Articles taken from the Castilian which referenced St. Helena.
March 28, 1879: “Mr. Gaines, the publisher, apologizes for the lateness of this week’s paper, as he had attended a law suit at Portage, which lasted all the previous day and into the early morning hours. The case concerned a charge against George Green, of St. Helena, for failing to pay the required tax on his dog. After those present had listened to the two lawyers expound their knowledge all that time, the jury brought in a verdict of ‘no cause for action.’” St. Helena was “on the map” that day.
September 10, 1880: “St. Helena had a ‘Garfield and Arthur’ pole raising from which floated banners bearing the names of those two candidates. Lawyer Olney of Nunda was the speaker. A fine crow’d attended and a supper wms held at ‘Squire’ Burnap’s, in front of whose home the pole was raised.”
April 4, 1882: “Master Willie Eddy, who lives near the Genesee, caught a five pound mullet in the river.”
April 21, 1882: “Castile people are excited over some excellent specimens of anthracite coal found near St. Helena. Efforts are being made to organize a stock company. Last summer, a stick was inserted four feet into a spongy piece of ground and when it was withdrawn and lighted with a match, a gas was ignited, which burned with a blue flame for some minutes. Therefore, it would seem that oil or gas would be found if a well were drilled in the vicinity of St. Helena” (Apparently nothing ever developed.)
Source: Anderson, Mildred L. H, and Marian P. Willey. St. Helena, Ghost Town of the Genesee, 1797-1954. Castile, N.Y, 1954. Print.