Town OF POLAND HISTORY

KENNEDY HISTORY

We know little of the customs and culture of the first American Indians in this area, but they left a heritage to our early settlers of a civilization well founded and a land they loved and enjoyed from nature's own gift.

After the settlers arrived and the plowing of the lands became more common many Indian implements, flints and signs of their presence in this area have been discovered.

Some of the Typical Projectile Points found in the Town of Poland

A beautiful pipe and several large spear heads were found near Kennedy by Mr. Fay Stafford of Clark's Corners. He also found an excellent flint tomahawk found in the same locality. ( information on Fay Stafford was found in the book "Jamestown Past and Present" published in 1913.)

It was in 1798 that Amzi Atwater a surveyor of the Holland Land Company was on a survey of this area and reported back to Joseph Ellicott, Agent of the Company, about the beautiful forest of white pines, measuring from 5 to 6 feet in breath, also maple, birch, beech, and chestnut.

        Doctor Thomas Ruston Kennedy who built the first mills, was the son of Doctor Samuel Kennedy and his mother was the daughter of Doctor Ruston, an eminent surgeon of Philadelphia, PA.
        In 1803, Dr. Kennedy married Jane L. Ellicott, daughter of Andrew Ellicott of Lancaster, PA. Through this marriage, Doctor Kennedy became on very friendly relations with Joseph Ellicott, agent of the Holland Land Company. They visited him at his home in Batavia while on their honeymoon. At this time, he talked with Ellicott about buying a tract of forest of good timber. Joseph Ellicott's knowledge of this wonderful forest land, gave him the opportunity to offer to Doctor Kennedy a tract of land he had asked for. Thus the deal was the opening of Kennedy Mills. The first important commercial enterprise in southern Chautauqua County.
        It was in 1805 that Dr. Kennedy began the building of the Kennedy Mills, on the North side of the Conewango Creek.

Dr. Kennedy's sawmill Gave Poland it's Start