Lancaster High School - Cayugan Yearbook (Lancaster, NY)

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APPRECIATION The Class of '38 wishes to express its grateful appreciation to Mr. Herman Kling for the support which he has given us in promoting this our first CAYUGAN .

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DEDICATION We, the Class of '38, in appreciation of his splendid achievements and cooperation in all school activities, gratefully ded- icate 'THE CAYUGAN , our first year-book, to Superintendent Frank L. Smith.

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1 HISTORY OF LANCASTER The town of Lancaster, once a large Indian reservation, was formed from the extensive area called Clarence. In 1803, the first settlers made purchases in Lancaster, then known as Cayuga Creek Settlement. In 1808 a road was cut from Buffalo through Depew and Lancaster and extended east. The Village ofLancaster was incorporated in July, 18493 however, before this time a post office was built and an academy erected. After several years of successful existence, the insti- tution dwindled and was abandoned. Later, Judge Burwell secured the foundations of an agricultural college known as the Oakwood Institute. It soon failed, and the building was used as a barn. In 1849 many wealthy Hollanders settled in Lancaster, founded factories, and contributed to the growth of the village. The Lancaster Glass Works, established by eight glass-blowers from Pittsburgh, burned in 1859, but was rebuilt. Soon afterwards the town progressed rapidly with the construction of several fac- tories, including a tannery, soap factory, iron foundry, two saw- mills, planing mill, two breweries, and a carriage factory. A malleable and iron works, a machine and knife factory, and abrick yard later contributed to the local industries. In 1865 a stock company was organized to sink a well on Plumbotton Creek for petroleum. This attempt, and one later near Como Lake, proved a failure. For many years the only fire apparatus wasa hand engine owned by the glass works. In 1876 a hook and ladder company was organized, and later the Cayuga Fire Company was established. Lancaster faced many perilous fires in the year 1894. llany buildings were destroyed, but were later rebuilt. In 1869 a fire on Central Avenue burned the soap factory, Cushing's block, the stores of J. N. Haute, W. H. Kurtz and Charles Schliebs, the hotel, and other buildings, creating aloss of approximately 345,000. The Bank ofLancaster was incorporatedin 1894. The Depew and Lancaster Water Works was organized in 1893 and established a 'U-tel' SuPP1Y f0I'b0th Villages. In 1867 street lights were intro- duced, and in 1897 an electric lighting system was established. Four important railroads pass through Lancaster, they are the Erie, D. L. 8: W., Lehigh Valley, and New York Central. In 1832 the Presbyterian church was built and in 1852 was remodeled. The .First German Evangelical Lutheran was estab- lished in 1835, the Methodist Episcopal in 1837, the German leth- odist and Trinity Episcopal in 1880-83, and the Baptist in 1896. St. llary's Roman Catholic Church was organized :Ln 1833. The paro- chial school opened in 1874 andwas the first parochial high school in the United States. e