Bill Text: NY J00851 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Town of Evans
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 43-20)
Status: (Passed) 2021-05-20 - ADOPTED [J00851 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-J00851-Introduced.html
Senate Resolution No. 851 BY: Senator RYAN COMMEMORATING the 200th Anniversary of the Town of Evans WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to honor and commemorate the distinguished histories of the communities which comprise the noble body of this great Empire State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Town of Evans, in Erie County, New York; and WHEREAS, The Town of Evans is located approximately 20 miles southwest of the Buffalo metropolitan area, and is considered a rural community with the benefit of 12 miles of waterfront; it is located in geographic proximity to the major trading centers of the Northeast and is a bi-national gateway for commerce due to the region's border location with Canada; and WHEREAS, As of the 2010 census, 16,356 citizens lived in the Town of Evans; and WHEREAS, The very first settler in the territory later to be known as the Town of Evans was Joel Harvey, who arrived in 1804, and made a home for himself on the west side of 1 8-Mile Creek near its mouth; to accommodate the emigrants who came from the East, he renovated his home into a hotel and tavern, named The Frontier House; and WHEREAS, Although many migrants stopped at The Frontier House on their way to their lands newly purchased from the Holland Land Company, no permanent settlement came until early in 1809, when young Aaron Salisbury located about three miles southwest of the hotel and Aaron Cash settled near the North Evans locale; and WHEREAS, In 1810, Anderson Taylor settled at the site of Evans Center while Elijah Gates, Nathaniel Lay, John Barker, and Martin and Seth Sprague built their log houses in the general vicinity but nearer the lake shore; the following year, other newcomers in that area were Gideon Dudley, David Corbin, Timothy Dustin, and a Mr. Pike; about the same time, Job Palmer replaced Joel Harvey at The Frontier House; and WHEREAS, Settlers arriving in 1811 included James Ayer, from Haverhill, Massachusetts, with his children: Gorham, Low Bradley, Mrs. Martha Dart, Mrs. Mary Low Beal, Mrs. Sarah Bradley Black, Mrs. Henrietta Atwood, and Ira James, the youngest of the family, was not born until later, when the Ayers were ensconced in their new "wilderness" log home; and WHEREAS, Later, Hezekiah Dibble arrived, and in 1812, William Cash from Dutchess County came and located in the southwestern section of Evans along the lake shore; with his family of 12 children, he cleared his large acreage and developed it into one of the fine farms of Evans; and WHEREAS, Practically all of the families mentioned became prominently involved in the civic affairs of their community in those early pioneering days; and WHEREAS, Year by year following the War of 1812, immigration to the lakeside area increased at such a brisk rate that it was not long before the authorities began considering "town-hood" for the general area; in March of 1821, the New York State Legislature proposed and passed an Act for the purpose of "erecting" the Town of Evans, to become effective on March 31, 1821; and WHEREAS, In 1852, the first railroad in Evans was built, and business rapidly moved to a new location, Evans Station, later to be known as Angola; shortly thereafter, other buildings were moved into the village where only three farms and farmhouses had been before; and WHEREAS, The Town of Evans was named after David E. Evans who was the nephew of Joseph Ellicott, a prominent agent for the Holland Land Company who had served as its clerk for that organization; in 1827, Jacob Otto, the resident agent, died, and David E. Evans was selected to succeed him; and WHEREAS, David E. Evans was well-known for his efficient and humane management of the Holland Agency's affairs in relation to their nearly impoverished settler-clients, and became very popular with both the pioneers and the Company; under his administration, about one-half of all the lands ever owned by the Holland people in Western New York were sold, and the receipts of the Company were said to be larger than all such receipts under the administrations of both Joseph Ellicott and Jacob Otto; and WHEREAS, With the continuous coming of settlers, a housing problem developed; log cabins and, with the assistance of the first sawmills, board-and-batten houses, and hotels were hastily constructed to meet the ever-increasing demands for dwellings; and WHEREAS, Today, under the luminous leadership of Supervisor Mary Hosler, the Town of Evans stays true to its mission of being a home for work, community and play; and WHEREAS, Remaining fruitful over the ebb and flow of decades of growth and change, the Town of Evans continues its commitment to enhancing the quality of life of its citizens, ensuring a positive business, institutional and educational climate, and providing all essential services; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Town of Evans, recognizing the significance of the role it continues to play in the life of the community of the State of New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Mary Hosler, Supervisor, Town of Evans.