The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 311
Town of Mentz

Port Byron has suffered from several disastrous fires. May 30th, 1870, the dry goods store of J. T. & William S. Smith was burned. This fire aroused the citizens to a realization of the importance of providing adequate means of protection, and the excellent water works which the village now has were established. The reservoir is 150 feet long, 50 feet wide and 12 feet deep, located on the hill west of the village, on grounds donated for the purpose by William A. Halsey, and has an altitude of 175 feet about the main street in the village. Water is pumped into the reservoir from the outlet.

Port Byron was incorporated March 2nd, 1837, and reincorporated in 1855. The first officers under the charter were: Walter H. Smith, President, who was elected by the board of trustees; Reuben Saxon, Samuel Harnden, Dennison Robinson and Abraham Teachout, Trustees; Campbell W. Haynes, Clerk; James D. Button, Joseph Hadger and Elijah Rice, Assessors; David B. Smith, Treasurer; and Jesse Vanerhoven, Constable. The successive presidents are Elmore P. Ross, 1838; Samuel Harnden, 1839, `42 and `43; Cyrus C. Peas, 1840 and `41; James Cutler, 1844, `45 and `47-`51; L. Goodsole, 1846; Thomas W. Smith, 1852 and `55; George Randall, 1853; James D. Button, 1854; Richard H. Hoff, 1856, `59, `66; Richard Dyer, 1857; Abram Gutchess, 1858 and `67; William S. Hoffmann, 1860 and `62; Arthur White, 1861; Daniel Graves, 1863 and `64; Augustus Kelly, 1865, `70 and `71; Stephen H. Close, 1868; Thomas B. Dickey, 1869; William A. Halsey, 1872; Edward B. Somers, 1873; Horace V. Howland, 1874; William Hosford, 1875; Horace C. Badgley, 1876; James V. White, 1877. The present officers (1879) are: T. Fayette Dixon, President; Rush M. Howard, Charles M. Storms, Oliver B. Tanner and Charles F. Stiles, Trustees; Samuel N. Dougherty, Clerk; Charles Kelly, Treasurer; George Somers, O. W. Seymour and George W. Latham, Assessors; Samuel N. Dougherty , Police Justice.

PORT BYRON LODGE NO. 130, F. & A. M., was organized as Freedom Lodge, about 1820, and the name and charter changed June 8th, 1845. The present officers are, Geo. Dickinson, W. M.; Oscar Gutchess, S. W.; Chas. M. Storms, J. W.; R. M. Howard, Treas.; Egbert Homel, Secy.; D. M. Kellogg, S. D.; F. F. Sears, J. D.; Geo. Anable, Tiler; Augustus Kelly, H. B. Baxter, and Thos. B. Dickey, Trustees. Meetings are held the first and third Wednesdays of each month, in Masonic Hall. The present number of members is 75.

MORRIS CHAPTER NO. 156, R. A. M. has a membership of about 45, and meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, in Masonic Hall. The officers are Abram Gutchess, H. P.; Chas. Kelly, E. K.; Wm. Cooper, Jr., E. S.; C. R. Berry, Secy.; E. B. Erity, Treas.; C. M. Stone, C. H.; E. M. Slayton, P. S.; A. Houghtaling, R. A. C.; Geo. W. Dickinson, M. 1st V.; O. Gutchess, M. 2nd V.; Jehiel Weston, M. 3rd V.; Geo. Anable, Tiler.

CENTENNIAL TENT N. O. I. R. No. 41, was organized in January, 1876. Meetings are held every Friday evening. The membership is 35. The officers are, H. W. Leonard, C. R.; George Anable, D. R.; R. Fayette Dixon, Secy.; C. P. Yates, Jr., Treas.; John M. Coon, F. S.; Geo. Newkirk, S.; Thos. Porter, I. G.; H. B. Dodge, O. G.; W. D. Osborne, P. C. R.

Port Byron was for many years, known as Bucksville, which name it derived from the Buck family, who were early settlers here and contributed largely to its growth and prosperity. The present name was assumed in 1832.

One and one-half miles south of Port Byron, near the line of Throop, in a pleasant romantic valley, at the terminus of a deep gorge in the Owasco Outlet, is the factory of Ezra B. Hayden, who is engaged in the manufacture of woolen cloths, yarns, cassimeres and flannels.

The first settlement in this locality was made about 1810, and the first dam was built in 1816, by George Casey and Daniel Clark of Auburn, the former of whom was one of the commissioners for the erection of the State Prison at Auburn, and expected to secure a State contract for timber to be used in its construction. They purchased one hundred acres of the adjoining land, which was covered with a dense growth of hemlock and other timber, paying therefor, four dollars per acre. The next season they erected a saw-mill about fifteen rods south of the present woolen factory. The following year A. B. Tilman erected a building and commenced the business of tanning, which was abandoned in a few years.

The business of wool-carding and cloth-dress-

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