| The Portville Historical and Preservation Society |
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| 17 Maple Avenue Portville, NY 14770 www.portvillehistory.org |
It is not hard to believe that the early families of Portville have been linked with our town for almost
two hundred years, but it is hard to believe that their names and contributions are still familiar to the
people who reside here. Portville wasn't actually called Portville until 1837, but there was major
activity in this region many years before the split from Olean occurred. It was a wilderness back
then and the forests were valuable to the lumbermen who came and established their businesses here.
There were many men and many mills, but there were only a handful of them who made such
significant contributions to the basic needs of the community, that they left an indelible mark and their
efforts continue to touch our lives today.
This week we recall the biographies of four men who significantly influenced the creation and
sustainability of the Town of Portville: Henry R. Dusenbury, William F. Wheeler, John G. Mersereau,
and William Wallace Weston. These men did not just cut trees here and float them down the river.
They succeeded in providing Portville with employment, education, faith, and government, creating
our town's infrastructure and shaping a community that would remain desirable for families to live in
for many hundreds of years.
New this week:
Next time, we will continue with the rest of the story of the families of Dusenbury, Wheeler, Westonand Mersereau. The list above provides the highlighted link to take you directly to the correct page.
If you would like to return to our most recent homepages, go to our archive.
two hundred years, but it is hard to believe that their names and contributions are still familiar to the
people who reside here. Portville wasn't actually called Portville until 1837, but there was major
activity in this region many years before the split from Olean occurred. It was a wilderness back
then and the forests were valuable to the lumbermen who came and established their businesses here.
There were many men and many mills, but there were only a handful of them who made such
significant contributions to the basic needs of the community, that they left an indelible mark and their
efforts continue to touch our lives today.
This week we recall the biographies of four men who significantly influenced the creation and
sustainability of the Town of Portville: Henry R. Dusenbury, William F. Wheeler, John G. Mersereau,
and William Wallace Weston. These men did not just cut trees here and float them down the river.
They succeeded in providing Portville with employment, education, faith, and government, creating
our town's infrastructure and shaping a community that would remain desirable for families to live in
for many hundreds of years.
New this week:
 | Legacy of the Lumbermen: Biographical Sketches of William F. Wheeler, Henry R. | |
| Dusenbury, John G. Mersereau, and William Wallace Weston. We begin our stories with Wm. F. Wheeler, whose extensive biography was written by his daughter, Lilla C. Wheeler, and provides many details about the lives of these lumbermen and their families. Wheeler and Dusenbury were business partners who shared many of the same values. Mersereau and the Westons were also partners. | ||
| "A Trip Down the Allegheny on a Raft" by Fanny Bell, April 28, 1886. A copy of this essay by | |
| Fanny Bell Parish was given to the Historical Society years ago by her son, Mr. Earl Parish. This descriptive article will pique your imagination of what river life was really like. | ||
| Part 3 of Significant Portville Women of the 20th Century: 2 additional biographies have been | |
| added to include Lilla C. Wheeler, daughter of Wm. F. Wheeler, and Elsie Borst Collins, daughter of Ezer Borst, another prominent business owner in Westons Mills. | ||
| Rare Photographs (see this page, below) |
Next time, we will continue with the rest of the story of the families of Dusenbury, Wheeler, Weston
If you would like to return to our most recent homepages, go to our archive.
| N. Main Street, Portville, looking up the trolley tracks This photo was taken in front of William F. Wheeler's home (photo from Mr. Earl Parish) |
Portville, New York
Credits
The lovely watercolor in our toolbar (at left) is a depiction of the office at 17 Maple Avenue. The
artist is Portville's very own talent, Marilyn Reynolds.
The lovely watercolor in our toolbar (at left) is a depiction of the office at 17 Maple Avenue. The
artist is Portville's very own talent, Marilyn Reynolds.
Welcome to PHPS
This page was last updated on 03-02-08
| Mersereau Log Pond, Mill Grove (photo from Mr. Earl Parish) |
| The Rain Bow This drinking establishment was typical in the days of lumbering, but where was it located? Maybe Westons, on the Haskell, or Mill Grove. No doubt, Mr. Dusenbury, Mr. Wheeler, and Mr. Mersereau, would NOT have approved of this joint! |
| Allegheny vs. Allegany vs. Alleghany - The River (photos from souvenir postcard) |