WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Published Oct. 03, 1929
STARKEY By Mrs Hattie Clark
VOAK by Miss Adah Voak
Friends From Dresden Made First Attempt To Settle Starkey Township 130 Years ago; forest Fire and Defective Title Drove Them out; Named After Prominent John Starkey; Voak Settle in 1796; Bears Name of Early Family
Probably the earliest attempt at settlement in what
is now Starkey Township was made by Elnathon and Benjamin Botsford and
Achilles Comstock in 1796. They came from the Friends settlement
near Dresden, which had been established ten years before. Discouraged
by a forest fire and a defective title they soon returned to dresden.
John Starkey arrived in what in what is now Yates County in the latter
part of the 18th century. He as elected the first supervisor of the Town
of Starkey and Starkey Seminary being named after him. He was also the
first postmastser George C Starkey now of Watkins Glen, a great grandson
is the only person left bearing the names. Starkey boasts of the oldest
church building in the county. The Starkey MEthodist Church was begun in
the autumn of 1821 and finished June 1st 1822. therefore, it will be 108
years old on June 1st next[1930] John Starkey was president of the original
board of trustees of the church.
The 100th anniversary of this old church was observed
June 4th, 1922, and at that time a resolution was made and adopted to set
aside the first Sunday in June of each year as Old Home day, at which time
all those who love this old church may meet together in prayer and greet
one another. A large number of the early settler of Starkey came from NJ.
Among the settlers were: Joseph C Lewis, David Shannon, Stephen and Josiah
Reeder, Joshua Tuthill, James Sproul and Hiram Titsworth. Several of the
original farms are well cared for and well preserved, among which
ins the James Reeder farm, which has been retained in the family more than
a century. Next is the James L Brundage farm, which has been in the family
over 60 years. The present owners are Mr. and Mrs. J L Logier, Mrs. Logier
being the youngest daughter of the late James I Brundage, whose premises
are well kept up by the present owners. Next is the Imolet? Shannon
farm, now owned by the late family, which is well preserved as is also
the Dr. Henry Spence in 1848 from cobblestones brought by boat from Lake
Ontario. It is still in a very good state of preservation. Still another
is the Shannon McLoud farm, which has been in the family more than a century,
now owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. D H Putnam. Mrs. Putnam is a grandaughter
of the late Shannon McLoud. This farm has also been well cared for.
How Voak received its Name
The community of Voaks, like many other places in
Yates county took it name from pioneers of that section. In 1796, 27 years
before Yates was organized as a county and 36 years before Potter was organized
as a township. John Voak and his wife came from Hardwick NJ. and settled
near what later became the easter boundary of Potter. They purchased land
of Arnold Potter and built a small cabin in the wilderness. Bears, wolves,
deer and other wild animals were numerous and Indians still roamed about
the woods. Mr and Mrs. Voak had seven sons and three daughters and as they
grew up and married, nearly all fo them settled on nearby land. so it is
not strange that the community was known as the Voak settlement. The Methodist
church which was built in 1844 has always been called the Voak church.
At present, there are six families named Voak living in the community.