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BEAVERTOWN derives its name from the fact that everyone in the village had the family name of Beaver or is related.
The post office was established in Beavertown and named Dawes Post Office. The first postmaster was James Cochran in 1882, Daniel Webber in 1885, Samuel Cochran 1889, Sethathiel Hutchinson 1891, Aurelius Ellis 1893, William Beaver 1894, Fredrick Joy 1907, and when the appointments rescinded, William Beaver was postmaster until 1911 when the office was dissolved due to rural free delivery from New Matamoras.
Lock and Dam No. 16 was completed in 1917. It went out of operation March 1975 with the opening of Willow Island Dam. Charles Yates, Nelson Blair, John Newlin, Jeff Workman, Bernard Diddle and Clyde Johnson were lockmasters. The two lock houses on the other side of Route #7 were where the lockmasters and employees lived with their families.
Earl (Junkie) Beaver, the son of William Beaver, who was born and raised in Beavertown gave me this account of Beavertwon when he was 88 years old.
During the time the locks were being built, Beavertown was a prosperous community. Dan Beaver had a grocery store. William Beaver ran a confectionary called “Pop’s Store.” The Pete Dunn house was once a two-story home which served as a restaurant, pool room and boarding house. Earl ran the pool room in 1914-1916. John Mount had a grocery store, which Earl and his father bought. These businesses were all located at the crossroads of Parr Hill and the Old Road.
After the relocation of Route #7, Earl and Clyde Paynter formed a partnership and built a new store. This was located at the foot of Parr Hill Road and left side of Route #7. They also planted 300 peach trees of Parr Hill. (This was located out from the old schoolhouse.) In the early 50’s they sold the store to Eugene Holdren. This was where the community met to do their loafing.
Danford Beaver was the last owner of the store property. He tore it down.
John Mount built a new store above the Lock property, which he ran until his death in 1950.
Early records for the Parr Hill Fairview E.U.B. Church were not preserved. There was an old log church on the other side of the road. Earl said he was 10 or 12 years old when the present church was built. Some of the early preachers were Reverends Rogers, Davison, Clarence Hubbard and Earl Brown.
The first school house was on Parr Hill. It was located where John and Amy Beaver had their marble home. The schoolhouse had two rooms, with four grades to a room. Some of the teachers were Grover Heddleson, Charles Brown, Clyde Paynter, Iva Keller, Edna Fox, Glenn Miller, and Ann Harrington. Jessie Armstrong taught the 1920-21 school year. Around this time, William Beaver traded for some land and the community built a new schoolhouse. Teachers were Glenn Miller and Nathaniel Kidd. School was held there until the late 20’s when students were transferred to New Matamoras. George Beaver was the first bus driver. In 1930 the school was remodeled and the E.U.B. Church was started. Rev. Frank Conley came on Sept. 18, 1966.
There are two cemeteries in Beavertown. The Parr Hill Cemetery land was donated by Henry Ellis, Albert Slack and Alma Taylor. The other cemetery, the older of the two, is located at the intersection of Parr Hill road and the old road. Records show Henry Frank, a Revolutionary War Soldier is buried here.
-Eileen Thomas
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