Abraham Wagener's individual sales 2
braham Wagener of course inherited all his father's property in Penn Yan that lay north of the Outlet. This included all of the northeast quarter of Lot 37, and nearly all the southeast quarter. The latter was the quarter on which stood David Wagener's gristmill, but since it was on the Outlet's south bank it fell to Abraham Wagener's younger brother Melchoir, along with the home farm and some other property which he was to operate for the support of his mother.
Abraham's land included the old sawmill his father had purchased from Lewis Birdsall, and access to the dam and millpond; the first thing he did after his father's death was to build a house on Main Street and move into it on New Year's Day, 1800. The second thing was to erect a second gristmill across the Outlet from his father's (and now brother's) mill. This stood on the site where the Birkett's mill now stands until it was burned in 1824. Before that, in 1816, Abraham moved farther down Main Street. He farmed most of the land on what is now lower Main Street, on the west side as far north as Elm Street. By that time he had sold a great deal of land at the head of Main Street, but held on to most of what he owned at the foot of the street.
He did sell some few dwelling lots north of his farm: in 1817 he sold almost two acres to William M. Oliver, and in 1819 another acre to William's twin brother Andrew F. Oliver. Then in 1823 the new County of Yates was set up with its seat in Penn Yan. Wagener sold two acres just about halfway between the head and the foot of the street to the County, and soon after began to sell a number of smaller lots. In what is now the 200 block of Main Street, these sales to individuals of smaller lots were confined to the west side of the street. Court Street and Chapel Street were created and named in 1824, further delineating this segment of the street.
Wagener's last sale in this row of lots was to Elisha G. Hopkins in 1827 of the land on which #214 (the Public Library) now stands.
Abraham Wagener sold these lots to individuals who (by and large) intended to live on them. He sold a large lot to Andrew Oliver, then a larger one to the County; and then all the rest between 1824 and 1827.
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Abraham Wagener seemed to be in no hurry to sell his property in this quarter
for dwelling or commercial lots. In this block he only sold one (to Andrew
Oliver) before the County Seat was drawn in 1823.
