Located in
the southeast corner of Niagara County and comprised of 38,820 acres,
Royalton is one of the largest towns in the state (of NY).
There
were a succession of boundry changes from the earliest time, when the
French were in control, until 1824 when the present boundries were set.
In 1813 all the land east of Transit Road (St. Rte 78) to the Orleans
county line, and south from Lake Ontario to Tonawanda Creek was known as
the Town of Hartland.
The next division took place April 1817
when Royalton was formed from Hartland townships, #13 and #14, being the
southern half of the town.
The last boundary change took place in
1824 when the Town of Lockport was formed and took in the western
section Royalton.
Pioneers from (the state of) Vermont who
settled Newfane, Hartland and Royalton came from the Green Mountain
County of Windsor. At this time we have no known being of people from
Royalton, Vermont, but it is thought that the name Royalton was derived
from the Vermont village of the same name.
One of the earliest
roads was an Indian trail entering at the southeast border and crossing
in a northwesterly direction from Batavia to Fort Niagara (NY). Called
the Lewiston trail or road, it follows today's St. Rte. 77 from our
northern border through Royalton Center, McNalls Corners, Terry's
Corners and leaves our western border at the Husky Cemetery on Chestnut
Ridge as it continues to the Cold Springs Road (where Cold Springs
Cemetery is located) and on to Fort Niagara.
Another of our
earliest roads is Slayton Settlement Road running east and west on our
northern border and continuing east as Telegraph Road, part of St. Rte.
31.
The Erie, or later Barge Canal, running across the northern
section, was responsible for the growth of four canal
villages -- Middleport, Reynales Basin, Gasport and Orangeport. With the
advent of the railroad in 1852, Middleport and Gasport grew and the
other two declined. Middleport is our only incorporated village.
The canal and railroad also caused the decline of two other northern
settlements which might have grown lareger -- one, the Mill District on
Slayton Settlement Road at Quaker Road where early flour and sawmills
flourished and further west, Slayton's Settlement near the present day
Slayton Settlement and Hartland Roads.
Carrington's Corners
(later Royalton Center), McNalls Corners and Terry's Corners, flourished
as the stage coached and settlers poured through. There was even an
academy at Royalton Center.
Further to the southern border, at
Dysingers Corners, was the little settlement of Locust Tree with a post
office and church. Our southernmost settlement is Wolcottsville. Anson
Wolcott purchased 2000 acres and located on it in 1847-1848 and started
a saw and lumber mill. In 1851 he deeded the whole tract of land to 75
German families from Prussia. Thus, Wolcottsville was formed and it
still remains principally a German settlement.
Also in the
southern part of the town were two small settlements, one being Block
Church on the bend of Akron Road (St. Rte. 93). This settlement had an
active church, a townhall which was used as a polling place and the
school house which has been converted to a private home--until the early
1990s. (The church/townhall are gone now).
Leslie was the other
small settlement located at Burdicks Bridge on the bank of Tonawanda
Creek. There were undoubtedly other small hamlets whose names have
become lost in the mists of time.
Royalton has been settled by
thrifty, hard-working people with many trades and talents. Early years
found sawmills, flour mills, lime kilns, quarries, brick yards, cider
and vinegar mills, a pickle factory, cheese factories and basket
factories.
The canal and railroad brought a means of shipping the
many kinds of fruit grown in the area. Every village had its blacksmith
and copper shops as well as fruits for processing dry fruit.
Source: Written by Donald Jerge, Royalton Historical Society
I would like to share with you some information that I hope will be of
interest to you concerning the connection between Windsor County, VT and
Royalton, NY. It is my understanding that Thomas Slayton, who was born
on April 4, 1775 in Brookfield, Massachusetts, was taken by his parents
to live in Woodstock, Windsor County, Vermont in 1778. Thomas moved to
western New York and became the first settler on the "Holland Purchase"
in 1803.
According to "Turner's History of the Holland Land Purchase,
1849", "The pioneer in all the region named was Thomas Slayton. He was
on his way to Canada, 1803, with his family; broke his wagon down about
two miles east of the Cold Springs; stopped in consequence, liked the
country, took up land and chopped an acre or two. His horses having
strayed away from his log cabin, he went into the woods in pursuit of
them, and in his rambles saw the fine soil and black walnut groves below
the mountain and soon changed his location, becoming the founder of
Slayton Settlement. Those who pass now through that beautiful, highly
cultivated region, will conclude that the early pioneer made a good
selection when he had a wide field before him."
In 1804, Thomas'
younger brother Joshua came from Woodstock to join him in the new
settlement, and it was he who named the town "Royalton", after Royalton,
Vermont. Joshua had twelve children, from whom most of the Slaytons now
living in western New York (and myself) are descended.
Here is a
confirmatory excerpt from French's Gazatteer of the State of New York:
ROYALTON was formed from Hartland, April 5, 1817, and a part of
Lockport was taken off in 1824. It is the S. E. corner town of the co.
The surface is generally level or undulating, except in the N. part,
where the mountain ridge crosses the town. Johnsons, Eighteen Mile, and
Mud Creeks take their rise in this town, and the Tonawanda forms its s.
boundary. The soil is a clayey loam. Middleport7 (p. v.) incorporated in
1858, lies partly in Hartland, but principally in the N.E. part of this
town. It is situated upon the Erie Canal, and is a station on the R. &
N. F. R. R. It contains 5 churches and has a pop. of 689, (586 in
Royalton, 103 in Hartland.) Gasport,8 (p. v.,) situated on the canal
near Eighteen Mile Creek, is a station on the R. & N. F. R. R. It
contains 1 church and an academy.9 Pop. 273. Orangeport, (p. v.,) on the
canal, in the N. W. part of the town, has a pop. of 224; Royalton, (p.
v.,) in the central part, of 168; and Reynales Basin, (p. v.,) on the
canal, of 132. Locust Tree and South Royalton are p. offices. McNalls
Corners is a hamlet in the w. part. The first settlement was made in
1803, by Thos. Slayton and Gad Warner.10 The first religious services
were held in 1806; the first religious society (Christian) was organized
in 1817, and the first church edifice was built the same year.11 There
are 12 churches in town."
Contributed 1997 Jan 14 by Yamila.
My 2nd G. Grandfather, Constantine John Maguire, married Christina Darling in Niagara County, NY. His mother, Sarah Slater Maguire, is buried in the Orangeport Union Cemetery. Her husband, John Maguire, is buried in Exeter, RI.
Contributed by Arlan Maguire amag0254@flash.net
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