Timeline

Earliest settlers recorded finding clearings in the dense forests along the Canisteo River where Indians had previously cleared patches of forest and planted corn. First American settlements 1793 and 1795 by James Hadley and William Benham.

1804 first Inn established by Lemuel Benham
1806 first Saw Mill by Isaac Tracey
1816 first Grist Mill (flouring mill) by Isaac Tracey
2 blacksmith and wagon shops operating in town
Abner Chase a Pioneer Preacher traveled through Rathbone in 1812

1825 opening of Erie Canal attracted many settlers to all parts of Western New York, including Joseph Northrup whose family would settle and expand along Northrup St. over Northrup Hill
Roads built by F.B. and C.P. Hubbard 1829
First Methodist Episcopal Church meeting held in 1831
Lumber assembled in rafts and sent down the Canisteo River to Port Deposit, Colombia, and Baltimore, Maryland.

1842 General Ransom Rathbone settled in the area
1842 General Rathbone opened the first store
Town of Rathbone formed from Addison, Cameron and Woodhull- March 28, 1856
May 6, 1856 first elections held for town officers, town supervisor and clerk
Magnolia House built in 1850 had 2 stories and 25 rooms
1855 Station on the Erie Rail Road
1852 first class formed at the Cole School House

Benjamin Northrup deeded land that would be used to build what would become the Rathbone 10 Northrup Hill School in the 1850’s. By 1865 the school has an enrollment of 55 students (29 of whom were Northrups)

Rathbone furnishes 174 men to the Civil War effort and raises $36,955 for soldiers’ bounty
1st cheese factory erected by John Adamson
First steam powered saw mill built in 1865 by Seth Cook
William Crawford establishes Crawford’s Store March 1868
Cameron mills grist and custom mills build by Daniel Hubbard
1865 Empire Saw Mill in Cameron has 5000 board feet per day capacity, Crawford mills has a capacity of 10,000 board feet per day.

1880 Cameron Mills Pump Station built to force crude oil through two 6 inch pipes from Pennsylvania to Elmira and on to New York City
Population of Rathbone 1,224 according to 1890 census
Whitmore General Hardware and Implements Store established

From the Journals of Ella Northrup Johnson (resident of Northrup Road)
January 1900 cutting ice from creek for storage in icehouse
March-April 1901 telephone poles and wires run
October 1902 Free Rural Mail Delivery began
January 1903 telephone put in
1918 Northrup School closed 3 weeks as result of diphtheria epidemic

Tracy Creek State Forest established
1930′ Magnolia Inn Dances popular among Rathbone citizens and surrounding communities
4 stores open in town (smallshop in Magnolia Inn, The Fred Martin Store, The Cole Store, and a little General Store)
Passenger Train Depot still open, could take train to Corning, Hornell or beyond
Trains would drop off supplies for farmers and pick up farmers’ produce at the Rathbone Station
Grange meetings well attended, many social functions such as Pie Socials and Box Social; Grange was active and well attended into the 1950’s
Brady Mill (flour mill) still in use in the 1940’s

Rathbone Old Home Days well attended. Parade, family reunions, ball games, bingo all part of the festivities.
Farmers’ picnics held at Bath Fairgrounds and also near Fawn Lake, well attended
Cole Store closes in the 1950’s
Mail picked up and delivered by hook mechanism as train passes through town

Magnolia Dances end 1960’s
Grange Socials end 1970’s
1960’s Rathbone Old Home Days end
Rathbone Post Office Closes
Whitmore Store Closes
1972 flood causes widespread damage throughout the community

Helmer Creek State Land and Wildlife Management Area created
Single lane Rathbone Bridge replaced by existing bridge
Grange closed and gave up charter
1985 first Amish family moved into Rathbone. Amish School built on Derby Road
1996-1998 District 10 Northrup School restoration undertaken by Margaret Evans and Elizabeth Gaynor and when completed, the historic landmark was donated to the Middletown Historical Society

New Town Hall and Rathbone Town Barn built