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Le Roy is the most easterly town in Genesee county, and is second in importance to Batavia only. It is bounded
on the north by Byron and Bergen, and by Riga, Monroe county, on the east by Wheatland, Monroe county, and Caledonia,
Livingston county; on the south by Caledonia and Pavilion, and on the west by Stafford and Bergen. The surface
of the town for the most part is undulating, though level in many places. The southern part contains a few low
hills. The Oatka creek enters the town at its southwest corner, flows in a northerly direction through the village
of Le Roy, and about two miles north of that village turns and pursues a southeasterly course until it leaves the
town. It furnishes splendid water power at Le Roy and elsewhere. The first grist mill in Genesee county was erected
on this stream at Le Roy by Captain John Ganson. Buttermilk Falls, in the Oatka, are a short distance north of
Le Roy. Mud creek flows northeast through the southeast section of the town. Neither has any tributaries of importance.
Three railroads traverse the town, all passing through Le Roy village. The Erie and the New York Central and Hudson
River Railroad (Canandaigua branch) pass east and west south of the centre. The Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg
Railway runs parallel with the first two roads mentioned from the east limits of the town to Le Roy village, and
there turns and proceeds in a southerly direction into Pa. vilion. A dozen salt wells are located in the town,
and since their discovery the salt industry has been the most important, from most stand. points, of any in Le
Roy.
The first settlement in town was made in 1793 by Charles Wilbur, who erected a log tavern on the site of Le Ray
village, In 1797 Captain John Ganson immigrated to this point, purchased Wilbur's tavern, and soon afterward built
a mill there. Soon afterward Deacon Hinds Chamberlin moved to a farm near by. Both lived in the eastern part of
the present village. Others who came about this time were Chapman Hawley, Gilbert Half, Jesse Beach, Philip Beach,
and Samuel Davis' who also opened a tavern east of the village. - General Daniel Davis, who located in town in
1801, was also an early tavern keeper. He was a brigadier-general in the War of 1812, and was killed in the sortie
before Fort Erie. Asa Buell, a Revolutionary soldier, was another primitive settler. Jeremiah Hascall, who came
in 1805, was a justice of the peace when all the territory in the State west of the Genesee river was embraced
in his jurisdiction. James Austin, Nathan Harvey, Richard Waite, Stephen Stillwell and the Parmalee family were
also pioneers.
The first school house in the town was built in 1801. In it the first school was taught in 1802 by Luseba Scott.
Dr. William Coe was the first physician, and Dudley Saltonstall the first to practice law. The first bridge, built
on the site of the present Main street bridge over the Oatka, was constructed in 1801, and cost four hundred dollars
The first church services, Protestant Episcopal, began in 1802; but the first church to be regularly organized
was the Presbyterian church of Le Roy, founded February 7, 1812.
The town of Le Roy was erected from Caledonia, Livingston county, June 8, 1812, and. called Bellona. Its name was
afterward changed to Le Roy in honor of Herman Le Roy, a New York city merchant who was one of the original purchasers
of the "Triangle Tract." This tract was surveyed in 1801 by Richard M. Stoddard,who subsequently became
the local agent for its sale. A part of Stafford was taken from Le Roy in 1820, and a part of Pavilion in 1842.
Le Roy originally formed a part of the great township of Northampton, which embraced all the territory west of
the Genesee river. The first town meeting of Northampton was held at Caledonia (originally known as Big Springs)
April 4, 1797. Gad Wadsworth presided. Josiah Fish was elected supervisor, Eli Granger town clerk, Peter Shaefer
road commissioner and poormaster, Isaac Scott fence-viewer. Hinds Chamberlin, constable.
Upon the erection of the county of Genesee the present territory of Le Roy became a part of the town of Southampton,
erected from a part of the original town of Northampton. The first meeting of the newly formed township was held
in March, 1802, when Christopher Layburn was chosen supervisor. Early justices of the peace included James Ganson,
John Ganson, Ezra Platt, Richard M. Stoddard, Joseph Hewitt, Amos Hall, Robert Nesbitt, Samuel Davis, Jeremiah
Hascall, S. Bates, Asher Bates, J. Fox, G. H. Fox, David Davis.
Following is a complete list of the supervisors of Le Roy from the year of the first town meeting to the present
time:
1813, William Sheldon; 1814-1815, David L. Barron; 1816, E. Smith; 1817, Thomas Tufts; 1818-1819, William Sheldon;
1820-1822, Thaddeus Joy; 1823, Willis Buell; 1824, Daniel L. Barron; 1825, Harry Backus; 1826-1827. - Yates; 1828,
John Hascall; 1829-1830, Seth M. Yates; 1831-1835, Dennis Blakeley; 1836-1839, John Tomlinson; 1840-1841, Knowlton
Rich; 1842-1846. Elijah Platt; 1847-1848, Abiel Robertson; 1849-1852, William Morgan; 1853. John G. Bixby; 1854.
John Tomlinson; 1855-1856. John J. McPherson; 1857-1858, Dr. David C. Chamberlin; 1859-1860, A. P. Hascall; 1861-1862,
Walter G. Gustin; 1863. John H Lent (died in office); 1863- 1864, Abiel Robertson; 1865-1868, Walter G. Gustin;
1869, Richard L. Selden, W. Le Roy Bishop; 1870, Samuel Gillett; 1871, W. Le Roy Bishop; 1872, William S. Brown.;
1873, Samuel Gillett; 1874, Walter G. Gustin; 1875, Samuel Gillett; 1876, Richard L Selden; 1877. Samuel Gillett:
1878-1879. Walter G. Gustin; 1880, Samuel Gillett; 1881-1886, Richard L. Selden; 1887-1891, Melvin D. Pratt; 1892-1893,
George F. Lowe; 1894,-1897, Dwight H. Pierson; 1898, Clarence Bryant.
The town clerb during this period have been as follows:
1813-1815, Thomas Tufts; 1815-1817, Heman J. Redfield; 1818-1820, Willis Buell. 1821, M. Gates; 1822-1823, Timothy
Fitch; 1824-1825, M. Gates; 1826, Augustus P. Hascall; 1827-1878, John H. Stanley; 1879, James B. Gillett; 1880-1891,
Samuel F. Comstock; 1892-1893, H H. Falkner; 1894-1895, Edwin M. Harmon; 1896-1897, H. H. Falkner; 1898, Edwin
M. Harmon.
The records in the office of the town clerk begin with the year 1879, the earlier records having been lost or destroyed.
Since that time the following have been elected justices of the peace:
1879, Chandler Ganson; 1880, Walter G. Gustin; 1881, William S Coe; 1882, Angus L. Tompkins; 1883, Thomas P. Heddon;
1884, Charles S. Simons; 1885, William L. Martin; 1886, Angus L. Tompkins; 1887, Sephrine D. Gilbert; 1888, David
Jackson Bissell: 1889; William R. Crofoot; 1890, Stephen F. Curtis; 1891, S. D. Gilbert; 1892, Albert A. Parmelee;
1893, W. R. Crofoot; 1894, Melvin D. Pratt; 1895, S. D.Gilbert; 1896, A. A. Parmelee; 1897, W. R. Crofoot;' 1898,
M. D. Pratt.
Le Roy village is located southeast of the center of the town, on the Oatka creek, which furnishes a fine water
power at this point. The original purchasers of the tract on which the village is located were Richard M. Stoddard
and Dudley Saltonstall, who bought it from Le Roy, Bayard and McEvers. Ezra Platt subsequently purchased Salton
stall's interest. Stoddard and Platt built a log house on the bank of Allen's creek in 1801 and opened a land office
In the same year they erected mills at Buttermilk Falls. In 1810 a stone building was built on the west bank of
the creek, near the bridge, for merchandising purposes exclusively, and occupied by George A. Tiffany. The first
school in the village was taught by Mrs. Wolcott in 1804. The first church, Presbyterian, was founded in 1812.
The village was incorporated by the Legislature in May, 1834. The first corporation meeting was held July 3, 1834,
at the house of Theodore Dwight. Hinds Chamberlin presided. As the number of persons in attendance was deemed insufficient
for the transaction of business, the meeting adjourned to July 12, at the same place. At this meeting Joshua Lathrop,
John Lent, Rufus Robertson, Theodore Dwight and Dennis Blakeley were elected the first trustees; Seth M. Gates,
clerk; Heman J. Redfield, treasurer; Jacob Newman, Lewis M. Gates, Chester Barrow, assessors; Stephen Olrnsted,
collector; Hollis Pratt, police constable; Miles P. Lampson, Howard Bosworth, John Jackson, Olonzo Montcalm and
Horatio N. Stanley, fire wardens. Since that date these persons have served as presidents of the village:
1834-1835, Joshua Lathrop; 1836, Lewis M. Gates; 1837-1838, Charles Danforth; 1839-1840, no name given; 1841, H.
H. Carpenter; 1842, John P. Mitchell; 1843-1844, Miles P. Lampson; 1845, John P. Mitchell; 1846, Elisha Stanley;
1847-1848, Joshua Lathrop; 1849, Miles P. Lampson; 1850, John W. Shedd; 1851, David Jackson; 1852- 1854, John H.
Stanley; 1855-1860, Augustus P. Hascall; 1861-1863, John H. Stanley; 1864-1868, J. J. J. Tompkins; 1869, Chauncey
L. Olmstead; 1870-1872, Charles Morgan; 1873, A. S. Tryon; 1874, William Huyck; 1875, R. A. Augur; 1876, Horace
E. Walker; 1877-1878, Daniel D. McLachlen; 1879, James Allison; 1880,William Lampson; 1881, Horace E. Walker; 1882,
Dennis Scanlon: 1883, Horace E. Walker; 1884- 1886, A. E. Miller; 1887-1888, George M. Have; 1889-1890, Thomas
B. Tuttle; 1891- 1892, Stephen Loucks; 1893, Reuben Glass ; 1894, Stephen Loucks; 1895-1896, Edward Rogerson; 1897-1898,
Lucius T. Williams.
The village clerks have been:
1835, Rufus Robertson; 1836, Perrin M. Smith; 1887-1851, John H. Stanley; 1852, Abraham D. Lampkins; 1853, Jesse
E. Carpenter; 1854, Russell L. Samson; 1855- 1858, Owen Bryan; 1859-1860, Samuel T. Howard; 1861, Adam S. Pratt;
1862-1863, Samuel F. Comstock; 1864, John B. Candy; 1865, W. H. Anderson; 1866-1867, Frank W. Adams; 1868, Samuel
F. Comstock; 1869, Frank W. Forman; 1870, William Hooker; 1871, Theodore F. Hascall; 1872, James Karsiake; 1873,
William Howard Olmsted; 1874, 3. Fred Kochler; 1875, John Wiss; 1876-1884, Angus L. Tompkins; 1885, Samuel F. Comstock;
1886, Sephrine D. Gilbert; 1887, William R. Crofoot; 1888-1890, S. D. Gilbert; 1891-1893, W. R. Crofoot; 1894-1895,
S. D. Gilbert; 1896- 1898, W. R. Crofoot'; 1898, William H. Foster.
Le Roy ranks as the second village in Genesee county in point of population, wealth and the number and importance
of its industries. First and most important among its industrial elements is the great plant of the Le Roy Salt
Company. There are also in the village three flouring mills, a mammoth cold storage warehouse, reputed to be next
to the largest in the entire United States, a second produce warehouse, a grain elevator, three large malt houses,
all under one management, an iron foundry, two grist mills, two wagon shops, two broom factories, a machine shop
and foundry combined, a planing mill, five proprietary medicine manufactories, and extensive stone quarries located
near the village. There are also seven churches-Presbyterian, Protestant Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist Episcopal,
Catholic, German Evangelical Lutheran and Universalist; an excellent union free school system, two banks, two principal
hotels2 and several smaller ones, two weekly newspapers-the Le Roy Gazette and the Genesee Courier; a Masonic lodge
and other secret and social organizations, a gas company, an electric light plant, now owned by the village; an
excellent system of water works, a first class fire department, with one chemical engine, one hook and ladder truck
and one hose cart; a large number of stores and shops and well paved streets. The Canandaigua branch of the New
York Central & Hudson River Railroad, the Erie Railroad and the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railway
pass through the northern part of the village, each having a separate depot.. The village was formerly the seat
of Ingham University, whose buildings are still standing, and of the Le Roy Academic Institute, whose building
is now occupied by the Le Roy High School.
Three miles north of Le Roy village, at a point known as Fort Hill, is the ruin of an ancient Indian fort, occupying
a high bank bounded by Fordham's brook and Allen's creek, which effect a junction at this point. This fortification
is about thirteen hundred feet from north to south, and two thousand feet across its broadest part, narrowing to
one thousand feet at its neck, which connects it with the general table-land. There is a trace of an embankment
and ditch about fifteen hundred feet long across the broad part, east and west. Skeletons, pottery, pipes, beads,
arrow and spear heads were formerly found here. Nothing definite is known as to the builders of these works, whether
the Senecas or another tribe before them.
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