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| Sarah Buckbee | Hiram Roushy |
People and volumes consulted:
Mrs.Mary S.Merriam,Elmira.NY
Miss Adda Bentley,South Creek Road
Mrs.Della Pratt,formerly of the South Creek Road
Mr and Mrs Willis Lightizer,Christain Hollow
Towner’s History of Chemung Co.NY
Southport Military Roll-1851
Map of Chemung Co-1853
Atlas of Chemung Co-1869
Directory of Chemung and Schuyler Co’s-1868/69
Markers in the Roushy Cemetery
Hiram Roushy died December 2, 1874, aged 68 yrs, 3 months, 15 days and is buried in the Roushy Cemetery on the South Creek Road. He married Sarah(Sally) Buckbee, who died Febuary 11,1881: she too, is buried in the Roushy Cemetery. At least their two older children were born before the family moved from Hector in Schuyler Co., to the South Creek area of the town of Ashland-which then was the town of Southport. It seems probable that they came in the late 1820’s or the early 1830’s.The South Creek Road was only a "cattle path" when the Roushys settled, and the deeds for the road right-of-way through their farm are still in the possession of the family. The land occupied by the Roushy School (Closed in 1957) and the Roushy Cemetery were a part of Hiram Roushy’s original farm. His homestead on the South Creek Road is now (January 1958) occupied by the Charles Mashanic family; but it was for many years owned and occupied by Miss Susan Roushy, a daughter of Hiram and Sarah, and is still designated by older residents as "the Aunt Susie Roushy place."It is located on the left- hand side of the road - going from Elmira toward the state line,the third house after the right turn which leads to Johnson’s bridge. The original house was the one story section of the Mashanic home and is built of square hand-hewn timbers, which have been plastered over. During Miss Roushy’s tenacy, this one story part had an addition which extended another room to the south. This room, which Mr.Mashanic removed, was of more recent construction than the two story part of the present house,which was added to the original home,probably during the 1840’s.
It was in a room off the front hall of this up-right section of the house in which Mr.Roushy conducted the GreenHill Post office- the mail being spread about on a round table until the addresse should call foe it,or it could be sent by him to someone known to be going his way.The date of the establishment of this Post Office or when it was dicontinued is unknown-it is shown on the Chemung County map of 1853,but is not in the 1869 Atlas of Chemung County.It was still in use after the Northern Central(Pennsylvania)Railroad was extended to Elmira.At that time,one of the "hired men",pr the Roushy boys,carried the leather mail-pouch down the lane to the tracks.He stood facing the on-coming train with the pouch extended arm’s length.The mail clerk on the very slow moving train grasped the pouch, at the same time
Knocking the in-coming bag of mail off along the tracks to be retrieved by the "clerk" of the Green Hill Post Office.Previous to the construction of the railroad,the mail was carried by the Elmira-Williamsport stage.It was the duty of the Roushy daughters to sort the in-coming mail’ and to prepare the out-going pouch in time for the stage,or later,the train.
The extensive Roushy barns, which burned,probably fifteen to twenty years ago,were across the road and slightly south of the house.Since Mr.Roushy conducted a coach-stop on the Elmira-Williamsport stage line,it was in these barns that two teams of coach horses were stabled and cared for between the trips of the stages.When the driver’s horn was heard,the harnessed teams were brought from the stable, watered and hitched to the coach to continue the journey, while the teams which had brought the stage from Elmira- or from the next coach stop toward Williamsport-were watered,fed,curried,and stabled ‘til the stage returned. The Roushy boys took over this chore as soon as they were old enough.
At one time (the Elmira Directory for 1860)Hiram Roushy had a sawmill on the banks of South Creek,almost in direct line with his home on the South Creek road. The lane leading from the house to the sawmill is still easy to find,although instead of the two rows of trees shadowing an open lane,they now enclose a row of brush.The mill operated on a twenty-four hour basis in the spring when the creek was high,and the Roushy’s provided meals for some of the mill men.The women-folk had to have help in the kitchen to "get a big dinner for a crowd of men in the middle of the night,sometimes".
Hiram Roushy served at least three terms as justice of the Peace in the town of Southport,and one-1869-in the town of
Ashland.The directory of Schuyler and Chemung Counties,published for 1868/1869,lists Mr.Roushy as a Justice of the Peace,and a farmer with four hundred acres of land.
The children of Hiram and Sally (Buckbee)Roushy were:
Jacob,born December 20,1820
Michael,born 1829
Lydia who married William Cleveland
Josephine…Newspaper clipping with inked in date,May 16,1915:"Mrs.Josephine A.Bentley, widow of William G. Bentley died yesterday afternoon, at the fmily home at South Creek.She was eighty-one years old and confined to her roon for the past seven years. She was the daughter of the late Hiram and Sarah Roushy, who settled in South Creek 100 years ago, and the vicinty in which she lived is now, and has been for years known as the Roushy settlement. Her father and brother,the late Michael Roushy,were prominent in politics in the town of Southport many years and held many offices.Mrs.Bentley is survied by four daughters:Mrs.Clarence Stevens,of Ridgebury,Pa;Mrs.John Pratt,of South Creek:Misses Ada and May J.Bentley,who reside at home:two sons:Hiram and Grant,who reside at home:a sister Miss Susan Roushy.The funeral will be held Thursday afternoon at an hour to be announced later.The Rev.J.D.Warren of the South Presbyterian Church,will officiate."
Susan…Newspaper clipping with inked-in date"November 15,1931";"Miss Susan Jane Roushy,93,died Sunday morning at the family home on South Creek Road. She is survied by three nieces: Mrs.Della Pratt, Miss Addie Bentley, and Mrs.Thomas Slattery, all of South Creek Road; also two nephews: Hiram and Grant Bentley, also of South Creek Road. Miss Roushy was a member of the South Presbyterian Church. She was a graduate of the Clarissa Thurston Seminary,which was the incentive institution
For the organization of Elmira College. Her father was a former Storekeeper and postmaster at Ashland, and Miss Roushy recalled many incidents of the early history of Chemung County, and when the Pennsylavania Railroad was extended to Elmira; also the Chemung Canal days." Source:Mrs.Arthamese Denny
Typed over: by Nelda C. Holton, Southport Town Historian ,October 17,1990
Retyped by :Charlotte PARKS Stevens,June 30,2000. Her husband is descended for this family,Clarence A Stevens,Grandson of Clarence Stevens and Minnie Alsophine Bentley of Ridgebury,Pa.
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