldon and Grace Livingston Hill were not only born in Wellsville, but, were both children of ministers of the First Congregational Church.

Charles  Sheldon was born February 26, 1857, and followed in the footsteps of his father, Stewart Sheldon, to become a Congregational minister himself.  In 1896, while serving a church in Topeka, Kansas, he wrote, In His Steps, one of the world's best selling books, selling over 8 million copies, and at one time outselling everything but the Bible.  The book was originally presented as a series of sermons to a youth group at his church.  The book explores the moral side of political and social questions of the day.  It is written as a novel, portraying citizens of a fictional town who vow to ask "What would Jesus do?" before making any decisions in their daily lives, and to "act regardless of the results to ourselves."

Grace Livingston Hill was born in Wellsville in 1865.  Her father, Charles Livingston was pastor of the Congregational Church from 1864-1867.  She began writing as a child, influenced by her mother Marcia, who wrote stories for magazines, and her aunt, Isabella McDonald Alden, of Almond, NY, who wrote popular children's books under the name "Pansy".  Mrs. Hill wrote books for young women, stressing religious values and usually featuring a young heroine who overcomes adversity to find true love.  The books, though not always appreciated by literary critics, have been read and loved by generations of women.  At the time of her death in 1947, Mrs. Hill was working on her 80th novel and over 4 million copies of her books were in print.

(Information for the above article was taken from museum files, history files at the David A. Howe Public Library and from First Congregational Church history files.)

FEBRUARY 2004 NEWSLETTER

100 years ago

From Wellsville Daily Reporter of January & February 1904.

"If you have been complaining about the cold winter and the price of gas (and who hasn't) you can be glad you didn't have to deal with similar weather in 1904.  January 5 the temperature set a new record for cold, 42 below zero.  Many people heated with gas and the cold spell caused gas pressure to be low, making it difficult to heat homes to a comfortable level.  School was closed because of the inability to heat the classrooms to more than 40 degrees.  Due to the breakage of a gas line pump in Wirt, the towns of Angelica and Belfast had no gas at all.  The paper stated "the man who has a wood pile is the envy of his neighbors."  Apparently it was still cold January 19, when the Reporter announced "sleighride parties will be suspended until the weather moderates."  The cold continued, with brief warming periods for most of January.  Those who harvested ice were assured of full ice houses.  Low gas pressure continued to cause problems at least through February.

January 27 the Richburg Baptist Church, known as the "brick church" burned.  That Sunday morning being unusually cold, a wood fire was started in the furnace and due to a faulty flue, set the basement on fire.  The building was saved due to the Ackerman Hose Co. and Bolivar Hose Co., but sustained $2500 in damage and was not insured.

The imminent opening of Dunkin Doughnuts (Wellsville 2004) had a parallel in 1904.  Doughnuts or "fried cakes" were sold for the first time in Wellsville.  Reuning's Vienna Bakery, next door to First National Bank, advertised the first doughnuts for sale at 8 cents per dozen.

Everyone today is talking about diets and keeping trim.  Quite the opposite was true 100 years ago.  The best selling item in Smith and Teeple's Drug Store was Miona, a "remarkable flesh forming food," guaranteed to help you gain weight or your money back."

DECEMBER 2003 NEWSLETTER

The following items were taken from the Wellsville Daily Reporter from November and December 1903

November 25 - The remains of a mastodon found near Belvidere will be sent to the National Museum in Washington.

County Court - Fred Phillips of Almond, proprietor of the Farmer's Hotel, was indicted on the charge of allowing gambling in his hotel by playing cards and giving out of drinks and cigars.

Carrie Chapman Catt, the noted woman suffrage speaker, will deliver a lecture in Wellsville Dec. 1, under the auspices of the Anthony Club, at the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Dec 14 - 8 inch ice is already being cut by the ice men.  A few more days of zero weather will start the ice harvest in earnest.

10 nice sweet oranges for 25 cents at Scoville Brown and Co.

Scio - Charles Dean sold his drug store stock of goods and business to Miss C.E.Chapin who has conducted a drug store at Whites Corners near Whitesville.

The issue of village dissolution is not a new one.  This article appeared Nov. 17, 1903:  "WILL REMAIN A VILLAGE - Proposition to Revoke Village Charter of Canaseraga Defeated by Large Majority - At Canaseraga Tuesday a special election was held to decide whether the village should be given up and the people return to a town government.  Wisely the citizens favorable to progress turned out and defeated the proposition by an emphatic majority.  So pleased were the citizens who had stood for sidewalks, street lights and other modern improvements when they heard the result of the election that the band was assembled and the village turned out in large number last evening to celebrate the glorious victory."

November 2003 Newsletter

Echoes From the Archives

Wellsville's Water & Light - A Few Highlights

     There is no date given for Wellsville's first public water supply, but it is most likely in the 1840s that the town well first existed at the corner of Main and State.  Residents, who paid a dollar a year for the right, were given a pump handle which gave them access to the public well.

     Prior to 1915 water and power were controlled by private companies.  In the 1860s a water well was dug on Madison Hill and in 1883 the village granted W.S. Kuhn a franchise to develop a water system.  A reservoir was constructed on Niles Hill, supplied by springs and a pump station built on West State to distribute the water.  In 1883 new hydrants were installed to supply water to the village, including much needed water for fire fighting.  In 1896 a brick powerhouse was constructed on W. State Street, and in 1897 electric lights first appeared on Main Street.

     In 1915 the village purchased the privately owned water and power companies.  The following year a new reservoir was constructed on Madison Hill.  For many years, beginning in the 1920's the village provided free steam heat for public buildings including the High School, hospital and library.  This practice was discontinued in 1961.

     In 1926 the village electric system connected with Niagara, Lockport and Ontario Power Corp. to obtain additional power as needed.

     In 1929 a water intake was constructed in the river, a joint venture with Sinclair.

     In 1930 utility poles were removed from Main Street and the lines placed underground.  A new 10 inch cast iron water main was also installed.

     In 1961 a contract was signed with the NYS Power Authority to produce all of Wellsville's power.

     A water bill in the museum files, dated 1892 shows a quarterly charge of $4.40 and lists the following rules.

     No consumer shall permit others not members of his family to use water from his pipe or hydrant.

     Hydrants, taps, water closets, baths, etc. will not be kept running when not in actual use.

     Sprinkling streets and lots is restricted to 4 hours per day unless through a meter.  Nozzles larger than one fourth inch are not permitted.

September 2003 Newsletter

Echoes From the Archives

     Those of us who have lived in Wellsville since before 1969 will realize that the Main Street building recently demolished and referred to in newspapers as the Burrous building was for most of its existence the Scoville Brown building.

     Scoville Brown and Co. was a wholesale grocery business serving western New York from its Wellsville location.  The company also operated a retail grocery at the Main Street site.

     Scoville Brown officially traces its history to 1886 when a co-partnership comprised of Luman Scoville (the financial partner), Joseph H. Brown and George Rosa replaced the earlier Scoville Thurston and Brown formed in 1883.

     In 1886 the store consisted of two connected buildings and a frame warehouse, all of which had been in existence for some years.  The business began a local delivery service by horse and wagon and soon prospered by emphasizing quality and service, growing from 2 managing partners and 3 employees to 30 employees by 1901.  At its beginning it was the only store in Wellsville to sell only groceries.

    In 1896 the retail store was rebuilt and a brick warehouse replaced the wooden one behind the store.  In 1902 another warehouse was built next to the railroad tracks, containing a coffee roaster and a refrigeration plant.

     Scoville Brown developed its own brands, Gold Cross and Hearts Delight.  Gold Cross Coffee contained coupons which could be redeemed for cookware, cutlery and even furniture.

     In 1915 the store was extensively remodeled, turning the two buildings into one and adding office space.  In 1918 trucks were added to supplement delivery by rail and horse and wagon.

     Even during the depression the business prospered, paying a 7% wage dividend to celebrate its 50th anniversary in January 1936.

     In 1950 the store was again remodeled and made self service, but home delivery was retained.  The business continued to grow, with 1958 being the peak year, with sales of $3 million.  However the business began feeling the effects of competition by larger companies and in 1969 closed its doors, ending an era of service to western New York.

JUNE 2003 NEWSLETTER

EARLY SCHOOLS IN WELLSVILLE

part II

(information from History of the Town of Wellsville by Martha Howe and from the museum files)

     By 1859 the village of Wellsville had grown enough to need more than a one room school, though these continued to serve the rural districts well into the next century.

The picture at the left is of the first Union Free School, which opened January 16, 1860 on the main street site (presently the library site).  The budget for salaries for the principal and 3 teachers was $1000.  The first high school class, 5 students, graduated in 1863.  Two of these became teachers there the following term.

In February 1876 the school above burned.  A new one was built at the same site, pictured left.  The new school became known as the Wellsville Free Academy.  5 teachers were employed.  In 1882 an academic department was added despite opposition to the cost

(library and scientific equipment were required by the state) and the school became known as the Wellsville Union School Academy.  The first class to graduate under the system in 1885, was made up of 9 students.  In 1885 a large addition was built.

     In 1891 this building burned and was replaced by one built of brick and stone.  However, in 1909 this one also burned, though part was saved and the school rebuilt.  Once again, in 1924 fire struck again.  The following year a new high school was built on a site on West State Street and remains standing today.

MAY 2003 NEWSLETTER

EARLY SCHOOLS IN WELLSVILLE

The earliest school district now known as Wellsville is said to have been held as early as 1809 or 1814, depending on which source you read, by teacher Ithamar Brookings.  It would have been in the area now known as Elm Valley, where the Dyke family and other early settlers lived.  The exact location is unknown.

While many of us may have a mental picture of early one room schools, with rows of desks, a wood stove and a teacher's platform, the earliest buildings in our area may have been considerably more primitive than that. 

According to historian Hazel Shear, the first school in what is now the village of Wellsville was built in 1832 at the northeast corner of Main and State (present site of Rite-Aid) and taught by Huldah Hall.  It was a log building, raised in a single day by citizens fortified by a good supply of whiskey.  Early residents recalled the enormous fireplace on the back wall.  Into the stone back wall, one end of a large, curved stick was inserted at each side of the fireplace, 5 or 6 feet from the floor, with the other ends resting on a beam supporting the upper floor.  Another timber was placed crosswise here for the front of the chimney, built on the wall and these three timbers.

A paper written by Miriam Thornton Fisher in 1948 states that one early school was located across the railroad tracks and behind the (later) Scoville Brown store.  She describes the building as crude, with a fireplace in the middle of the room and a hole cut in the roof to let the smoke out.  Martha Howe, in her history of Wellsville, tells of a school, opened in 1837, at the southwest corner of Broad and Mill (Fassett) Streets, near the railroad, used until it burned in 1842.  Could this have been the same building?

The next school, another one-room building was built in 1845 on Main Street, near Welcome Coats' property, on lot 3.  This would have been near the present Main and Madison St. intersection.  At the time, the site was considered "out in the country in the woods" because only three houses had been built between that property and the present site of the Country Club on Riverside.

This building probably looked more like the schools we picture in our minds.  It was described as a gable roofed building with two doors opening into one room, with a platform between the two doors.  The desk of teacher Hamilton Shaw occupied this platform.

APRIL 2003 NEWSLETTER

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY  

100 YEARS AGO

(from the Wellsville Daily Reporter 1903)  

March 28 ,... There is no doubt that automobiles will soon be a common sight in Wellsville. The point of contention at present is who will have the first machine Messrs. E.V. Sheerar, HA Higbie, Oak Duke and M.D. Haskins will be joint owners of a steam machine of 12 horsepower capable of carrying six people and good for a speed of 30 miles an hour. It is manufactured by the Mobile Co. of America and cost $1800. The Oldsmobile, a gasoline machine, will be in use here more than any other make of machine. Mrs. Duncan McEwen has ordered a runabout of this type, which manager Durnell expects to have running on the streets next week, while JA Rider, who has purchased two Oldsmobile runabouts and one Oldsmobile tonneau, expects to go to Rochester the first of the week and run one of the machines to Wellsville. The others axe expected to arrive by the 15th of April.  

March 31- the newspaper reported that the Locomobile touring car purchased by the four gentlemen named above and the Olds runabout purchased by Mrs. McEwen had arrived at the Erie station and would be unloaded that day. The following week, advertisements indicated that JA Rider would be the local dealer for the Oldsmobile.  

April 6 -- Mr.lsaac Fassett returned this morning from New York City where he has been spending the winter and expects to remain permanently in town. Mrs. Fassett will not return until June, when her son Lee wil1 graduate from Columbia Law School .  

Dr. Will Spargur is attending a meeting of the Allegany County Dental Association in Belmont this afternoon.  

Miss Furman's dancing school will be held at the city hall on Thursday evening.  

April 12 - Richart's soda fountain will open for the season tomorrow.  

April 16,..- Judge Farnum left this morning for Kingfisher Cottage on Seneca Lake , to be there in time for the opening of trout season. The lake trout are never caught with hook and line bu t in spring the fish run into the shallow water and the game law permits spearing them.

MARCH 2003 NEWSLETTER

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY  

100YEARS AGO 

(from the Wellsville Daily Reporter 1903)  

Large flagstones from the Hurd quarry are being placed in position in front of the Hanks Insurance Office and other stores in the old Opera House block.  

Ground has been broken for photographer T.H. Sweeney's new residence to be erected on West State Street next to Mrs. E. C. Palmer's.  

The Wellsville Telephone Company now have over 200 subscribers on their list. A new book was issued Friday by   Manager R.A.Stout.  

The name of William Dillon was proposed for president of the village, but he emphatically declined the honor. RA. Crittenden, Captain George Blackman, Oak Duke, George Wilcox and C.F. Vincent were in turn proposed, but each declined. Grant Duke was then unanimously nominated and fortunately for the peace of the caucus, was not present to decline.  

The smoothest drink on earth is Kola, Celery and Pepsin, taken alone or in whiskey. It contains no alcohol and is good for the nerves and stomach. All bars and saloons have it.  

1953  

Erie Fares (from Wellsville)  

New York $21.45 

Cleveland $16.85