“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 5, No. 38

I do not love thee! – yet, I know not why,

Whate’er thou dost seems still well done, to me:

And often in my solitude I sigh

That those I do love are not more like thee!

– Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton

Edgar Z. Pells of Ridgeway

RIDGEWAY – Did you know that until 1935, an individual could file a lawsuit against their sweetheart for “breach of promise to marry?” Although both men and women could initiate such a lawsuit, “Heart Balm Statutes” commonly provided a jilted lover with an avenue for seeking financial reparations against their darling gentleman.

Sweeping reforms in the 1930s resulted in the passing of “Anti-Heart Balm Statutes” that abolished the ability for parties to bring action “for alienation of affections…seduction and breach of contract to marry,” as well as the right to “recover sums of money as damages…”

This photograph, taken by the Dunshee Brothers of Rochester, NY, shows Edgar Z. Pells of Ridgeway and was found in the same album as the portrait of Philetus and Eliza Bates (v. 5, no. 37). The son of William H. Pells and Maria Whitaker, Edgar spent the majority of his childhood in that vicinity, earning a common-school education, and eventually entering employment with his father. William Pells, a storeowner and investor in the Medina & Alabama Plank Road Company, provided his son with an opportunity to expand his personal wealth. Investing heavily in the development of Ford County, Illinois, William partnered with Ransom R. Murdock to purchase and survey Prospect City, now known as Paxton.

Spending time between Illinois and Western New York, Edgar quickly became the most eligible bachelor in the community. Although he was described as rather short and stout, his family’s wealth made him an attractive candidate for courtship. In 1887, Pells started a relationship with Carrie Myhill, a young schoolteacher in Ridgeway; he was 48 years old and she was 23. From all accounts, the two fell deeply in love, that is until Pells had a change of heart. In 1896, Stanley Filkins filed a breach of promise suit against Pells on behalf of Myhill seeking $50,000 in compensatory damages for the failed courtship.

The case attracted considerable attention throughout the county and although it is difficult to ascertain the specifics of the relationship between Myhill and Pells, the commentary on the case leaves much to the imagination. During the trial, attorneys presented a large volume of personal correspondence as evidence including 35 letters penned by Pells and 43 by Myhill. The couple knew each other for the majority of Myhill’s life and the relationship started after an exchange of photographs.

According to Myhill, once Pells promised marriage, “she consented and allege[d] that she thereafter conducted herself as his affianced bride.” In two separate articles published by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, one line read, “It was claimed by the plaintiff that liberties were offered her on promise,” while another read, “The confession of both as to their intimacy began soon after the alleged offer of marriage was given by both.” A notice in another paper notes that Myhill “testified to buggy rides and acts of impropriety.” As time passed, Pells grew tired of his young lover and denied any previous promise of marriage.

Filkins argued that Pells used his wealth to lead an innocent woman astray, giving her money and promising her what he never intended to fulfill. Edmund Pitts, the attorney for Pells, argued that the accusations levied against his client were tantamount to blackmail as none of the letters brought forth as evidence mentioned marriage.

When the case passed to the jury for deliberation, they returned a verdict in favor of Carrie Myhill in the sum of $12,000. Equivalent to $365,000 today, Pells appealed the case, which remained in court until after his death in 1899. His sister and executrix of his will, Hannah Bogardus, immediately paid the amount out of Pells approximately $1,000,000 estate. Available records indicate that Myhill later married T. Edward French of Detroit, Michigan in 1914.

It is worth noting that the selection of Filkins as attorney by Miss Myhill was likely a strategic one. Filkins served as attorney for Annie Ough during her divorce from notable Albion businessman George Ough in the late 1880s (v. 2, no. 5). During that case, Ough accused his wife of having an affair with Filkins, which contributed to Filkins’ own divorce in 1890.

“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 5, No. 37

This photograph, taken some time in the 1860s by an unknown photographer, shows Philetus and Eliza Bates of Jeddo; an inscription on the reverse reads “Bates and wife, storekeeper at Jeddo.”

The Bates family was well known in Ridgeway near the Niagara-Orleans County Line thanks, in part, to Philetus’ father. An early settler of Orleans County, Orlando Bates constructed the first mill at Jeddo Creek and the location was quickly referred to as “Batesville” in honor of its pioneer founder.

On the surface, the life of Philetus Bates appears relatively uneventful. An obituary published in the days following his death on November 26, 1913, notes that he was a successful merchant at Jeddo and Middleport. At the close of the Civil War, his business suffered, and he turned to hotel proprietorship in order to make a living. Upon his departure from the earthly realm, he was laid to rest next to his wife and daughter in the West Ridgeway Cemetery. However, with a little digging, Philetus Bates’ reputation was marred by unprincipled and immoral behavior.

On November 9, 1853, Philetus married Eliza Southworth just two months after the death of her father, Harmon Southworth. From all accounts, the two lived a normal life together, although the posing and facial expressions in this photograph might indicate otherwise. In the January 31, 1882 edition of the Rochester Union and Advertiser, an article entitled “A Medina Bigamist” appeared on the back page of the paper. A nearly identical article appeared two days later in the Medina Register under the headline “Bates’ Indescretion (sic).”

According to the articles, Bates deserted his wife several years prior, sold most of the furnishings from the Medina House where he was landlord, and disappeared. Upset and ravaged by the stress of the situation, his wife became ill and was forced to earn her own living by sewing and taking in boarders. Philetus would occasionally return to Medina to sell jewelry and celluloid goods as a traveling salesman, but his stays were short in an effort to avoid his wife. Eliza became even more confused when she received a letter from Philetus asking her to send bedding and a bedstead to Chicago where he planned to make his “future home.”

Eliza wrote to friends in the Chicago area, asking them to dig deeper into her husband’s whereabouts. The response she received was infuriating, as she received word that Philetus had married another woman while roaming the countryside in the Midwest. Eliza wrote to the minister, John Crabbs, who allegedly married Philetus and his second wife. Crabbs responded in the affirmative, that he married her husband to a woman named Bertha Poucher in the village of Moronci, Michigan on September 22, 1881.

Additional research reveals that a bond for marriage license, affidavit, and marriage license were all filed in Crittenden County, Arkansas on February 4, 1882 for the 48-year-old Philetus Bates and 21-year-old Bertha Poucher. The reason for this “duplicated” marriage is unknown, but the newspaper articles closed by saying, “Philetus is still roaming about the country having, as we are informed, deserted number two and is probably looking for new worlds to conquer.” Clearly his interest in his second, younger bride passed quickly. His behavior was, however, not surprising to many in the Lyndonville community. It was reported that “Bates’ morality would not bear inspection and that he kept one or two girls of a loose character ostensibly as help but in reality as mistresses.”

After the death of Eliza on March 10, 1884, Philetus returned to Orleans County to operate hotels in the Lyndonville and Ridgeway area. His penchant for illegal activity remained as he was charged on several occasions for selling liquor at his establishments without a license. On one particular occasion in November of 1885, he was charged in connection with the death of J. Mahar, who committed suicide soon after consuming liquor purchased from Bates. In 1887, Bates pleaded guilty to a similar crime, spent 30 days in the Orleans County Jail, and left for Niagara County upon his release.

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“Overlooked Orleans” – Vol. 5, No. 36

In January of 2019, I received a request for information on the old stone store once belonging to T. O. Castle of Millville. Daniel Hurley purchased the building and pushed for the State Historic Preservation Office to consider the building for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. I was informed that the building is eligible for inclusion on the National Register and the process of researching and documenting the building’s history has commenced.

This photograph of the stone store appeared in “Bethinking of Old Orleans” volume 24, no. 1 authored by Bill Lattin. The article, entitled “Winter Gathering,” called attention to the large crowd gathered in front of the store, located at the intersection of Maple Ridge Road and East Shelby Road. Although the occasion for the photograph is a mystery, Lattin wrote, “Whatever was going on at the time must have seemed like a worthy event for taking a picture.” Several teams of horses are visible in the image, including at least one hitched to a bobsleigh.

Born at Parma, NY in 1826, Thomas Oliver Castle came to Shelby Center in 1846 where he worked for Reuben S. Castle for several years. He later worked for George Sweeney at a store in Buffalo before relocating to Millville around 1850. Although Thomas presumably owned the property in this photograph it was in fact deeded to his wife, Mary Anna Timmerman Castle, by James Potter in 1851 for the sum of $525. A parcel of land containing the Castle home was deeded to Mary from John and Harriet Knowlton around the same time for the sum of $500.

The date of construction remains a mystery but tracing the transfer of the property starting in 1830 provides some clues. That year, the property was transferred from the heirs of David Bottum to Daniel S. Root for $200. According to the history of the Frost family, Bottum was a pioneer in the silk industry. Settling at Oak Orchard in the Town of Ridgeway, he planted mulberry trees, raised worms, and spun silk, establishing a trade in sewing and knitting silk along the Ridge Road. He died in 1828 and his wife continued the business until 1831 when she remarried.

It is surmised that Bottum may have intended to use the site in Millville for his silk venture, dying before it could come to fruition. Root, an early postmaster and merchant, died unexpectedly in 1833 at the age of 33 and the property was later sold to James Potter by Root’s widow in 1849. At that point, the value of the property increased to $450 (nearly three times the original value when considering inflation) and likely contained the stone store in this picture. With all evidence considered, a date of construction sometime between 1830 and 1833 make sense.

This property also consisted of a tannery and post office, visible to the right of the store in this image. An 1860 map of Orleans and Niagara counties also confirms this, showing an adjacent building to the west. This makes sense considering both Root and Castle served as postmaster for Millville while Castle’s son George also worked as a tanner. For many years, T. O. Castle and Son operated out of the stone store at Millville, dealing in general merchandise, dry goods, and groceries. The 1903 Orleans County Directory also indicates that George Castle was a local dealer in Shropshire Sheep at Millville in addition to working in his father’s store.

On an interesting side note, the Millville Congregational Church constructed a house of worship on the south side of Maple Ridge Road in 1848. When a conflagration leveled the building, courtesy of an exploding kerosene lamp in 1870, Thomas Castle was placed on the fundraising committee responsible for securing money to rebuild. A new building was constructed from brick in 1871, which is visible in the background of this image. The congregation fell apart in 1900 when congregants discovered the minister to be of low moral character. The parcel of land was always referred to on maps as the “Presbyterian Society” even though the group adopted the congregational form of church government soon after forming.

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Matt Ballard shares stories of ‘Murder & Mayhem’ from Albion’s past

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Friday night’s tour of downtown Albion, with Orleans County Historian Matthew Ballard, drew a crowd of about 200 people for the “Murder & Mayhem Tour.” Ballard shared stories of high-profile crimes from the community’s past, and some other curious happenings.

Ballard leads summer tours of Mount Albion Cemetery. This was his first time doing a night-time tour of the downtown. He was surprised to see such a big turnout.

Ballard will do another “Murder & Mayhem Tour” today at 8 p.m., starting at Tinsel, just north of the Erie Canal.

He is shown standing on a flower planter in front of the Citizens National Bank (now the Albion Visitor’s Center) at 121 North Main St.

The Citizens National Bank used to be the First National Bank of Albion. Ballard told how Albert Warner stole about $40,000 from the bank and then fled to Canada.

He was rumored to have returned to Albion briefly, when he dressed as a woman to attend his father’s funeral at Mount Albion.

Ballard is shown speaking on the Courthouse lawn. He told about Albion leaders ploy in deceiving state officials to naming Albion the county seat, over Gaines, which was more developed in the 1820s due to the well-travelled Ridge Road.

Philetus Bumpus and Nehemiah Ingersoll led the push for Albion to become the county seat. They concocted a plan to have Sandy Creek dammed just before the state commissioners were in town. The water was then released to make it appear Sandy Creek was a much stronger stream.

What appeared to be a powerful stream was influential in swaying the commissioners to pick Albion over Gaines. Ingersoll would later donate land for the courthouse to be built.

The group stopped in front of the Post Office on Main Street, where Ballard told of the murder of Pierpont Dyer.

He also highlighted the murder of Alice Wilson by her husband George. He was executed in 1888 in a stockade near where the current county jail is located. That execution was the last one in Orleans County.

Michelle Diaz, a member of Body by Summer Torrance in Brockport, was among a group of dancers who dressed as zombies and danced to “Thriller” by Michael Jackson on Main Street near Beaver Alley. It was a surprise on the tour.

The “Murder & Mayhem Tour” is part of the Orleans County Heritage Festival, which continues with events through Sunday.

Other activities this weekend include:

Saturday, Sept. 14

• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Old Timer’s Fair at the Cobblestone Museum: The Cobblestone Museum will come alive with artisans and re-enactors as we recreate the feel of Orleans County life in the 19th century. A chicken BBQ is available for dining or take-out.

Sunday, Sept. 15

• 1 p.m. – Medina Sandstone Society’s Hall of Fame, City Hall, 590 Main St., Medina: Established in 2013, the Hall of Fame is a display of informational plaques of sandstone structures in NY & PA that have been deemed worthy of inclusion in the Sandstone Hall of Fame. Free admission.

• 4:30 p.m. – Concert at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Medina: A concert featuring soloist, Patricia L. Worrad, Soprano with songs of years past at the church built in the middle of the street as stated in “Ripley’s Believe it or Not”. St. John’s church is built of Medina Sandstone and home of the oldest church congregation in the county.

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“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 5, Issue 35

MEDINA – Occasionally, I receive notes from readers about suggested article topics of local interest. A few months ago, a copy of several Medina postcards arrived at my doorstep relating to Elm Park north of the village. It seems as though the origin of the park and its exact location remain somewhat mysterious.

Elm Park was known locally for its scenic location along the Oak Orchard River, providing a gathering place for congregations, Sunday school groups, family reunions, and other local organizations.

This particular photograph was taken around 1900 and is labeled on the reverse, “Elm Park Medina, N.Y. donated by Florence Waters – Probably a group from Knowlesville.” Some features of the park, visible in the photograph, include a covered picnic table with folding wood benches, a small boathouse with canoes, a fountain, and a set of swings that appear to spin over the water. Also visible in the image is a small cascade in the river, which helps with identifying the location.

The park itself was allegedly named for the large elm tree pictured in the background. The owners of the park built a playground into the massive tree, which became a focal point of the picnic grounds. An interesting article in the Ithaca Daily News from June 4, 1906, called the location “Bowentown” after Ambrose Bowen who settled the heavily forested area. The article continues on to say that the hamlet was intended to become a stop on the Medina & Darien Railroad, a defunct endeavor that ran from 1834 to 1836 and relied upon horsepower to pull cars between Darien and Medina.

An 1860 map of Orleans County shows a natural pool in the Oak Orchard River just south of Slade Road. A small roadway is shown between North Gravel Road and the River just north of the pool. According to the map, the location was known as “Oak Grove.” The map also shows numerous buildings in the vicinity belonging to A[mbrose] Bowen, a G[rist] Mill, a S[aw] M[ill], and B[lack] S[mith] shop, in addition to a store owned by Bowen. This is confirmed by a 1860s advertisement for a millstone company that listed Ambrose Bowen’s mill at Oak Orchard Creek near Medina.

An 1856 New York City newspaper lists Bowen as a dealer in Hereford cattle at Oak Grove, Medina. It would appear from the map and supporting information that the natural pool south of Slade Road was the location for Elm Park, a little further north from its supposed location near Glenwood Lake. A small cascade is still situated at that location, even though the creation of Glenwood Lake has altered the River slightly.

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“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 5, Issue 34

CLARENDON – Received as part of a recent donation, this undated photograph of Samuel Perkins was carefully slid into the pages of the Joiner family album from Barre, New York.

Based on other images in the album, which included photographs of Judge Sanford E. Church and Dr. Samuel Cochrane, the collection of photographs probably belonged to Marvin K. Joiner. Joiner was the son of Erastus Burnham Joiner and Caroline Church. The obverse side of this image reads, “Sam Perkins, substitute for Marvin K. in Civil War for $300.”

The Enrollment Act, also known as the Conscription Act, was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on March 3, 1863. As a result, all “able-bodied” male citizens and any immigrant with intentions of becoming a citizen between the ages of twenty and forty-five became eligible for the first military draft. Of course, the government implemented a list of potential exemptions from the draft including select government officials, the only sons of widows dependent upon his support, and the only son of elderly parents who were dependent upon his support, just to name a few.

As an alternative option, men of wealth could identify and present a “suitable substitute” to enter the Union Army in his place. If a substitute was not presented, the man could pay $300 to the Secretary of War, which covered the expense of locating and paying a stand-in. Bounty jumpers became prevalent as men accepted the $300 pay, quickly deserted, and enlisted in a neighboring town to receive an additional $300.

Research on Samuel Perkins suggests that he was a veteran of the Civil War, however, there are no records to confirm that he was paid a bounty by the federal government. It is likely that Perkins was selected by Joiner, paid directly by him, and enlisted with the 6th New York Cavalry. Although the name Samuel Perkins appears on the regimental roster, there is no enlistment or muster information and he deserted in March of 1862.

Very little is known of his early life. The son of Warren and Dorothy Cady Perkins, Samuel spent his earliest years on a farm in Barre before relocating to Clarendon after the War. He was first married to Almira Love, who died on July 4, 1859, and later remarried to Esther Benham of Byron.

His name appears briefly in David Sturges Copeland’s “History of Clarendon,” to which Copeland writes, “On the fine location of Samuel Perkins lived, very early, John Sturdevant, whose name may be found in 1829.” An 1875 map of Clarendon shows S. Perkins living on the southwest corner where New Guinea and Upper Holley roads intersect. In June of 1894 when a Mrs. G. A. Riggs lost her red cashmere shawl, she referred to the location as “Perkins’ Corners” when writing to the Holley Standard asking residents to kindly watch for it along the road.

The latter years of Samuel’s life are just as mysterious. After the passing of his wife Esther in 1894, he lived as a boarder on several farms in the Clarendon area, including that of John Stevens in 1900. In 1915, he was admitted to the Orleans County Poor House, under unknown circumstances, where he remained for 185 days until his death on April 1, 1916.

His name appears in the annual report submitted to the Board of Supervisors by the Leigh Hill, Superintendent of the Poor. Records indicate that he “left no known relatives” and that he may have been interred at Mt. Albion Cemetery even though his wife’s headstone at the Byron Cemetery reads, “Samuel C. Perkins, 1823-1916.”

What remains most interesting is that this particular image of Perkins found its way into the pages of the Joiner family photo album, the only photograph of a non-family member.

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“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 5, Issue 33

MEDINA – One of Medina’s most prosperous businesses during the early portion of the 20th century was the Empire Couch Company established by Earl Card and Walter Marvin in 1901.

Prior to establishing a factory in Medina, the small outfit operated out of Middleport with mild success. After the company purchased the Bignall Works facility and constructed a new building in its place, the business was sold to J. D. Smith.

With financial support from Alonzo Phillips, the company witnessed considerable growth during the following years. The original factory was a 40-foot by 140-foot building equipped with electric lighting, heat, and hot water but demand for merchandise forced the company to expand relatively soon after. This image shows the facility after that expansion, the photograph taken on March 20, 1913 as part of New York State’s assessment of land and property leading up to the 1913-14 expansion of the Erie Canal.

The three-story building was broken into four sections; the closest section consisted of lumber storage in the basement, a coating room on the first floor, and a stockroom on the second floor. The next section contained a woodworking shop in the basement, a staining and varnishing room on the first floor, and upholstering space on the second. The next portion contained a room for preparing shipments on the first floor and a continuation of the upholstering space on the second. The final section on the southern end was an office and cloth storage space. Several piles of lumber used for manufacturing furniture are visible in the distance.

When New York State started the process of expanding and widening the Erie Canal in 1913, the Empire Couch Company was given $13,888 for the land and buildings on this property and was forced to relocate to a new site on Orient Street near the intersection of Short Street immediately north of the railroad tracks. The forced relocation was a welcomed one as the demand for fine furniture built in Medina was growing at an exponential rate. The area newspapers praised the high quality of furniture made by the company and its high rate of employment.

On October 14, 1930 the Medina Daily Journal published an article noting the company’s steady and prosperous growth stating, “This plant does its share to make the wheels of industry in Medina go round and there is every indication that it will continue to do so in the future.”

Unfortunately, the Lockport Union Sun and Journal published an announcement the following year on November 3, 1931 stating that the Central Bank of Medina was closing due to the decline of the bond market. With the majority of the company’s funds held by that bank, the closure forced the Empire Couch Company to go bankrupt.

With the company’s liabilities totaling close to $40,000 and assets equaling about the same, a bankruptcy auction was held and the property sold to William J. Gallagher’s trucking outfit. With that auction in 1935 went a successful but short-lived Medina enterprise.

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“Overlooked Orleans” – Volume 5, Issue 32

ALBION – One of Orleans County’s oldest funeral homes is likely that of Merrill-Grinnell, which dates well beyond the 1870s. This image shows two predecessors to the current business, Cassius M. C. Reynolds and William S. Flintham, standing in front of their store on North Main Street in Albion. Reynolds purchased this business from his father-in-law George W. Ough, who was a prominent businessman and president of the Albion Board of Trustees.

It is thought that the lineage of this business dates back as far as George M. Pullman, who ran a furniture making business in Albion during his tenure in Orleans County. The business later transitioned to Ough, then to Reynolds and Flintham who operated the outfit into the 1920s. Reynolds & Flintham were known locally for dealing crockery, glassware, and furniture in addition to their work as undertakers.

This image clearly showcases the stock of crockery and glassware carried by the business, visible both through the store windows and on the table standing outside. Several chairs are situated in front of the building and a number of prams are on display; from simple models to the more ornate such as the piece parked next to William Goff, which features a suspension system, ensuring a comfortable ride for the passenger.

Mr. Goff’s tenure with the business dated back to Ough’s ownership when at the age of 16 he first applied for a job. He became somewhat of a local celebrity in regards to his work as a funeral director and embalmer; his claim to fame was being the first to cover a casket in cloth for use in Orleans County. In his earliest years working with Ough, caskets were made to order, but he watched the industry develop as he worked over 40 years through the ownership of Ough, Reynolds & Flintham, and Merrill.

In 1926 the business was sold to John B. Merrill of Holley, who partnered with his son Roy to start J. B. Merrill & Son. Goff remained with Merrill for nearly 13 years before his own retirement and upon his death he was regarded as one of the oldest funeral directors and embalmers in Western New York at the age of 83.

J. B. Merrill & Son existed as Merrill-Grinnell Funeral Homes until Christopher Mitchell acquired the funeral homes in Albion and Holley in 2017. One other notable feature of this image is the reflection in the windows of the storefront. The beautiful white fence and trees were situated in front of the mansion of Lorenzo Burrows, which still stands today as the home of Key Bank.

William Flintham and his son, Stuart J. Flintham were both featured on the Aug. 11 tour of Mt. Albion Cemetery. This week’s tour of Mt. Albion Cemetery, set for Aug. 18 at 6 p.m., will include stories about notable Orleans County veterans buried in the western section.

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