The History of St. Vincent's
. . . an honored past and a bright future.
Our Early Recorded History
. . . from the days of Indian land.
The recorded history of Spring Brook, New York really begins after the year 1842 when the remaining portion of the Buffalo Creek Seneca Indian Reservation was sold to the Ogden Land Company for $2.14 an acre. The Indian trail which connected East Aurora and Buffalo had just recently been enlarged to a wagon road which ran through this very heavily wooded area of Western New York. This route was the only road transversing the Town of Elma which led to Buffalo. By 1849 it was made into a wooden plank road which furnished an excellent means for the people to haul their heavy loads of lumber, firewood, and surplus farm produce to Buffalo. Known at that time as the Aurora Buffalo Plank Road, it is now better recognized as Seneca Street.
In the early 1800s, the Seneca Indian Chief Daniel Two Guns lived in a log house on the high ground to the north side of this Indian trail about 500 feet east of the site where our church was eventually built. A large spring (Chief Daniel Two Gun Spring) was also located on this site and it was this spring that gave the Town of Spring Brook its name.
Two Gun's house was rented in 1839 to Plin Barnum and a second gentleman by the name of Burns (who had formerly kept the North Star Tavern). They used the structure as a tavern and this therefore was the first building occupied by white men in Spring Brook. This same year while Burns and Barnum were framing timber for a barn, the wind broke a limb off an oak tree under which they were working. The limb struck Burns on the head, killing him instantly. This was the first recorded incidental death in Elma. The old log house was kept as a tavern for many years and was well known as "the Mouse Nest".
On April 19, 1849, the Aurora Commissioner of Highways laid out the Rice Road (first called Grace Road) running from the Girdled Road (Girdle Road) west to the Aurora Buffalo Plank Road (Seneca Street).
After the Indian lands were open to early settlers, the Town of Spring Brook grew rapidly. By 1849, approximately 50 families lived there and about 10 or 15 of those were Catholic. In this year Thomas Flannigan gave the present St. Vincent's Cemetery to the Catholic Community. It was used as a burial ground while still planted with corn.
As there was no church in town, Mass was said once a month in the Flannigan home, though the home of John Devins, which stood halfway between Spring Brook and East Aurora was chosen more frequently, so as to give the East Aurora Catholics an opportunity to hear Mass also. The mission priest ministering to Spring Brook Catholics at this time was Father Thomas McAvoy of Java, New York. The property for our present parish, originally called Saint John's, was deeded from Thomas Flannigan to John Timon (first Bishop of the Buffalo Diocese). The first deed was dated February 23, 1850 and it is from this date that we start the history of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish.
It was Father John Doran who actually broke ground for the first church in 1853. The 20 by 30 foot structure was of an extremely primitive construction. Four foot posts were driven into the ground, a frame put up and enclosed with planks; large loose boards were laid for a floor, and a rough board altar was erected. No seats were provided, so the congregation had to stand or kneel as the occasion required.
The first rectory was built under the leadership of Father James M. Early in 1857. At this time a school was opened in the church to teach Spring Brook children their religion. Its first teacher was Katherine Ryan. She was succeeded by Mrs. Cornelius Hugh.
