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Avoca Township.

     Avoca was formed from the townships of Bath, Cohocton, Howard and Wheeler, April 12th, 1843. It is bounded on the north by Cohocton township, east by Wheeler, south by Bath, and west by Howard and Cohocton. The Rochester branch of the New York Lake Erie and Western R. R., passes through the township in a north westerly and south easterly course. The Cohocton river flows through the township, receiving several tributaries. The soil of the township is in the valleys alluvial, and upon the hillsides and uplands are clay and gravel, with a mixture of loam and is quite productive.

     The earliest settler was from Pennsylvania, in Wyoming valley. His name was William Buchanan. He and his son Michael came on upon the
recommendation of Genl. Charles Williamson in the year 1794, and kept a public house. It was known for many years as the tavern at the eight mile tree. Mr. Buchanan set out an orchard in 1795, some of the trees growing to an enormous size, and which are now alive. This eight mile tree or tavern, was on the Williamson road to Genesee. Soon after the settlement of Buchanan, other settlers came in, among them were James McWhorter, Hugh McWhorter, George Moore, James Moore, Gershom Towner, Finley McClure, Joel Collin.  A few years after this or by 1815, there were Asa Phillips, Abram Towner, Oliver Rice, Samuel Burnham, Allen Smith, Eleazer Tucker, John Donahe, Jonathan Tilton, Daniel Mackensie, William Moody, John Van Buskirk, James Davis, Henry Smith, Richard Van Buskirk, James Babcock. In that portion of Avoca taken from Howard in it formation, among the early settlers of that locality were William Goff,