Transcibed by Kristy Lawrie Gravlin - hannah@teleport.com
The Town of Bergen, Genesee County, New York as taken from The Gazetteer and Business Directory of Genesee County, N.Y. for 1869-70; Compiled and published by Hamilton Child, Syracuse, NY, 1869. Bergen, was formed from Batavia, June 8, 1812. Byron was taken off in 1820. The surface is gently undulating, with a slight inclination towards the north. Black Creek flows east through the town, a little north of the center. The soil is a gravelly and clayey loam. Bergen, (p.v.) situated in the east part of the town, on the New York Central R. R., contains four churches, viz., Baptist, Methodist, Congregationalist and Roman Catholic; two hotels, a sash and blind factory, several stores and mechanic shops and about 700 inhabitants. Stone Church, (p. o.) in the south-east part of the town, contains a Congregational church, a school house, several mechanic shops and about a dozen homes. West Bergen (p. o.) in the south-west part, on the N. Y. C. R. R., and North Bergen (p. o.) in the north-west part, are hamlets. Samuel LINCOLN commenced the first settlement at Bergen village in 1805. He was from Connecticut, as were also most of the other settlers. Jedediah CROSBY, David POTTER, William WHITE, James LANDEN and David FRANKLIN came in and settled in 1805-06. Simeon PIERSON located here in 1808. The first birth was that of Luther CROSBY, in 1806; the first inn was kept at Bergen Corners in 1810, by Samuel BUTLER; the first store was kept by Levi WARD, in 1808. Jared MERRILL erected the first saw mill in the north-west part of the town, in 1811. Titus WILCOX, from Connecticut, taught the first school, in the winter of 1807-08, at Bergen Corners. Deacon Levi WARD and his sons, from Connecticut, established public religious services soon after their arrival, and in 1807 or 1808 a Church (Presb.) was organized. Rev. Allan HOLLISTER was installed pastor of the Church in 1811 or 1812. The population of the town in 1865 was 1,908, and its area 17,289 acres. There are eight school districts, employing ten teachers. The number of the school population is 652; the number attending school, 524; the average attendance, 289, and the amount expended for school purposes during the year ending September 30, 1868, was $9,529.57
Back to Bergen
Back to Genesee Main Page