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Major
Timothy Butler came to this area from Machias, Maine in 1807.
He was followed by other settlers from Maine and the name Machias
was adopted for this town. Machias Village has also been called Five
Corners and Chikasaw.
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A saw mill appeared
on the outlet of Lime Lake in 1820 and later a grist mill. Lime Lake,
located on the north portion of the town, was used for harvesting ice
from the 1800s to the 1920s. Ice houses soon rimmed the shores. The
lake also provided pure drinking water as well as refrigeration. Today
it is a recreational area with homes and cottages replacing the ice
houses. It is also the location of the Odosagih Bible Conference.
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The lake has the
distinction of appearing in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” in
1941 as being a lake with two outlets and no inlet. The lake is supported
by springs.
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It was the location
for the first store, as well as the only woolen works that ever existed
in Machias. It was built about 1835 by Follett and Colgrove, and people
came from great distances, camping out and awaiting their turn to get
work done.
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The Cattaraugus
County Museum is also located at Lime Lake in an historic building. |
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From an article
by Gail Watkins, Machias Historian and William Watson, Deputy Historian |
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