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Major
Timothy Butler came to this area from Machias, Maine
in 1807. He was followed by other settlers from Maine and the name Machias was adopted for this town. Machias Village
has also been called Five Corners and Chikasaw. |
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| A saw mill appeared
on the outlet of Lime Lake in 1820 and later a grist mill. Lime Lake,
located on the north portion of the town, was used for harvesting ice
from the 1800s
to the 1920s. Ice houses soon rimmed the shores. The lake also provided
pure drinking water as well as refrigeration. Today it is a recreational
area with homes and cottages replacing the ice houses. It is also the
location of the
Odosagih Bible Conference. |
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| The lake has the distinction of appearing in “Ripley’s
Believe It or Not” in 1941 as being a lake with two outlets and no inlet. The lake is supported by springs. |
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| It was the location for the first store, as well as the only
woolen works that ever existed in Machias. It was built about 1835 by Follett and Colgrove, and people came from
great distances, camping out and awaiting their turn to get work done. |
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| The Cattaraugus County Museum is also located at Lime Lake
in an historic building. |
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| From an article by Gail Watkins, Machias Historian and William Watson, Deputy Historian | ||
| For more information on Machias,
see History
of Cattaraugus County, New York - Town of Machias. |
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P.O. Box 153, Franklinville, NY 14737
info@ischuavalleyhistoricalsociety.org