USA > New York > Lewis County > A history of Lewis County, in the state of New York, from the beginning of its settlement to the present time > Part 1
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 01177 7296
Gc 974. 701 L58h Hough, Franklin A history of Lewis County, in the state of New York. ..
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A
HISTORY
OF
LEWIS COUNTY,
IN THE
STATE OF NEW YORK,
FROM THE
BEGINNING OF ITS SETTLEMENT TO THE PRESENT TIME.
BY
FRANKLIN B. HOUGH,
AUTHOR OF THE HISTORIES OF ST. LAWRENCE, FRANKLIN, AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, AND CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE NEW YORK, CONNECTICUT, VERMONT, PENNSYLVANIA, MARYLAND, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA AND IOWA HISTORICAL SOCIETIES.
1
ALBANY: MUNSELL & ROWLAND, 78 STATE STREET. 1860.
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1860, by FRANKLIN B. HOUGH,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Northern District of New York.
1190783
PREFACE.
An interior county, with no antiquities older than some of its inhabitants and no traditionary legends, or incidents of border life, beyond the ordinary privations of a new settlement, appears to offer but slender materials for his- tory. Still there are certain duties which the Present owes to the Future, to transmit in a permanent form the record of the Past, that the memory of the olden time, and the names of those who have aided in the formation of so- ciety fall not into oblivion ; and although our annals may be quite void of those dramatic events which have too often filled the historic page, it is believed the quiet origin and growth of our community, have presented facts that will interest the present, and instruct a future age.
In tracing out and connecting the historical items of his native county, the author has been actuated by an earnest wish to do full and equal justice to the memory of the pioneers and founders of the several towns, and any omission or imperfection of statement is due to absence or error of informa- tion. All those interested in preserving facts worthy of record, were invited by public notice to communicate with the author, and due industry and care have been bestowed in the verification of our narrative, which may, notwithstand- ing, contain faults that it would have been desirable to avoid. The indulgence of the public is solicited toward these, and we shall ever consider it a kindness to have them indicated, with the view to future correction, should opportuni- ties occur. To those who have aided by imparting materials for use in these pages, we wish to return thus publicly our acknowledgements, and especially to the following persons :- To Vincent Le Ray of Paris, P. Somerville Stewart of Carthage, Henry E. Pierrepont of Brooklyn, and Charles King of New York for facts relating to land titles. To James L. Leonard, Stephen Leonard, Joseph A. Willard, W. Hudson Stephens, Charles Dayan, A. G. Dayan, Leonard C. Davenport, N. B. Sylvester, Andrew W. Doig, Edward A. Brown, Wm. L. Easton, Henry E. Turner, and W. Root Adams, of Lowville ; Apollos Stephens of Denmark; David T. Martin, Wm. King, Jas. H. Sheldon and Diodate Pease, of Martinsburgh ; S. P. Sears of Montague ; Charles G. Riggs, Emory B. Holden, Dr. C. D. Budd, Orrin Woolworth, Henry Ragan, Elisha Crofoot,
iv
Preface.
and Walter D. Yale, of Turin ; Seth Miller, Jonathan C. Collins, James Cro- foot and Homer Collins, of West Turin ; Ela Merriam, Ezra Miller, Thomas Baker and W. J. Hall, of Leyden ; R. T. Hough of Lewis ; Seymour Green of Osceola ; Lyman R. Lyon, Francis Seger, Caleb Lyon of Lyonsdale, and Cyrus W. Pratt, of Greig ; Nelson J. Beach and Jehiel R. Wetmore of Watson ; Jo- siah Dewey of Delta ; Clinton L. Merriam of New York; Wm. Collins of Cleveland, O .; Baron S. Doty of Portage city, and M. J. Stow of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and D. P. Mayhew of Ypsilanti, Michigan, for written materials and facts derived from documents. To Daniel S. Bailey, late editor of the Lewis County Republican, Henry A. Phillips of the Northern Journal (now Journal and Republican), Henry Algoever of the Lewis County Banner, and the editors of the New York Reformer at Watertown, for friendly notices of the enterprise while in course of preparation, we also wish to return our thanks. The late Alson Clark of West Turin began publishing, a few years since, a series of historical articles in the newspaper of that town, all of which we have examined, and from several of which we have derived facts. His useful researches were interrupted by an early death. Lewis being the fourth county which the author has attempted to embody the details of local history, an opportunity has been offered of learning from dear bought experience, at least some of the difficulties attending this class of researches. With what success this labor has been performed on this occasion, the following pages are an impartial evidence. The steel plates chiefly by J. C. Buttre, of New York, and the lithographs drawn by C. G. Crehen of New York, and B. F. Smith, Jr., of Albany, and printed by A. J. Hoffman & Co. of the latter place, are mostly faithful likenesses, and creditable as works of art. It would have been gratifying to extend this already unusual amount of illustrations, but of many worthy pioneers and incumbents of public office, no portraits have been preserved.
Albany, April 16, 1860.
FRANKLIN B. HOUGH.
Engraved by T @ Buttre
Franklin B. Hough
HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.
The rapid settlement of Oneida county on its northern and western borders, had S within a few years after its formation I. M. rendered attendance upon its courts and the transaction of public business N burdensome and expensive.1 This E led to the discussion of plans for divi- sion, in which the future location of O county buildings became a leading First County Seal. motive with many of those who were most active in preparing the way for changes which must soon necessarily be made.
Redfield, Champion, Lowville, Martinsburgh, Watertown, and Brownville, were each regarded by their inhabitants as entitled to the honor of a court house, and active partizans were engaged in pressing the claims of each. The hopes of Champion depended upon the erection of but one county from Oneida, and in anticipation of this result, several young and talented lawyers had settled there in their pro- fessions.2 Silas Stow of Lowville, and Walter Martin of Martinsburgh, were largely interested in newly settled lands that would be enhanced in value by the location of a county seat near them, and each of the places named had its
1 This region of country, originally embraced in Albany county, was in- cluded in Tryon, March 12, 1772, changed to Montgomery, April 2, 1784, included in Herkimer, February 16, 1791, and in Oneida, March 15, 1798.
2 Moss Kent (a brother of Chancellor Kent), Henry R. Storrs, and Egbert Ten Eyck, then resided in Champion.
A
2
Plans for the Division of Oneida County.
active advocates of relative and prospective importance. The old settled parts of Oneida county, were far from being united in their approval of the selection of Rome as a county seat, and in the sharp personal discussion which oc- curred between Jonas Platt on the one hand, and Thomas R. Gold on the other, each had appealed to the public. Active efforts were being made to secure a change, and as the county was ripening for a division, the bearing of every measure tending to this end was watched with interest, and favored or opposed as it affected the prospects of the several parties.
Jacob Brown, then a young and enterprising land agent, surveyor and settler at Brownville, and afterwards major general, had as early as 1797 passed through the Black river valley to Whitestown, and then and subsequently had asso- ciated with Jonathan Collins of Turin, Walter Martin of Martinsburgh, and other prominent settlers, with whom he continued a friendly acquaintance, and between whom the plan of two counties from the north part of Oneida was discussed and agreed upon, if sufficient influence could be secured to attain it. Brown's manifest object in concilia- ting the southern interest, was to so arrange the boundaries that the centre of one of the new counties would fall within his reach; but other influences were at work near each of these parties, equally intent upon two counties, and quite as eager to seize upon the prize. It is not probable that Turin expected to gain the county seat, and it naturally favored the nearest party, but in Lowville, Stow and others were confidently relying upon their ability to prove that the balance of wealth and population centred upon them. The citizens of Watertown were equally active, and the result proved that they were a match for Brown in intrigue or influence if not in both. The northwestern settlers of Oneida county, under the lead of Nathan Sage of Redfield, were indifferent to these schemes except so far as they interfered with their favorite plan of a county, having as its natural boundaries the gulf of Sandy creek on the north, and the east lines of townships 3, 8 and 13 of the Boylston tract on the east.
Mr. James Constable, one of the executors of the estate of his brother William, travelled through Macomb's pur- chase in 1803, 4, 5 and 6, and has left in his diary under date of Sept. 20, 1804, a notice of these plans :1
1 This diary is written out with great care from observations made upon the spot, and abounds in interesting historical details ; we shall have frequent occasion to quote from its pages.
3
Convention at Denmark.
"Finding that Mr. Shaler was from home, and not knowing what situation his people were in, we went to Squire [Jonathan] Collins, who although he has left off keep- ing tavern, received and entertained us kindly from a very heavy rain. He gives us some information of the local pro- ceedings about roads, the division of the county and other intrigues, and with what I have heard from other quarters it appears that Stow and Martin had made themselves very obnoxious and they will differ about the division of the county on their side of it. Each will be supported by opposite interests, and they will both be defeated by the management of the proprietors of Redfield or that of Jacob Brown of Brownville.
Each of the gentlemen requires a court house near to himself, and if they are all to be gratified, Oneida must be divided into five ; but there will be opposition to their wishes and perhaps to any division of the county, which would be for the interest of the land owners as the extra expense would be saved. There will be a contest for the clerkship as Mr. Martin, Mr. Stow and Mr. Kelley, brother-in-law to Stow are all candidates. Mr. Stow has declared publicly be will have it in spite of all opposition, but the people are most in favor of Mr. Kelley. 1"
To give definite form to these movements a convention of delegates, mostly chosen at special town meetings was called to assemble in Denmark village to unite in an appli- cation to the legislature for a division of the county. One of these delegates2 has assured us that the majority of those sent, were instructed to vote for but one new county. The result of their deliberations is best shown by the record of their secretary which is as follows :
" At a meeting of three delegates from each of the towns of Brownville, Watertown, Adams, Ellisburgh, Malta, 3 Harrison, 4 Rutland, Champion, Harrisburgh, Lowville, Martinsburgh and Turin, convened at the house of Freedom Wright in Harris- burgh,5 on Tuesday, the 20th day of November, 1804, Jonathan Collins in the chair; Egbert Ten Eyck, secretary:
On examination it appeared that the following persons were regularly chosen to represent their respective towns at this meeting.
Jacob Brown, John W. Collins, Benjamin Cole, for Brownville ; Tilley Richardson, Henry Coffeen, Solomon Robbins, Joshua Beals for Adams; Lyman Ellis, Matthew Boomer, jr., John
1 It will be noticed elsewhere that Richard Coxe was appointed.
2 William Coffeen, then of Rutland. 3 Now Lorraine. 4 Now Rodman.
5 The present town of Denmark was then included in Harrisburgh.
4
Convention at Denmark.
Thomas, for Ellisburgh; Asa Brown, Clark Allen, William Hunter, for Malta ; William Rice, Cyrus Stone, Simcon Hunt, for Harrison ; Cliff French, Abel Sherman, William Coffeen, for Rutland ; John Durkee, Olney Pearce, Egbert Ten Eyck, for Champion; Moss Kent, Lewis Graves, Charles Wright, jr., for Harrisburgh ; Silas Stow, Jonathan Rogers, Charles Davenport, for Lowville; Asa Brayton, Clark McCarty, Chillus Doty, for Martinsburgh; and Jonathan Collins, John Ives, Elijah Wads- worth, for Turin. 5
The above names being called by the secretary, respectively answered and took their seats. It was now moved and seconded that the sense of this meeting be taken whether all the members mentioned in the above list be admitted to act in this meeting. Carried in the affirmative, 30 to 6.
Moved and seconded that all questions arising in this meeting excepting questions of order, be taken by ayes and nays. Carried unanimously in the affirmative.
Moved and seconded that this county be set off from the county of Oneida. Carried in the affirmative, 27 to 9.
Moved and seconded that this meeting will adjourn for half an hour. Carried unanimously, adjourned accordingly.
Met pursuant to adjournment. It was now moved and se- conded that a petition be presented to the legislature of this state to appoint a disinterested committee to affix our limits for a new county, and to decide whether we ought to have a whole or a half shire on the Black river, and affix the spot or spots as sites for the court house. Carried in the negative, 25 to 11.
Moved and seconded that the southern boundary of the counties to be established in the Black river country, begin on lake Ontario, at the south west corner of Ellisburgh; thence along the south line of Ellisburgh to the south east corner of said town; thence along the eastern boundary of Ellisburgh to the corner of No. 1 and 6 on said boundary; thence along the line between 1 and 6, 2 and 7, to the corner of 3 and 8; thence along the line between 7 and 8, 12 and 13 to the line between Macomb's and Scriba's patent; thence along said bounds to the county of Herkimer; thence along the western boundaries of Herkimer and St. Lawrence to the river St. Lawrence; thence up along said river St. Lawrence to lake Ontario; thence along the margin of said lake to the place of beginning. Car- ried in the affirmative, 20 to 16.
Moved and seconded that so much of the above resolution as
5 Leyden appears not to have been represented at this meeting, although on two previous occasions special meetings had been called and delegates chosen for this purpose. At one of these held December 15, 1803, Stephen Butler, Moses Ostrander and Joel Jinks had been appointed, and at the other held February 3, 1804, Stephen Butler, Samuel Snow and Richard Cox were chosen to represent this town, at a convention to be held at Champion, on the first Tuesday of February, of that year.
5
Petitions to the Legislature.
respects the south bounds of the town of Leyden be amended in such a way as to leave it optional with the inhabitants of that town to remain with the county of Oneida or come into the new county. On this amendment the vote was 18 to 18. It was then moved and seconded that so much of the above resolution as respects the south bounds of Leyden be reconsidered, vote stood 18 to 18. It was now moved and seconded that all the country included within the boundaries as agreed to by the above resolution be divided into two counties. The division line between the two and the sites for the same to be established by a disinterested committee, to be appointed by the governor and the council of this state. The men to be appointed, to live out of, and have no interest in the western district; and that during five years no expense to be paid by the counties to be organized as aforesaid, for the erection of public buildings. Carried in the affirmative, 20 to 16.
Motioned and seconded that a committee be appointed to draft a petition to the legislature of this state according to the resolutions of this meeting, and to carry the same into effect with the proceedings of this meeting. Said committee to con- sist of five and to be chosen from amongst the members attend- ing as delegates, and be chosen by ballot.
The meeting was then adjourned for fifteen minutes in order that the members might prepare their ballots, on counting which it appeared that Jonathan Collins, Jacob Brown, Henry Coffeen, Cliff French and Joseph Beals were chosen. Ordered that the secretary supply each of the members of the com- mittee with a copy of the proceedings of this meeting. There being no further business, ordered that the meeting be dis- solved. JONATHAN COLLINS, Chairman.
EGBERT TEN EYCK, Secretary."
During the winter of 1804-5, numerous petitions and remonstrances were presented to the legislature, having in view the division of Oneida county, and of several of its towns. These were referred to the delegation from that county, then consisting of George Brayton, Joseph Jen- nings, Joseph Kirkland and Benjamin Wright, the latter of whom, from his intimate knowledge of the county, and especially of the part embraced in Macomb's purchase, was eminently fitted for the duty assigned him. He accordingly on the 4th of March introduced a bill for the erection of Jefferson and Lewis counties. Seven days after, it was dis- cussed in a committee of the whole, amended, the blanks filled and clauses added, chiefly relating to the location of the county seats and the division of the public moneys. On the 12th it passed the house, and on the 22d the senate receiving from the latter a few amendments which were
6
Petitions to the Legislature.
concurred in by the house. The vote upon its passage is not preserved in the journals of either house, nor are the amendments of the senate a subject of record. The bill received the governor's signature on the 28th of March. As the motives presented to the legislature to induce the passage of this act, possess permanent interest, we here insert the petition circulated extensively throughout the dis- trict set off from Oneida. Many copies of it were taken for use in the several towns, and although its authorship is not stated, it bears within itself the evidence that it emanated from the pen of Jacob Brown.
To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New York, in Senate and Assembly convened :
We your petitioners, inhabitants of the Black river country, beg leave to represent, that we humbly apprehend that the time has arrived when our true interest and the prosperity of the country in which we are situated, requires a division of the county of Oneida. On this subject there appears but one senti- ment in our county, and we flatter ourselves that it will be superfluous to multiply arguments to the legislature, to show the propriety of a division. We believe that your honorable body will be led to inquire why we have not presented a request at an earlier period, for we believe that no instance can be pro- duced of so numerous a body of people, spread over such an extensive and highly productive country, so remote from the old settled parts of the county and seat of justice to which they are attached, without praying for and obtaining relief. Relying therefore upon our former experience in the justice and wisdom of your honorable body, we pray the legislature to divide the county of Oneida by a line *
* [the same as that which now includes Jefferson and Lewis,] and we pray the Legislature to divide all the country within the aforesaid boundaries into two counties, the division line between the two counties and site in each for the seat of justice in the same, to be established by a disinterested com- mittee to be appointed by the governor and council of this state, the men so appointed to live out of, and to have no inter- est in the western district. Having appointed a committee to wait upon the legislature with this petition, and to make such further representations to the government as they may deem best calculated to promote the interest of this county and the welfare of the state, we shall not go into a detail of our reasons on the subject of this petition, but refer your honorable body to this committee. One subject, however, being of primary magnitude, and involving as we apprehend the best interest of this country, we cannot pass in silence. That we are not ignor- ant of the opposition that is premeditated to the town of Ellis-
7
Petitions to the Legislature.
burgh and Malta being connected with the lower county on the Black river, and that the opposition to this connection is power- ful and respectable, but we humbly presume that we are not mistaken in believing that the prime mover and first cause of this opposition1 is not fully acquainted with the true interests and make of this county, and that when he is rightly informed on this subject he will act consistent with himself, and not pursue measures so injurious to a respectable portion of his fellow citizens. The town of Ellisburgh and Malta are sepa- rated from the Redfield and Camden country by the strong and intelligent hand of Nature, and our duty constrains us to say that they can not be thrown into that county (if one should be organized there) without violating these natural right and sacrificing the best interest. With the Black river country they are strongly cemented by natural boundaries and natural interests, and we flatter ourselves that the legislature will re- sist every exertion and influence so deeply injurious to the peace and prosperity, and so unfriendly to the interest of the state as the separation of the towns of Ellisburgh and Malta from the Black river country, in any arrangement that may be contemplated for the organization of new counties. Situated on the confines of the dominions of a powerful empire, we flatter ourselves that our country is viewed with an eye of particular solicitude by the government, and fondly cherish the hope that it will with pleasure pursue such measures as are best calculated to increase its strength, and advance its prosperity.
We therefore conclude by renewing our solicitation that your honorable body will at your present session cause two counties to be organized on the Black river and establish their southern boundary agreeable to our request, and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.2
Black River, Dec. 1804.
1 Referring to Nathan Sage of Redfield.
2 The opposing petition referred to in the above was as follows :
" The petition of the inhabitants of the western part of the county of Oneida respectfully sheweth, that whereas, a convention of delegates from the towns on the Black River has been held and the members of that con- vention recommended a division of the county of Oneida, and appointed a committee to carry their resolutions into effect, and this committee having drawn a petition directed to the legislature of this state setting forth their reasons for and praying such division. We beg leave to suggest the pro- priety of a general division for we humbly apprehend that the recent con- troversy in this county respecting a site in it for a seat of justice will appear to you a sufficient argument to show the propriety of a general and early division.
We therefore pray the legislature at their present session to divide the county of Oneida by a line to commence on Lake Ontario, at the northeast corner of Ellisburgh, and run along the north line of Constable's 13 towns to the corner of 3 and 4 on said line, thence south between 3 and 4, 8 and 9, to the north line of No. 13, from thence southeast until the line intersects the main branch of Fish creek, thence down Fish creek to the Oneida lake, thence along the lake and Oswego river to lake Ontario, thence along said
8
Act of Organization.
The act erecting the two counties applied to them the names of the executive heads of the national and state governments respectively at the time of its passage and read as follows :
1805
AN ACT to erect part of the County of Oneida into two separate Counties by the names of Jefferson and Lewis, and for other purposes Paffed March 28, 1805.
I. B E it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented. in Senate and Assembly, That all that part of the county of Onei- da, contained within the following bounds, to wit : Beginning at the fouthweft corner of the town of Ellifburgh, on the eafterly shore of Lake- Ontario, and running along the foutherly line of faid town; thence along the eafterly line thereof to the fouthwest corner of the town of Malta; thence along the foutherly line of the faid town of Malta, and continuing the fame course to the corner of townfhips number two, three, feven and eight; thence north, along the eaft line of the town of Malta afore- faid, to the northeaft corner thereof; thence in a direct line to the corner of the towns of Rutland and Champion; thence along the line between the faid town of Champion and the town of Harrifburgh to Black-river; thence in a direct line to the bounds of the county of St. Lawrence, to intersect the fame at the corner of townfhips numbers feven and eleven, in great tract number three of Macomb's purchafe; thence along the wefterly bounds of the faid county of St. Lawrence to the north bounds of this ftate ; thence wefterly and southerly, along said bounds, including all the islands in the river St. Lawrence and in Lake-Ontario in front thereof and within this ftate, to the place of beginning, fhall be and hereby is erected into a feparate county, and fhall be called and known by the name of Jefferfon.
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