HISTORY
Elko is the youngest town in Cattaraugus County. It was formed on November 26, 1890 from the eastern portion of South Valley. Bounded on the south by Pennsylvania, on the west by South Valley, on the north by Cold Spring and on the east by Red House. It contains 14,393 acres. It is broken into high hills and deep valleys through which, flows the Allegany River. The name "Elko" was suggested by F. M. Blackwell, and agent of the Amasa Stone estate. The first settlers in Elko were three Quakers. They established an Indian mission on the Allegany, on the reservation, in May, 1798. These pioneers were Joel Swayne, Halliday Jackson and Henly Simmons. In 1803, they purchased from the Holland Land Company, 692 acres on the east side of the Allegany River, two miles above their first location. This purchase was known as "Friends" tract. They sold acres off this which left them with 464 acres. This then became known as the Quaker Mission Farm. In 1804, the Quakers built a saw mill and a grist mill. In the years to come, some of the other settlers to this area were, Elzi Flagg, Leonard Barton, Eveline Barton, James S., Elizabeth D., Frank M., Charles M., Edgar A., Ella V., Calrinda and Celestia, LaFayette L., Loretta E., Norman Brown, Zabin Wright, Jesse Hotchkiss, Mr. Bovee and William Kent. In the early days most of the saw mills were steam and were owned by Robert Kane, Elzi Flagg, Charles Fuller, Abbott & Company, A. S. Prather, M. D. Holt, Uriah Willman, Gideon Marsh, Bemis & Ostrander, L. Barton, O. P. Nichols, Gideon Claskey, Lewis Bishop, Walter Curtis, William Crater, DeLoss Graham, George Carnahan, and Michael Quinn.In 1882 the Western N.Y. & Pa. R. R. along the east bank of the Allegany was completed, giving the town two stations; Quaker Bridge and Wolf Run. The post office designations were Tunesassa and Elko.
The first religious services were conducted by the Quakers. Other denominations were Presbyterian, Methodist and Wesleyan Methodist.
The first town meeting was held February 24, 1891. Elected officers were: Austin J. Morrison - Supervisor; D. A. Sullivan - Town Clerk; David Flagg, Jr., H. A. Carnahan, Peter Durning, and Harry Johnson - Justices of the Peace; T. A. Hill, F. M. Barton and Asa Flagg - Assessors; J. W. Campbell - Commissioner of Highways; George Brown - Overseer of the Poor; DeLoss Carnahan - Collector; J. W. Potter, M. D. Holt - Inspectors of Elections; J. A. Flagg, DeLoss Carnahan, Henry French and R. W. Potter - Constables; M. D. Holt - Game Constable; Zabin Wright, Myron Carnahan and E. A. Barton - Excise Commissioners.
In 1892, the population of Elko was 492. It had three school districts. The first school teacher was Amanda Caswell. The other instructors were Nellie Saunders and Mattie Flagg.
Taken from Historical Gazetteer Cattaraugus County - Adams 1893
Transcribed by Jacqueline (Evens) Allen