Hand drawn map included in original article

This map is from the Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Chautauqua New-York from actual surveys and records, published by F.W. Beers & Co., New York, 1881. In those days property owner’s names were included in the maps.

Property owners in Boomertown in 1881:
Boomer, J.
Cook, O.
Dean, D. C.
Gale, C.
Goldthwait, H.
Green, A. C.
Green, E.
James, O.
James, R.
Morgan, A. & A.
Nobles, M. D.
Nobles, R. P.
O'Brien

 BOOMERTOWN
By Jennie Vimmerstedt 
THE POST-JOURNAL, Saturday, June 30, 1973 

Boomertown, near Ashville, which will be taking part in the Town of Busti Sesquicentennial July 8 to 15, is now almost completely residential, although in former years it was a hustling railroad town and could boast a hotel, store, post office, school as well as some industries. 

Here were a basket factory, veneer factory, cider mill, grist mill, cattle yard and depot. 

The hotel, with store and post office, established in 1861 burned in 1903. The hotel barn, remodeled for store and post office, was also destroyed by fire in 1906 when the post office was moved to the Ed Gleason home. The mail for Ashville (Harmony), Blockville and Open Meadows came through this post office. Rural free delivery in this area dates back to 1896 when Richard Rockman was postman. 

Ed Gleason was the last postmaster with the closing of the post office in his home in 1910. His son, Frank Gleason, is living in the original home. 

Mrs. Sven B. Holmstrom of the Wellman Road has prepared a history of Boomertown which shows that it was serviced by several railroads, starting with the Atlantic and Great Western in 1861, later the Pennsylvania and Ohio; the New York, Lake Erie and Western; the Erie and presently the Erie and Lackawanna passing through Boomertown on the only railroad tracks remaining there. 

Mrs. Holmstrom took the Erie train from Boomertown to Jamestown while attending high school 1922 to 1925 at a time when the fare was 18 cents. 
Station masters included Elon E. Kelsey from 1870 to 1899; Louis Heier from 1899 to 1907; a Mr. VanBuren from 1907 to 1910; Alva Wescott from 1910 to 1944 with exception of 1930 to 1935 when A.L. Cottrell served; Harvey Dahlberg, part time 1944 to 1950 and Robert Nichols 1950 to 1959. 
Mr. Nichols was in charge, when the station was closed in 1959. Leon James bought the building, tore it down, and used the material to build a house in Florida. All passenger service stopped in 1933. 

Mrs. Holmstrom relates that an old Erie engine jumped the track east of Niobe in the Green Grass Swamp and workmen were unable to get it back on the track before night. The next morning it had sunk and was never seen again. 

Freight cars often carried cattle from Boomertown in the days when Ed Gleason, George Cale anti Jake Foster were dealing in cattle. Cows were loaded on freight cars in the late after-noon to arrive in Buffalo early the next morning. 

Hatch and Lowell were owners of the veneer mill, existing back in the-days when wages were 10 cents an hour. The mill burned in 1908 after which these men erected a building on Steele Street, Jamestown, operating as the Jamestown Veneer and Plywood Corp., now the Jamestown Plywood Division of AVM. 

The basket factory made baskets for grapes, and other produce, later converted to a two family house which Frank Gleason bought, moved to his properly and used for a two-story hen house. John Harriger bought it and used it for a workshop in cabinet making. It was demolished in 1971 after snow caved in the roof. 

The school house was on the site of the former Earl Butts home, purchased and moved by his father, Frank Butts, and again moved to its present location opposite the Gleason Road junction, and used as a residence by Vance Butts. The barn standing beside Mr. Butt's house was a blacksmith shop. 

The creamery was located cm the site of Merrill Cook's former home. The grist mill which used a steam engine for power was torn down and taken to Ashville about 1909 and is the building of the late Clayton Lloyd's store. His father, Arthur Clayton had purchased it. 

The Homer Wellman homestead on the Wellman Road was one of the first frame houses to be built on that well-traveled road. This old landmark and former tavern was built in 1827. The massive pine timbers for the frame work were hewn from the surrounding forest. The outer walls were of four inch pine planks, protected by siding, and the partitions of the same material. The-parts were joined with wooden pegs. There was very little ironwork in the structure. 

In a history written by the late Floyd Darrow he says that Homer Wellman came to this area from Herkimer County and took up 100 acres of land three miles south of Chautauqua Lake. Not even a bridle path led to the house. His log cabin, which preceded the frame house, was the first to be built in this region. It was a period when wild animals inhabited these parts and the family watchdog frequently killed wolves in the forest. Coupled with these dangers were the strenuous exertions of pioneer days. With corn in a bag on his back, Mr. Wellman would shoulder his rifle when he walked six miles to the grist mill to have the corn ground. 

Later a wagon road was cut through the forest and teamsters from Pennsylvania began passing through enroute to Barcelona on Lake Erie. A day or two later they would return loaded with supplies from the east which had been brought across the state to Buffalo by way of the newly opened Erie Canal, and hence by lake boats to Barcelona. 

The need of a tavern to accommodate these teamsters arose and to meet this need as well as that of his growing family, Mr. Wellman built the frame house in the summer of 1827. Here the wayfarer found shelter and as he sat by the open fireplace he would relate the bits of news and gossip that he brought from the settlements farther east. 

The place was called the Halfway House, as it was considered to be half way between Warren, Pa. and Barcelona. 

Although the history of Boomertown goes back to 1811 with the arrival there of Jonas Lamphear and family from Ostego County, it was named for John Boomer, founder. The George Boomers and the John Boomers were early settlers. They were the men who built the village. They erected the store, hotel and barn and furnished the land and lumber for the railroad station. 

For more information, contact the Harmony Historical Society at
1934 Open Meadows Road
Ashville, New York 14710
Website: www.harmonyhistoricals.org
Phone:(716) 782-3074