USA > New York > Clinton County > Plattsburgh > History of Plattsurgh, New York from its first settlement to January 1, 1876 > Part 1
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Gc 974.702 P69p 1753347
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02210 5958
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyofplattsu00palm
HISTORY
OF
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PLATTSBURGH, N. Y.,
FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT TO JAN. 1, 1876.
PLATTSBURGH, N. Y. 1877.
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1753347
INTRODUCTORY.
In the year 1871 a series of articles were prepared by Peter S. Palmer and published in the Plattsburgh Repub- lican under the name of " Northern New York Historical Society Papers." Paper " one," of that series, which re- ferred principally to the village of Plattsburgh, is repro- iluced in the following pages.
PLATTSBURGH- (VILLAGE).
ONE hundred and seven years ago the English govern- ment issued a mandamus for thirty thousand acres of land, lying on the west side of Lake Champlain, to be surveyed to Count Charles de Fredenburgh. The war- rant bears date January 11, 1769. De Fredenburgh had, however, several years prior to this, selected the tract covered by the warrant and commenced improvements upon it, by the crection of a comfortable dwelling-house on the south bank of the river Saranac, at its mouth, and of a saw-mill, at the rapids, three miles above, yet known as "Fredenburgh's Falls." " From papers in the land-office, it appears that on the 19th of August, 1767, Fredenburgh and nineteen associates petitioned for a grant of 20,000 acres of land, at Cumberland Bay, on the west of Lake Champlain, for which a warrant of survey was issued Jan- uary 27, 1768 (Vol. XXIV.). On the 11th of January, J769, a mandamus was issued, granting de Fredenburgh 30,000 acres, which was followed on the 24th of May by a warrant of survey, to lay out the 30,000 acres on the west side of the lake, beginning at a point opposite the island of Valcour, including both banks of the " Saranak" River as far as the high falls, the sandy beach and creek, and also the whole point of Cumberland Bay, commonly
1 See recital in Patent of Plattsburgh. The dwelling-house occupied by de Fredenburgh, stood near the site of the late United States Hotel.
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called Squinanton, or Cumberland Head (Vol. XXXVII.). The value of this tract seems to have been well known at that time, as the land papers show that on the 5th of April, 1769, William Kelley, in behalf of Lord Viscount Townsend and twenty-four associates, petitioned for a grant of 25,000 acres, bounded cast by Cumberland Bay and extending west on both sides of the Saranac River, including the land covered by the warrant of survey, of January 27, 1768, above mentioned (Vol. XXV.):
De Fredenburg, who had been a captain in the British army, was a person of repute and of some pecuni- ary means. He was one of the gentlemen composing the retinue of Gov. Moore and Gen. Carlton, at the time they visited Lake Champlain in the autumn of 1766, to establish the boundary line between the Provinces of New York and Canada. His dwelling on the banks of the Saranac is described as having been sumptuously furnished, and the seat of refinement and taste. Here, surrounded by the families of his workmen, who dwelt in rude cabins near the lake or at the " Falls," he lived with his wife and children in almost unbroken solitude, looking forward to the day when his broad acres would be cleared and his possessions on the Saranac should produce baronial wealth.
De Fredenburgh's nearest neighbors at this time were John La Frombois, who lived on the shore of the lake, a short distance south from Sax's Landing, in Chazy, and William Hay and Henry Cross, who resided on Friswell's Patent, opposite the island of Valcour. As early as 1766 a small cabin had been erected by William
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Gilliland, on lands claimed by him at the mouth of the Salmon River, for the purpose of preventing an encroach- ment by De Fredenburgh in that direction. It was never permanently occupied." I have no data from which to ascertain the duration of De Fredenburgh's residence, or the extent of the improvements made by him. He removed his family to Montreal a short time before the commencement of the war of the Revolution, and re- turned alone to protect his property. About this time the house and mill were burnt down, and De Freden- burgh mysteriously disappeared. No subsequent settle- ment was made in this immediate vicinity until the year 1785.
In 1781, the Legislature of the State of New York, in order to encourage the raising of troops for the defense of the State, passed certain acts, offering boun- ties of unappropriated lands to such officers and soldiers as should enlist within a time specified. These bounties were divided into rights of 500 acres each, and there was a provision in the act, that whenever any number of persons entitled collectively to sixty-one rights, or 30,500 acres, should join in a location, the lands so located should be laid out in a township of seven miles square, and that the remaining 860 acres in such township should be reserved for gospel and school purposes.
In 1784, Zephaniah Platt, of Poughkeepsie, in behalf of himself and thirty-two associates, who collectively had acquired the requisite number of "rights," located them upon the tract of land which had been claimed by De
1 " Watson's Champlain Valley," pp: 40, 133.
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Fredenburgh under his warrant, and, on the 12th of August of that year, procured the requisite certificate from the Surveyor-General, that the lands were vacant and unappropriated. Letters - Patent were issued to Zephaniah Platt, on the 26th day of October, 1784. About the same time, Mr. Platt obtained from the State, in behalf of himself, Nathaniel Platt and Simon R. Reeves, a patent for two thousand acres of land, includ- ing Cumberland Head, and extending north to lands belonging to Beekman and company.1
These two tracts were incorporated into a town called Plattsburgh, on the 4th day of April, 1785. Three years later the boundaries of the town were extended so as to include the territory embraced within the limits of the present towns of Beekmantown, Dannemora, Saranac, and Schuyler Falls, with a part of Peru and Black Brook, and a small portion of the county of Franklin.
On the 29th day of October, 1784, three days after the Patent of Plattsburgh had been issued, the proprie- tors met at the inn of John Simmons, in the city of New York, to devise plans to secure the immediate settlement of the lands-an object of much importance, as the patent contained a condition requiring the patentee to " put one settler upon every six hundred acres of land in the tract, within three years after its date," and declaring that "for
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1 De Fredenburgh's children applied unsuccessfully to the legislature, at a later period, for recognition of their title to the tract claimed by their father. The title to Cumberland Head had been claimed by William Gilli- land, under assignment from Lieut. Lowe, an officer who had served under the colony of New York, in the French and Indian war. Lowe's claim was not recognized by the State. " Watson's Champlain Valley," pp. 118, 193.
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non-compliance in making such settlement," the lands granted would revert to the State. At this meeting a proposition was made to give to such of the proprietors as should within two years from that time build a dam and mills upon the Saranac, the exclusive title to the Fredenburgh Falls mill-lot of fifty acres, and to one hun- dred acres lying on the north side of the river at its mouth. This proposition was accepted by Zephaniah Platt, Peter Tappen, Zaccheus Newcomb, Nathaniel Platt, Platt Rogers, Charles Platt, Thomas Treadwell, Simon R. Reeves, Melancton Smith, Jonathan Lawrence, Israel Smith and John Addams, twelve of the associates who met at the house of Judge Zephaniah Platt in Poughkeepsie on the 30th December, 1784, and mutually agreed " to be jointly concerned in the building of a saw- mill, grist-mill and a forge on the river Saranac the next summer, each to advance an cqual proportion of money. They also agreed to build a " petty augeu" (pirogue) of a moderate size, and to purchase twine for a seine. Judge Platt was appointed agent for the company. The expense was estimated at $541, as follows :- Millstones, $100; Irons, $125 ; Nails, $37.50; Iron, $16 ; Transportation, $15; Saw, $7.50; Bolting cloth, $15; Pork, $80; Bread, $65; Rum $So.1 On the 6th February, 1785, the title to the 100 acres and to the Fredenburgh Falls mill-lot was vested in the twelve by deed. It was the intention of the company to procure the iron ore for the forge from a bed owned by the State, lying on the borders of the lake, about eight miles north of Crown Point, known as the 2 Eighty dollars for rum and only sixty-five for bread ! but they were building a grist-mill.
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" Skeene's ore bed ; " [Laws of 1784, chapter 63, § 4,] and, for this purpose, they obtained permission from the State to take ore from that bed for the term of ten years. Laws of 1785, chapter 57, § 3.]
Mr. William Gilliland, who visited this section in 1763, says of the Saranac: " Proceeded about two miles up this river, which proved to be much larger than the Bou- quet, and rapid from its mouth up; at about 400 yards from the lake there is a rift, where the water may be conveniently lifted, and, by carrying it about 200 yards, will produce a fall of about Io feet, which with two feet that may be raised by a small stony dam, will be enough for a mill." 1 At the head of these rapids the dam was built. It crossed the stream at the bend of the river, forty or fifty rods above the present dam. A forge was erected on the west side of the river, near the dam, and a small saw-mill, and a grist-mill some twenty or thirty rods below. These mills were supplied with water through a flume, passing along the margin of the river. The dam was about eight feet in height.
The frame of the saw-mill was raised on Monday, the 22d of June, 1785, and as the last pin was driven home, Cornelius Haight, one of the workmen, proclaimed the mill " the glory of the Saranac."
The proprietors also set apart 997 acres, as gift lots, to the first persons who should settle on the patent, and laid out 30 lots of 100 acres each; to be sold at a " low rate." These lots included some of the best lands in the township. The " gift lots" were twelve in number. Number one, which 1 " Watson's Champlain Valley," p. 117.
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contained 61 acres, lay north and adjoining Cornelia Street, and extended from the Convent D'Youville to the lake shore. This lot was given to Charles Platt, who also received lot two, containing 67 acres, which adjoined number one on the north. Next north was number three, containing 100 acres, conveyed to Thomas Allen. This lot extended as far west as the Bailey farm. Jabez Pettit received number four, which also extended from the lake shore to the line of the Bailey farm, and was bounded on the north by the Boynton road. Numbers five, six, seven and eight contained 81 acres each, and were given, in the order named, to Kinner Newcomb, Mr. Sexton, John B. Hart- wick, and Derrick Webb, and included all the territory lying west of Catherine Street, to an extension south of the east bounds of the school lot. Number nine contain- ed 81 acres, and was given to Cyrenus Newcomb. This lot was bounded by the school lot on the west and by the old Beekmantown road on the east. Number ten, which contained 50 acres, lay on the opposite side of this road, and included the Bailey homestead farm and a portion of the Boynton farm, lying south of the Boynton road. This was given to Moses Soper. Jacob Ferris received number eleven, containing 120 acres, including all the territory on the east side of the river, extending south as far as the bend of the river, near old Fort Brown. This lot ex- tended twenty-five feet into the river, and included one- half its water power. Number twelve, which was also given to Charles Platt, who received numbers one and two, contained 94 acres. This lot lay north of the Boyn- ton road and included the east portion of the farm lately owned by Mr. Hewitt,
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The 30 lots of 100 acres each, set apart to be sold at a "low rate," were also advantageously located, including all the territory on the Boynton road as far west as the " Glebe lot," and that on the Plank Road and Rugar Street, as far west as Thorn's corners. Of these lots there had been sold, as early as August 23, 1785, on the Boynton road, lot one to Peter Roberts, lot two to Charles McCreedy, lot three to John Kelly, lot five to Melancton L. Woolsey, and lots seven and cight to Wil- liam Mitchell. On the west road, now the plank road, lot ten to Daniel Averill, lot eleven to Joseph Wait, lot seventeen to Simeon Newcomb, lot eighteen to Daniel Newcomb, lot fourteen to Mr. Saxton ; and on the south road or Rugar Street, lots nine, thirteen and fifteen, to Daniel Averill, Nathan Averill, and Daniel Averill, Jr., and lot twenty to Samuel Beeman.
On the 23d day of August, the proprietors divided 24.300 acres among themselves. The division embraced SI lots, one-third containing 200 acres, one-third 300 acres, and the remaining one-third 400 acres each. The appor- tion ment was made by ballot. Simon R. Reeves drew lots 6, 31, 58, 10, 33, 77, 19, 46, 72 --- 2,700 acres. Simon R. Reeves and John Addams, numbers 15, 40, 74 -- 900 acres. Zacheus Newcomb, 16, 30, 59, --- 900 acres. Isreal and Samuel Smith, 21, 51, 73-900 acres. Zephaniah Platt, 20, 47, 68, 22, 29, 65, 1, 52, 63, 3, 42, 66-3,600 acres. John Addams, 5, 39, 55, -900 acres. Burnett Miller and Son, 14, 35, 62 -900 acres. Melaneton Smith, 23, 38, 69 --- 900 acres. Charles Platt and Platt Rogers, 12, 48, 60-900 acres. Thomas Storm and Lewis Barton, 7, 32, 56, - 900 acres. Platt Rogers, 17, 43, 67-900
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acres. Peter Taylor, Benjamin Smith and Albert An- drance, 2, 28, 57 - 900 acres. Benjamin Walker, John Berrien, and Andrew Billings, 25, 37, 78-900 acres. Nathaniel Platt, 11, 50, 76, 79, 36, 64, 8, 27, 54, 4, 41, 81- 3,600. Nathaniel Tom, Jonathan Lawrence, and Eben- ezer Mott, 13, 44, 75-900 acres. Benjamin Calkins, Ben- jamin Titus, and Jacobus and Samuel Swartout, 26, 80, 70-100 acres. William Floyd, Ezra L'Homedieu, and John Smith, 18, 49, 53-900 acres. Thomas Treadwell, 24, 45, 71-900 acres, and Philip Schuyler and Nathan- iel Northrup, 9, 34, 61-900 acres.
Prior to this division. the town had been organized and town officers duly elected. The first town meet- ing was held at the dwelling-house of Charles Platt, on the third Tuesday of June, 1785. Mr. Platt was clected Su- pervisor, and Zaccheus Newcomb, Nathaniel Platt, and Platt Rogers, Commissioners of Highways. On the Ist day of October, the Commissioners made return to the town clerk of the public highways laid out in the town. Many of these roads are still in existence, and form the principal highways of the town. A number, however, which appear to have been laid out at this time, were never opened.
The earliest complete record of town officers I have found are those for the year 1786. The town meeting was held on Tuesday, the 3d day of April. Charles Platt was elected Supervisor; Kinner Newcomb, John Ran- som, and Jacob Ferris, Assessors; John Ransom, Town Clerk; Darick Webb, Jonas Allen, and Jacob Ferris, Overseers of the Poor; Samuel Beeman, Cyrenus New-
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comb, and John B. Hartwick, Commissioners of High- ways; Darick Webb and Cyrenus Newcomb, Appraisers of Insolvent Estates ; Thomas Allen, Allen Smith, and Abraham Montee, Constables ; Thomas Allen, Collector; Col. Edward Antill, Capt. Benjamin Mooers, and Major Golvin, Commissioners of Roads in the Northern Dis- trict ; Kinner Newcomb and Lewis Reynolds, Fence Viewers; and Jacob Ferris, Kinner Newcomb, Samuel Beeman, Jonas Allen, Titus Andrus, Joseph Thurber, Capt. Montee, and Mr. Harden, Pathmasters.
Jacob Ferris, who owned the water-power on the east- side of the river, built a saw-mill at the east end of the dam, and a grist-mill a short distance below it. (Sec Record of Deeds, Liber K., p. 199.) A fulling-mill, dye- house, and mill-house were subsequently erected, on the same side of the river. In November, 1787, Ferris con- veyed an undivided half of his water privilege and mills to Benjamin Mooers, and the other half to Theodorus Platt, in October, 1792. On the 8th of November, 1796, Mr. Mooers conveyed his interest in the property to Zephaniah Platt. The mill property on the opposite side of the river had also changed owners. In Novem- ber, 1797, the title to the one hundred acres, except twelve building lots, laid out by Platt Rogers, as surveyor, In 1791, and the title of so much of the Ferris lot as had been set apart for mill purposes, had become vested in Zephaniah Platt, Theodorus Platt, and Melancton Smith, as tenants in common ; Zephaniah Platt owning an undi- vided half, and the others each a fourth.
In this year, 1797, the old dam at the bend of the
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river was torn down, and a new one, about fourteen feet high, was erected on or near the site of the present dam, and new mills built there. (See 17 Johnson's N. Y. Reports, 198.) A race or canal was also dug across to " Clark's . Landing," and a forge and fulling-mill were built on the low land near its mouth. The grist-mill, erected about this time, stood near the west end of the dam, about fifty feet back from the street. This mill was destroyed by a freshet a few years afterwards, when the location of the mill was changed to the site of the present stone mill on the east side of the river. At the time of this freshet several persons were engaged in removing the machinery from the mill, when the building fell ; all escaped except Daniel Robinson, who was carried down the stream as far as Mr. Sailly's ashery, one hundred rods below, where he was rescued by persons standing on the shore. When the water subsided, the millstone was found at the place where Robinson had been drawn out of the river. The " Governor" declared that when he found the mill was tumbling to pieces, he clung to the millstone for safety, and floated upon it to that point. The story seems im- probable, still the fact that the stone was found at the place where he landed, is evidence of its truth. This freshet was for many years afterwards referred to as the one " when Gov. Robinson rode down the river on a mill- stone."
While the mill property was owned by Zephaniah Platt, Theodorus Platt and Melancton Smith, what is now known as the "eight-and-one-half acres mill-lot," was laid out and appropriated to mill purposes. This
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included all the mill privileges upon both sides of the river. In December, 1817, the title to the whole property became vested in Levi Platt. The following is the man- ner in which Judge Platt acquired his title : In 1797, as has been stated, Zephaniah Platt owned one-half, and Theodorus Platt and Melancton Smith each one-fourth. Zephaniah Platt, who died in 1808, devised one-fourth to his son James, who conveyed to Levi in November, 1809. He devised his remaining one-fourth to his son David, who died before his father. This portion went to Zeph- aniah Platt's eleven surviving children. James, Charles L., and Jonas, conveyed their interest to Levi in 1809-10, and Levi took one forty-fourth as heir. The title to the remaining seven parts was acquired by Levi by com- missioner's deed on a sale in partition. Theodorus Platt conveyed his one-fourth, in July, 1803, to Barnadus Swart- out, who conveyed to Melancton Smith, Sidney Smith, and John Bleeker, in June, 1804. Bleeker was a party to the partition suit. Melancton and Sidney Smith con- veyed their interest to Levi Platt, in December, 1817. The elder Melancton Smith died in possession of his one-fourth, which was subsequently sold on execution against his heirs and devisees, and conveyed by sheriff's deed to John Suydam and Henry S. Wickoff, in No- vember, 1810. Suydam and Wickoff were parties to the partition suit. They also joined in the deed of Decem- ber, 1817.
In May, 1827, the Bank of Plattsburgh acquired title to all the water-power in the eight-and-one-half acre mill-lot, and also to land lying north of Bridge Street, on
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the east side of the river,"which was not then considered a portion of the mill property. The Trustees of the Bank subdivided that portion of the eight-and-one-half acre lot adjacent to the river, and the lots on the north side of Bridge Street into eight mill-lots, and after reserv- ing for the grist-mill a supply of water sufficient for eight run of stones, allotted the residue of the water to these mill-lots, in the proportion of one-third to the west side and two-thirds to the east side of the river. The propor- tion thus allotted to each side was subdivided among the lots lying on the respective sides. On the east side number one, adjoining the dam, and number two, lying between number one and Bridge Street, were each enti- tled to two-elevenths. Numbers three and four, lying on the north side of Bridge Street, to the same quantity, and number five, which lay north and below the two last, to three-elevenths. On the west side, number six, adjoin- ing the dam, was entitled to one-fifth of the water allot- ted to that side of the river, and number seven, adjoining but below the dam, and number eight, which fronted on Bridge Street, to two-fifths each.
All of this mill property was sold at public auction, by the trustees, in July, 1829. The grist-mill, and the mill-lots numbers one, six and seven, were purchased by Richard Yates, as trustee for certain State Banks, and the remaining lots by John Palmer. At the time of this sale, a small portion only of this water-power was in usc. On the west side of the dam, on lot six, a brick building stood, used as a wool-carding and cloth-dressing estab- lishment. An old saw-mill stood in the stream, just be-
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low the dam, on lot seven, and an old building on lot eight, which had been used as an oil-mill.1 Access was had to the saw-mill over a causeway of slabs, leading from Bridge Street between the river and the oil-mill. These three buildings, with an old rickety saw-mill at the east end of the dam, on lot one, and the grist-mill, were all the works then connected with the water-power at this damn. An old red building stood on the south side of the street near the east end of the bridge, and a small wooden building on the opposite side of the street. A dwelling, which the miller generally occupied, stood on the west side of Green Street in rear of the old Israel Green Hotel, and there were three small dwellings on the south side of a passage-way running along the bank of the river opposite the Upper Island.
Judge Palmer, immediately after his purchase, con- structed a flume, for the supply of lots two, three, four, and five. He also, in 1830, built a dam about half a mile further up the river, at the Covered Bridge, on which Mr. Cyrus Waterhouse, the next year, erected a small saw-mill. In 1835, Ashley Clark erected works for saw- ing marble at this dam. In the spring of 1833, Judge Palmer sold lot " four," on the north side of Bridge Street at the lower dam, to Clark, Reynolds & McGregor, who erected works for sawing marble. A similar building was subsequently erected by Hill, Stephenson & Board- man on lot "five." At these mills, and at the marble mills of Mr. Clark, at the upper dam, large quantities of marble from the Isle La Motte quarries were sawed.
1 The oil-mill was started by John Mallory, in 1821.
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In 1833, Douglass L. Fouquet purchased the east half of lot " three," on which he erected a large wooden building. Here C. S. Bliss & Co. carried on the carding and cloth-dressing business for a short time, when they were succeeded by Hiram J. Bentley, who in 1835 trans- ferred his interest to Mr. Fouquet. At this time (1835) Noyes P. Gregory carried on the carding and cloth-dress- ing business at the west end of the bridge. Horace Boardman had a small foundry in a stone building erected on number "five;" the marble mill of Clark, McGregor & Co. was in full operation, and the small building at the east end of the bridge, near Fouquet's woollen mill, was occupied by E. H. Barnum as a comb factory. William Palmer and Charles S. Mooers occu- pied the stone building which had been erected in 1833, on the site of the old oil-mill, as a cotton factory. Cor- nelius Halsey & Co. had another cotton factory in the brick building at the west end of the dam. Owing to the great difficulty and expense of reaching a southern market during eight months of the year, and the small capacity of these establishments, the manufacture of cot- ton cloth was soon abandoned. The marble mills were also closed after a few years. At or about this time, Peleg T. Stafford and James Smith had a small machine shop in rear of the Fouquet building. The old saw-mill continued in a dilapidated condition, and was used for custom work only. It continued so until 1846, when F. J. & S. W. Barnard, of Albany, erected a large saw-mill at that place. After C. Halsey & Co. had discontinued the manufacture of cotton cloth, the brick building was
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