Page:Historic highways of America (Volume 12).djvu/143

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ON THE GENESEE ROAD
139

is but three years since this spot was first cleared, and it is now a considerable village. Here is a large building, nearly finished, intended for a court-house, jail, and hotel, under the same roof. The street is perfectly level, and is already a good and smooth road. Here is also an excellent mill, on a large and commodious scale, situated on the Tonawanda Creek, which is the first water we saw which passes over Niagara Falls. Russell's is a poor tavern. We were told that our sheets were clean, for they had been slept in but a few times since they were washed.

"July 23d. To Luke's in Batavia, to breakfast, five miles. We intended to have stopped at McCracken's, one mile short of this, but we were told that we could not be accommodated. The exterior appearance of both houses was very much alike; they are log huts, about twelve feet square. Luke's consisted of a single room, with a small lean-to behind, which served for a kitchen. It contained scarce any furniture, not even utensils enough to serve us comfortably for breakfast. . .

"It was but eighteen months since Luke