Lindley History Book

Lindley History Book
Originally uploaded by Sally Ann.

Note from Kitty Pierce, Town Historian: Don't wish to prolong the lumber industry story-but a couple of interesting facts are brought to mind that as historian I'd like to pass along.

1. I would like to give a plug to the 1990 Lindley Heritage Committee's book Lindley Looking Back 200 years 1790-1990. You and the others who helped write the book have included considerable information on the lumber industry here during the peak years. It should be interesting reading for those who haven't yet read the book.

2 When the lumber industry in this area waned, the large "gangmill saws" from "GangMills" went west to Michigan to be used there. So when people are having difficulty tracking their ancestors from this area, they might consider checking the Michigan census records. Many families from here followed the lumber industry to Michigan.

3. One of Lindley's lesser known Revolutionary War Veterans who is buried in the Presho Cemetery and who was a spy for General Washington is Joshua Mersereau VI. After the Revolutionary War, he moved to Guilford,NY where in 1789, he built the first sawmill. Apparently, this became a family business because in the early 1800's his sons and son-in-law have moved west with the industry and are listed as lumbermen in Lindley and Presho, New York.At one time,members of the family owned all the land on the west side of the Tioga River from Stowell Hill to the Erwin townline.(One -fourth of the town ) On some deeds it is referred to as the Mersereau Tract. An 1857 map of Lindley shows the many locations of sawmills of Joshua's sons and son-in-law Benjamin Harrrower.. In 1850 , Joshua's son -John Garrison Mersereau with his son Samuel move further west .They and members of a Weston family are credited with building the first gangmill and canal on the Allegany River in Portsville,NY. Members of this Weston family are, also, associated with the Ingersoll Rand Company of Painted Post,NY. Later, we find descendants of John Garrison moving even further west and becoming heavily involved on the lumber industry in the states of Michigan,Washington and Oregon.

Some little known facts about the early businessmen of Lindley and Presho.

Note from Sallyann: Dee Hill, Town Clerk, is selling the Lindley history book for $15.00 at the Town Hall if anyone's interested. We only have a limited number of books left. They were great sellers!