Welcome to our site. I wanted to make a webpage for everyone to enjoy. I wanted to learn about who Farnham was founded by, who lived here and what was here before we were even thought about. I went on the "net" and started to get this information, and post it here for everyone to see it all on one site. Agian thank you for comming to this site and hope you all lean a thing or two.
The village is named after Leroy Farnham, a local landowner and merchant.
Farnham.— This village is situated in the western part of the town on the Lake Shore Railroad. Leroy Farnham was the first merchant there and was followed by Charles F. Goodman, W. W. Hammond (later county judge of Erie county), and Henry Slender. The second store was built in 1880 by George H. Walker. The first hotel was built in 1869 by Pius Schwert, and later passed to Frederick Paul. The second hotel was built in 1880 and has had different proprietors. The Erie Preserving Company has a large and very successful canning factory there, which was built in 1876. Henry C. Kuenze has been in the shoemaking business since 1883. The village now has 2 general stores, 1 hardware store, 1 shoe store, 3 hotels, and the canning factory.
The Sprague corn sheller manufactory was of considerable importance, and was established to manufacture a machine under patents of Welcome Sprague, for taking green corn from the cob. Mr. Sprague began the business which afterwards passed to C. Clements and Daniel G. French. The buildings were burned in the spring of 1896 and not rebuilt, the machine being made elsewhere.
There is a prosperous graded school in the village, the building for which was erected in 1892. The school has two departments and two teachers. The old school building is now a dwelling.
Farnham village was incorporated January 11, the first officers being: A. H. Lytle, president; Henry C. Kuenze, Daniel Greaney and George Blend, trustees; John C. McIntyre succeeded Mr. Lytle as president. The boundaries of the village include one square mile.
During the past few years many Italians settled in this town, primarily as laborers for the Erie Preserving Company. Of these a good many have bought small farms and are making fair progress. Their number is constantly increasing. This is the only town in the county where a similar rural condition exists.
A Methodist class was formed at Brant Center about 1841, and not long after aided in completing a house of worship which had been commenced by the Baptists. The Methodists have no settled pastor. The Baptist society was organized a little earlier and began the church alluded to in 1838; after its completion it was used alternately for a time by the two congregations, after which the Methodists built their. own church.
St. Cross church (Evangelical Lutheran) at Farnham was organized in 1864. In 1870 a number of the members became dissatisfied and withdrew to organize a second congregation. The old one continued and in 1882 built a house of worship. The new organization was called the Second Evangelical Lutheran church and a small edifice was soon erected. Both are still in existence.
The town of Brant was formed from Evans and Collins on the 25th of March, 1839. The first town meeting was held at the house of Ansel Smith April 16, 1839, and the following officers elected:
Jonathan Hascall, jr., supervisor; Moses White, town clerk; Asa Wetherbee and John B. Steadwell, assessors; Patterson Kerr, collector; Reuben Fisk and Francis Pierce, commissioners of schools; Webster Balcom, overseer of the poor; A. D. Winslow and Lewis Varney, inspectors of schools; Patterson Kerr, William Stetson, Stubel Cross and B. Carpenter, constables; Kester Tracy, Salmon Hawley and Harrison Maybee, justices of the peace.
The supervisors of Brant, with their years of service have been as follows:
Jonathan Hascall, jr., 1839—44; Job Southwick, 1845; Jonathan Hascall, jr., 1846—47; Horace Goodrich, 1848; Jonathan Hascall, jr.. 1849—52; Kester Tracey, 1853; Nathaniel Smith, 1854; Jonathan Hascall, jr., 1855—56; David Gail, 1857; Nathaniel Smith, 1858—59; Thomas Judson, 1860—62; Nathaniel Smith, 1863—65; William W. Hammond, 1866-67; D. H. Odell, 1868—69; William W. Hammond, 1870—73; Horatio P. Muffitt, 1874; William W. Hammond, 1875—77; W. H. Estes, 1878; John Wetherbee, 1879—83; Harrison B. Christy, 1884—85; James H. McIntyre, 1886—87; Benjamin Judson, 1888—89; George Lehley, 1890—97.