Chautauqua County, New York - Chapter 13, 1921 (part 2 of 2)

The Italians were the last of our foreignborn residents to come to Chautauqua county. With the exception of a very few who resided in Dunkirk, Westfield, and perhaps at some other places, there were none of that nationality residing in the county previous to 1890. These few were not common laborers, but men skilled in some trade or vocation. They were usually intelligent, and sometimes educated men. Mr. Martignoni, now of Dunkirk, and Frank Potalio, of Westfield, are among the early Italians. By the census of 1855 there was not a single Italian residing in the county, and yet fifty years ago and before that date, Garibaldi, the most eminent of Italians, came to this far western country and visited Dunkirk. Joseph Serrone was the first Italian to establish a permanent residence in Dunkirk. He came in March. 1888, and established a fruit store there. His daughter Lucy was the first child born of Italian parents in Dunkirk.

The Italian population first began to appear along the line of the Lake Shore railroad, and settle about the same time in several of the northern towns of the county. In the early part of the year 1891, Toney Dolce and Alex Gentile came to Westfield. Since then there has been a constant influx of this people to that village. In 1892, while the street railway was being constructed between Dunkirk and Fredonia, some Italian laborers from Buffalo were engaged in work upon it, among them Peter Lauza. He brought his family from Buffalo and took up his residence in Fredonia, and was the first to reside in Pomfret. In 1893 relatives of the Lauzas and other families, about ten families in all, came from Buffalo, with a few others from Italy, to Fredonia. From that year to the present time they have been increasing rapidly in the vicinity of Fredonia, coming usually upon the invitation of their relatives who preceded them. In 1894 Peter Lauza was the first to open the new industry of wine making to the Italian settlers in Western New York. This wine industry is largely carried on by Italians residing in the county, but American firms have also been started. This wine is made of the pure grape juice and allowed to ferment itself. This industry has been so greatly developed within recent years that grape lands have greatly increased in value. Antonio La Grasso is now at the head of a large wine industry in Fredonia. Pietro Elardo and Antonio La Duca are large manufacturers. One hundred thousand dollars are probably invested in the wine business at and near Fredonia. There are many successful Italian farmers cultivating lands in the American way, among them the Russo brothers. Frank La Grasso has an extensive macaroni factory.

The first to settle at or near Brocton was Peter Rumfolo and his family and brother-. Rumfolo came about 1892 or 1893. He was followed by other families until now there are about one hundred Italian residents in that town, among them the two brothers Faso, who own an extensive wine cellar. These Italians are from the island of Sicily and are all small in stature but one, who is taller and larger than the others, whose name is Paolicckia, and who came from Italy proper. His family conform to the customs of America, and he manages one of the largest grape farms in the vicinity and is successful in the wine business. Many Italians have settled in Dunkirk and still more near Silver Creek, where they are engaged in raising grapes and making wine. In considerable numbers they are beginning to appear in other towns in the county. The Italians now residing in Chautauqua county are an industrious, law-abiding and peaceful people. They show an interest in educating their children. Their children attend the public schools, are eager to learn and make rapid advancement in their studies.

It is a singular fact that the majority of the Italians residing in Chautauqua county came from the single town of Valledolmo, in Central Sicily. This is true also of many of the Italians residing in Buffalo and other parts of the State. The Italians are the last of our foreign population that have immigrated to Chautauqua county in considerable numbers.

the rapid increase of the foreign population and the great change that was soon to take place in the racial character of the people of the county first began to appear. By this census residents of foreign birth had increased to 3,622, about seven per cent, of the whole population. These foreigners were more than twothirds Irish, English and Canadians, the remainder were principally Germans from the continent of Europe.

By the census taken in 1855, a still greater change appears to have taken place in these respects. By this census fourteen per cent, of the whole population were foreign born. Of these, 2,483 were born in Ireland ; 1,455 m England ; 1,207 m Germany ; 453 in Sweden ; 334 in Canada; 289 in Holland; 128 in Scotland; 93 in France ; 45 in Switzerland ; 27 in Wales ; 25 in Prussia; 21 in Poland; 5 in Denmark; 2 in Asia; 1 in Russia, and none from Norway, Italy, Spain or Portugal. Of these 3,223 were born in Continental Europe against 4,345 born in the British Dominions.

By the census of 1875, taken at the beginning of the last period in the history of the county, it appears that 1,138 were born in Canada; 2,143 in England ; 3,987 in Ireland ; 341 in Scotland. In all, 7,609 were born in the British Dominions, while 3,946 were born in Germany, and 6,156 in other countries, principally in Sweden, a total of 10,102, who were a majority all born in Continental Europe. The whole population of the county aside from a few Indians, at the beginning of the last period of its history was 64,781, of which 17,711, being 27 per cent., were born in foreign countries.

According to the census of the county taken in 1900, almost at the close of the first century of our history, the whole population of the county had increased to the number of 88,314 inhabitants, of which 70,765 were nativeborn citizens, and 17,549 foreign-born. Of the foreigners, the Swedes were far the most numerous, as the Irish had been during the early years of the immigration. Seventy-one hundred fifty one were born in Sweden ; 2,859 m Germany; 2,085 m England; 1,244 in Ireland; 1,127 in Poland; 977 in Canada; 761 in Italy; 437 in Holland; 316 in Denmark; 186 in Scotland; 106 in Switzerland; 76 in France; 41 ir Russia; 21 in Austria; 20 in Norway, 19 in Wales; 12 in China; 12 in Finland; 9 in Asia; 1 in Hungary ; 1 in Turkey ; 1 in Belgium ; 1 in Cuba, and 44 in other countries.

Yet it is probable that in 1900 as many citizens were of foreign blood, largely of Continental Europe, as at any time in its history. By the census of 1900, 47,721 were native-born citizens having native-born parents, while 40,403 of its inhabitants were either of foreign birth or both parents were of foreign birth, 40 per cent, of the whole population. About sixty years before, about 20 per cent, only were of this character, and this small number were not tinctured with the blood of Continental Europe.

We have yet to mention two other classes of people residing in the county who may be said to be to the manner born. The colored people of African descent have been settlers to some extent ever since the county was first settled, and still remain distinct from all other classes by reason of a far wider racial difference. Joseph Hodge, or Black Joe, was selling goods to the Indians on the Cattaraugus creek as early as 1792. In 1806, when William Prendergast, Sr., his sons, daughters and grandchildren, came in a body together, they brought with them from Pittstown, New York, their favorite slave Tom. Other slaves and free negroes drifted into the county while it was in process of settling. As many as eight slaves resided in the county with their masters in 1817. According to the census reports there were five slaves in the county in 1814, three in 1820, and one as late as 1830. In 1850 there were 140 colored people of African descent in Chautauqua county, 70 males and 70 females. Some of them were runaway slaves and others were free-born. All were natives of the United States and many of Chautauqua county. Of these, Mrs. Katherine Harris was the oldest. She was born in Pennsylvania, is 94 years of age, and resided in Chautauqua county 75 years (1900). Her grandfather on her father's side was a negro rescued from a slaveship on its way from Africa. Her other grandparents were white. The colored population in 1900 was 148, mostly residing in Jamestown, and of these 78 were males and 70 were females.

According to the census of 1900, 31 Indians were residing upon the part of Indian reservation that lies in Chautauqua county in the town of Hanover.

The population of the cities and villages of the county was : Jamestown, 22,892 ; Dunkirk, 11,616; Fredonia, 4,127; Westfield, 2,430; Silver Creek, 1,944; Falconer, 1,136; Mayville, 943; Brocton, 900; Sherman, 760; Cherry Creek, 701 ; Forestville, 623; Sinclairville, 577; Lakewood, 574; Celoron, 506; Panama, 359; in all, 50,088 people. In the fifteen or more smaller villages and hamlets, there were at least 4,000 more inhabitants, making in all 54,000 residents of cities and villages, leaving about 34,000 living in the country districts. Although Chautauqua is called a rural county, five-eighths of its inhabitants were in cities and villages. In the last 50 years the village and city population had increased threefold, while the population of the country part of the county remained about the same that it was fifty years ago, and but little more than it was seventy years ago.

Although there may be little to distinguish the early annals of the county from those of other parts of Western New York, no century in the history of Chautauqua that will come after the present will be of equal interest. The tale of the pioneer, his free and simple life, his great expectations, the hardships he endured, the sacrifices he made and his final success will always interest. The novelty of a life in the backwoods, and the rapid progress that settlement made in this first hundred years, will in the future bear a romantic interest. If the early pioneer were here now, he would marv.;l at the changes that have been wrought, the railroads that have been constructed, the towns and cities that have been built, the green fields that spread everywhere among the hills. When the sound of his ax was first heard along the shore of Chautauqua Lake the Indian had not taken leave of Fair Point, the deer browsed in its groves, and the wolf nightly serenaded there. Now all is changed ; in the same groves thousands gather from all parts of the land to listen to the discourse of orators and philosophers from all parts of the world upon scientific and advanced topics of the da)'. All this change has occurred in the span of a single life. Austin Smith was born in March, 1804, married the daughter of the first pioneer in the county, became an able lawyer, the contemporary of Jacob Houghton, James Mullett and Dudley Marvin, and other almost forgotten lawyers, distinguished in the very earliest annals of the county. He in his prime took a prominent part in the affairs of the county, and was one of the best known of its early citizens and in 1903, at the advanced age of ninetynine years, Mr. Smith was still living in the village of Westfield.

A few other facts will serve to show in a striking way how great has been the change, and how rapid has been the progress of the county in the first hundred years of its history.

In 1801 the county was an uninhabited wilderness. By the census taken in 1810, nine years later, it had a population of 2,381. In 181 1 it was an organized county. That year $1,500 was voted by its supervisors to build a court house and jail, and $988 for all other town and county purposes. In 1821, ten years later and but a short time before the Erie canal was built, while the county was yet emerging from its pioneer condition, the equalized value of the real estate of the county was $1,849,248. The town, State and county taxes had increased to $8,292. In 1850, the year before the Erie railroad was completed, the equalized value of its real estate was $5,301,368, and the taxes, town, county and State, were $39,145, and now a half-century later, in 1902, the equalized value of real estate is $37,403,184, and the total town, county and State tax is $221,945.

In 1850, about the middle of the first century of its history, when the county was on the eve of entering on its greatest era of progress, not a mile of railroad of any kind was in operation in the county ; in 1902 there were two hundred fifty miles of steam railroad and twenty-four miles of electric road built, and more than fifty miles more of electric road soon to be constructed.