Six weeks ago, we began our series concerning the evolution of the town of
Collins, Erie County, N.Y. We began this series by looking at the area that would
become the town of Collins. We began during the era when the area was known as
the town of Willink; first: Genesee County (1804 - 1812), second: Niagara
County (1812-1821). Basically, we looked at the people who originally settled this
area.
Five weeks ago, we completed that look and moved onto the area while it was the
town of Concord, Niagara County, NY. There was a discussion of the Mills
operating within the area. We also spoke of the build up of the hamlet of Zoar and
took a quick look at pioneer schools. Let's complete our look at the early hamlets
and early schools and religious institutions.
Four weeks ago we took a deeper look into Smith Bartlett's early tannery, early
schools, especially in Collins Center, the early communities within Collins and the
early religious culture of the area.
Three weeks ago , we will give you a link concerning the incorporation of the town
of Collins (please, keep in mind, the newly formed town consisted of all lands now
lying within the town of Collins & North Collins as well as part of the town of Brant.
along with a variety of recipes, tools, etc that these early pioneers brought to the
area and/or used.
Two weeks ago we will delve deeper into household and farming tools, especially
those brought to the area in the early days of settlement. We also explained why the
town of Brant has less land than any other town in Erie County.
Last week we covered elected officials which came with the creation of a
township.
This week we will look at the growth of Collins during its initial years as a township.
Businesses:
The first store was built in Collins Center in 1830. It was built by a man named
Samuel Lake who employed a man named Harry Matthewson to carry on business.
Lake himself carried on an ashery business in town.
Many people would follow with their own stores, whether they be for groceries or
other business tools, etc. Some of these store owners included: Chancey Bigelow
and his son Frank (1835); Cornelius Smith; Thomas Russell; followed by his son,
William; Benjamin Sherman and a man known only as Johnson.
Smith Bartlett continued to improve and expand his local tannery. The first major
expansion occurred in 1828. In 1835, he moved onto lot 69, building a new tannery.
Smith's son Allen ran the original tannery for a short while, then built his own
tannery in Collins Center.
Mills had already sprung up in many areas, but they continued to be built and
operated, David & John Wilbur built a mill on the Harris Site in 1824. In 1835, James
Parkinson built a mill in Collins Center. This mill would later become the Bolander
Brothers Mill.
Over the years, this site saw many uses, many businesses. One time it was a
Carding Factory, then a tannery, a shingle mill & a cider mill. In 1837, S. C. Adams
and Francis Knight would build a mill on Yaw Brook.
Churches:
The Methodist Church would be organized & built in 1834. Its original location being
a small rise on the present Konert Road.
Although no dates for the next two churches have yet to be located, reference to
these churches make the fact that these religious institutions were organized and
erected during the early years of the township. The Christians, a non-
denominational institution was erected near the present intersection of Brewer Road
& Route 39. The second institution was the Universalist, which in fact were a group
of Spiritualist. Their Meeting Hall was the building still referred to as the Grange
Hall in Collins Center.
Join us next week for a look at the period of 1839 and 1852 when a division gave
the town of Collins its present boundaries.