Town of Mansfield - 1830

The Town of Mansfield, was formed from Little Valley on Feb. 23, 1830. It is an interior town, lying NW of the center of Cattaraugus County. The surface is hilly, the highest elevation being in the SE, about 300 feet above the NY & Erie RR. The south branch of Cattaraugus Creek, flows west through the north part, and several small streams flow south into the Allegany River.

Eddyville is in the north, and in 1860 consisted of 2 churches, a sawill and 11 dwellings. The first settler was Amos Morgan, who located in the south part in 1817. Other early settlers included: Nathaniel Fish, Sewell Gunn, and Mr. Bennett, who located in the south part in1817, and Samuel Hollister who came from Great Valley in 1822. The first child born was Mahala Fish on Dec. 9, 1820; and the first marriage was that of Prince Fish and Lois Grover on Jan 1, 1824.

The first school was taught by Lefo Chase, in 1821. George and Munson Clark erected the first sawmill, in 1837, on the south branch of Cattaraugus Creek. Eddyville was the location of the first store, kept by Thomas H McKay, in 1848. In 1818, the first inn was opened, by Nathaniel Fish on old Johnson Rd, in the SE part of town.