Joseph Ellicott
Encyclopedia
Joseph Ellicott was an American
surveyor
, city planner
, land office agent, lawyer and politician of the Quaker faith.
In 1790, his brother Andrew Ellicott was hired by the federal government to survey the new federal district, where the new capital city of Washington
was to be built. Joseph was Andrew's chief assistant during the latter part of the survey.
Joseph Ellicott was subsequently sent to Georgia
to survey the boundary line, established by treaty with the Creek tribe. He was then engaged to survey some property in western Pennsylvania
which has been purchased by a group of Dutch investors, who had formed the Holland Land Company
. He also extended the New York - Pennsylvania border westward.
When the company purchased a huge tract of western New York
(that became known as The Holland Purchase), Ellicott was hired in 1797 and was sent to perform the monumental task of surveying it. Ellicott spent two years (1798–1800) living outdoors in summer and winter, laying out the townships of the new land in order to complete the Great Survey of the land in October 1800.
In 1800, the principal agent of the company, Paolo Busti
, gave him a new position as their agent at their headquarters in Batavia, New York. From this office, for the next 21 years he supervised the sales of the tract, with his personal signature on many deeds. Ellicott was an observer for the investors at the Big Tree Treaty
when the Senecas sold their rights to the land in Western New York.
In 1801, he laid out Batavia, New York, and in 1804 the village of Buffalo
, and established mill sites and communities.
Ellicott was a presidential elector in 1804
, voting for Thomas Jefferson
and George Clinton
. From March 1806 to June 1807, he was First Judge of the Genesee County
Court.
He advocated a canal to be built from the Hudson River
to Lake Erie
, and was among the Erie Canal Commission
ers appointed in 1816 to supervise the canal construction, but resigned in 1818 due to ill health. The Erie Canal
was finished in 1825. He also arranged for the contribution of more than 100000 acres (404.7 km²) of company land to this project.
As seller and land agent, Ellicott offered generous terms to the buyers, some of whom purchased farms for as little as 25 cents down. When some buyers could not make payments he often extended the terms and sometimes forgave interest if they had made improvements. He offered some selected parcels free upon condition that the buyer would establish a mill or an inn, to help stimulate growth in the area. In later years, Ellicott became the target of complaints by citizens who were unhappy with the land company.
Ellicott was held responsible for the state of New York's decision not to buy up unsold land of the land company, and he retired in 1821. He then attempted to finance the purchase of the unsold land himself, but no one would join his venture, and he had to abandon the plan. His final years were marred by serious mental problems. Family members had him admitted to an asylum in New York City
, where he died in 1826 by hanging himself. He was buried originally in that city, but was soon exhumed and re-buried in Batavia, New York at the Batavia Cemetery
.
Ellicott never married, and at his death left an estate
valued at about $600,000, which was a considerable fortune in those days.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
, city planner
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, land office agent, lawyer and politician of the Quaker faith.
Life
He was the son of Joseph Ellicott (1732 - 1780).In 1790, his brother Andrew Ellicott was hired by the federal government to survey the new federal district, where the new capital city of Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
was to be built. Joseph was Andrew's chief assistant during the latter part of the survey.
Joseph Ellicott was subsequently sent to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to survey the boundary line, established by treaty with the Creek tribe. He was then engaged to survey some property in western Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
which has been purchased by a group of Dutch investors, who had formed the Holland Land Company
Holland Land Company
The Holland Land Company was a purchaser of the western two-thirds of the western New York land tract known as the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. This tract was known thereafter as The Holland Purchase...
. He also extended the New York - Pennsylvania border westward.
When the company purchased a huge tract of western New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(that became known as The Holland Purchase), Ellicott was hired in 1797 and was sent to perform the monumental task of surveying it. Ellicott spent two years (1798–1800) living outdoors in summer and winter, laying out the townships of the new land in order to complete the Great Survey of the land in October 1800.
In 1800, the principal agent of the company, Paolo Busti
Paolo Busti
Paolo Busti, or Paul Busti , was the principal agent of the Holland Land Company from 1800 until his death. Busti was born in Milan, Italy and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, gave him a new position as their agent at their headquarters in Batavia, New York. From this office, for the next 21 years he supervised the sales of the tract, with his personal signature on many deeds. Ellicott was an observer for the investors at the Big Tree Treaty
Treaty of Big Tree
Treaty of Big Tree was a formal treaty, held from August 20, 1797 until September 16, 1797, between the Seneca nation and the United States of America. The delegates for both parties met at the residence of William Wadsworth, an early pioneer of the area and Captain of the local militia, in what is...
when the Senecas sold their rights to the land in Western New York.
In 1801, he laid out Batavia, New York, and in 1804 the village of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, and established mill sites and communities.
Ellicott was a presidential elector in 1804
United States presidential election, 1804
The United States presidential election of 1804 pitted incumbent Democratic-Republican President Thomas Jefferson against Federalist Charles Cotesworth Pinckney...
, voting for Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
and George Clinton
George Clinton (vice president)
George Clinton was an American soldier and politician, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the first Governor of New York, and then the fourth Vice President of the United States , serving under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He and John C...
. From March 1806 to June 1807, he was First Judge of the Genesee County
Genesee County, New York
Genesee County is a county located in Western New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,079. Its name is from the Seneca Indian word Gen-nis'-hee-yo meaning "The Beautiful Valley." Its county seat is Batavia.- History :...
Court.
He advocated a canal to be built from the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
to Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
, and was among the Erie Canal Commission
Erie Canal Commission
The New York State Legislature appointed in 1810 a Commission to Explore a Route for a Canal to Lake Erie, and Report which became known as the Erie Canal Commission...
ers appointed in 1816 to supervise the canal construction, but resigned in 1818 due to ill health. The Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
was finished in 1825. He also arranged for the contribution of more than 100000 acres (404.7 km²) of company land to this project.
As seller and land agent, Ellicott offered generous terms to the buyers, some of whom purchased farms for as little as 25 cents down. When some buyers could not make payments he often extended the terms and sometimes forgave interest if they had made improvements. He offered some selected parcels free upon condition that the buyer would establish a mill or an inn, to help stimulate growth in the area. In later years, Ellicott became the target of complaints by citizens who were unhappy with the land company.
Ellicott was held responsible for the state of New York's decision not to buy up unsold land of the land company, and he retired in 1821. He then attempted to finance the purchase of the unsold land himself, but no one would join his venture, and he had to abandon the plan. His final years were marred by serious mental problems. Family members had him admitted to an asylum in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he died in 1826 by hanging himself. He was buried originally in that city, but was soon exhumed and re-buried in Batavia, New York at the Batavia Cemetery
Batavia Cemetery
Batavia Cemetery is located on Harvester Avenue in Batavia, New York, United States. It opened in 1823 and contains over 8,000 graves, mostly from the 19th century...
.
Ellicott never married, and at his death left an estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
valued at about $600,000, which was a considerable fortune in those days.
Places named after Ellicott
- Ellicottville, New York - villageEllicottville (village), New YorkEllicottville is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 472 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Joseph Ellicott, principal land agent of the Holland Land Company...
and townEllicottville (town), New YorkEllicottville is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,738 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Joseph Ellicott, principal land agent of the Holland Land Company....
in Cattaraugus County, New YorkCattaraugus County, New YorkCattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...
. - Ellicott, New YorkEllicott, New YorkEllicott is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 9,280 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Joseph Ellicott, an agent of the Holland Land Company....
- town in Chautauqua County, New YorkChautauqua County, New York-Major highways:* Interstate 86/New York State Route 17 * Interstate 90 * U.S. Route 20* U.S. Route 62* New York State Route 5* New York State Route 39* New York State Route 60* New York State Route 394...
. - Ellicott Square BuildingEllicott Square BuildingThe Ellicott Square Building is an office complex in Buffalo, New York, USA. It was designed by Charles Atwood of D. H. Burnham & Company, and completed in May, 1896. At the time of its completion, it was the largest office building in the world...
- an office building in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the... - Ellicott Street - a street in downtown Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
and another in downtown Batavia, New York. - Ellicott Complex - a dormitoryDormitoryA dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
at the University at BuffaloUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New YorkUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
. - Ellicott CreekEllicott CreekEllicott Creek is a stream in Western New York, United States. It is a tributary of Tonawanda Creek, which in turn into the Niagara River.-Course:...
- a stream in WesternWestern New YorkWestern New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. - Ellicott Road - a road in Orchard Park, NYOrchard Park (town), New YorkOrchard Park is a town in Erie County, New York, a suburb southeast of Buffalo, New York. According to the 2010 census, the population is 29,054. This represents an increase of 5.13% from the 2000 census figure. The town contains a village also named Orchard Park. Orchard Park is one of the...
. - Ellicott Elementary School - an elementary school in Orchard Park, NYOrchard Park (town), New YorkOrchard Park is a town in Erie County, New York, a suburb southeast of Buffalo, New York. According to the 2010 census, the population is 29,054. This represents an increase of 5.13% from the 2000 census figure. The town contains a village also named Orchard Park. Orchard Park is one of the...
Sources
- Brief information on Ellicott
- Biography of Joseph Ellicott
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 40 and 360; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
External links
- "The Holland Land Company in Western New York", by Robert W. Silsby, Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, Adventures in Western New York History, volume VIII, 1961, (provides account of Joseph Ellicott, downloadable from http://bechsed.nylearns.org/, click on Adventures in WNY History)
- Joseph Ellicott and the Holland Land Company bibliography of books and manuscripts in the library collection at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society.