History

Created in 1829, Birdsall is a quaint, rural town in Allegany County, New York.   Birdsall was created by joining parts of Almond and Allen.  It is a hidden gem-in-the-rough barely changed by the time. In this "Middle of No Where", where cell signal does not reach, you can observe the ruins of time being reclaimed by nature.  

First settled by varoius Indian Tribes of the Seneca Nation, in the 1700's, used the land for farming and grazing.  Because America was abundant in wildlife, trappping and fur trade was very lucrative and mostly controlled by the Brittish.  To further their hunting territory in the Oil Springs area, the Iroquis, Mohawk and Seneca attacted other tribes such as the now defunct Wenro.  During the American Revolution, the Seneca sided with the Brittish in most of the wars since the American rebels attacked and destroyed more than 40 Seneca Villiages, leaving nothing.  Survivors either fled to Canada or starved over the winter months.  These battles and blood shed filled the cemeteries.  Who knows what spirits still may linger.  

In the 1800's, poor German immigrants began to settle the area.  It was a tough and harsh existence.  Many destitute families needed help for the community and ended up in the "poorhouse".  Often these institutions had deplorable conditions to endure, and was little better than being homeless.  These indigent people were often wrongly thought to be insane.  Children and adults alike suffered a tortured existence in the poorhouse.  The graveyards were filled with these sad victims with only a number on their tombstone.  The Allegany County Alms House as it was called burned down in 1923.  The residents and everything in the house perished in the horrific blaze.  There haunting events lead us to imagine if those poor, tragic souls ever found peace after death.

In 1844, it was a federal offence to habor runaway slaves.  Little documentation exists reguarding agents of the Underground Railroad.  However, abolitionists such as Bayless Bassett helped in the road to freedom.  Mr. Bassett resided at 29 Main Street, Alfred, NY.  He had concealed space below the eves in his attic where freedom seekers could hide.  Other homes in Almond, Belmont and Scio also provided refuge.  Hundreds passed though Allegany County and many would connect with the Rochester "conductor" Frederick Douglas, himself an ex-slave, and then travel to the Niagara Frontier and Canada.  Frederick Douglas became the most important leader of the civil rights movement for African-Americans in the 19 th Century.  His achievements included abolitionist, social reform, orator, writer, and statesman.  His acccomplishments in Washington, DC during this era are inspiring to all Americans.  

The history of the area is both tragic and inspiring.  Ruins of old wells, fallen houses, barns and disintegrating walls are visible though out the region.  

Stormy Ridge Frightmare Farm property was purchased in 2021.  The main barn on the property was originally build in 1799 with the house on the adjacent property, which has now been separated.  The land was used for pasturing of animals for over 200 years.  Most recently was a horse farm in the 1980's.  Then in 2000 was purchased by a man in California for a local man to spread the word of Krishna religion.  David Sherk lived on the property and attempted to farm the land and collected things to sell.  Sherks' plan did not come to frutrition, he became ill.  On his death bed he confesses to killing local woman in Angellica, NY- This leads us to the Ghost hunting finding Flossy section...