Aaron Salisbury

Aaron Salisbury. Local War Hero. Although the War of 18 12 had been brewing for years, it struck along the shores of the Town of Hamburg in 1813. Landing parties from the British Navy's Queen Charlotte gunboat would frequently come ashore and loot local farms, seizing their food, provisions, and livestock. They would also often take farmers as prisoners. In late summer, a British landing party tried to carry out one of these raids. However, a young pioneer named Aaron Salisbury grabbed his musket and opened fire from the woods along the Lake Erie shoreline. The British retreated to their boats and proceeded further down the shore to try to land again at the mouth of Eighteen Mile Creek. Salisbury realized the British plan and quickly ran through the woods to confront them. He again began firing his musket in several different directions from the woods. The British had no idea that all the musket fire was coming from just one person. They thought they had encountered an entire regiment that had risen up against them, and they fled the area immediately. Aaron Salisbury's courage and efforts had driven the British away. Soon after, these constant raids came to an end with the capture of the Queen Charlotte by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry during the Battle of Lake Erie in September 1813., Following the war, Salisbury married Ann Roat in March 1827 They had eight children together. He became an honorable judge known for his integrity. He served as the Town of Evans Supervisor from 1833 to 1838 and again in 1844, during which time he was also a member of the Erie County Board of Supervisors. He represented Erie County in the State Assembly in 1840, and was a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1846. Aaron Salisbury passed away in his home on July 9, 1861, at the age of 75., Sources: (1)Jim Baker, Hamburg Town Historian (2) Angola, NY:Scenes from the Past 3) Artwork by Peter Rindlisbacher