By, Carol Fisher Linn
Buildings tell stories, and these walls are talking…
Founded in 1817, 207 years ago, and incorporated 20 years later, Ellicottville’s history grows longer with each passing year. Yet, some things should not be forgotten. For instance, Ellicottville was county seat until 1868 and … a bit of trivia – how many of you know that the Indians called Ellicottville “De-as-en-da-qua,” meaning a place of courts (from when it was county seat). We called it Ellicottville in honor of the land agent of the Holland Land Company, Joseph Ellicott who was instrumental in laying out the village. Even though we were founded in 1817, the seed was planted years earlier, in 1808, when most of Western New York State was still wilderness – you know, wolves, elk, big cats, etc. Imagine!
Locations you only know now as ski hills, or even our main streets were, back then, remote and unsettled. Once the pioneers started coming, first setting stakes on Bryant Hill Road in 1815 where the first log home in the town was built (another in the village sprang up in 1816) the environment began changing. In those days, our muddy main street (Washington) was often overrun with sheep, goats and animals hurried along by drovers taking their animals out west. Imagine standing on the wooden platform in front of the local business establishments and watching people shooing animals away from their homes, regardless of the fences that surrounded most of them, built exactly for that purpose. Agriculture was the backbone of the community and farmers were able to ship potatoes, apples, and hay. They eventually turned to dairying in the early 1900’s, bringing other dairy related businesses into the area and farmers into the village on Thursdays – “Butter Day,” trading eggs and crocks of butter for leather goods or necessary items.
Ellicottville grew, establishing a bank, dry goods stores, pharmacies, churches, schoolrooms, and slowly the necessities of life were provided in our growing community. Although we lost the position of being county seat because of the lack of railroad connections in the 1860’s, eventually the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway did find its way into the village in the 1870’s. It was in that era (1876) that Edwin S. King, opened a drug store on 21 Washington Street. Old timers loved to repeat the tale told by their generation of old timers who told of Frank Harnes who had a watch repair shop set up in King’s window. This is the same window that today you might find happy stuffed JellyCats and grand mirrors and pumpkins, witches, and skeletons to celebrate the upcoming holiday season. Back then, the elevated location gave him full view of the main street. He could see who was coming. With several watches spread out on the bench, if he saw a person coming whose watch had previously been brought in for repairs, he would immediately pick it up and when asked if it was repaired, he would reply, “Why, I was just now working on it.” Harnes sold his shop to Charley Ward. Matthew M. Kiernan sold Singer Sewing Machines in the same store. In that 1880’s era, L.B. Nichols had an insurance office upstairs and by 1892 the building housed Walrath Brothers Dry Goods, Boots and Groceries. Somewhere later Walter Lawler became a partner and the store became known as Lawler-Walrath. By 1938 it was Walter Lawler’s Complete Family Store. There was likely a soda fountain in the store because Ellicottville resident, Betty Hackett, tells how she loved to twirl on the stools in the store as a child. She also remembers that another resident named Olive Burlingame sold dresses that were displayed at the front of the store. An apartment now, the second floor in those days was the part of the store where rugs and carpeting were sold. Roger Mercer, a more contemporary resident remembered that Mr. Lawler delivered groceries house to house, accepting produce from farmers as payment for their purchases. By 1955, the store took on another personality becoming an appliance store owned by Art Glenn. Some may remember that Glenn Sanders worked there. From 1982-1988, it became an Agway run by Joe Halloran, then Fox Valley Florists until 2000; Mud Sweat and Gears occupied it for some time, moving to another location and making way for Kazoo II which is the present and, admit it, the most fun and fanciful resident.