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Amherst |
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Address
5583 Main Street
Amherst, NY 14221
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Phone
716.631.7000 |
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The town of Amherst was formed from the town of Buffalo (now extinct) on the 10th day of April, 1818, and included what is now the town of Cheektowaga, which was set off March 22, 1839. Amherst is situated on the northern boundary of the county, with Clarence on the east, Tonawanda on the west, Cheektowaga on the south, and Niagara county on the north. It comprises township 12, range 7, of the Holland Company’s survey, excepting about 120 acres included in Buffalo, and all that part of township 13 lying south of Tonawanda Creek, and a strip about three-eighths of a mile wide at the east end and five-eighths at the west end reaching nearly across township 11. The total area of the town is about fifty-three square miles, or 33,608 acres. The town is watered by Ransom and Eleven-mile Creeks, and by Tonawanda Creek on its northern boundary. The surface is generally level Through the south part extends a ledge from which limestone is quarried, and beneath this is a layer of hydraulic limestone, which is extensively quarried at and near Williamsville and burned to produce water lime. Large quantities of quick lime are manufactured by the Williamsville Quick Lime Company. The soil is sandy and clayey loam and quite productive. The principal industry of the farmers is truck gardening, general farming, raising fruits, etc. The soil furnishes good pasturage, and in late years dairying has assumed considerable importance.
The settlement of the territory of Amherst began with the purchase, in 1799 by Benjamin Ellicott and John Thompson, of 300 acres of land from the Holland Company, which included the mill privilege at Williamsville; they paid $2. an acre. During that summer Thompson got out timber for a saw mill, but did not build it until 1801. In 1803 land contracts were made by Samuel Kelsy, Henry Lake, Benjamin Gardner and William Lewis, most of whom, probably, became settlers. In 1804 William Maitby occupied Thompson’s log house which he had built in 1799. Gen. Timothy S. Hopkins, Samuel McConnell, Caleb Rogers, Stephen Colvin, Jacob Vanatta and Joel Chamberlain were additions to the settlement in 1804. At about the same time Jonas Williams and David E. Evans bought the mill property, and in 1805 Elias Ransom opened the first tavern. From Mr. Williams the place became known as Williams’s Mills, and so continued until after the war. James Hershey bought land in 1806, and in 1807 John J. Drake, Samuel Fackler and Gamaliel St. John were settlers. In 1808 James S. Youngs, John Long and John Frick came in. From that time to the war the follow-. ing settlers came in: Isaac F. Bowman (who was the first merchant), Adam Voliner, John Bieser (who also kept a store), John Reid, Jacob Hershey, Thomas Coe, Darius Ayers, John Reist, John Fogelsonger, Daniel Fry and Dr. David S. Conkey. Jonas Williams built a grist mill in 1810—11. For a few years after the war Juba Storrs & Co. were the leading merchants; but they failed before 1820, and Mr. Storrs removed to Buffalo, where he became a prominent early business men.
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