Family:John Austin and Lucy French (1)

On Aug 5, 1805 John Austin, 21 and Lucy French were married in Dorset Vermont.. Their families had both migrated from Connecticut during the Revolution. Lucy’s father, John had been a member of Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain boys and John’s father, also John, had served various terms in the Connecticut, New York and Vermont militias during the war. John was a Millwright and a farmer. The farmland in Vermont had proved to be relatively poor, so in1806, John and Lucy set out in search of land in Western New York State. They drove a team of oxen with a wagon containing all their wordly goods. They Settled in Willinck Township, Erie County, on the North bank of 18 Mile Creek, 12 miles South of present day Buffalo. John began clearing the land and building a log cabin. Their first child, daughter Eliza, was born in July of 1807. By the winter the cabin was finished but still lacked a door. One day, John had to go into Buffalo, so he left Lucy and baby Eliza in bed, with a rifle by her side and he hung a blanket in the doorway to keep out the wind and snow. He then set out through the snow. While he was gone, Lucy heard a sound and saw the blanket move. She picked up the rifle and fired through the doorway, reloaded, but heard no more. John returned just before dark and found a large black bear in the doorway. After checking on his wife and child and finding them safe, he moved the bear out of the doorway, skinned and dressed it, Giving them fresh meat and a nice robe. They began farming and John built a saw mill on the bank of the creek. They prospered over the years, and had seven more children, four more daughters and three sons. Eventually all of John’s brothers and sisters and his parents came West from Vermont and settled in Erie County. His youngest brother, Alanson had become a stone cutter, was involved in quarrying marble early on. After moving to Buffalo, he created a consortium to buy and operate quarries in Dorset and bringing stone via the Erie Canal for the building trades in Buffalo, well into the fifties. Another brother, Truman, settled in nearby White’s Corners. One of Truman’s sons, Marshall, built and operated a cheese factory in Buffalo. Harmon Delos, John and Lucy’s oldest son was born in 1811. In 1812 the town was divided and their town was named East Hamburg. Just to the West of them was White’s Corners, which eventually would be renamed Hamburg.

1.   Series: M593 Roll: 930 Page: 162, in Erie, New York, United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   Series: M593 Roll: 930 Page: 162.

   AUSTIN JOHN 86 M W VT NY ERIE E.HAMBURG 1870
   Listed in Harmon's Household