Yates County, New York

Businesses in the Town of Jerusalem

From the History of Yates County, NY
published 1892, by L.C. Aldrich

pg . 425 - 426

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Businesses of Jerusalem    

Thus was the village of Branchport established.  From the beginning made by ELLSWORTH and BOOTH, there has been built up in later years the third village of importance in Yates County; likewise it is one of the three incorporated villages of the shire.  However interesting it might be to the reader to see here the succession of operators in the various branches of mercantile and business pursuits, those usually found in every trading center, it can hardly be done with reliable accuracy; still, some of the earlier merchants can be called by name, among them Ellsworth & Booth, William D. HENRY, Peter YOUNGS Sr., Lawrence & Smith, Harvy I. ANDRUS, Goodrich, Easton & Co., Solomon D. WEAVER, Myron H. WEAVER, Bradley SHEARMAN, Frederick PARRIS, James H. GAMBY, John LAIRD, Asa E. PETTENGILL, Peter H. BITLEY, Clark RIGHTER.  Nearly of all those, during their time, were general or country merchants, keeping stocks which embraced dry goods, groceries, hardware, drugs and medicines, boots and shoes and in fact almost every commodity incidental to average country stores.  However, drugs were the special stock kept by Bush & Andrews, Elliot BUSH, L. J. BEDDOE, Robert BOYD, Tomer Bros., T .B BOYD and James H. GAMBY.  Hardware dealers were James T. DURRY, C. J. HATHAWAY, and Joel DORMAN. 

The present business interests of the village of Branchport mayb be summed up about as follows: Parris & Stever, general store; Alfred E. HAYES, dry goods and groceries; William JOY, general store; Charles BEAN, druggist; David PARRIS as successor to Parris & Boyd, foundry, basket factory and planning mill; Philip WHEELER, builder, planing and matching; Edwin MATTISON, harness shop; S. S. Ellsworth & Co., lumber, coal, lime and cement; George S. WEAVER, lumber dealer; Jasper C. SHULL, proprietor of the Branchport Hotel.  

The first post office in the tow was  established in 1824, called Jerusalem, was located near the ancient Havens Tavern.  Nathaniel COTHERN was its postmaster.  He was succeeded by Henry LARZELERE, who held the position from 1826 to 1832, when the office was discontinued.  At Branchport, a post office was established in 1832, the incumbents of which have been Spencer BOOTH till 1849; Myron H. WEAVER till 1853; William S. BOOTH till 1861; Bradley SHEARMAN, succeeded by Peter H. YOUNG, and the latter by his wife, Almeda YOUNG; she having held office for 27 consecutive years.  An office was established at Shearman’s Hollow in 1841 and at Kinney’s Corners (Bluff Point) in 1850.

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