Joseph Ellicott

Joseph Ellicott (November 1, 1760 in

In 1801, he laid out Batavia, New York, and in 1804 the village of Buffalo, and established mill sites and communities.^[7]

He advocated a canal to be built from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, and was among the Erie Canal Commissioners 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 100,000 acres (400 km²) of company land to this project.^[8]

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.^[9]

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.^[10]

Politics

Ellicott was a

Ellicott never married. His final years were marred by serious mental problems. Family members had him admitted to Bloomingdale Insane Asylum in New York City, where he died in 1826 by hanging himself. Soon after his burial in New York City, he was exhumed and re-buried in Batavia, New York at the Batavia Cemetery.^[10]

At his death left an estate valued at about $600,000 (equivalent to $16,158,000 in 2023).

Legacy

Places named after Ellicott:^[1][2]

• Ellicottville, New York -
  town in Cattaraugus County, New York
  .
• Ellicott, New York - town in Chautauqua County, New York.
• Ellicott Square Building - an office building in Buffalo, New York
• Ellicott Street - a street in downtown Buffalo, New York and another in downtown Batavia, New York.
• Ellicott Complex - a
  University at Buffalo
  .
• Ellicott Creek - a stream in Western New York.
• Ellicott Road - a road in
  Orchard Park, NY
  .
• Ellicott Elementary School - an elementary school in
  Orchard Park, NY
• Ellicott Run at Sinnemahoning State Park in Grove Township, Cameron County, Pennsylvania. He also laid out the Caledonia Pike in Cameron & Elk Counties, Pennsylvania.
• Ellicott Mall - A housing project in Buffalo, NY
• Ellicott Historic District - a local historic district in Buffalo, New York

References

Notes