From Mrs. Warren (formerly Mrs. Forsyth)

          Soon after my father had come on west of the river, and opened a public house, other settlers began to come in. There was nothing on the road to Batavia, until Mr. Ellicott's surveyors made their head quarters at Safford. The Indians were frequent visitors at my fathers. I used to see them often, the chiefs, Hot Bread, Jack Berry, Red Jacket, and Little Beard. Sometimes the Indians were turbulent; they would become a terror to the new settlers. My father was a stout athletic man; had great influence over them; would quell them in their worst drunken frolics.
​In 1802, having become the wife of John Forsyth, (a brother of Wm. Forsyth, the well known landlord of the Pavillion, at Niagara Falls,) we settled five miles west of Batavia, near Dunham's grove. Remaining there until 1807, we moved upon the spot where I now reside. When we came here, there were but three or four settlers between Dunham's grove and Lockport. East, there was no settler till we passed the Eleven Mile woods. Our nearest neighbor west, was Joseph Hewett, at Howell's creek.
​          In 1808, the Ridge road was laid out by General Rhea, Elias Ransom, and Charles Harford. I remember well the arrival of the surveyors; their delight at finding a bed to sleep in, and something to eat that was cooked by a female. Previous to this there had been nothing but an Indian path through the low grounds, west of Wright's Corners.
​          We brought in a few sheep with us, I think they were the only ones in the neighborhood; they became the especial object of the wolves. Coming out of the Wilson swamp nights, their howling would be terrific. Two years after we came in, I was alone with my then small children one day, when I heard the sheep bleating and running, and went out to see what the matter was. A large wolf had badly wounded a sheep. As I approached him he left the sheep and walked off snarling at me as if reluctant to quit his prey. I went for my nearest neighbor, Mr. Stoughton to get him to come and dress the sheep. It was three fourths of a mile through the woods. On my way a large grey fox crossed the road ahead of me. Returning with my neighbor, a large bear slowly crossed the road in sight of us. I could tell many stories of wild beasts in this region; but I think I never saw as much of fowls, but to secure them well in their roosting places. The first settlers found it very difficult to keep hogs; the bears would even come out of the woods and take them by daylight.

- Pioneer history of the Holland purchase of western New York: embracing some accounts of the ancient remains and a history of pioneer settlement under the auspices of the Holland company including reminiscences of the war of 1812 the origin, process and completion of the Erie canal, etc., etc., etc