Recently my wife and I were on a canal tour in Chemung, NY, and the local historian was explaining how the area was once known as Buckville, named for the local family of Buck’s. If you recall your local history, you might know that members of this family helped to settle Port Byron. However, it also made me realize how little I know about this early family, and so it was time for some digging.

Aholiab and Elijah were the sons of Elijah Buck and Margaret Foster. The Buck family had settled along the Chemung River near the border of New York and Pennsylvania. Around 1798, Aholiab moved to this area becoming who is considered to be the first white settler of the village. He was soon followed by Elijah. Both brothers married Drake sisters who were from Owasco by way of Goshen, NY. They had purchased land here and then either gave it away or sold it to foster growth in the settlement. I have a deed from 1831 that lists the people Aholiab sold land to, and it is a record of the early families of the village. The hamlet became known as Bucksville, and remained so until 1825 when it was renamed as Port Byron

Most of the Chemung Buck family remained in what was then called Buckville. As with Port Byron, Buckville would be renamed Chemung as that area grew. The Buck family would later sell land to a family named Bodine, a name that many racing fans will recognize.

The 1831 deed marks the date when Aholiab packed up his family and moved west to the Peoria Illinois area, where they again became a founding family. His brother Elijah remained in Port Byron. Elijah and his wife Theresa raised a son and two daughters. His son, Daniel Drake Buck, married Julia Ann Eamans/Emmons. Daniel served as the Cayuga County Sheriff and Jailer in the 1860s, and the 1860 census is interesting as it shows not only the family, but enumerates those who were in the county jail. Daniel and Julia had a son and daughter. The son, Elijah, married Lucy Tuell of Watertown, and they had two daughters. So we can see how the name of Buck simply faded away, although it is important to note that many families still carry the Buck genes by way of the female children.

The historical society received a very nice donation from a member of the Ferguson family, and we are working on adding this group to the Port Byron Family Tree project. Although the collection contains over one-hundred photographs, mostly portraits, less then five are labeled. It is a reminder to sit down and label your family photos. We were very fortunate to have a 98-year-old member of the family label one family group photograph, so at least we have something to start with as we try to sort out who is who.

The society recently added issues of the Orange and Black, the old high school newsletter that began on January 1, 1923. It is interesting to flip though the pages and see how this paper started as a mimeograph newsletter and then progressed to a full fledged newspaper with clear photos and advertisements from the local businesses. The last issue we have is from May 20, 1932, and we don’t know if this was the last issue or if we simply don’t have all the issues. If you have some at home, please contact us.

As the year The Lock 52 Historical Society is coming to the end of a very successful year. For a year that has been full of pandemic related closings and restrictions, the volunteers of the society decided to put their free time to good use. The archives were sorted and cataloged so they are easily accessible to researchers. The house was cleaned and reorganized. We made years of the local newspaper and the school newsletter available on our website, and we have just sent off 20 years of the InPort newspaper for processing. In a couple months these issues will be available on the website. Overall, it has been a very productive year. At the heart of the organization are the volunteer members who want to see the history of the area preserved and shared. We hope you also share in our mission and ask that you think about becoming a member and volunteer. Think about giving a membership to someone in your family as a Christmas gift. If you want to know how you can help, please reach out.