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"History of the Settlement
of
Steuben County, New York"
Including Notices of the Old Pioneer Settlers and their Adventures
By Guy H. McMaster
Published by: R. S. Underhill & Co, Bath, NY
[1853]
Contributed by Jean Morse. Edited by Annette Campbell.
Download the whole book as a searchable pdf. Please use this Link
Table of Contents.
-----
[Preface & ] Notice of the Topography and Geology of Steuben County..........................1
Preliminary History: Purchase: Title...................................................................................8
Steuben County Immediately Before Its Settlement--A Journey Sixty-Five Years Ago--The Forest--The Rivers &C.--Sketch of Benjamin Patterson, The Hunter--Skirmish at Freeling’s Fort--Scuffle With The “Interpreter”--The Wild Ox of Genesee Flats...............................19
The Settlement Made Under The Purchase by Phelps and Gorham--Painted Post--The First Settler--The Settlement of The Upper Valley of The Canisteo--The Canisteo Flats--Life in The Valley--A Wrestling Match--Captain John--Old Enemies--Major Van Campen and Mohawk--A Discomfited Savage--Capture of A Saw-Mill--The Lower Canisteo Valley--Col.Lindley --A Deer-Slayer Immortalized..........................................................33
The Great Air Castle: the London Association--Captain Williamson--Northumberland The German Colony-- The Passage Of The Germans Through The Wilderness--terrors and tribulations-- a “Parisian scene.”......................................................................................55
The settlement of Bath--Serpents-- Narrative of General McClure: Early citizens, the Camerons, Andrew Smith &c.--An auto-biography--Emigration: the wilderness--Bath: Captain Williamson- Building: Speculation; navigation of the Rivers--Business fortunes and misfortunes: Crooked Lake navy--Indian traffic--River navigation--conclusion of the Narrative...........................70
Captain Williamson’s administration--Life at Bath--Grand Simcoe War-- Races -- Theatre --vindication of the ancients--Bath Gazette-- County Newspapers--the Bar--Physicians...99
Settlement of Pleasant Valley: Frederickton, including Wayne, Tyrone and Reading: Prattsburgh: Wheeler: Pulteney: Howard: Hornby: Conhocton: the towns south of Canisteo: Orange: Campbell: Avoca: Wayland...........................................................................................118
The Air Castle Vanishing--The Close Of Col. Williamson’s Agency--His Character.......138
Steuben County Since The Period Of Settlement: Disasters--Progress--Prospects--The Citizens And The Land Proprietors............................................................................................146
The Indians: incidents--Indian names -- Game: deer, wolves, panthers, bears, beavers: “snake stories” -- anecdotes of the chase -- The “Plumping Mill”-- Incidents of the War of 1812--The Militia--The Steuben Company at the battle of Queenstown Heights: The fighting Chief Justice--an incident--The “Battle of Dansville”...............................................................162
Organization
of Steuben County, and
statistical
tables....................................................188
Sketch of
General History of settlement in Western New
York......................................190
Settler
- Life -
Home -
Pioneers....................................................................................198
The village
of
Corning...................................................................................................202
The “Great Windfall” of
1791--The
Settlers of Dansville................................................204
"The Fine Print"
State Coordinator:
Robert [Bob] Sullivan
Assistant State Coordinator:
Tim Stowell
County Coordinator:
Martha A C
Graham
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Page: 15 March 2024
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