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 10
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35
The foreigners settling in this town, are mostly industri- ous, frugal, and disposed to avail themselves of every ad-
80
Croghan.
vantage that their situation affords.1 Settling together, they retain in common use their native languages, in their families and religious meetings, but most of them readily acquire the English ; while their children attending the district schools with Americans, speak English without the slightest foreign accent.
French Settlement (Croghan P. O.), on Beaver river and partly in New Bremen, is a scattered village or rather a vicinage, half a mile long and mostly on the south side of the river. It has a Catholic and a Methodist church, a large tannery owned by Blair, Rice & Bros., a grist mill, two saw mills, two inns, and several mechanic shops.
In 1852, a tannery was built at Beaver falls, the site of ancient Castorville. It is now in the hands of W. C. Lefever, has 80 vats, and produces 16,000 sides of sole leather an- nually. It is designed to extend it sixty feet and increase its capacity to 25,000. A gang saw mill is built here on the New Bremen side. Besides these, a small Evangelical church, and two or three houses; it has no claims to the rank of a village. This place was formerly called " Rohr's Mills."
Upon a street parallel with the river, leading from Beaver falls to Carthage, is a scattered neighborhood known as the " Prussian Settlement." It has a post office named "Naum- burg," and two small chapels.
On the 29th of March, 1843, the house of Jonathan Aldrich was burned, and his son nine years old perished in the flames. The remainder of the family were compelled to walk three-fourths of a mile barefooted in the snow to their nearest neighbors.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES .- There are two Roman Catholic churches in this town. St. Stephen's church was erected at the French settlement in 1847, and sermons are preached on alternate Sundays in French and German. Its trustees were incorporated under the general statute, March 14, 1853, the first being Nicholas Gaudel, Christopher Milles, and F. E. Rofinot, Jr. There is also a small Catholic church at Belfort.
The " German Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Con- gregation " in Croghan, was formed Sept. 15, 1847, and elected Ernest Schlieder, Christian Rayser, C. Frederick Bachman, Frederick Wilk, and Weiss Katlen, trustees.
A church styled the Evangelical association, was legally
1 To this there are exceptions. A company of 16 Italians who came over a year since, have proved entirely unfit to settle a new country, or encounter the hardships of pioneers.
4
81
Denmark.
formed Dec. 1, 1854, with August Stoebe, John Holler, and Jacob Rohr, trustees, and in 1857 erected a plain wood church at Beaver falls. Another, but smaller church, is built in the Prussian settlement. 3 They are sometimes called Methodists, or Albright Methodists.
A society said to have been originally Lutherans, but now mostly Reformed Protestant Dutch, was formed several years since in the Prussian settlement, and has erected a church edifice.
A number of Anabaptist families reside in this and the adjoining town, and of these there are two classes, one being usually termed the new, or reformed Anabaptists. These people have no church edifice, worshiping after the manner of the primitive Christians, in private houses, and in all their dealings and social intercourse, are as much as possible restricted to their own circle.
The First Croghan Methodist Episcopal Church, was incorporated August 14, 1857, with Wm. G. Dealing, Aley Thomson, and Jacob House, trustees. A church edifice was built in 1858 at the French settlement.
DENMARK.
This town was formed from Harrisburgh, April 3, 1807, with its present limits, comprising township 5 of the Black River tract, or Mantua, as named by the surveyor general, on his published maps of 1802, 4. The first town meeting was ordered to be held at the house of Simeon Dunham, and the poor and poor moneys were to be divided with Harris- burgh according to the last tax list. The act took effect on the first Monday of February following.
The first town officers were, Lewis Graves,1 supervisor ; Wm. Derbyshire, clerk; Levi Robbins, Willis Secombe and Eleazer Sylvester,2 assessors ; John Clark, Wm. Clark and John Hurd, commissioners ; Stephen Parson and Sueton Fair- child, poor masters ; Aaron Nash, constable, and Eleazer S. Sylvester, constable and collector.
Supervisors .- 1808, Lewis Graves; 1809, John Canfield; 1810-2, L. Graves; 1813-4, J. Canfield; 1815-6, Samuel
1 Mr. Graves was from Greenfield, Saratoga co., N. Y. He represented this county, Jefferson and St. Lawrence in assembly in 1808, and this county alone in 1810. He was several years judge and supervisor, and died May 10, 1816, aged 61 years. His widow survived until 1852. A brother named David also became an early settler.
2 Mr. Sylvester died February 17, 1835, aged 54 years.
K
82
Denmark.
Allen ; 1 1817-8, Israel Kellogg ; 1819-23, S. Allen ; 1824- 37, John Clark, 1st; 1838-9, Apollos Stephens; 1840-1, Abner A. Johnson ; 1842-50, Lewis Pierce ; 1851, John H. Allen ; 1852-3, Albert G. Thompson ; 1854, Lewis Pierce ; 1855-6, Lucian Clark; 1857-8, L. Pierce ; 1859, Philander Blodget ; 1860, L. Pierce.
Clerks .- 1808, '09, Wm. Derbyshire ; 1810, '11, Willis Secombe ; 1812, Levi Robbins; 1813, Eleazer S. Sylvester ; 1814-19, Asa D. Wright; 1820-4, Absalom Sylvester ; 1825, Apollos Stephens ; 1826, A. Sylvester; 1827, Daniel A. Higley; 1828, A. Sylvester; 1829-33, A. Stephens; 1834, '35, Amos Buck ; 1836, '37, Otis Shaw ; 1838, A. Buck ; 1839, '40, Lewis Pierce ; 1841-3, Charles Loud ; 1844, '45, John M. Hulbert ; 1846, Sidney Silvester ; 1847, Wm. N. Angle ; 1848, '49, Elon G. Parsons ; 1850, C. Loud ; 1851, W. N. Angle ; 1852, Edward L. Hulbert ; 1853, E. G. Par- sons ; 1854, '55, John H. Angle; 1856, E. L. Hulbert; 1857, Darwin Nash ; 1858, '59, Silas Slater, jr.
In 1810, '11, '12, '13, a fine of $10, was voted for allowing Canada thistles to go to seed. A bounty of 50 cents was voted in 1821, for killing foxes, and $10 for panthers in 1828.
As noticed in our chapter upon titles, this town formed a part of the purchase of Harrison, Hoffman, Low and Hen- derson, and fell to the lot of the two first, as joint owners, together with townships 8 and 10, or Rodman and Harris- burgh. On the 1st of May, 1805, Josiah Ogden Hoffman sold to Tho. L. Ogden his half of these towns, and the securities upon them in trust, to pay, first, to the bank of New York his share of debt due the bank as assignee of Constable ; second, the personal debts of Hoffman to the
1 Dr. Allen was a native of Massachusetts, studied with Drs. Guiteau of Trenton, and Willoughby of Newport, settled in practice at Lowville in 1808, and in April, 1809, became a partner with Dr. Perry. Heremoved to Copen- hagen in 1811, engaged in trade with David Canfield, and through the war was concerned in heavy contracts with the navy. The peace which followed brought ruin to this firm, although they kept on doing some business from about 1820 to 1828. They succeeded in recovering from government, a portion of the claims which the suspension of contracts occasioned, and while on this busi- ness at Washington, Dr. Allen formed acquaintance of many prominent public men. He became the agent of Varick, in the rope manufactory at Copen- hagen, and afterwards engaged in farming a little S. E. from the village, and adjacent to the High falls. He died, June 12, 1849, aged 66 years. Dr. Allen was ardently attached to the Whig party and once nominated by them to assembly, but not elected. With literary tastes, polished manners, and uncom- mon conversational powers, he was eminently fitted to please and instruct, while his prompt reply and keen wit, made him the life of the social gather- ing.
Jame Allen
83
Denmark.
Constable estate ; third, a debt due to Abijah Hammond ; fourth, to Wm. Harrison the sum due on a bond of $9,093.50, given January 1, 1805 ; and lastly, what remained to Hoff- man. The first and second trusts were executed in the summer of 1809, and on the 1st of June, Harrison and Hoffman made a division of contracts, bonds and mortgages. On the 19th of July, Hoffman and Ogden conveyed the whole to Harrison, to satisfy his demands in full. The amount of securities in the three towns thus transferred, was $86,600.80.1
The first definite knowledge of this town was ascertained by Benjamin Wright, who surveyed around it in April, 1796, and recorded in his field book the following:
" This is a most excellent township of land, and is beau- tifully watered with small streams, with a large creek called Deer creek running through the middle of it. On this creek is a cataract,2 about four miles from the mouth, of about 20 or 30 feet, and very curious mill seats. There are several large creeks of fine water running through the town, with mill seats on them. There is an exceeding large inter- vale on Deer creek near the mouth, which is of the richest kind of land, and will be equal in quality and extent to any flat in the state of New York.3 The south line of this town is of an excellent quality, excepting a swamp near the Black river, which is timbered with pine, ash, cedar, beech and soft maple. This township needs no other remarks, but only to say, that it is the best township in the 300,000 acres, and has every good quality that can be contained in a township of land : mill seats, excellent timber, finest quality of soil, excellent water, and pretty good situation. Area 31,951 acres, strict measure."
The proprietors appointed Abel French of Albany, their agent, and the latter employed Joseph Crary, in 1798-9, to subdivide the township into farms. It will be observed, upon examination of the map, that this survey was made with reference to a line since adopted as the route of the
1 Hoffman while concerned in these titles, was attorney-general. He was seven years in assembly, in 1810-13, '14 ; was recorder of New York ; and at the time of his death, which occurred January 24, 1838, he was associate judge of the superior court of that city. He was a lawyer of great ability and strict integrity.
2 Probably King's falls. The High falls appear to have been unknown at this time.
3 The extent of these flats is about 2,000 acres, and their richness is not over estimated. They are not ordinarily flowed over their whole extent, but in the winter of 1856, '57, the flood came up to the foot of the hill, a few rods below Deer River village. On the 12th of May, 1833, the inundation was higher than ever before or since known.
84
Denmark.
east road, which was called the Base line ; and that the lot lines were run nearly parallel, or at right angles to this. The principal lots were intended to measure seventy chains on each side, and were sold as right angled, although uni- formly, and no doubt purposely, run at an angle varying 6° from this, thus falling a little short of reputed contents in every case. It is said that Crary remonstrated at this irre- gularity, but was overruled, and directed to proceed as the surveys now indicate.1
The lands of this town were offered to settlers upon terms that were considered very favorable, varying from two to three and a half dollars per acre, one-half being required at purchase. About 1806, Morris S. Miller became agent, and soon after Isaac W. Bostwick, under whom its settle- ment and conveyance by deed was mostly completed.
The first location of land was made by Abel French, the agent, at Deer river, and the next by Jesse Blodget,2 at Denmark village. The latter became the first settler in town, and arrived with his family in the spring of 1800. Joseph Crary, Peter Bent,3 Solomon Farrell, William and Daniel Clark, James Bagg, Charles Moseley, Simeon Dun- ham, and others settled in the lower part of the town. Freedom Wright4 and his sons Jabez, Douglass and Free- dom, Charles Wright4 and his sons Charles, Tyrannus A., Stephen, Erastus, Chester, Nathan and Matthew, and his son- in-law Wm. Merriam,4 Joseph Blodget,4 his son Calvin,4 and son-in-law Shadrach Case,+ Andrew Mills,4 Freeman Wil- liams,4 Darius Sherwin,4 Levi and Reuben Robbins, David Goodenough, John Williams, Nathan Munger and his son Nathan, Levi Barnes, John Clark, Joseph and Bezaleel I. Rich, David King, Isaac Munger, Abner Whiting, Robert Horr, Henry Welch, and perhaps others, in the central and western part of the town, are believed to have settled in 1801-2, having in most cases come on the first year to select land and begin improvements, preliminary to the removal of families. The Wrights were from Winstead, Ct., the Mungers from Ludlow, Mass., Blodget and Rich from New
1 It is a prevalent belief among the first purchasers, that Mr. French saved a valuable tract of land to himself, by this arrangement. He represented Oneida county in assembly in 1799, 1801, '02, '03, and Albany county in 1810. He died in Albany, where he had resided most of his life, on the 17th of November, 1843, aged 78 years.
2 Mr. B. died January 9, 1848, nearly 84 years of age. His wife, the first woman who came into town, died August 5, 1844, aged 70 years. The first male child born in town was Harrison Blodget, their son, in 1801. Mr. B. erected the large stone hotel in Denmark village in 1824. Harrison Blodget was member of assembly in 1831.
3 Died, Nov. 30, 1833, aged 56 years.
4 Men with families.
Truly yours
.85
Denmark.
Hampshire, Crary from Vermont, the Robbinses from Saun- dersfield, Mass., Clark from Barre, Mass., and with scarcely an exception, all who arrived during the first five years were from some of the New England states.
The town settled with great rapidity, and in less than three years, most of it was in the hands of actual settlers.1
In the winter of 1800-1, it is believed no family but that of Jesse Blodget, remained in town. The next winter was remarkably open, and land was plowed in March. This may have created a highly favorable opinion of the climate of the new town, although the occurrence was not peculiar to this section in that year.
That portion of the town south of Deer river, between Copenhagen and Denmark village, early acquired the name of Halifax, and prejudices were raised against it, but fifty years of cultivation have shown that it is equal to any part of the town.
The first physician who settled at Copenhagen was Dr. Dunn, but he removed to the Genesee country in 1804, and in the year following Dr. John Loud settled and remained till his death, March 3, 1831, at the age of 52.
The first framed house in Denmark village was built by Freedom Wright, first inn-keeper, and the first in Copenhagen by Levi Barnes.
In the spring of 1801, the Nathan Mungers ( father and son), millwrights, having had their attention called to the Black river country, came down the river and followed up the Deer river to half a mile above the falls where they selected a site for mills, and in that season finished a saw mill and got it in operation. The proprietors to encourage the enterprise gave them the water privilege from the High falls up over two miles. In 1803, they got a small grist mill with one run of burr stones in operation, in time to grind the first wheat raised in the town as soon as it was in condition for use. The mill stood directly below the upper saw mill in Copenhagen village, and its vicinity gradually receiving a number of mechanics acquired the name of Munger's Mills.
The first store was opened at this place by Urial Twitchell and the first inn on the hill south, was kept by Andrew Mills. A beaver meadow, now a broad and beautiful inter- vale just above the village, afforded the first hay used in the settlement.
1 Jonathan Barker, Nathaniel Sylvester, William Root, Uriel and Timothy Twitchell, Solomon Wedge, John and David Canfield, Ichabod Parsons and others were early settlers.
86 .
Denmark.
It so happened that most of those living at this place were federalists, and as politics then ran, were presumed to sympathize with British measures. Soon after the arrival of the news of the bombardment of Copenhagen in Europe, in 1807, by a British fleet, in time of peace, and under cir- cumstances that were regarded throughout Christendom as highly disgraceful to the assailants, a political meeting was held at Munger's Mills, by the Republicans as then styled. Their business being done, some one proposed to christen the place Copenhagen, in derision of the party who were in duty bound to justify the recent outrage in Europe. The name was at once adopted, and a few years after it was applied to their post office. The town had previously been named by the legislature, which rendered the new name to this village the more appropriate, as the largest village in town.
About 1807, P. Card, began a cloth manufactory below Copenhagen, which was continued by himself and sons many years. The cloth principally made was satinett, but more recently the business has chiefly been limited to card- ing wool.
In 1806, most of a militia company at Copenhagen failed to appear at a training, on account of some griev- ance at the change of their captain, and were accordingly summoned to a court martial to be held at the inn of Andrew Mills, half a mile south of the village, in January following. Their numbers inspired confidence in the belief that the proceedings of the court might be embarrassed or interrupted, and they agreed upon a course of proceeding, perhaps natural, under the circumstances of time and pre- vailing customs. Procuring a keg of spirits at a distillery, they marched to the court, and when called up for trial, assigned whimsical reasons for delinquency, alleging the want of decent clothing, short funds, the existence of vari- ous infirmities, and other frivolous causes tending to throw ridicule upon the court, and rendering it necessary to order the arrest of the greater number of the party. The prison- ers were confined in the room over that in which the court martial was held, and finally by their boisterous conduct, compelled an adjournment without trial.
The offending parties were indicted for riot, and their trial came off at Doty's tavern in Martinsburgh, but resulted in acquittal. The rioters had in the meantime prepared a song, entitled The Keg and the Law, which recited minute- ly the transaction, and when the county court had ad- journed, after the trial, this song was sung in the court
87
Denmark.
room with great force and effect. The presiding judge is said to have jocosely remarked, that if this had been sung during the trial, witnesses would have been need- less, as it embodied every fact in the case. One year after, the anniversary of their acquittal was duly celebrated, by an address, and the well remembered song was repeated. It was written by Charles Wright, and a friend has furn- ished us a written copy, as taken down half a century after, from the memory of one of the party. It is destitute of rhyme, poetical measure or literary merit, although it might appear quite different in its appropriate tune, now forgotten, or so changed as not to be applicable to the sub- ject. A company of silver greys or exempts, was formed in this town, under Charles Wright, during the war. It never found occasion for service.
In June, 1815, Henry Waggoner was found dead below the High falls, in Deer river, under circumstances that ex- cited suspicions of murder. A coroner's jury was called, but could not agree, and the body was buried, but the clamors of the public led to the holding of a second inquest before a jury of twenty-three persons, summoned from the central and southern part of the county, of whom twelve united in a verdict of suicide.
It appeared that Simpson Buck of this town, had been on terms of improper intimacy with the wife of a son of Mr. Waggoner, who resided on the Number Three road, south of Copenhagen. The old man publicly denounced this con- duct, and in a recent suit against Buck, had appeared and testified against him. It is related that the latter swore that Waggoner should never appear against him again in court. When last seen, Mr. W. was going to his work of hoeing potatoes in a field about a mile south of the falls. When found, some days after, the body was much decayed, and showed marks upon the skull as if made with the head of a hoe. It is said there was also found a trail of blood for some distance from the bank, and on a tree fence over which the body was supposed to have been taken. Forty- two witnesses were sworn by the coroner, and the evidence taken led to the verdict that the deceased, about the 12th of June, 1815, " came to the south bank of Deer river, about one or two rods above the High falls, and then and there, by accident, or intentionally fell, threw himself into the said river, and then and there passed over said falls, a distance of 164 feet, and in so doing bruised and drowned himself."
Buck soon after went off with the young man's wife, re-
88
Denmark.
sided some years in Penn Yan, and then removed to Michi- gan, where he is said to have perished by violence. At the time of the event he was very strongly suspected, even be- fore the body was found, and in accordance with a supersti- tion that should rather belong to the days of Salem witch- craft, he was brought and required to touch the dead body, to ascertain whether blood would flow afresh from the wound ! Upon conversing with many cotemporaries of Waggoner, we find the belief in his murder to be very generally preva- lent, although two or three express doubts whether an old soldier, who had been living in the place some time before, and also went off soon after, was not employed to execute the deed, or to assist in it. There is reason to believe that the coroner and jury were conscientious, as they certainly were disinterested in the discharge of their duties.
On the 9th of July, 1832, a board of health, consisting of the supervisor, overseers of the poor and [justices of the peace, was appointed in this town, to guard against cholera, and Dr. Erasmus D. Bartholomew was appointed health officer.
In December, 1850, Wm. Cratzenberg of this town, was indicted for the murder of his wife in the spring preceding, and tried but acquitted. The judge, in charging the jury, stated that the prisoner had been guilty of great cruelty and brutality ; but the evidence failed to establish a verdict of guilt.
About 1820, Allen & Canfield,1 who had several years transacted a heavy mercantile and manufacturing business, failed, and their mill property was subsequently bid in by Abraham Varick of Utica.2 Dr. Samuel Allen was ap- pointed agent for the erection of an extensive rope factory, and the farmers of this and adjoining towns were induced to engage largely in the culture of flax and hemp, hundreds of acres of which were raised. In 1832 a rope walk, 575 feet long, was erected, and about 1836 machinery was in- troduced for the preparation of hemp. The rotting of hemp was not found economical by the process employed, and its culture quickly fell into disuse. The rope works were burned in the spring of 1843, doubtless by an incen-
1 David Canfield died Dec. 17, 1849, aged 71.
2 Mr. V. was a son of Richard Varick, an eminent citizen of New York. A fire once occurred near his rope works, when he was in the village, but by the most active exertions it was subdued before extensive damage was done. He was not allowed to stand an idle spectator, but was pressed into the line for passing buckets. When advised to get the works insured without fur- ther risk, he declined, saying, that among such people insurance was need- less.
89
Denmark.
diary, and again built soon after, 400 feet in length, by Archibald Johnston, and the business has continued more or less regularly till the present time. Varick lost a large sum in this investment.
In 1853, surveys were made with the design of securing the location of the Rome R. R. to this place. The highest point on the surveyed route was 611 feet above Felt's mills, and about 40 above Copenhagen. At that time, a square mile was surveyed, and preliminary measures adopted to obtain a village charter. The census taken for this pur- pose, gave on the proposed limits, 610 inhabitants.
The water power at this place and below is valuable for manufacturing purposes, and may be improved to a much greater extent than at present. The river is however some- what liable to extremes of flood and drouth, and the bridge at the village has been several times swept away. The last time this accident occurred was in the winter of 1842-3.
In 1849, a steam saw mill was erected by Kitts & Broad- way, on the East road near the Lowville line and in 1858, C. S. Cowles & Co. erected a manufactory of staves, shingle and heading upon the Black river, at Blodget's landing.
About half a mile below Copenhagen occur the celebrated High falls on Deer river. The stream has here worn a broad deep chasm in the Trenton limestone down which the torrent plunges a nearly vertical slope a distance of 166 feet. The bank on the south side is 225 feet high. On the north side of the cascade, the rock presents a very steep inclination, and has been broken away, leaving a succession of small narrow steps, with occasional projec- tions, along which the adventurous visitor may creep a considerable distance up the bank, but not without immi- nent danger.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.