Early History of Ulysses

    Lewisville or Ulysses was chartered on September 23, 1869, on land cleared by John Hackett, the first permanent settler. Mr. Hackett brought his family to a newly constructed cabin enclosed only on three sides in February of 1828. During the next few years, more settlers moved in and Lewisville began to assume the position of chief town in the region.
    The village was named for Orange A. Lewis who had been a hired hand of Mr. Hackett. Mr. Lewis arrived in June of 1830 and began to clear a farm next to his former employer. That winter he brought his family. Lewis became a justice of the peace and was the first Treasurer of Potter County. At the age of 55, he enlisted the Union Army and died in Virginia in August of 1862.
   At the time of incorporation, the post office which had been located at Ulysses Center was moved into the borough. The Government would not allow a name change because of similar names across the state. Ulysses Post Office served Lewisville Borough until 1968, when the name of the borough was officially changed to Ulysses.
   Late in 1893, two railroads entered Lewisville; the Fall Brook line from Harrison Valley and the Coudersport- Port Allegany line from Coudersport. The C. & P. A. crossed the highest point then attained by a standard gauge railroad in the east at an altitude of 2,414 feet.
   A few small foundries and several industries related to lumbering were established, but the economy was based upon agriculture. The Ulysses Butter Express took three tons of butter to Wellsville, N.Y. each week for shipment to New York. A number of cheese factories were also shipping cheese to outside markets. Agriculture remains the chief source of income. The Ulysses Lumber Company still maintains the lumbering tradition.

 

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