Harmony Historical Society Blockville, New York Brief History 

The Naming of Stow Sterling Stow told Floyd Darrow the village of Stow acquired its name sometime between 1868 when his grandfather John Stow, bought the family homestead and th establishment of the Post Office in 1880. Most likely the 1870s. Although the ferry had been in operation since early in the century, there had been no official name. For years, the constriction in the lake had been designated as the "Narrows" and the village itself simply as "The Corners." When the Post Office was under contemplation, a community discussion was carried on to decide upon a name, and Stow was finally adopted. The mail originally came from Bemus Point, being brought across by boat twice a day. Thomas Bemus, an early settler in the town, established the ferry in 1811 over the 1,000 feet of water space separating the two shores of the lake at that point by means of a small rough-hewn log raft, which served its purpose in those pioneer days, but is a far cry from the craft of today. For a much more comprehensive history of the Stow ferry, we recommend A Ferry Tale published in 2011 by the late Art Thomas. 

Alexander, J.
Bull, W. W.
Hale, Mrs. F.
Harrison, C. S.
Johnston Sisters
Pike, H.
Stowe, J.
Twitchell, B.
White, W. J.