New York
|
RESOURCES | Steuben
County New York |
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Canisteo.
Canisteo township was originally known as Williamsburgh. This was when it was in the county of Ontario. But when the county of Steuben was formed from Ontario in the year 1796, it assumed the name of Canisteo, and was one of the six original townships in Steuben county. In point of
settlement it is the second in the county. It is the earliest settled township on the Canisteo river, as Painted Post is the earliest on the Conhocton or
Tioga.
Canisteo is bounded on the north by Howard, east by Cameron, south by Jasper and Greenwood and west by Hartsville. Much of its original territory
has been detached to form new townships. A part went to form Troupsburgh in 1808 and 1818, Hornellsville in 1820, Jasper and Greenwood in
1827. The Canisteo river passes through it from the west to the east, and the New York, Lake Erie and Western R. R. follows the valley of the Canisteo.
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The valley of the Canisteo is from half a mile to three-quarters of a mile in width. The flats or bottom lands are very productive. The hills on either
side rise to the height of about four hundred feet above the valley, where table-lands are found well adapted to grazing and the dairy. The ''Canisteo
Flats" were when discovered and entered upon by white men, covered with a very heavy growth of wild grass.
EARLY SETTLERS.—In the year 1788, Solomon Bennett, John Jamison, Uriah Stevens and Richard Crossley, from Pennsylvania, entered the upper valley of the Canisteo, from the east, and determined to locate there. In the following year they came on and cut a large quantity of grass, cured it,
and otherwise made preparations for a permanent settlement. They were originally from Connecticut and the eastern states, but had settled in the valley
of the Wyoming, under the Connecticut title previous to the revolutionary war, and at that time, (1788,) there was likely to be serious trouble between
the state of Pennsylvania, and the Connecticut claimants as they were termed, that these gentlemen determined to abandon their lands in Pennsylvania,
and begin life anew upon the upper waters of the Canisteo, where the land titles were perfect and no dispute existing. Accordingly in the year 1790, they removed their families and became permanent settlers in Canisteo. They were only the advance guard of others who quickly thereafter followed them. The Bennetts and Stephens in the present limits of Canisteo, aud George Hornell in that portion of Canisteo, now within the boundaries of Hornellsville, soon gave an impetus and a fame to the valley of the Canisteo. They ploughed up the rich meadows and sowed them with wheat and planted them with corn, they erected dwellings, built saw and grist mills, and soon found themselves in a land of plenty. We would delight in elaborating the events of that period, but space forbids.
The following are the old settlers: Solomon Bennett, John Jamison, Uriah Stephens, Richard Crosby, Uriah Stephens, Jr., Col. John Stephens,
Jedediah Stevens, John Bedford, Andrew Bennett, Elias Stevens, James McBurney, John Moore, Obediah Ayres, Daniel Upson, Samuel VanCampen,
Moses VanCampen, a hero of the revolution, Nathan Hallett, James Hadley and William Stephens.
At an election held in the year 1801, before the town of Hornellsville was organized, at the house of Benjamin Crosby, the officers elected were:
Supervisor, Uriah Stevens; Town Clerk, Joseph A. Rathbone; Assessors, Obediah Ayres, Richard Crosby, Nathan Hallett; Collector, Samuel Haliett,
Jr,; Overseers of the Poor, James Hadley, Nathan Hallett; Commissioners of Highways, Mathew McIIenry, Daniel Upson, Joseph Purdy; Constables, Samuel Hallett, Jr., Samuel VanCampen, Joel Atherton; Over-seers of Highways, Christopher Hurlburt, George Hornell, Obediah Ayres, Joseph Coleman, Benjamin Crosby, Samuel Agnew, William Stephens, Benjamin Kenyon, Samuel Hallett; Fence Viewers, George Hornell, Uriah Siemens, Moses VanCampen.
—Nicholas Doughty was the first blacksmith.
—Solomon Bennett opened the first store and hotel.
—Solomon Bennett built the first mill on Bennett's creek, in 1792.
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—Presbyterian church organized in 1836.
—Voorhis planing mill established in 1868.
—Canisteo graded school house cost $6,000.
—Masonic Lodge organized in the year 1814.
—Baptist church organized November 80, 1876.
—In 1808 the bounty on wolves anel panthers was $5.
—Methodist parsonage built in 1850. Church in 1857.
—Boot and shoe factory established by L. Allison & Co., 1868.
—Canisteo Times, a weekly newspaper, founded Jan. 25, 1877, by S. H. Jennings.
—Olive Stephens, born November 18, 1790, the first white child born in the township.
—Bank of Canisteo established in 1876. Prest., M. Allison, Vice-Prest., L. Allison; Cashier, W. W. Ball.
—Rev. John B. Hudson, a Methodist, preached in Canisteo in the year 1800. A class formed at that time.
—Jedediah Stephens represented Williamsburgh, (now Canisteo,) in the board of supervisors, of Ontario county, at Canandaigua, in 1794.
—Uriah Stevens, Sr., was a soldier in the French and Indian war. He was a native of Connecticut. Uriah Stevens, Jr., was a revolutionary soldier.
—Jeremiah Baker was born in Canisteo April 18, 1791, was the first white male child born in Steuben county. His father lost all his property in the
Wyoming valley by the Indians and British.
—The village of Canisteo was incorporated in the year 1874. At its first election held under the charter, May 17th, 1883, Lucius A. Waldo was elected president; Mortimer Allison, L. P. Weed, Smith Eason, trustees; Daniel Upson, collector; William H. Mead, treasurer. May 19th, 1873, William Stephens was appointed clerk; Hiram J. Colegrove, police constable; Hiram C. Whitwood, street commissioner.
—The thriving village of Canisteo is located upon the site of an ancient Delaware Indian town, and where stood their famous castle known as "The
Kanestio Castle." The town consisted of about sixty hewed log houses or dwellings with stone chimneys. It was the home of At-weet-se-ra. It was
destroyed in the year 1764, by one of the Montours, by order of Sir William Johnston.
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