USA > New York > A geographical history of the state of New York: embracing its history, government, physical features, climate, geology, mineralogy, botany, zoology, education, internal improvements, &c., with a separate map of each county > Part 32
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VILLAGES. MARTINSBURG, in the town of the same name, con- tains the county buildings, a female seminary, and a number of factories. Population 800.
Lowville is a village of some business in the town of Low- ville. It has an incorporated academy. Population 800.
Copenhagen, in the town of Denmark, is situated on both sides of Deer river. It is a flourishing village, and engaged in manufactures. Population about 500.
XXXV. JEFFERSON COUNTY.
Square miles, 1125. Organized, 1805.
Population, 64,999. Valuation, 1845, $,6,536,651.
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TOWNS.
1. Ellisburgh, 1797.
2. Champion, 1800.
3. Houndsfield, 1800.
4. Watertown, 1800.
5. Wilna, 1800.
6. Adams, 1502.
7. Brownville, 1802.
8. Rutland, 1802.
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9. Lorraine, 1804.
15. Pamelia, 1819.
10. Rodman, 1804.
16. Alexandria, 1821.
11. Le Ray, 1806.
17. Orleans, 1821.
12. Henderson, 1806.
18. Philadelphia, 1821.
13. Antwerp, 1816. 19. Clayton, 1832.
14. Lyme, 1817. 20. Theresa, 1842.
Rivers and Creeks. I. St. Lawrence River. a. Black River. b. Indian River. d. Chaumont Creek. e. Perch. f. Stoney. g. Sandy.
Lakes, &c. J. Ontario. i. Perch. j. Yellow. k. Hungry Bay. 1. Black River. m. Chaumont Bay.
Islands. n. Gallop Island. o. Stoney. p. Grenadier. q. Fox r. Carlton. s. Grindstone. t. Wells.
Falls. On the Indian river. On the Black river at Champion, Rutland, and Watertown. Long Falls, Wilna.
Forts. Sacketts Harbor.
Villages. WATERTOWN. Sacketts Harbor. Brownville. Cornelia. Carthage.
BOUNDARIES. North by the St. Lawrence River, and St. Lawrence county ; East by Lewis county ; South by Oswego county, and West by Lake Ontario.
SURFACE. The surface of Jefferson county may be divided into two terraces, the broader of which is on the northwest. The Ridge Road, extending from the Niagara river, at a dis- tance of from six to ten miles from the lake, and undoubtedly indicating the ancient limits of Lake Ontario, is here about 100 feet in height. The surface between this and the lake is level or gently undulating. From this ridge the county has a gentle descent toward the southeast, where an elevated ridge crosses it, and gives it a broken and hilly appearance.
RIVERS. The chief streams of the county, besides the St. Lawrence, are the Black and Indian rivers, Chaumont, Perch, Stoney, and Sandy creeks.
FALLS. There is a series of falls in the Black river, com- mencing at the Long falls in Carthage.
LAKES. The chief lakes are Ontario, Perch, and Yellow.
BAYS. Hungry, Black River, and Chaumont bays are inden- tations of greater or less extent, upon the lake coast.
ISLANDS. Along its western line are situated Gallop, Stoney, Fox, Grenadier, Carlton, Grindstone, and Wells islands.
CLIMATE. Equable and healthy. The winters are cold, but without sudden changes. The summer heats are moderated by the lake breezes.
GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The primary formation is confined to two or three small districts in the county, principally in the
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north and northeast part. In Alexandria, there is a small tract where the primitive rocks are near the surface. They are granite, primitive limestone, gneiss, and hornblende. The greater part of the county, however, belongs to the transition formation.
The order of arrangement of the rocks of this formation, here, is the following, be- ginning at the northern part of the county : Potsdam sandstone, extending to a point a little south of Theresa falls ; calciferous sand rock and birdseye limestone, ap- pearing as far south as the Black river ; Trenton limestone, extending through Houndsfield, Adams, Watertown, and Rutland, and succeeded by a narrow belt of the Utica slate ; this is followed by the Lorraine shales, lying in Rodman, Lor- raine, and Pinckney. In the southern line of towns, the gray sandstone occurs in small quantities.
Bog iron ore, spathic iron, specular iron, arragonite, cacoxene, pyrites, celes- tine, terenite, tremolite, fluor spar, green malachite, tourmaline, strontianite, idio- crase, apatite, pyroxene, and massive heavy spar, tufa, peat, and graphite in six sided tablets, are the principal minerals.
There is a cave in the town of Pamelia, nearly opposite Watertown, contain- ing a number of apartments, and some fine spars. It has been explored for nearly half a mile.
SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is generally a fertile sandy loam, with some clay and gravel, and susceptible of a high degree of cultivation. In the basin on the northwest, wheat grows abundantly, but the higher lands in the southeast are more favorable to grazing. The forests abound with oak, maple, beech, birch, walnut, ash, elm, hemlock, pine, tamarack, and red and white cedar. The cranberry grows abundantly in the swamps, and forms an article of export.
PURSUITS. Agriculture is the leading pursuit of the people. Great numbers of cattle and swine are reared for the east- ern market ; the products of the dairy are very large. Pota- toes, oats, corn, wheat, rye, barley, and flax are produced in great abundance, and the wool-growing interest is not neg- lected. The county ranks among the first for agricultural pro- ducts in the state.
The manufactures of the county are extensive and rapidly increasing. The principal articles are flour, lumber, iron, leather, distilled liquors, potash, and woollen goods. The value of articles manufactured in the county in 1845, was nearly $2,000,000.
The commerce of this county is large and constantly increas- ing. About one half of its produce finds its way to a market down the St. Lawrence ; the remainder through the Oswego and Erie canals, enters the Hudson, or through the Welland and Western canals, and the great lakes, is distributed over the Mississippi valley. The shipping of this county amounts to about 5000 tons. The completion of the Black River canal will
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open a more ready and convenient conveyance for the produce of portions of the county.
¿ STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter and cheese, potatoes, oats, corn, wheat, wool, flax, barley, and peas.
SCHOOLS. There were 368 district schools in the county, in 1846. The average length of the schools was seven months- number of scholars, 22,866-amount of teachers' wages, $24,141 -and number of volumes in the school libraries, 37,552.
There are also fifty-four private schools, with 1089 scholars, and two acade- mies, with 173 pupils.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Baptists, Presbyte- rians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Universalists, Roman Catholics, Dutch Reformed, Unitarians, Friends, and Jews. There are ninety-two churches, and 106 clergymen of all de- nominations in the county.
HISTORY. The first settlement made in this county by whites, was at Ellisburgh, in 1793, by Mr. Lyman Ellis. The next was at Champion, not long after, by settlers from Connecticut. The third was at Watertown, in 1800, by Mr. Henry Coffin, of New Hampshire. In the succeeding year, emigrants from New Eng- land settled in Adams, Rodman, Brownville, and Houndsfield ; and the year after in Sacketts Harbor and Rutland. Mounds and fortifications of great antiquity, and exhibiting a high de- gree of architectural skill, are scattered over every part of the county.
At the commencement of the late war with Great Britain, Sacketts Harbor was selected as the principal naval depôt of the lake frontier, on account of the excellency of its harbor.
On the twenty-second and twenty-third of April, 1813, General Dearborn, with a force of 1700 men, embarked from this port, to attack York, (now Toronto, ) Canada West. The assault on York was successful, though the brave General Pike, by whom it was led, lost his life by the explosion of the magazine. But the withdrawal of so large a body of troops from Sacketts Har- bor, left the important military stores there exposed; and as might have been expected, the British forces at Kingston, availed themselves of the opportunity, to make a descent upon that village.
On the twenty-eighth of May, 1813, they appeared off the harbor, with four ships, one brig, two schooners, two gun boats, and thirty-three flat bottomed boats, containing in all 1200 troops. 'The alarm of their approach had been given, and Gen- eral Brown had made every exertion in his power to defend the harbor. The British suffered themselves to delay, in the at- tempt to capture some boats, coming from Oswego with troops, and thus the militia from the vicinity had time to assemble; but
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not more than 1000 troops could be collected in all, of whom more than 500 were raw militia, and about 200 more, invalids. General Brown arranged the militia behind a breast work, hastily thrown up, to oppose the landing of the enemy. In the rear of these he had stationed a part of the regular troops. The regular artillerists occupied Fort Tompkins. and Lieuten- ant Chauncey, with a small corps, defended the naval stores at Navy Point.
The British made an effort to land, but were at first repulsed with severe loss; but after the second fire, the militia became panic struck, and abandoning their breast work, fled in the ut- most confusion. Colonel Mills, their commander, was killed in the attempt to rally them.
Meantime the enemy effected a landing, and commenced their march towards the village, but met with. the most desperate op- position. Finding, however, that he was likely to be overpow- ered by the superior force of the enemy, General Brown con- certed a stratagem which gained him the day, and compelled the enemy to retreat. Learning that the militia, whose flight had prevented success in the onset, were still in the neighbor- hood, he hastened to them, put himself at their head, ordered them to follow him, and passing silently through a distant wood, in the direction of the enemy's boats, induced the British com- mander to believe that he intended to cut off his retreat.
Alarmed at this, and believing the American force superior to his own, in point of numbers, the British general withdrew his forces with the utmost precipitation, leaving his dead and wounded behind him. He was not pursued, because pursuit would have exhibited the weakness of the American force.
While the battle was at its height, intelligence was brought to Lieutenant Chauncey, that the Americans were about to sur- render, and accordingly he, in compliance with his orders, set fire to the stores and shipping, to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy. Learning his error, however, he made the utmost effort to arrest the flames, and succeeded in saving a considerable portion. The British loss was severe in this ac- tion, three of their field officers being killed, and not less than 150 wounded, killed and prisoners. The American loss was about the same in number.
After retreating to their shipping, the British demanded the surrender of the village, which was promptly refused.
On the thirtieth of May, 1814, a number of boats coming from Oswego, with cannon and rigging for the new vessels. building at Sacketts Harbor, and well manned with sailors, riflemen and Indians, were pursued into Henderson harbor, by five British gunboats, manned with about 200 English marines and sailors.
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Captain Woolsey, of the American navy, had command of the American boats, and landing as quickly as possible, stationed a part of his riflemen and Indians in ambuscade on each side of the road, and placed a small body of militia in front of the land- ing, to contest the passage of the enemy. His stratagem was successful. The British rushed on, and the militia fled before them, but the party in ambush poured upon them so deadly a fire as to compel them to surrender, with the loss of twenty killed, and forty or fifty wounded. The number of prisoners was 137. Five gunboats, armed with heavy cannon, were also cap- tured.
After the war, the extraordinary facilities afforded by the county, for sustaining an abundant population, gave it a rapid growth, and it is now one of the largest counties in the state.
Its population quadrupled between 1810 and 1840, and is still fast increasing.
VILLAGES. WATERTOWN, the seat of justice for the county, is a large and flourishing manufacturing village, situated at the falls of the Black river.
Perhaps no village in the United States possesses more ex- tensive and easily available hydraulic privileges.
The Black river here has a fall in the space of a mile, of eighty-eight feet, over seven artificial dams and five natural cascades, each of which can be used for manufacturing purposes.
The volume of water is estimated at 10,000 cubic feet per second-being sufficient to keep in motion more than one million of spindles. But a small portion of this immense water power, is employed; yet the manufactories of cotton and woollen goods, flour, leather, paper, machinery, pumps, sash, wagons, and carriages are extensive.
The Jefferson County Institute, located here, is a highly flourishing and well conducted seminary. It has about 180 pupils. There are several other schools of considerable repu- tation.
The village has also a " Young Men's Association for Lite- rary Improvement," which is in a flourishing condition, and has accumulated a respectable library. Population 4200.
Sacketts Harbor, in the town of Houndsfield, is an important village, having one of the best harbors on Lake Ontario. It has also some manufactories, propelled by water power, furnished by a canal, extending from the Black river, near Watertown, to the lake at this place.
The United States government has erected extensive stone barracks here for troops. They occupy a lot of about forty acres, surrounded by a fence, on three sides, and the fourth open to the water. In the military burial ground, attached to
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the barracks, is a monument to the brave and lamented Gene- ral Pike, and others, who fell on the northern frontier, during the late war with Great Britain.
The government has also a ship yard, and ship houses, in one of which is the frame of a ship of the line, commenced during the war of 1812.
During the war, Sacketts Harbor increased with great rapid- ity ; but at its close, it experienced a decline, from which, how- ever, it has revived, amid the general prosperity of the county. Population 2000.
Brownrille, in the town of the same name, is a thriving man- ufacturing village, situated on the Black river, four miles below Watertown. Population 1000.
Derter, in the town of Brownville, is a growing and impor- tant village. Its harbor has been improved by the United States government, and it has now considerable commerce and some manufactures. Population 1000.
Adams, in the town of Adams, is situated on both sides of Sandy creek, which here affords a good water power. It has a young ladies seminary, in a flourishing condition. Population 800.
Carthage, in the town of Wilna, is a village of considerable importance. A large quantity of iron is annually manufactured here. Population 600.
In the same town is a natural bridge, twelve feet in width, and six feet above the water, extending over the Indian river. There is a small settlement near it.
Cape Vincent, at the head of the St. Lawrence, is a lake port of some importance.
Belleville and Ellisburgh, both in the town of Ellisburgh, are thriving villages.
XXXVI. ALLEGANY COUNTY.
Square Miles, about 1050. Organized, 1806.
Population, 31,611. Valuation, 1845, $4,337,756.
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TOWNS.
1. Angelica, 1805.
2. Alfred, 180S.
3. Caneadea, 1808.
4. Ossian, 180S.
5. Friendship, 1815.
6. Centreville, 1819.
7. Independence, 1S21.
S. Cuba, 1822.
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0. Hume, 1822.
18. Grove, 1827.
10. Allen, 1823.
19. Rushford, 1827.
11. Scio, 1S23.
20. Birdsall, 1829.
12. Andover, 1S24.
21. Amity, 1830.
13. Belfast, 1824.
22. Genesee, 1830
14. Almond, 1825.
23. Clarksville, 1835.
15. Bolivar, 1825.
24. West Almond, 1835.
16. New Hudson, 1825. 25. Granger, 1837.
17. Burns, 1826. 26. Wirt, 1837.
Rivers. N. Genesee River. e. Angelica Creek. i. Black. j. Cold. o. Canascraga. p. Little Genesee.
Villages. ANGELICA. Friendship. Cuba. Rushford.
BOUNDARIES. North by Wyoming and Livingston; East by Steuben; South by the state of Pennsylvania, and West by Cat- taraugus county.
SURFACE. This county forms a portion of the elevated table Jand which extends through the southern tier of counties, but the deep channels, worn in the rocks which underlic the county, by the Genesee and other streams, and the long narrow valleys thus formed, give its otherwise level surface, a broken appear- ance. The height of the table land is from 1200 to 2000 feet above tide water. It declines gradually toward the north.
RIVERS. The principal streams are the Genesee river, An gelica, Black, Cold, Canascraga and Little Genesee creeks.
CANAL. The Genesee valley canal has been commenced, but is not yet completed.
RAILROAD. The line of the New York and Erie Railroad has been laid out across its southern portion.
CLIMATE. The elevation of the surface produces a low tem- perature. The winters are long, and the snows heavy. The county is generally healthy.
GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. This county lies wholly within the Chemung sandstone formation, though the tops of some of the highest hills are capped with the old red sandstone, and con- glomerate of the Catskill groups.
Like the rest of this formation, it possesses few minerals of interest. There is, however, some bog iron ore and hydrate of manganese, associated with calca- reous tufa. At Cuba is a petroleum, or Seneca oil spring, which has attracted considerable attention. The shales of this vicinity are all bituminous.
SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. Much of the soil of the county is fertile, consisting of a clayey and sandy loam; but it is generally moist, and better adapted to grass than grain. The forests are quite dense, and the timber is of large size, consisting of oak, maple, beech, basswood, ash, elm, hemlock, white and yellow pine.
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PURSUITS. The people are mainly devoted to Agricultural pursuits, particularly to raising cattle and sheep. The products of the dairy are quite large.
Manufactures are principally confined to lumber, flour, fulled cloths, leather, oil and potash.
Commerce. The county has little commerce.
STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, cheese, oats, potatoes, wheat and wool.
SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were in the county, 234 district schools, averaging seven months' instruction each, expending for tuition, $13,979, and attended by 13,946 children. The libra- ries contained 20,595 volumes.
The number of private schools was eight, with 142 scholars; of academies two, with 229 pupils.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyte- rians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians and Unitarians. Total number of churches sixty, of clergymen, eighty-seven.
HISTORY. Allegany county was taken from Genesee, April seventh, 1806. The two western tier of towns are within the Holland Land Company's purchase. The interest of that com- pany has been purchased by another, since formed. The rest of the county is comprised in the tract constituting the Morris estate.
It was first settled by Philip Church, in 1804. In 1838 a remarkable tornado passed over the western section; of a dense forest of 400 or 500 acres, scarcely a single tree escaped unin- jured. The wind for the space of twenty miles left traces of its devastation, yet, strange to tell, though several individuals were buried under the ruins of their houses, none lost their lives.
In 1846, the towns of Eagle, Pike, Portage and Nunda, were taken from this county and added to Wyoming and Livingston counties.
VILLAGES. ANGELICA, located in the town of the same name, is the county seat. It is a pleasant village and has some man- ufactures. Population 1000.
Cuba is a flourishing village. In this place is a spring, from the surface of which is collected the famed Seneca oil, so much used for rheumatism and sprains. It was highly valued by the Indians, and a square mile around the spring has been set apart for the Senecas. Population 800.
Friendship is a village of considerable importance, on the proposed route of the Erie railroad. Population 800.
Rushford is a thriving and important village. It is increasing in population quite rapidly. Population 1000.
XXXVII. BROOME COUNTY.
Square Miles, 627.
Organized, 1806.
Population, 25,808. Valuation, 1845, $2,087,167.
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1. Chenango, 1721.
2. Union, 1731.
3. Lisle, 1801.
4. Windsor, 1807.
5. Sandford, 1821.
6. Colesville, 1S21.
7. Vestal, 1823.
8. Conklin, 1824.
9. Barker, 1831.
10. Nanticoke, 1831.
11. Triangle, 1831.
Mountains. e. Oquaga. f. Binghamton. g. Randolph.
Rivers. CC. Chenango River. G. Susquehanna River. Q. Tiough- nioga River. a. Nanticoke Creek. h. Otselic.
Villages. BINGHAMTON.
BOUNDARIES. Bounded North by Cortland and Chenango; East by Delaware; South by the state of Pennsylvania, and West by Tioga county.
SURFACE. This county forms the eastern termination of the great table land of the southern tier of counties. Like the other portions of this elevated plain, its surface is much broken by nu- merous streams, which have worn deep valleys through the soft and perishable sandstones which underlie it. The general ele-
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vation of the surface is from 1400 to 1600 feet above tide water, and the valleys are depressed from 300 to 400 feet below this level. In the eastern part the Randolph, Binghamton and Oquaga mountains rise above the general level. The Susque- hanna sweeps around the base of the latter, making a very ex- tensive bend.
RIVERS. The Susquehanna, Chenango, Otselic, Tioughnioga and west branch of the Delaware, are the principal rivers of the county.
CANAL. The Chenango canal enters the county with the Chenango river, and terminates at Binghamton.
RAILROAD. The route of the New York and Erie railroad has been laid out through the county.
CLIMATE. The climate is salubrious, but from the great ele- vation of the county, necessarily cool. Large bodies of snow fall during the winter, and continue late in the spring.
GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The eastern and southern parts of the county belong to the Catskill group, and are composed prin- cipally of the old red sandstone and conglomerate-the western is comprised in the Chemung group, and consists mostly of grey sandstone and slate.
Specimens of garnet, tourmaline, agate, porphyry, jasper, &c., have been col- lected from the pebbles on the banks of the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers. There are several sulphur and one or two brine springs.
SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The broken character of the soil renders the county generally better adapted to grazing than to the culture of grain. In the valleys of the streams, oats and corn thrive well, and wheat is raised to some extent. The principal timber trees are the white and pitch pine, oak, beech, maple and hickory. Much of the surface of the county is yet covered with wood.
PURSUITS. Agriculture is the chief pursuit of the inhabitants. Much attention is paid to the products of the dairy. Some grain is also raised, and summer crops thrive well.
Manufactures. The water power of its many streams fur- nishes abundant facilities for manufacturing purposes, which the people of this county are beginning to improve. 'The New - York and Erie railroad will, when opened, give a new impetus to its manufacturing interests, by affording increased facilities for transportation.
Lumber and flour, fulled cloths and leather, constitute the chief articles of manufacture.
STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, oats, corn and potatoes.
SCHOOLS. There are in the county 170 district schools, which in 1846, averaged seven months instruction each. $8676 was
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paid for tuition ; and the school libraries contained 13,300 vol- umes. The number of children taught was 8285.
There are sixteen select schools, attended by 166 pupils; and one academy, with 212 students.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Presbyterians, Baptists, Congre- gationalists, Episcopalians, Universalists and Roman Catholics. There are forty-six churches, and sixty-one ministers, of all de- nominations, in the county.
HISTORY. During Sullivan's campaign, in 1779, he encamped at or near the present site of Binghamton, in this county, for several days, awaiting the arrival of the detachment under the command of General James Clinton. No settlement was made in the county, however, till 1787, when Captain Joseph Leonard removed here from Wyoming, Pennsylvania. He was soon followed by Colonel William Rowe, who emigrated from Con- necticut.
The land in the southern part of the county had been granted a few years previously, to Mr. Bingham, an eminent banker of Philadelphia, associated with whom was a Mr. Cox ; and that now composing the northern towns of the county, was purcha- sed in 1786, or perhaps earlier, by a company from Massachu- setts. The amount of' land belonging to this company was 230,000 acres. Having obtained a grant from the Massachu- setts legislature, (this being a portion of the ten townships ceded to Massachusetts by New York,) they purchased the title from the Indians, by a treaty, concluded at the Forks of the Che- nango.
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