SCHUYLER COUNTY NYGENWEB BY LINDA Z. O'HALLORAN -- PART OF ROOTSWEB
 
                               From "History of Seven Counties 
                    by the Elmira Weekly Gazette...", pub 1885
 
 
                                   Dix Township 
                                    [p.239--241] 
 
 
 
                          "The town of Dix was organized April 17,
                       1835, chap. 98, page 82, laws of  New York,
                       taken from the Town of Catlin.  As now constituted,
                       Dix is bounded on the north by the town of Reading,
                       on the east by the valley of Watkins, and the town 
                       of Montour, on the south by the town of Catlin, and
                       on the west by the town of Orange.  It is situated 
                       on the west of the valley of Catharine, upon the 
                       rolling lands and plateaus, overlooking the Seneca 
                       Lake, and some of the finest landscape views in the
                       state can be obtained from points in this town.  
                       Its soil is very productive. The Syracuse, Geneva &
                       Corning railroad passes thru the township in a north
                       east, and south west direction, having stations at
                       Beaver Dam , and at Watkins Glen, 
                       originally in the town, built now in the corporation 
                       of Watkins. 
                            The Northern Central railroad runs along its 
                       eastern boundary, having a station at Havana, and
                       at Watkins, thus accommodating the citizens of Dix 
                       with ample railroad facilities. It was named in honor
                       of Hon. John A. Dix, subsequently Governor of the 
                       State.  There are several hamlets and villages in the
                       town, among them Beaver Dam, Moreland, Townsend, and 
                       the incorporated village of Watkins. 
 
                            Early settlers--John Diven, William  Baskin, 
                       Jacob Mills, Jacob Mills, jr., Mathias Miller, 
                       Thomas J. Nichols, Ebenezer Buck, Obediah Phinney, 
                       Joseph Hitchcock, Christian Crout, 
                       William Lane, George Frost,
                       John P.Cornell, George W. Bronson, Amos Royce,
                       Judge John Crawford, Claudius Townshend, Underhill
                       Frost, John Platt, Brewster Platt, Col. Green Bennett,
                       Charles Bennett, Thomas Eddy, Elisha Bronson, Simeon 
                       L. Rood, Bela Sanford, Ira Sanford, Rev. John Gray,
                       Daniel Tracy, WIlliam H. Smith, David Poke, H.R. Lybolt,
                       J.B. Contes, Daniel Hughey, Nelson Lybolt, James
                       Wedgewood, Joseph Cole, Elijah Phelps, Edward Lee,
                       Archibald Tilford, Ebenezer Perry, Joshua Pierce,
                       John Crout, Abram P. Crout, Gardner Krum,
                       Jonas Blower, Dodo Benson, Eleazer Cole, I. Bramhall,
                       Consider E. Evans, Thomas Eddy, Nathan Miller, John
                       W. Chapman, Daniel D. Giles, Daniel H. Bolt, Daniel
                       Kent, Ira Dodge, John C. Thayer, John V. Rose, Lewis 
                       Miller, W.S. Beers, Rev. Edward Hotchkiss, Harlem 
                       Cole, Almon Beecher, William Hardenberg. 
                    --W.S. Beers built the Beaver Dams tannery, in 1837. 
                    --Green Bennett built a saw mill on Bower's Creek, in
                      1828. 
                    --John Griffith was the first death at Townshend 
                      settlement, in 1832. 
                    --The first store at Beaver
                      Dams was opened by Abram P. Crout in the year 
                      1829. 
                --David H. Bolt kept the first tavern at Townshend 
                      settlement, in the year 1823. 
                    --Post office established in 1830, at Beaver Dams, David 
                      Davison was the first post master. 
                    --Post office established at Moreland in 1836, Judge 
                      John Crawford the first post master. 
                    --Moreland and Beaver Dams are stations on the Syracuse,
                      Geneva & Corning railroad. 
                    --Beaver Dams derives its name from two beaver dams in
                      the creek at that place. 
                    --First Baptist Church of Townsend, was organized in the
                      year 1838. Church erected in 1849. 
                    --Col. Green Bennett was superintendent of the Chemung 
                      canal, and for many years was prominent in the affairs
                      of Chemung county. 
                    --The Baptist church of Moreland was organized in 1830.
                      Rev. Thomas S. Sheardown was the first preacher. Church 
                      erected in 1843. Cost $8.000. 
                    --Methodist Episcopal Church of Beaver Dams, organized 
                      in 1832 as a class. The first minister in charge was 
                      Rev. A.C. Orcutt/Orcull(?).  Church erected in 1858. 
                    --Moreland Cemetery Association was incorporated Sept.
                      26, 1878, trustees Henry Gray, Jonathan Sturdevant,
                      John Deum. Benjamin Clark, secretary. 
                    --The First Presbyterian Church of Moreland was organized
                      Nov. 4, 1834. The first trustees were John C. Thayer,
                      Lewis Miller, John V. Ross, church erected in 1834. 
                    --Phineas Catlin was appointed one of the commissioners
                      in 1797, to lay out a road from Catskill Landing, on 
                      the Hudson river, to Catharine's Town. His associates
                      were Mathew Carpenter and John Hendy. 
                    --The First Universalist Society of Dix was organized
                      Feb. 26, 1848. Rev. Ethan Carpenter was the first
                      minister. Trustees were George McAlpine, Benjamin 
                      Priest, Henry Johnson; moderator, Joseph Cole; clerk,
                      W.S. Beers; church erected in 1853. Cost $2,000."