Our County and its People, A History of the Valley and County of Chemung, by Ausburn Towner, 1892 Town of Chemung, Part V, The Townships, Chapter III
William Buck, a native of New Milford, Litchfield County, Conn., came to Chemung from the Wyoming Valley. His sons who came with him were Aholias, Asahel, and Elijah. The family settled on lots Nos. 2 and 3 next west of Major Wynkoop. William Buck died in March, 1799, aged seventy -seven- years, and his wife, Deborah, died August 23,
Elijah Buck was a most marked and prominent figure in the town's early history, filling many positions of trust and honor. After a long, active, and useful life he died at the age of eighty- one on May 26, 1830. His son Asahel also commanded the respect of his fellowmen and was a man of varied attainments, an able lawyer, and a tireless worker. He died May 15, 1863, aged seventy-one years, and his remains are interred in the family lot in the cemetery east of the village.
George W. Buck, a son of Asahel, was particularly identified with the political history of Chemung. He represented Chemung County in the State legislature in 184o and 1867, and was supervisor of the town at different times, in all fifteen years. He was born June 7, 18 13, and died December 23, 1874. His wife Adaline died August 22, 1870, in the fifty-fourth year of her age. His brother, A. H. Buck, was also a well respected farmer of Chemung for many years.
The first frame house was built by Maj. William Wynkoop, the boards and timbers for which were sawed with a whip-saw. About the same time the Buck house was built and also the McDowell house, which until recently stood just north of the James Owen residence, and the foundations can yet be seen. These three houses together with that of Thomas Burt were the first four frame houses built in the town, and only two of them are now standing, the Buck. house south of the Owen farm-house on the old Buck lot and the Thomas Burt house which stands about four rods west of the residence of Miles C. Baldwin. All four of the houses were built quite a hundred years ago.
The first school in the town was taught by Samuel Walker, who was afterward killed by the Indians. Master Cooper was also a pioneer school teacher and for a time taught a few scholars in Israel Parshall's weaving room. A school was held in Master Cooper's house, which was built on land traded to Master Cooper by Thomas Burt. The site is now on the Nelson Von Gosback farm on the Wynkoop Creek road. Among those who went to school in this house were the children of the Buck and Wynkoop families, the McDowells, John G. and Sarah, and two or three other girls, Thomas and Hawthorn Burt, with their sisters Peggy, Sally, and Betsey, while from over the river were the children from the Westbrook family. Some of William Baldwin's family also attended school in this house. The next school was taught in a house built especially for the purpose on the old Daniel McDowell farm. It was constructed of logs and was probably the first school edifice erected in the town. Another school-house was afterward built of logs on the Wynkoop farm near the creek. It has long since disappeared. The third school-house was built in 1835 by Asahel Buck. It was the first frame school-house and is still standing just across the road from the present school in the village. It is now occupied as a dwelling.
The first birth upon record is that of Morris Catlin, a son born to Israel and Ditha Catlin, and the first death was that of William Bosworth, who was an uncle of Elijah Buck and who died in 1790. He was a native of Connecticut. Elijah Buck kept the first store and his son, Asahel Buck, was the first resident lawyer. The first physician who settled within the present limits of the town was Dr. Hovey Everitt. Prior to his arrival the people had called on the services of Drs. Hopkins and Spring, of Tioga Point. Nathaniel Goodspeed was the first commissioner of highways in 1788.
The site of the village of Chemung was among the first if not the first settled localities in the town and probably in the County. The village is situated. in the south part of the town about three-quarters of a mile from the Chemung River. The ground upon which it is located is mostly a level and fertile plain and stretches out toward the north for a half mile or more. This land was originally owned by Daniel McDowell and Elijah Buck, and in the early days the place was known as " Buckville." Being situated within a mile and a half from the mouth of Wynkoop Creek the village was early made the nucleus for the lumbering interests, and has grown slowly but steadily since its first settlement. It was here that Asahel Buck built a hotel early in the century, known as the " Great Western." From time to time it received additions to its structure until its architectural appearance was peculiar indeed. It covered nearly a quarter of an acre of ground and was afterward kept by George W. Buck for many years. The original building was burned in 1874 and the present one built, which is known as the Chemung House and conducted by James Warren, who is also a cigar manufacturer.
The post office was first established at Chemung, April 1, 1801, the first postmaster having been Elijah Buck. His successors not otherwise and heretofore mentioned, with the dates of their appointments, are as follows: Henry Baker, June 18, 1853 ; George W. Buck, November 23, 1858 ; Mrs. Mahala Brown, January 28, 1862 ; Charles Ruggles, February 14, 1867; Ebenezer Gere, October 1, 1886; Wilson Ruggles, May 31, 1889.
The post office in Chemung village was kept for a time on the Owen farm at the stage-house, and was located there in 1831, when Homer Ruggles with his son, Charles Ruggles, came from Colesville, Broome County, N. Y., and located in the woods about a mile and a half north of the village. According to Mr. Ruggles lumbering was at that time the all-absorbing industry, and millions of feet of pine have been carted down Wynkoop Creek and made into rafts on the river. Charles Ruggles opened a small grocery in the village in November, 1865, three or four rods east of his present location in a building owned by George W. Buck. After remaining there a year he moved to more commodious quarters and was appointed deputy postmaster in the place of Mrs. Mahala Brown in 1863, and continued as Such until February 14, 1867, when he received the regular appointment, which he held for nearly twenty years. He moved into a store on the corner in 187o and carried on business there for thirteen years, when, on August 10, 1883, the building was completely destroyed by fire, entailing a loss outside of insurance of $5,500. Wilson Ruggles, son of Charles, was town clerk.
Abner Kelsey, supervisor ; John Konkle, town clerk; Brinton Paine, Bezaleel Seeley, and Lebeus Hammond, commissioners of highways Conrad Smith, jr., constable and collector; Christian Loop, John Parkhurst, Daniel De Witt, and James Cameron, constables; Joseph Hinchman, Phineas Catlin, and Caleb Baker, assessors; Abraham Miller, William Jenkins, Samuel Seeley, Thomas Keeney, Elijah Buck, Thomas Baldwin, Brinton Paine, Cornelius Lowe, and Caleb Gardner, fence viewers; David Burt, Thomas Baldwin, and William Jenkins, pound-keepers.
The records for the years 1788, '89, and 'go were lost prior to the fire of 1883 and no data can be obtained for the compilation of civil history for those years. The names of the supervisors and the years during which they held office from 1791 to the year of the erection of Chemung County are as follows:
1791-92, Abner Kelsey; 1793-94, Daniel McDowell ; 1795-96, Elijah Buck ; 1797-1803, Enoch Warren; 1804-09, Jacob Lowman ; 1810, Thomas Floyd ; 1811, Benjamin W nkoop 1812, Thomas Floyd; ISM, Jacob Lowman; 1814-16, Benjamin Wynkoop;1817, Thomas Fl oyd; 1818-29, Asahel Buck; 1830-31, Isaac Shepard; 1832-33, Ninolia T. Wynkoop; 1834-35, Alpheus H. Tozer ; 1836, Isaac Shepard.
The following named have held the office of town clerk from 1790 to the present with the exception of the years 1879 and 1 880, the town records for which years having been destroyed.
1790, Daniel McDowell; 1791-92, John Konkle; 1793--98, John Kress; 1799-1800, Daniel McDowell ; 1801-02, John Kress; 1803, Elijah Buck: ; 1804-06, Joseph Green
1807-10, Elijah Buck ; 1811-12, Jacob Kress ; 1813-19, Elijah Buck ; 1820, John G. McDowell; 1821, Benjamin Wynkoop; 1822-25, John G. McDowell; 1826-27, Benjamin Wynkoop; 1828, William Foulke ; 1829, Joseph Foulke ; 1830, Benjamin Wyn-koop ; 1831-32, Harry N. Floyd; 1833, Jacob Snell; 1834, William Seaward; 1835-38, Ninolia T. Wynkoop ; 1839-43, Oliver D. Boyd ; 1844, John Pickering ; 1845, Daniel F. Pickering ; 1846, William Lowman; 1847-48, Wilson Gamage; 1849, -Noble Weller; 1850-54, Henry Baker ; 1855, Wilson Gamage; 1856, Hari-is Peck, Asahel Buck; 1857, Elias B. Doolittle; 1858-59, Andrus Gere; 1860, Elias B. Doolittle ; 1861- C. C. McKinny ; 1864, Allen W. Smith ; 1865, James -M. Sawyer; 1866, Charles Ruggles 1867-68, John 11. Orcutt ; 1869, James M. Sawyer; 1870-72, Ulysses W. De Witt1873, William C. Buck ; 1874-78, Martin Wood; 1881-87, Wilson Ruggles; 1888, Charles S. Gere 1889, Wilson Ruggles 1890, Francis A. Reeser 1891, George C. Baldwin.
justices of the peace, with the omission of the years 1879, '80, '81, '82, and '83, have been as follows:
In 1791, Brinton Paine, Bezaleel Seeley, John Miller; 1793, Elijah Buck; 1830, William McKinstry ; 1832, Jacob Batterson, Milo Smith; 1833, Sabin Hatch, Phineas Squires; 1834, Ninolia T. Wynkoop, M. Griswold 1835, George Landis, Levi Little; 1836, Isaac M. Griswold, Milo Smith; 1837, Ninolia T. Wynkoop, Martin Lowman, Joseph K. Coleman; 1838, M. Griswold, William Guthrie; 1839, Anthony Collson; IS 40, William Guthrie; 1841, John Benedict; 1842, Mijamin Griswold; 1843, William McComber; 1844, William Guthrie ; 1845, John Kent ; 1846, Belden Burt
1817, William Lowman, Wells Newton; 1848, Gershom 11. Guthrie; 1849, Elijah Kress, Asa Parshall; 1850, George W. Roberts: 1851, Noble Weller 1852, Zachariah Tarble; 1853, James F. Jones; 1854, George AV. Roberts; 1855, Asahel Buck, Robert Cassidy; 1856, George P. West, Gordon Snell; 1856-571, Noble Weller; 1858, Gordon Snell; 18.59, M. S. Robbins; 1860, D. D. Harnden, George P. West ; 1861, Andrus Gere; 1862, Noble Weller, Gordon Snell; 186:3, Noble Weller - 1864, Daniel Cornwell ; Simon B. Lathrop, John A. Carey; 1866, Andrus Gere; 1867, Noble Weller, Albert P. Maxwell; 1868, John A. Carey, John Benedict ; 1869, Thomas B. Hanyon; 1870, James F. Harlow; 1871, Gordon Snell; 1872, Andrus Gere, A. D. Carey; 1873, John A. Carey 1874, Mason Harrington; 1875, George Decker; 1876, George W. Drake, Phineas S. Roberts 1877, Noble Weller ; 1878, Andrus Gere, Elijah Smith.
Elijah Buck was a most marked and prominent figure in the town's early history, filling many positions of trust and honor. After a long, active, and useful life he died at the age of eighty- one on May 26, 1830. His son Asahel also commanded the respect of his fellowmen and was a man of varied attainments, an able lawyer, and a tireless worker. He died May 15, 1863, aged seventy-one years, and his remains are interred in the family lot in the cemetery east of the village.
George W. Buck, a son of Asahel, was particularly identified with the political history of Chemung. He represented Chemung County in the State legislature in 184o and 1867, and was supervisor of the town at different times, in all fifteen years. He was born June 7, 18 13, and died December 23, 1874. His wife Adaline died August 22, 1870, in the fifty-fourth year of her age. His brother, A. H. Buck, was also a well respected farmer of Chemung for many years.
The first frame house was built by Maj. William Wynkoop, the boards and timbers for which were sawed with a whip-saw. About the same time the Buck house was built and also the McDowell house, which until recently stood just north of the James Owen residence, and the foundations can yet be seen. These three houses together with that of Thomas Burt were the first four frame houses built in the town, and only two of them are now standing, the Buck. house south of the Owen farm-house on the old Buck lot and the Thomas Burt house which stands about four rods west of the residence of Miles C. Baldwin. All four of the houses were built quite a hundred years ago.
The first school in the town was taught by Samuel Walker, who was afterward killed by the Indians. Master Cooper was also a pioneer school teacher and for a time taught a few scholars in Israel Parshall's weaving room. A school was held in Master Cooper's house, which was built on land traded to Master Cooper by Thomas Burt. The site is now on the Nelson Von Gosback farm on the Wynkoop Creek road. Among those who went to school in this house were the children of the Buck and Wynkoop families, the McDowells, John G. and Sarah, and two or three other girls, Thomas and Hawthorn Burt, with their sisters Peggy, Sally, and Betsey, while from over the river were the children from the Westbrook family. Some of William Baldwin's family also attended school in this house. The next school was taught in a house built especially for the purpose on the old Daniel McDowell farm. It was constructed of logs and was probably the first school edifice erected in the town. Another school-house was afterward built of logs on the Wynkoop farm near the creek. It has long since disappeared. The third school-house was built in 1835 by Asahel Buck. It was the first frame school-house and is still standing just across the road from the present school in the village. It is now occupied as a dwelling.
The first birth upon record is that of Morris Catlin, a son born to Israel and Ditha Catlin, and the first death was that of William Bosworth, who was an uncle of Elijah Buck and who died in 1790. He was a native of Connecticut. Elijah Buck kept the first store and his son, Asahel Buck, was the first resident lawyer. The first physician who settled within the present limits of the town was Dr. Hovey Everitt. Prior to his arrival the people had called on the services of Drs. Hopkins and Spring, of Tioga Point. Nathaniel Goodspeed was the first commissioner of highways in 1788.
The site of the village of Chemung was among the first if not the first settled localities in the town and probably in the County. The village is situated. in the south part of the town about three-quarters of a mile from the Chemung River. The ground upon which it is located is mostly a level and fertile plain and stretches out toward the north for a half mile or more. This land was originally owned by Daniel McDowell and Elijah Buck, and in the early days the place was known as " Buckville." Being situated within a mile and a half from the mouth of Wynkoop Creek the village was early made the nucleus for the lumbering interests, and has grown slowly but steadily since its first settlement. It was here that Asahel Buck built a hotel early in the century, known as the " Great Western." From time to time it received additions to its structure until its architectural appearance was peculiar indeed. It covered nearly a quarter of an acre of ground and was afterward kept by George W. Buck for many years. The original building was burned in 1874 and the present one built, which is known as the Chemung House and conducted by James Warren, who is also a cigar manufacturer.
The post office was first established at Chemung, April 1, 1801, the first postmaster having been Elijah Buck. His successors not otherwise and heretofore mentioned, with the dates of their appointments, are as follows: Henry Baker, June 18, 1853 ; George W. Buck, November 23, 1858 ; Mrs. Mahala Brown, January 28, 1862 ; Charles Ruggles, February 14, 1867; Ebenezer Gere, October 1, 1886; Wilson Ruggles, May 31, 1889.
The post office in Chemung village was kept for a time on the Owen farm at the stage-house, and was located there in 1831, when Homer Ruggles with his son, Charles Ruggles, came from Colesville, Broome County, N. Y., and located in the woods about a mile and a half north of the village. According to Mr. Ruggles lumbering was at that time the all-absorbing industry, and millions of feet of pine have been carted down Wynkoop Creek and made into rafts on the river. Charles Ruggles opened a small grocery in the village in November, 1865, three or four rods east of his present location in a building owned by George W. Buck. After remaining there a year he moved to more commodious quarters and was appointed deputy postmaster in the place of Mrs. Mahala Brown in 1863, and continued as Such until February 14, 1867, when he received the regular appointment, which he held for nearly twenty years. He moved into a store on the corner in 187o and carried on business there for thirteen years, when, on August 10, 1883, the building was completely destroyed by fire, entailing a loss outside of insurance of $5,500. Wilson Ruggles, son of Charles, was town clerk.
Abner Kelsey, supervisor ; John Konkle, town clerk; Brinton Paine, Bezaleel Seeley, and Lebeus Hammond, commissioners of highways Conrad Smith, jr., constable and collector; Christian Loop, John Parkhurst, Daniel De Witt, and James Cameron, constables; Joseph Hinchman, Phineas Catlin, and Caleb Baker, assessors; Abraham Miller, William Jenkins, Samuel Seeley, Thomas Keeney, Elijah Buck, Thomas Baldwin, Brinton Paine, Cornelius Lowe, and Caleb Gardner, fence viewers; David Burt, Thomas Baldwin, and William Jenkins, pound-keepers.
The records for the years 1788, '89, and 'go were lost prior to the fire of 1883 and no data can be obtained for the compilation of civil history for those years. The names of the supervisors and the years during which they held office from 1791 to the year of the erection of Chemung County are as follows:
1791-92, Abner Kelsey; 1793-94, Daniel McDowell ; 1795-96, Elijah Buck ; 1797-1803, Enoch Warren; 1804-09, Jacob Lowman ; 1810, Thomas Floyd ; 1811, Benjamin W nkoop 1812, Thomas Floyd; ISM, Jacob Lowman; 1814-16, Benjamin Wynkoop;1817, Thomas Fl oyd; 1818-29, Asahel Buck; 1830-31, Isaac Shepard; 1832-33, Ninolia T. Wynkoop; 1834-35, Alpheus H. Tozer ; 1836, Isaac Shepard.
The following named have held the office of town clerk from 1790 to the present with the exception of the years 1879 and 1 880, the town records for which years having been destroyed.
1790, Daniel McDowell; 1791-92, John Konkle; 1793--98, John Kress; 1799-1800, Daniel McDowell ; 1801-02, John Kress; 1803, Elijah Buck: ; 1804-06, Joseph Green
1807-10, Elijah Buck ; 1811-12, Jacob Kress ; 1813-19, Elijah Buck ; 1820, John G. McDowell; 1821, Benjamin Wynkoop; 1822-25, John G. McDowell; 1826-27, Benjamin Wynkoop; 1828, William Foulke ; 1829, Joseph Foulke ; 1830, Benjamin Wyn-koop ; 1831-32, Harry N. Floyd; 1833, Jacob Snell; 1834, William Seaward; 1835-38, Ninolia T. Wynkoop ; 1839-43, Oliver D. Boyd ; 1844, John Pickering ; 1845, Daniel F. Pickering ; 1846, William Lowman; 1847-48, Wilson Gamage; 1849, -Noble Weller; 1850-54, Henry Baker ; 1855, Wilson Gamage; 1856, Hari-is Peck, Asahel Buck; 1857, Elias B. Doolittle; 1858-59, Andrus Gere; 1860, Elias B. Doolittle ; 1861- C. C. McKinny ; 1864, Allen W. Smith ; 1865, James -M. Sawyer; 1866, Charles Ruggles 1867-68, John 11. Orcutt ; 1869, James M. Sawyer; 1870-72, Ulysses W. De Witt1873, William C. Buck ; 1874-78, Martin Wood; 1881-87, Wilson Ruggles; 1888, Charles S. Gere 1889, Wilson Ruggles 1890, Francis A. Reeser 1891, George C. Baldwin.
justices of the peace, with the omission of the years 1879, '80, '81, '82, and '83, have been as follows:
In 1791, Brinton Paine, Bezaleel Seeley, John Miller; 1793, Elijah Buck; 1830, William McKinstry ; 1832, Jacob Batterson, Milo Smith; 1833, Sabin Hatch, Phineas Squires; 1834, Ninolia T. Wynkoop, M. Griswold 1835, George Landis, Levi Little; 1836, Isaac M. Griswold, Milo Smith; 1837, Ninolia T. Wynkoop, Martin Lowman, Joseph K. Coleman; 1838, M. Griswold, William Guthrie; 1839, Anthony Collson; IS 40, William Guthrie; 1841, John Benedict; 1842, Mijamin Griswold; 1843, William McComber; 1844, William Guthrie ; 1845, John Kent ; 1846, Belden Burt
1817, William Lowman, Wells Newton; 1848, Gershom 11. Guthrie; 1849, Elijah Kress, Asa Parshall; 1850, George W. Roberts: 1851, Noble Weller 1852, Zachariah Tarble; 1853, James F. Jones; 1854, George AV. Roberts; 1855, Asahel Buck, Robert Cassidy; 1856, George P. West, Gordon Snell; 1856-571, Noble Weller; 1858, Gordon Snell; 18.59, M. S. Robbins; 1860, D. D. Harnden, George P. West ; 1861, Andrus Gere; 1862, Noble Weller, Gordon Snell; 186:3, Noble Weller - 1864, Daniel Cornwell ; Simon B. Lathrop, John A. Carey; 1866, Andrus Gere; 1867, Noble Weller, Albert P. Maxwell; 1868, John A. Carey, John Benedict ; 1869, Thomas B. Hanyon; 1870, James F. Harlow; 1871, Gordon Snell; 1872, Andrus Gere, A. D. Carey; 1873, John A. Carey 1874, Mason Harrington; 1875, George Decker; 1876, George W. Drake, Phineas S. Roberts 1877, Noble Weller ; 1878, Andrus Gere, Elijah Smith.