AVAILABLE NOW
PIONEER HISTORY of Orleans County, New York
by Arad Thomas (Author), Amanda Burris (editor/audiobook developer)
What does it take to build a community from scratch? How did ordinary people summon the extraordinary courage to venture into the unknown? Step into the boots of the brave pioneers who transformed Orleans County from wilderness to prosperity.
From the dense forests along Lake Ontario to the swamps of Tonawanda, this meticulously researched narrative captures the epic story of human perseverance in the face of nature's greatest challenges. Through the eyes of resilient settlers like Lansing Bailey and Asa Sanford, we witness the daily struggles and triumphs of frontier life - from battling wolves and bears to establishing farms and building communities. The book draws upon extensive historical documentation and first-hand accounts, offering an authoritative yet deeply personal perspective on this transformative period. The arrival of the Erie Canal, the establishment of thriving towns, and the creation of vital institutions all come alive through the experiences of those who lived through these momentous changes.
This isn't just a history book - it's a testament to human courage and determination. Through vivid storytelling and rich historical detail, it brings to life the extraordinary achievements of ordinary people who dared to dream of a better future.
Pick up your copy today and experience the inspiring journey of American pioneers!
Follow the journeys of pioneer families as they leave the relative comfort of New England, joined by immigrants from diverse backgrounds, to carve out a new life in the untamed wilderness of Western New York.
Listen as their stories unfold in the wake of the Revolutionary War, through the trials of the War of 1812, and touch upon events that echo even into the Great Rebellion.
Admire their courage and determination shaped a rugged frontier into thriving communities, laying the foundation for generations to come.
Marvel at their fortitude as they fight bears, withstand debilitating sickness, and struggle to survive starvation during the “year without a summer.”
Explore the founding of villages, the formation of towns, and the personal tales of the early settlers richly detailed in their own words, all meticulously detailed in this significant historical work by Arad Thomas (1871).
This annotated version includes updated language for modern readers, a comprehensive glossary, and an extended name and subject index.
This book will be an excellent gift for History Enthusiasts.
Available at Amazon.com
Companion Study Materials
Research Your Family
Learn About the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)
Learn About the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)
We've expanded the name index by including the names of all extended family members mentioned in the text.
Learn About the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)
Learn About the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)
Learn About the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)
The Senecas,
a tribe of the Six Nations, were friendly. The pioneer settlers of
Orleans County never feared their hostility.
Emigration Statistics
Learn About the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)
Emigration Statistics
Between 1790 and 1820 an est. 800,000 persons left New England and most either settled in or past through New York on their way to the west.
The Glossary
Learn About the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)
Emigration Statistics
[Ague, Currier, Gill, Halcyon, The Creature]
19th Century American English Can Be a Bear!
View the glossary—you’ll be glad you did.
Pioneer History of Orleans County, New York
Table of Contents
DEDICATION
FORWARD
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
THE INDIANS OF WESTERN NEW YORK
PHELPS AND GORHAM’S PURCHASE
THE 100,000 ACRE TRACT
THE HOLLAND PURCHASE
The Bountiful Land, The Tonawanda Swamp
THE LOG HOUSE
LOG HOUSE FURNITURE
CLEARING LAND AND FIRST CROPS
HARDSHIPS AND PRIVATIONS
Early Merchants - Their Stores And Goods; Domestic Manufacturers; Post Office And Mail
THE ERIE CANAL
PUBLIC HIGHWAYS
RAILROADS IN ORLEANS COUNTY
STATE OF EDUCATION
STATE OF RELIGION
BURYING GROUNDS
THE TOWN OF BARRE
Lansing Bailey; Gideon Hard; Ebenezer Rogers; Asa Sanford; Andrew H. Green; Linus Jones Peck; Harvey Goodrich; Orson Nichoson; Timothy C. Strong; Nathan Whitney; Avery M. Starkweather; Amos Root; Ozias S. Church; William Bradner; A. Hyde Cole; Benjamin L. Bessac; Henry R. Curtis; Zenas F. Hibbard; William Tanner; Roswell S. Burrows; William Penniman; Jesse Mason; Stephen B. Thurston; Rufus Hallock; Jonathan Clark; Oliver Benton; Moses Smith; Anthony Tripp; Allen Porter; Elizur Hart; Jarvis M. Skinner; Nathaniel Braley; Lucius Street; Thomas W. Allis; Joseph Barker; Enos Rice; Luther Porter; Nehemiah Ingersoll; Justice Ingersoll; Lorenzo Burrows; George E. Mix; Things I Can Remember; Mrs. Lydia Mix; Joseph Hart; Aden Foster; Alex Ward; The Lee Family; Abraham Cantin; Caroline P. Achilles
THE VILLAGE OF ALBION
TOWN OF CARLTON
The Union Company; George Kuck; Daniel Gates; Elijah Hunt; Ray Marsh; Jobe Shipman; Lyman Fuller
TOWN OF CLARENDON
Horace Peck; Benjamin G. Pettingill; Bradstreet Spafford; Nicholas E. Darrow; Eldridge Farwell; William Lewis; Martin Evarts; Lemuel Cook; Isaac Cady
TOWN OF GAINES
Richard Treadwell; Walter Fairfield; John Proctor; Samuel Hill; Samuel Salsbury; Perry Davis; Levi Atwell; Samuel C. Lewis; Gideon S. Lewis; Nathan Shelley; The Bullard Family; The Billings Family; Arba Chubb; The Anderson Family; Moses Bacon; Samuel Bidelman; John Henry Beech; Oliver Booth; James Mather; Elihu Mather; Henry Drake; Simeon Dutcher; Honorable William J. Babbitt; Gideon Freeman; Chester Freeman; Daniel Pratt; Daniel Brown; William W. Ruggles; Eagle Harbor
TOWN OF KENDALL
Aidin Manley; Robert Clark; Samuel Bates; Amos Randall; David Jones
TOWN OF MURRAY
Harley N. Bushnell; Aretas Pierce; Hubbard Rice; Chauncey Robinson; Hiram Frisbie; Jacob Hinds; Austin Day; Elijah W. Wood; Recollections Of Mrs. Sally Smith; Alanson Mansfield; Abner Balcom; Reuben Bryant
VILLAGE OF HOLLEY
THE VILLAGE OF HULBERTON
VILLAGE OF HINDSBURGH
THE TOWN OF RIDGEWAY
Israel Douglass; William C. Tanner; Levi Davis; Jeremiah Brown; Joseph L. Perry; Charles D. Burlingham; Josias Tanner; Lucius Barrett; Seymour B. Murdock; Glyman Bates; David Hooker; Otis Turner; Thomas Weld; Samuel Church; William N. Preston; James Daniels; William Cochrane; William Cobb; Seymour Murdock; Grosvenor Daniels; Laura Baker; Nahum Barrett; Luther Barrett; Christopher Whaley; Andrew Weld; William Jackson; Elijah Hawley; James Jackson; John Le Valley; Amos Barrett; Sidney S. Barrett; William Knowles; Avery V. Andrews; Nancy G. Masten; Lysander C. Grover; Edwin P. Healy; Milo Coon; Peter Hoag; David Hood
VILLAGE OF MEDINA
THE VILLAGE OF KNOWLESVILLE
THE TOWN OF SHELBY
The Gregory Family; Amos Gregory; Matthew Gregory; David Demara; Abram Bidelman; Jotham Morse; David Burroughs; Darius Southworth; Newman Curtis; Horatio N. Hewes; Lathrop A. G. B. Grant; Andrew A. Ellicott; Alexander Coon; Jacob A. Zimmerman; John Grinnell
THE TOWN OF YATES
Yates Center; Village Of Lyndonville; Reuben Root; Samuel Tappan; John H. Tyler; Horace O. Goold; Josiah Perry; Alfred Bullard; Henry Mcneal; Amos Spencer; Elisha Sawyer; Baruch H. Gilbert; Elisha Bowen
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES
Joseph Ellicott; Ebenezer Mix
ORLEANS COUNTY PIONEER ASSOCIATION
ADDRESS by Arad Thomas
APPENDIX