Early Settlers of Caledonia New York

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Two Englishmen named Kane and Moffatt were the first settlers of Caledonia. They arrived at Big Springs in 1795, and built there the first house, necessarily of logs, and kept tavern in it for three years, but being suspicious characters, accused of robberies, and even murder, other settlers finally drove them away. They were succeeded by L. Peterson and David Fuller about 1798, who built other log houses and entertained incoming emigrants and passing travelers.

It was in 1798 that a number of families from Broadalbin, Perthshire, Scotland, emigrated to America. They arived in New York in April and immediately proceeded to Johnstown, now in Fulton county. Colonel Charles Williamson, agent for the Pulteney estate in the Gen- esee region, with characteristic enterprise went to Johnstown to see them and induce them to come to this land of promise. He offered them lands around Big Springs for $3 an acre, payable in wheat at six shillings a bushel, and agreed to furnish them provisions until they could provide for themselves. The offer was tempting, and they decided to send five of their number to the Genesee country to inves- tigate and report. Their names were Donald McPherson, Malcolm McLaren, Hugh McDermid, James McLaren and John D. McVean. Being out of money they were obliged to travel the two hundred miles on foot. They were pleased with the lands around Big Springs, and concluded to report in favor of settling there. When returning they met Colonel Williamson between Geneva and Canandaigua, and on the highway closed a written contract with him which secured to them the Big Springs lands. Donald McKenzie left notes of this trip and the settlement afterward of the Scotch families, in which he praised Colonel Williamson and said that they "found him more noble and generous than he had agreed or promised." The start of twenty of the Scotch company, women and children included, for their new home was made almost immediately after the return and report of their five representatives, and they arrived there in March, 1799, others remaining at Johnstown until the next fall and spring. The first ar- rivals included Peter Campbell and wife, Malcolm McLaren and wife, Donald McVean, Hugh McDermid and John McPherson. The fall arrivals were Donald McPherson, Donald Anderson and Alexander Thompson. All of them found temporary shelter and accommodations in the log guest houses of Peterson and Fuller. After looking about they agreed with Colonel Williamson to purchase 3,000 acres under his offered stipulations before stated, and because the purchase was a large one Colonel Williamson generously agreed to give them two hundred acres for the support of a minister, and two acres more on the state road on which to build a church and school house. They were an industrious and hopeful company, and the men began at once to put up log houses, clear away trees and cultivate the rich soil, their wives and children helping them as they could.

Others soon followed from Johnstown and Scotland, and there were accessions to the little colony of their Scotch countrymen nearly every year for several years. Arrivals in 1800 were John and Daniel Ander- son, John Christie and family, John McLaren, Major Isaac Smith, Smith McKercher and his sons, Peter and John. Afterward, and before or during 1804, came John McKay, and his mother and sister Jeannette, Alexander McDonald, his wife, son Donald and daugh- ters Jeannette and Catherine, Robert Whaley, William Armstrong, Angus Cameron and his three sons, Duncan, Donald and John.

They experienced privations, but soon became attached to the land of their adoption and the new republic that had just been formed, in which they were not subject, as in the monarchy which they left be- hind, to various oppressions including impressment into the navy to fight against France. Colonel Williamson was more than faithful to his promises in furnishing them with needed provisions and means for cultivating the land. The wheat they used at first was grown in Dansville and ground at the mill in Conesus, but in 1802 they had a flouring mill at home, which was built on the outlet of the springs by Colonel Williamson. It was a small mill, with one run of stones, and was the second flouring mill built west of the Genesee river. John McKay purchased the mill and two hundred acres of land, which in- cluded the springs, the outlet and the site of Mumford, in 1803 for $2,000. The next year he erected a saw mill on the outlet. There was no other flouring mill in Caledonia until 1814, when one was built by Moses Gibson and Colonel Robert McKay on a stream near the York line. The mills made the progress of the farmers more rapid and were conveniences which the settlers in other towns were slower in obtaining.

Other settlers not named who came about 1804, and perhaps some of them a little earlier, were Duncan McCall and son, Donald, Lachlan, Daniel, James and Neil McLean, all brothers, Archibald Gillis, Archi- bald McLachlin, William Orr, Angus and Neil Haggart, brothers, Collin Gillis and John McKenzie. The most of these men brought with them their families, and others followed; the Scotch settlement was increasing rapidly. The most of the settlers for the first few years were Presbyterians of the strictest sort, some of them with the Westminster confession at their tongue's ends. It was probably a more religious and moral community at that period than almost any other in the Genesee country, and this fact contributed not a little to its prosperity.