Varysburg, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Varysburg
Hamlet
Varysburg Location in New York
Founded by	William L. Varys

Varysburg is a small community called a hamlet in New York. You can find it where two main roads, U.S. Route 20A and New York State Route 98, meet. It's located in the eastern part of the town of Sheldon, near Orangeville, in Wyoming County. In 2010, about 1,646 people lived in the Varysburg area.

Exploring Varysburg's Past

Varysburg is in a valley by the Tonawanda Creek. It was founded in 1805 by William L. Vary. He bought the land from the Holland Land Company. William and his family moved there from Stephentown. They hired pioneers to build a sawmill and a gristmill.

William Vary's Role

William Vary was a brave leader. He was named a Colonel during the War of 1812. He led a large group of soldiers. For his great service, he received a special cane. This cane was made from the mast of the USS Lawrence ship. It was a gift from Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.

After the war, Vary became well-known. In 1815, he welcomed more settlers to his family farm. This helped the community grow into a village. Many of the first settlers were Baptists. They started the Free Will Baptist Church in 1816. Later, a Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1836. In 1885, Vary moved to the William L. Vary House in Livingston County.

The Richards Family Story

One of the first families to move to Varysburg was the Richards family. The father, Daniel Richards, was a soldier. He served for 20 years in different Vermont militias. He fought in the American Revolutionary War from 1777 to 1782. Daniel moved to Varysburg with his family and passed away there in 1825.

Years later, on October 15, 2016, the Richards family honored Daniel. After working for this since 1984, they unveiled a New York State Historical Marker. There was a special ceremony. Members of the Wyoming County Joint Veterans Honor Guard, dressed in Revolutionary War uniforms, gave a 21-gun salute.

Varysburg's Industrial Growth

By 1833, Varysburg had about 20 houses. The Davis and Madden families became very important. They helped the village become a center for making things. They opened mills for carding, cloth, and timber. These mills were powered by the Tonawanda Creek.

The Baptists built their first church in 1836. Before that, they met in people's homes. In 1848, the village had its first murder case. John Shadbolt was accused of killing his wife. Many adults from the village, about 400 to 500 people, watched the trial.

The mills in Varysburg were known for making shoepegs. But in 1858, the cloth mill burned down. A cheese factory was built in its place in 1861. This factory became very important to the village's economy.

The Golden Age of Varysburg

The cheese factory brought a lot of success to Varysburg. This time was known as the village's golden age. By 1885, there were eight factories and many lumber mills. In 1882, the Freemasons started a chapter in Varysburg. Many new stores were also built.

However, in 1895, the cheese factory burned down. Then, in 1899, Edward Madden passed away. He had owned the "Madden Mills" and factories for a long time. These events marked the end of Varysburg's time as a major industrial center.

Changes and Challenges

In 1906, the Freemasons sold their building. It was bought by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Their Lodge No. 418 continued to use the building for many years. In 1905, a telephone switchboard was built by the Bell Telephone Company.

In 1908, a big fire destroyed the western part of the village. The Lower Hotel and the Wolf Brothers Store were lost. People tried to rebuild Varysburg. A library and a garage selling Ford Model-T cars were built in 1909. But many residents moved away because the factories had closed.

By 1910, much of Varysburg was empty. It was almost a ghost town. Then, brothers Charles and John Hartung used the old buildings. They turned them into an apple evaporator and bunkhouses for their workers. In 1912, the first Catholic mass was held in Varysburg, and a church was built. The village also got its first newspaper, the Sheldon Democrat. It was printed until its building burned down in 1921.

In 1928, another fire broke out in an abandoned factory. It spread through the empty village. Most of the remaining buildings were destroyed.