USA > New York > Jefferson County > A history of Jefferson County in the state of New York, from the earliest period to the present time > Part 10
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Alexandria Bay was selected by Cadwallader Child, in 1804, while surveying a road from the Friends Settlement to the St. Lawrence, as an eligible site for a port, and accordingly a reser- vation of a mile square was made by Mr. Le Ray, for a village, which was surveyed out for that purpose by Edmund Tucker, about 1818. Mr. Le Ray erected a tavern and ware house, and for many years a thriving lumber trade was carried on, which continued as long as the supply lasted. This consisted of oak staves, and square oak and pine timber. A considerable amount of valuable timber had been stolen from this town, in common with the whole front of the state on the St. Lawrence, before there was any one to assert the title of the proprietors. The lower wharf at this place was built by Fuller and Walton, in 1823, and the upper one by Walton and Hamblin in 1840. The port has always been a landing place for the American steamers, and is an important wooding station. In the last two years about 12,000 cords have been sold, each year. A custom house was established at this port in 1828, subordinate to the Cape Vincent district, while John B. Esselstyn was in charge of that office. The de- puties here, have been Hiram Davis, Azariah Walton, John W. Fuller, A. Walton, Edwin Tanner, and Martin J. Hutchins, the present incumbent. Mr. Walton has held the office 182 years, Fuller 14 years, and Tanner 4 years. For many years the receipts of the office did not pay the expense of collecting. Sunken Rock Light House, in front of this port, was built in 1847. The village of Alexandria Bay contained by the census of Mr. Rottiers in 1850, 27 dwellings, 30 families, and 164 inhabitants. This vi- cinity has within ten years, become a fashionable resort for fishing parties, and the romantic scenery of the islands present attractions for those who take pleasure in observing the quiet and beautiful in nature, which has scarcely a parallel. Nor is the geology and natural history of this section without its romance, and the ob- server can scarcely advance a step, without having his attention arrested by some interesting feature, which affords subject for thought and admiration. The largest island before this town is Wells Island, which contains 8,068 acres, and in 1850 had 334 inhabitants, of which 101 were in this town. The rock forma- tion is, like most of the Thousand Isles, primitive, and it presents
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a fertile soil, and its vicinity several attractive mineral localities. Until the running of the national boundary, the British exercised jurisdiction over most of the islands, including this. A locality of highly chrystalized magnetic iron ore, occurs 4 miles above the Bay, and 1} from the river, which has been purchased and opened to some extent by parties in Morristown. Sufficient labor has not been expended to determine its extent or value.
Plessis, a small village, midway on the Alexandria and The- resa plank road, and 3 miles from Redwood, derived its name from a place in France. It is often known as Flat Rock, from the prevalence of the Potsdam sandstone formation in the vi- cinity, which presents a considerable surface of naked rock. In 1817 Mr. Le Ray erected a grist mill on Plessis Creek, at this place, which, having been purchased by W. Shurtliff, and Jason Clark, was in 1830 rebuilt. A store had been opened by Lull and Walton in 1820, but the place increased very slowly, and ten years after contained but four familes. It now contains an inn, 3 stores, 1 grist mill, 3 saw mills, 2 wagon shops, 2 blacksmiths shops, 1 cabinet shop and 130 inhabitants. John Powell was tried for the murder of Wm. Merrill at this place, in 1826, and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.
Redwood, a small village near the line of Theresa, owes its origin to a glass factory, established by John S. Foster who for several years had been engaged in this business as agent, at Bos- ton, Burlington, Vt. and Redford, Clinton County. In April 1833, he visited the county, examined several localities, and finally se- lected this, which is on the stream connecting Mud and Butter- field lakes, the former of which is about 94 feet above the latter, affording a limited amount of water power, that had several years previous been improved by the erection of a saw and grist mil by David Smith of Adams. Foster contracted with Francis Depau, for a tract of about 10,000 acres, as agent; borrowed several thousand dollars of Depau and the same summer erected the present glass factory, and on the 30th of Sept. 1833, the first glass was made. A village was surveyed by Thomas Clark, and named Jamesville, but Mr. Foster gave the place the present name, from its similarity to Redford, his late residence, in hopes of thus being able to compete in the sale of glass with an estab- lishment from which he claimed to have been unjustly discharged. His death, which occurred Jan .2, 1834, put a stop to operations, and the tract and improvements according to the contract, revert- ed to Depau. The factory was afterwards run by Schmauss, & Co., Gerlach & Son, Ingleson, Forbes & Co., H. S. White, and from 1844 by Zeng & Co., from the Clyde glass factory. This firm at first consisted of Lawrence W. De Zeng, A. Burlingame, and Theodore Hinman. The latter was succeeded by A. Salisbury,
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and this firm continued operations till July 1, 1853, when a joint stock company of $12,000 capital, went into operation, entitled the Redwood Glass Manufacturing Company.
The company employs about 30 men, and makes $40,000 worth of glass, annually. The glass is sorted into qualities as follows, commencing with the best; viz. Patent 1st; Patent; Lake; Cylinder; Boston.
The material for these various qualities is the same, and an effort is always made to obtain the first quality, but there are so many contingencies unavoidable in the manufacture, that a con- siderable portion from each blowing belongs to the poorer quali- ties. The sand used in making glass is procured by calcining and crushing the Potsdam sandstone of the vicinity, which is found to afford a material well adapted to the business. The wholesale prices of glass vary from $2 to $3 per 50 feet for the small sizes. The three better qualities alone are cut to large sizes, the prices of which become more than double, as the di- mensions reach 26 by 36 inches and upwards. The labor of blowing into cylinders, flattening and cutting, is paid by the 100 feet, and wages vary with the skill and luck of the laborers, some of whom receive high wages. Redwood has, besides, a Catholic and Episcopal church, two inns, three stores, one grist- mill, two saw-mills, two wagon shops, and several other shops, with water power. In 1850 it had 58 families, and 332 inhab- itants. It is on the Military Road, 13 miles from Hammond, and distant 7 miles from Alexandria Bay, 3 from Plessis, and 6 from Theresa. Alexandria, Alexandria Centre, Plessis and Redwood are post offices in this town. The Alexandrian Library was formed June 2, 1823, having for its first trustees Jerre Carrier, Willard Merrick, William Merrill, Hiram Mills, Jonathan B. Thompson, Joseph Ingham, Jr., Samuel J. Bingham, Nathaniel Goodell, Jacob Elwood. It has been discontinued.
This town set a commendable example by the holding of a town fair and cattle show, for the encouragement of agriculture, in 1838 and 1839, the first of which was held at Plessis, and the second at Theresa Falls, then in Alexandria. The notice of the first of these was issued in March, several months in ad- vance, and promised the distribution, as premiums, of not less than $130, the most of which was given by the land proprie- tors interested in the town. Mr. Marshall, agent of Depau, was active in originating the first fair, while the second was a popu- lar movement. They were held but two years.
Religious Societies .- The First Presbyterian Church of Alex- andria was formed at Plessis, August 11, 1821, by Rev. Nathaniel Dutton, and consisted of seven members. The clergy since em- ployed, have been the Rev. Messrs. Wm. B. Stowe, John Ses-
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sions, Wm. Chittenden, Lewis M. Shepard, L. Wilcox, Henry Smith, and C. W. Treadwell. It has belonged to the Water- town Presbytery since February, 1823. A union church was built in Plessis, in 1833, at a cost of $2,100, of which Francis Depau gave $1,000, the Antwerp Company $100, and citizens the balance. It is open to all denominations one quarter of the time, to Presbyterians one-half, to the Free Will Baptists one- eighth, and to the Universalists one-eighth of the time.
A Congregational Society was organized at the Bay, in 1823, with J. Carrier, N. Goodale, A. Goddard, Wm. Merrill, and Jas. Carnigie, trustees. A Methodist Society was formed Dec. 22, 1835, the first trustees being Samuel J. Brooks, Alexander Mor- gan, and Benjamin Barns. This denomination has a chapel at Alexandria Centre, which was erected about 1839.
St. Peter's Church (Episcopal), was formed at Redwood, Aug. 12, 1850, with Daniel Slack and Matthias Harrison, wardens; Richard Gray, L. W. DeZeng, Chas. Clark, James Wright, and Josiah Bucklee, vestrymen. Rev. Wm. Allen Fisk was at that time missionary. The present one is the Rev. B. W. Whitcher. A small Gothic church was erected in 1851, after the designs of R. Upjohn of New York. The church now reports 98 individuals. The Baptists have two organizations in town, the first of which began to report to the B. R. Association in 1830, and the second in 1833. Their last report gave 21 and 34, respectively, and neither have a house of worship. The Free Will Baptists have an organization in town, but their numbers are much reduced.
St. Francis' Church ( Catholic), was erected about five years since, at Redwood, and is supplied by priests from Watertown and Carthage.
A Reformed Protestant Dutch Church was organized at Alex- andria Bay, under the following circumstances. In the summer of 1846, the Rev. George W. Bethune, D. D., of Brooklyn, having occasion to spend a few days at the place, and learning that among a scattered population of 2000, on the island and main land, there was no place of worship, and few religious opportu- nities, except one service a month by a Methodist circuit preach- er, formed the plan of organizing a church here. He called the inhabitants together, and preached to them on the sabbath, and at the close of the service he suggested to them the estab- lishment of a sabbath school, promising them a supply of books for the purpose. The suggestion was complied with, a school opened, 40 or 50 scholars gathered into it, and it was kept up about a year. In 1847, the Rev. Jerome A. Davenport was in- duced by Dr. Bethune to visit the place as a missionary, being partially supported by a few friends of the mission, until, in 1850, the care was assumed by the Board of Domestic Missions,
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of that order. In the fall of 1847, Mr. D. raised $ 1275, in New York, Brooklyn, and adjacent places, and $275 from resi- dents at the Bay. He remained three years, a considerable time abroad, soliciting aid, and in the fall of 1848 the erection of a church was begun, and May 25, 1851, it was opened for wor- ship. It is of stone, 35 by 55 feet, and has a truncated tower 60 feet high. It will seat from 350 to 400 persons, and cost $2,821- 88, besides $170 for a bell, of which all but $286.91 was raised abroad. Since August, 1850, the Rev. Anson Du Bois has had the pastoral care of the church. On the 1st of August, 1851, the church was regularly formed, the Rev. Charles Wiley, D. D. being present as a committee representing the Classis of Cayuga., It consisted of 13 members, of whom 5 were males; present number 20. Alva Ford and James Wadsworth were appointed elders and deacons, and the organization was named The Church of the Thousand Isles. The sites for a church and par- sonage were given by the heirs of Depau, and a parsonage was built in 1852, at a cost of $800.
ANTWERP.
This town was formed from Le Ray, with its present limits, April 5th, 1810, to take effect on the 1st of January following. A part of Lewis County was annexed to Jefferson by the same act. The first town meeting was directed to be held at the house of Francis McAllaster.
Supervisors .- 1811-7, Daniel Heald; 1818-9, Silvius Hoard; 1820-2, John Howe; 1823-4, S. Hoard; 1825-6, J. Howe; 1827, Joseph H. Bagg; 1828, Ralph Rogers; 1829, William Skinner; 1830-2, Rufus H. King; 1833-4, David McAllaster; 1835, R. H. King; 1836, Edward Fowler; 1837-8, Tilley R. Pratt; 1839, R. H. King; 1840, William McAllaster; 1841-2, James White; 1843, Alanson Drake; 1844-9, Alden Adams; 1850-1, Joseph H. White; 1852, Josiah S. Conkey; 1853, John H. Conklin. The town is named from Antwerp in Belgium, the seat of the Antwerp Company.
Notes from the Town Records, 1811 .- " Resolved, that there be five dollars raised for the purpose of destroying the animal woolf, by a majority of said meeting, and payed, for each full grown woolf caught and killed in said town the ensuing year." The same bounty in 1812-3. In 1816, a bounty of $1 was offered for foxes, and 25 cents for hen hawks, but these were repealed the next year. In 1835, a crow bounty of 1 shilling was offered. In 1827-8 and 1837-8, wolf bounties of $10. In 1839, of $15; in 1841-2-3-4, wolf bounties of $20. In 1840-1, crow bounties of 1 shilling.
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1
On the 2d of July, 1812, a special meeting was called to take measures considered necessary in consequence of the war. Their proceedings are recorded as follows:
"At a convened meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Antwerp, county of Jefferson, for the purpose of making fortifi- cation against an expected enemy, the following resolutions were passed. Resolved, That Samuel Randall, town clerk, shall be made moderator. Resolved, That there be built a fort, 36 by 20, the lower story, and upper 40 by 22, for the security of the inhabitants of said town. Resolved, that it be set north of Indian River 30 rods, in front of Sylvius Hoard's house." John Howe, Silas Ward, and Oliver Hoard, were appointed a building committee, 50 cents were to be allowed for a day's work, to be paid by a tax.
On the 17th of July, another special meeting was held, at the request of the commissioners and supervisor of the town, for the purpose of devising "a proper method for our defense, through a tragedy of war which is now beginning action between the United States and Great Britain," and according to law, notice was given to the inhabitants, for the said meeting to be held at the house of Francis McAllaster, inn keeper. A similar series of resolutions were passed, with the additional clause requiring the laborers on the fort to work for 50 cents per day and board themselves.
In 1813, a town law was passed, requiring the registry of births and deaths, and this commendable practice was maintained several years. In 1816, a committee consisting of John Howe, Silvius Hoard, and Samuel Randall, were appointed to take charge of the church when completed. This was the present brick church, erected at the expense of David Parish, for the use of the town, at a cost of $9692.26.
In 1825, the following extraordinary bounty was offered by the town. "And it is further ordained and declared by the au- thority aforesaid, that if any person or persons not exceeding four in number, being inhabitants of said town of Antwerp, shall devise, discover, or perceive, any certain and sure plan, method, or device, for effectually destroying and eradicating the Canada thistle from the land, such persons shall each be entitled to receive from the said town, the sum of $10." At the same meeting it was resolved that the annual town meeting should annually thereafter, be held alternately at Indian River and Ox Bow villages. For several years these have been held at Antwerp village only.
The first settler in this town, is said to have been Capt. Wm. Lee, who in 1803, located on the old state road, three miles north of Antwerp village. where he was induced to open an inn
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for the accommodation of the settlers then passing through into St. Lawrence County. The town had been early purchased by Gen. Lewis R. Morris, of Springfield, Vt., who at one time de- signed settling at the present village of Ox Bow, where he made a small clearing and erected a log house. Under his direction the town began to settle.
In the spring of 1806, Silas Ward commenced the erection of a saw mill at the present village for Morris, which was the first improvement here, and the place acquired and long maintained tbe name of Indian River, by which name it is still known by old settlers. It being at the point where the state road crossed the river, and affording a good water power, the place was naturally destined to become the centre of business for the sur- rounding country. In the winter of 1805, a road was opened from Philadelphia to this place and Ox Bow, and the next year to Gouverneur, which began to settle at about this time. Ger- shom Matoon kept the first inn at the village. In Jan. 1807, John Jenison, was appointed a local agent, under whose direction a grist mill was built on the site of the present clothing works. The land books show the following names of settlers, with the dates of their purchase: 1805, Wm. Lee. 1806, John Bethel, John Robinson, Peter Vrooman, Edward Foster, Jr., Mary Stir- ling, Benajah Randall, John Jenison, Peter Raven, Hopestill Foster and John {. Foster. 1807, Zebulon Rockwell, Samuel Griswold, David Coffeen, Zopher Holden. 1808, Samuel Ran- dall, Zebina Bishop, Mary Bishop, Alfred Walker, Daniel Gill, Wm. Fletcher. 1809, Rich'd McAllaster, Dexter Gibbs, Shere- biah Gibbs, Jonathan Marbles, Isaac L. Hitchoock, Timothy Ruggles, Jesse Jackson, Daniel Heald, John Pease. 1810, Amasa Sartwell, Almond Beecher, Win. Fletcher, Duthan Kings- bury, Harrison Mosley. 1811, Oliver Howell, Lemuel Hubbard, Anson Cummings, John White, Levi Wheelock. 1812, Wm. Harris, Wm. McAllaster, Daniel Sterling, Salmon White, War- ren Streeter, Wm. Randall, Elkanah Pattridge, Ira Ward, Asher Seymour, Roswell Wilder, Benj. Goodwin, Elliot Lynde, Daniel Gill, Caleb Cheney, Henry C. Baldwin, James Briggs, Silas Brooks, Shailer Beckwith, Silas Ward, Ezra Church. In 1808, David Parish,* an eminent banker of Hamburgh, made exten- sive purchases in Northern New York, including 29,033 acres in this town. Mr. Jenison was continued in the agency until succeeded by Sylvius Hoard. In April, 1824, the present agent, Mr. Wm. McAllaster was appointed.
Soon after Mr. Parish had purchased, the greatest alarm was spread through the settlement of Antwerp and Rossie, by the
* A biographical sketch of Mr. David Parish and his brother George, are given in the Hist. St. Lawrence and Franklin Co's, p. 600.
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misrepresentations of a vicious minded person, who had previ- ously been employed as an agent for selling one of the townships ot St Lawrence County, and had deliberately perpetrated a vil- lianly in the execution of his trusts, for which there was no inely redress. With no assignable motive but, a morbid love of mischief, he visited some of the settlers, and announced that they had now changed masters, and would soon know what it was to be in the hands of a tyrant; that their dues would be ex- acted with vigor, and forthwith, or they would be stripped of their property and turned off destitute from their homos. This alarming announcement, coming from one who figured largely in public affairs, spread an alarm through the settlement, and when they were shortly after visited by Mr. Joseph Rosseel, agent of the new purchaser, the excitement was intense. He immediately set himself at work in restoring confidence with the people, visited them in their houses, shared in their homely fare, entered into all their little plans and amusements, attended their parties, and by a persevering course of familiarity and kindness, soon succeeded in counteracting the mischief which the slander- ous villian had occasioned.
On the arrival of Mr. Parish, he visited every family, and as- sured them that they might depend upon any indulgence that might be reasonably asked. The sincerity of this promise they never found reason to distrust.
Mr Parish adopted the plan of giving contracts entitling to deeds upon payment, while Morris had commenced giving deeds, and taking back mortgages. The early sales were conditioned to the clearing of a certain portion of land, and the erection of a house, and shortly after the mineral wealth of the town began to be known, a clause was inserted in the contracts, reserving all mines of iron, copper, and lead. The form of reservation now adopted was drawn up with the counsel of several eminent law- yers, and is as follows: " And such conveyance thereof, to con- tain an express exception and reservation, of all mines or ores of iron, copper, or lead, plumbago, zinc, tin and silver, and all beds of coal, marble, gypsum, copper and waterlimestone, and all mineral springs, which may be upon, under, or within, the limits of the said above described parcel of land; and also an ex- press reservation to the grantor, to be threin named, and to his and their heirs and assigns forever, of the right and privilege to search and dig on any and every part of the said premises, for such minerals, or ores, and if found, to raise, wash, remove and take away the same to his, or their own benefit,and to use and employ all proper means for these, or any of these purposes: the said grantor covenanting, or agreeing, on his part and behalf, to make just, reasonable and full compensation, to * * * for alı
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such damage, if any, as he, or they may sustain, by reason of any such search or digging, whether in respect to any dwell- ing, or other buildings, or improvements on the said lands, or in respect to the cultivation of the same in consequence of any injury to the soil thereof."
The following table will show the rate at which the Parish tract in this town has been settled, nearly every acre of which, has been either deeded or contracted.
Acres Con. Sums Due.
Acres Con. Sums Due.
1826. 10,351,
$44,761.
1845.
14,084, $93,769.
1830. 13,494, 54,370.
1850.
9,330, 57,647.
1835. 13,193, 64,343.
1853. 5,089, 38,039.
1840. 16,782, 94,337.
At present rates, the town will be entirely settled up at the land office in seven or eight years.
In 1808, a party of militia, under Captain Timothy Tamblin, was stationed near the intersection of the two great roads leading into St. Lawrence County, a mile north of the village, to prevent smuggling under the embargo law. There was much opposition both in theory and practice to this law. An instance is related in which a practical joke of a somewhat serious nature, was played off upon one of these guardians of the national welfare. A person to whom the law was odious, having set a trap in his sleigh, and placed around it a loading calculated to convey the impression that they were smuggled goods, ap- proached the guard, but warned those on duty to keep away from his load, or they would get into trouble. Not deterred by this threat, one of the guard proceeded rudely to overhaul the sleigh, to ascertain its contents, and was soon convinced that it at least concealed a trap, for it sprung upon his hand, at which the driver gave reins to his team and drove off exclaiming: "I've caught a Democrat!" Soon after the news of the war reached the town, the inhabitants concerted measures for self- protection by building a block house, which stood in the street, in front of T. R. Pratt's present hotel. It was used a short time by the inhabitants, but the terror which the news of war first occasioned soon subsided, and it was demolished. During the war, a company of regular troops was stationed a little north of Antwerp Village, to prevent smuggling into the country from Canada. The inducements which led to this were so strong, that much ingenuity was exercised in evading the vigilance of sentinels, and sometimes with great success. Five or six sleigh loads of tea, had on a certain occasion been got to within three or four miles of Antwerp, having passed thus far without suspicion from the tea being packed in bags, like grain
7
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Antwerp.
on its way to market. To evade the military guard that ob- structed the road, the following stratagem was adopted. Captain B. who had charge of the company, was invited to a whist party at Cook's Tavern, three miles north of Antwerp, at which place, during the evening, a large party of boys and young men assembled, with no apparent object but to spend the evening in carousing, drinking and card playing. Brandy cir- culated freely, and the revels continued till a late hour in the night, when the captain and his party set out to return in a sleigh closely followed by the loads of tea, thickly covered by a disorderly crowd, who by singing, shouting, quarreling, and fighting, made the night hideous with unearthly discords, and would readily pass as a half drunken rabble returning from a midnight revel. The captain, who was himself rather more than half intoxicated, entered with spirit into the merriment of the others, and as the train approached the sentinels, he shouted: "Its Captain B., let my company pass." The order was obeyed, and the disorderly mob passed on, and having got beyond reach of danger, they left the teams to pursue their course in quiet, and in due time boasted of the success of their stratagem.
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