Wiscoy, New York
by John S. Minard
WISCOY, so long called Mixville, deriving the name Wiscoy from the creek, and Mixville from Ebenezer Mix of Batavia, the early owner of the land, was settled in 1828 by Lawrence Wilkes, a blacksmith, who married a sister of Mrs. Mix. A sawmill was built the same year for Mr. Mix by David Knight. A bridge was thrown across the stream this season, the stringers being placed in position the day after the mill was raised. Jonathan Wilkes was the contractor. Henry Torrey built the gristmill and the first hotel in 1829. the first merchants were Orrin Kingsley and Isaac Wheeler who opened a store in 1830 (Isaac would never sell the last thing of a kind as “it would break the assortment.”) The goods were brought from Albany in canal and river boats to York landing, thence to destination in wagons or sleighs. The first physician was Dr. Keyes, locating in 1830. The first blacksmith was Lawrence Wilkes. Miles Dodge built the furnace in 1842, and conducted an extensive business, increasing its facilities until they constructed steam engines and mill machinery. Other early settlers were David Gear, David Ayde, one Sawyer and Hibbard Pride. Benjamin Cooleysettled in 1816 about a mile north of the village, building a sawmill on the East Koy in 1825.
Wiscoy was the seat of the famous Fourieristic “Mixville Association,” which went into operation about 1844 or 5 and proved a dismal failure, involving many in bankruptcy. The beautiful rapids and falls of the Wiscoy at this place and the two falls at Mill's Mills gave the stream its name. “Wiscoy,” “Five-fall-brook,” or, as some have it though not as correctly, “Many-fall-brook,”from the fact of its descent of 90 feet in less than 1 mile with substantial rock bottom and banks, affording facilities for dams, mills factories, etc., seldom equal led. When first gazed upon by the white man it must have been romantic indeed. The waters are remarkable for steadiness of flow and volume, and should to-day be turning thousands of spindle and driving hundreds of looms. Possibly it might have done so had not too high a price been placed upon it by the early owners.
Source: John S. Minard, Allegany County and its People. A Centennial Memorial History of Allegany County, New York, W. A. Fergusson & Co., Alfred, N.Y., 1896, pp. 743-744]
Town of Hume
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