Historical Wyoming County May 1952 - Old Fulton History

Page 97 May 19^2
WARSAW, THE QUEEN OP WYOMING VALLEY (cont.)
The winter of l003-lj. was a pretty cold winter and a good deal
of snow fell. We had to go to Geneseo for flour. We killed deer
for meat. They were very plentiful then. I have often seen a dozen
of them together„ They made good meat, It was all the meat we had
for years. The creek (Oatka) was full of the bent speckled trout.
I have seen half a bushel of them huddled together at a time. A
great many were caught and they disappeared in a few years. Amos
Keeney went back that fall so my brother,his wife and five children,
and Shubal Morris, his wife and child and myself were all of the
white people who were here that winter.
The woods were alive with Indians all that winter and many
winters afterward. They came from near the Genesee River and some
from near Buffalo., This was a favorite hunting ground for them.
They always camped here and remained a long time. I have often been
at their camp. They were friendly and never offered an abuse to anyone
o Little Beard was one of their chiefs. There was no clearing
here then between here and Lake Erie; it was all heavily timbered,
Rochester was not known then» I went down there in 1812 to
serve a summons, issued seven miles from here. I was a constable
then0 I went to the mouth of the river; there was only one log hut
near the falls where Rochester is now. I have lived here ever since,
seventy-two years this fall, and have never been away. We were much
pleased to see new settlers,, In the spring of 180I4., several families
came,, They always came to my brother" s„ We used to go ten or fifteen
miles to help new settlers to put log houses. We got the nails
at Batavia. Few nails or boards were used in the houses. They were
put up roughly and the rain and snow used to come through, I have
seen footprints in snow on our floor in winter.
During the war of 1812, we got terribly scared at nothing. The
story was that war had been declared and that the Indians and Britishwere
coming for us. People left their homes and took to the woods,
or got together in fright. They were badly frightened but there was
a good deal of sport when it was over and the people came in from
the woods.
I have been supervisor for two years; there is no town office,
except town clerk, that I have not held. I was justice of the peace
for nineteen years. For many years we found it hard to sell our
things, the market was so far away. Very little money was used and
we bartered our products for goods. My health has been very good.
Warsaw has always been a healthy town. There have been no fever and
ague here and no epidemics.
We never expected to see so large a village and so good a
country here, for when we came it was the far west. I think I have
married more people than any other justice in the world; I used to
do the business entirely when I was a justice,as it was not fashionable
then to go to the minister.
Mr. Salisbury agreed with Mr.Webster's statements as far as his
experience extended. He came here with his brother in 1807? and
settled on the hill west of the village. His brother had been here
before in 1805. The lands were all taken then and located. Four
years after the first settlement, there were forty dwellings in the
town and three in the present village limits. The only persons now
living here who were here then are William Webster,Mrs. Parker, Mrs.
Hovey and Samuel Salisbury. Philip Salisbury went back in lS08, to
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