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 11
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About 1806, Miss Lodema Schermerhorn, in attempting rashly to climb this perilous steep, had crept over half way up before she was aware of the danger, when she found that descent was impossible, and her only chance for life depended upon her reaching the top. With cautious and steady nerve, she continued on, now clinging with one hand in a crevice of the rock while she found a firm hold for the other a little higher, she finally gained the summit, exhausted with fatigue, and overcome by the extraordi- nary nervous excitement which the effort occasioned. A female associate had followed her lead, and also found it necessary to go on or perish in the effort. She also reached the top of the precipice in safety. Some years after, Thomas Parkman attempted to scale the cliff, and got so
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far up that he could neither advance or recede. His com- panions ran to the nearest house, procured a bed cord, and drew him to the top.
On the night of Sept. 17, 1853, Wm. Ferguson, a British deserter, working in a foundry, having drank freely the day previous and retired late, sprang up from sleep, saying that a man had fallen into the river above the falls, and ran towards the precipice. A person followed, but before he could be overtaken, the delirious man had climbed a tree that overhung the chasm, when the branch on which he stood broke, and he fell to the bottom, a distance of 130 feet, striking half way down, and bounding into deep water. He was instantly killed by the fall.
King's falls, two miles below, form a cascade about 40 feet in height and are excelled by few localities of the kind in picturesque beauty of scenery. They were named in compliment to Joseph Bonaparte, ex-king of Spain, by whom they were visited and much admired. The banks of Deer river from the High falls to Deer river village, present the finest section of the limestones for the study of geology that the county affords.
Settlement at Deer river was begun by Abel French, a few years after his arrival as agent. In 1824, a large stone mill was built by Richard Myers and A. Wilson. A large saw mill was built in 1848, and the place has gradually grown to one of some business, having besides a large grist mill, two saw mills, a shingle mill and several mechanic shops, two churches, a store and about thirty dwellings. The principally traveled road formerly crossed half a mile above, where there is an oil mill, once a cloth-dressing mill. This village has at various times borne the name of the mill owner, as French's Mills, Myer's Mills, &c., but since the establishment of a post office, it has been known as Deer River. The name was adopted at a meeting called for the purpose.
Denmark (P. O.) is the oldest village in the town, and its post office was one of the first in the county, having been established in January, 1804. As a business place it is now probably the least important. It has a hotel, store, two churches, and a thinly settled street of nearly a mile in length.
Almon M. Norton1 and Amos Buck2 were many years prominent merchants in this village. The first merchant
1 Mr. Norton died at Lockport, Ill., Nov. 23, 1859, aged 73.
2 Mr. Buck died, July 11, 1855, aged 60. He was in assembly in 1825 and 1843.
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was Jabez Wright, in 1805. Freedom Wright was the first inn keeper.
The first school in Copenhagen was taught by Tyrannus A. Wright, and the first school house in town was built near the inn of Freedom Wright in Denmark village. The first school commissioners were Lewis Graves, Charles Wright, jr., and Stephen Parsons, and the first school in- spectors were John Canfield, Israel Kellogg and Charles Squire. These were chosen in 1813.
In 1829, Charles Brown erected a wooden building in Denmark village for an academy, and taught with much success for several years. Since his removal, about 1840, several others have taught, but the premises have now fallen into ruin.
The Alexandria library of Denmark was formed, May 6, 1811, by Willis Secombe, Lewis Graves, jr., Charles Squire, Asa Pierce, Gardner Cottrell, Solomon Wood and Isaac Horr, trustees. It was dissolved before the introduction of school libraries.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES .- The first meetings in town were held by travelers. On the 9th of July, 1805, the Harris- burgh Ecclesiastical Society was formed, with Levi Robbins, Edward Frisbie, John S. Clark, Charles Wright, jr., and James Buxton, trustees, with the view of erecting a place of worship. The division of the town having made the name inapplicable, the Denmark Ecclesiastical Society was formed in its place, Sept. 21, 1810, with Gershom Sylvester, Chester Wright, Daniel Babcock, Wm. Root, John Canfield, John Loud and Freedom Wright, trustees. This was also unable to erect a church, and in 1815, a third organization. termed the First Ecclesiastical Society in the town of Den- mark, was formed, having as its trustees, Josiah White, J. Loud, David Canfield, Lemuel Dickenson, Asa D. Wright and G. Silvester. Unfortunately for the interests of reli- gion, the Presbyterians of this town employed as a minister, a man wholly unworthy of confidence, and as the sequel proved, utterly abandoned in principle. This was Walter H. Gerry, who was installed in 1815, and at a special ses- sion of the St. Lawrence presbytery, August 19, 1817, was deposed. The records show that he was " a man of con- siderable native talent, and in his preaching advocated sound doctrines, but it was found that his credentials were forged, and that he had never been admitted to church mem- bership. His moral character was also bad, and at length he abandoned his family and went to South America, where he became a friar." Before leaving he borrowed as much
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money as his credit would allow.1 The Rev. Luman Wil- cox was ordained and installed, March 16, 1824, and dis- missed in 1826. A Presbyterian society was legally formed at Copenhagen, January 20, 1824, with Hezekiah Hulbert, Philo Weed, Wm. Root, John Loud, Gideon Smith and Malachi Van Duzen, trustees. The Denmark first and second churches remained one till 1827, when they were separated by the presbytery. The Rev. Wm. Jones, Abel L. Crandall and others were subsequently employed.
A small wooden church was built at an early day in Den- mark village, and used by several denominations many years. The present Union church at that place was built in the fall of 1848. A Universalist church was built in Den- mark about 1830.
The first church in Copenhagen was built by Presbyte- rians and Baptists, on the northwest corner of Main and Mechanic streets, and was burned Feb. 16, 1832. The Presbyterians thus deprived of a place of worship, united with the Methodists and built the church now held by the Unionists, and occupied it alternately until the present Methodist church was erected. In the month of July, 1839, these denominations also united in holding a camp meeting in a grove half a mile south of the village. A Congrega- tional church was legally formed at Copenhagen, May 3, 1841, with Malachi Van Duzen, Silas Chapin, Allen Kil- born, jr., Lorenzo Baker, Warren Murray, Gideon Smith, Nathan Lawton, J. H. Allen and John Newkirk, trustees. Many of the members of this society and others have formed a church upon what is termed the Union principle, profess- ing to be kept together by Christian fellowship rather than creeds. A legal society styled the Church of Christ in the village of Copenhagen, was formed May 11, 1858, with Wm. Canfield, Wm. C. Lawton, Ezekiel Collins, Nelson Munger, Lyman Waters, Stephen Thompson, John D. Loud, Wm. L. Tompkins and Abel G. Sage, trustees.
The first Baptist ministers in town were Stephen Parsons and Peleg Card, the latter of whom settled about 1807 in Copenhagen and engaged in the business of cloth dressing.
1 After he absconded, various rumors of his operations came back, among which was the sale of a large quantity of water for whiskey. This was done by placing bladders filled with spirits at the bung, in such a manner that the proof glass could dip into them. When examined as a candidate for the ministry, he affected to be terribly in pain from toothache. Once in preach- ing he evinced great emotion without apparent cause, turned pale, trembled and could scarcely go on with his discourse. When questioned about the cause, he admitted that the thought had occurred to him, that whilst thus ministering religious truths to others he might himself be damned !
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A church was formed from churches in Rutland and Cham- pion in April, 1808, numbering six males and five females. After losing their interest in the first church by fire, they, in 1834, built a church since owned by them. In 1835, Eld. Jacob Knapp, the eccentric revival preacher, held meetings here. Elders Geo. Lyle, Orrin G. Robbins, P. Nichols, W. J. Crane, M. Thrasher, A. S. Curtis, O. Wilbur and others, have preached here.
The first Methodist preacher in town is said to have been Mr. Willis. A society was formed in the west part at an early day, but not organized as a separate circuit until 1840. The preachers since assigned to the Copenhagen circuit have been : 1840, Wm. W. Wood; 1842, Silas Slater, 1843, Harris Kinsley ; 1844, David Ferguson; 1845, G. Hall, B. S. Wright ; 1846, G. Hall, A. S. Wightman ; 1847, Hiram Shepherd, G. W. Plank; 1848, H. Shepherd, Silas C. Kenny ; 1849, Alban M. Smith, T. D. Brown ; 1850, A. M. Smith ; 1851-2, Orman C. Lathrop ; 1853-4, W. W. Hunt ; 1855, L. Clark ; 1856-7, R. E. King; 1858-9, L. L. Palmer.
The 2d Soc. of the M. E. Church of Denmark, was formed Feb. 3, 1841, with Orlando Babcock, Abner Munger, John Clark, 2d, Stephen Nash and John Whiting, as trustees. They have a church edifice in Copenhagen.
The Baptist church in Lowville and Denmark, locally known as the " Line Church," was formed Aug. 25, 1819, a society having been organized under the statute, as the 1st Baptist church of L. and D. Feb. 9, of that year, Moses Waters, Luther Horr, Elijah Clark, Benjamin and Charles Davenport, Nelson Burrows, Samuel Bassett, Ichabod Parsons and Jacob Kitts, 2d, being the first trustees. An edifice was built on the town line on the state road, in 1819, rebuilt in 1850, and rededicated Jan. 10, 1851. Its early ministers were elders Stephen Parsons,1 Elisha Morgan, John Blodget, Ruel Lathrop and others. In the anti-masonic troubles of 1828-30, the church was
1 Eld. Parsons was born Sept. 5, 1748, and ordained to the ministry, Jan. 31, 1788. He was an early, zealous and successful missionary in the Black river settlements, and active in the organization of nearly every Baptist church in the county. He removed from Middletown to Whitestown towards the close of the last century, and in 1802 came to Leyden, from whence, af- ter several years, he removed to this town. His sons became heads of families and most of those of this name, now living in the county, are his descendants. The circumstances of his death were so peculiar that they made a deep and lasting impression upon the public mind. He had preached on a Sabbath, in the forenoon, from a favorite text, Psalms, xc., 12, and in the afternoon from II. Samuel, xix., 34 : " How long have I to live ?" On going to the barn to feed his horse on the same day, he fell from a scaffold, receiving an injury, from which he died unconscious, Jan. 7, 1820-within the same week that this sermon was preached.
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nearly broken up, and some twenty members withdrew at one time. The Presbyterian church at Denmark village had become nearly extinct, when one was formed at Deer river, in 1826, as the second Presbyterian church of Den- mark. It was changed in 1833 to the first Congregational church of Denmark, and a legal society was formed July 8, 1841, with Lyman Graves, Wm. Shelden, L. S. Standing and Abner A. Johnson, as trustees. A plain stone church had been previously erected at Deer river by this sect and the Methodists. In 1859, the Congregationalists of Deer river erected a neat church edifice, 36 by 63 feet, at a cost of $3,000.
The Methodist Episcopal society of Deer river was incor- porated April 13, 1852, with Rev. Horace Rogers, Tyran- nus A. Wright and C. A. Poor, as trustees.
DIANA.
This town was formed from Watson (by request of town meeting), April 26, 1830, and named in compliment to the wishes of Joseph Bonaparte, who then owned most of its wild lands and had begun small improvements. In his favorite pastime of hunting, he had here found an ample field for enterprise, and fancying that Diana herself, might covet this region as her home, by a happy turn of poetic fancy, he conferred upon it the name of the goddess of huntsmen. In classic mythology, Diana was reputed the daughter of Jupiter, from whom she received a bow and arrows, and a train of sixty nymphs. The poppy was sacred to her, and her temple at Ephesus was ranked among the proudest trophies of art. As a huntress she was represented as tall and nimble, with a light flowing robe, her feet covered with buskins, armed with a bow and arrows; and either alone or followed by her nymphs or a hound. Some- times she rode in a chariot drawn by two white stags, and as goddess of night, or the moon, she was painted with a long starred veil, a torch in her hand and a crescent on her forehead.
The first town meeting was held at the house of Robert Blanchard, at which Chapman Johnson was elected super- visor; Geo. W. Bingham, clerk; Silas D. Stiles, John Wilbur and Enoch Cleveland, assessors; Willis Edwards, Caleb Blanchard and Jesse Palmer, coms. of highways; Daniel Robert, C. Blanchard and G. W. Bingham, coms. of schools; E. Cleveland and Mills Sly, poor masters; James Edward, col- lector, and Thos. Brayton, John Wilbur and Norman Stevens, inspectors of schools.
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Supervisors .- 1830-1, Chapman Johnson ; 1832, Thos. Brayton, jr .; 1833, C. Johnson ; 1834-5, T. Brayton, jr. ; 1836-9, Caleb Blanchard ; 1840-1, David D. Reamer ; 1842, John Wilbur ; 1843-9, D. D. Reamer ; 1850, Sherman Blan- chard ; 1851, Eugine Burnand ; 1852-3, Jonathan Aldrich ; 1854, Howard Sterling ; 1855, Horace Clark ; 1856, Wm. Hunt ; 1857-60, Joseph Pahud.
Clerks .- 1830, G. W. Bingham ; 1831-2, John Wilbur ; 1833, James G. Lyndes (removed and J. Wilbur appointed July 11); 1834, Silas D. Stiles; 1835-9, J. Wilbur ; 1840-5, Horace Clark ; 1846, Reuben Tyler ; 1847, Henry Allen, jr .; 1848-9, R. Tyler ; 1850-3, H. Allen ; 1854, Nathan R. Carley ; 1855-9, H. Allen.
The south line of the town was fixed between the 19th and 20th north ranges of Castorland, but in the erection of Croghan, in 1841, the north line of that tract was made the south line of the town. The poor and the public money of Watson were to be divided in the ratio of the last tax list. While a part of Watson, the north line of this town Was twice changed. On the 10th of April, it was made to run so as to include about 30 lots now in Wilna, and leave off several now in Diana, and on the 2d of April, 1813, the county line was fixed as it now exists.1 The Checkered house and adjoining neighborhood in Wilna, were under the former arrangement included in Lewis county, and resi- dents in that section could only enjoy the privilege of voting, by a journey to Leyden, distant about forty miles.
A panther bounty of $5 was voted in 1831-2-5, and of $10 in 1836 to '42-50-51. A wolf bounty of $5 was voted in 1835-and of $10 in 1832-4-6-7-8-9-'56. Fox bounties of $1 were voted from 1837 to 1842, inclusive. In 1845, a special law, allowing $5 on panthers, was asked by this town of the legislature.
Settlement began on the old St. Lawrence turnpike by one Doharty, but the first farm improvement was made by Thomas and Jeremiah Brayton, about 1818. Caleb, Robert and Sherman, sons of Isaac Blanchard, came about 1824, and afterwards their brother Daniel. They were originally from R. I., but then from Wilna, from whence also many of the other early settlers removed. Geo. W. Bingham, John Wilbur, Enoch Cleveland and others, settled about 1830, or a little before.
About 1828, the Count de Survilliers (Joseph Bonaparte), having acquired the title, first came to explore his lands,
1 These changes are fully described on p. 29 of Jefferson Co. History.
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and spend a few weeks in rural pastimes. He directed a road to be cut, and went in a stage coach through from the old turnpike to the lake, which has since been known as Bonaparte lake. He caused a boat to be taken through the woods and launched upon this water, and a log house to be built on an elevation, commanding a fine view of the lake and its shores.
This sheet of water covers about 1,200 acres, has several wild rocky islands within it, and is environed by bold rocky shores, alternating with wooded swamps and intervales, presenting altogether one of the most picturesque and quiet woodland scenes which the great forest affords. The place chosen for the house, was on lot 928, on the most com- manding site that the shores of the lake presented. On the outlet of the lake at the present village of Alpina, the count had a clearing of some thirty acres made, and a framed house erected with ice house, cellars, out houses and other conveniences, with the view of making this a summer residence. He also built in 1829, at the Natural bridge, a large house, still standing.
The count visited his lands four times, upon each occasion spending a few weeks, and always accompanied by a num- ber of chosen companions, some of whom had witnessed and shared the sunny fortunes of the ex-king of Naples and of Spain, the favorite brother of the great Napoleon. Upon one occasion, in returning from the Natural bridge to Evans's mills, the cortege halted upon the pine plains, and partook of a sumptuous feast which had been prepared with great care, and embraced every delicacy that the country af- forded, displayed upon golden dishes, and served with regal ceremonies. Liberal in the use of money, and sociable with all who were brought in business relations with him, he was of course popular among our citizens, and his annual return was awaited with interest and remembered with satisfaction.
He soon, however, sold to La Farge; the house on the outlet, still unfinished, rotted down, and the log house on the lake was some years after burned.
This episode in the life of Joseph Bonaparte has been made the subject of the following poem by Caleb Lyon of Lyonsdale. It has been extensively quoted in the news- papers of the day, and presents a favorable specimen of the style of our Lewis county poet :
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BONAPARTE LAKE.
From the Louisville Journal.
Waters enwound with greenest woods, And jewelled isles, the gift of Pan, Unsought, unseen, where Silence broods, Unwelcoming the feet of man.
Gray clouds in liquid opal burn Above the jagged hemlock's height, A sunset sky outpours its urn In ripples of the rosiest light.
By sinuous shore the baying hound Tells the stag seeks on silver sands Diana's mirror; here is found One of Endymion's haunted lands.
The lilies on thy glowing breast Loll languidly in crowns of gold, Were pure Evangels speaking rest Unto an Exile's heart of old.
Brother of him whose charmed sword Clove or created kingdoms fair, Whose faith in him was as the word Writ in the Memlook's scimiter.
Here he forgot La Granja's glades, Escurial's dark and gloomy dome, And sweet Sorrento's deathless shades, In his far off secluded home.
The hunter loved his pleasant smile, The backwoodsman his quiet speech, And the fisher's cares would he beguile With ever kindly deeds for each.
He lived for others not in vain, His well kept memory still is dear- Once King of Naples and of Spain, The friend of Bernardin St. Pierre.
In 1832, Fannel and Jomaine,1 French capitalists of some experience in the iron business, began the erection of a blast furnace on Indian river, at a place which they named Louisburgh. As built by them, the furnace was thirty- three feet square at the base, of the kind technically termed a quarter furnace and intended for a cold blast. They
1 Of the latter name there were two or three brothers. They were directly from Porto Rico. One of them afterwards died of cholera in Canada.
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got the furnace in operation in 1833, but their European experience did them more harm than good, and after run- ning two or three short blasts upon bog ore, their capital was expended, and their property, including about five thousand acres of land, was sold.
Isaac K. Lippencott, Joseph M. Morgan and David D. Reamer1 became purchasers in 1836, and continued the busi- ness with better success, about ten years. They rebuilt the furnace, twenty-eight feet square, (seven and a half feet in- side measure), introduced the hot blast in 1839, and for some time made stoves and other castings, by dipping directly from the furnace. The establishment had been founded upon the expectation of finding ores in the vici- nity, but this failing, a supply was drawn from the Kearney mine in Gouverneur, and elsewhere in St. Lawrence county. The yield was generally three tons per day, and towards the end, much of it found a market in Rochester.
In 1850 the premises were bought by James Sterling who procured a change in the name of the post office, to Ster- lingbush, and resumed the manufacture. He paid $10,000 for the premises and spent about $13,000 in rebuilding. Several blasts have been run since this change, but the work is now suspended.2 The village consists of but little else than the furnace and its dependencies. The Sterling- bush and North Wilna plank road, built in 1853, con- nects this place by plank with the R. R. at Antwerp, and the iron mines, between Antwerp and Somerville.
In 1833, Foskit Harris3 of Champion, under a promise of two acres of land and a waterfall on the Oswegatchie, with other inducements, from Judge Boyer, agent of Bonaparte, hired several men, and on the 25th of September of that year, pushed three miles beyond settlement, and began the erection of mills at the present village of Harrisville. A saw mill was built the first season, and a grist mill with one run of stones in 1835, several mechanics came in, roads
1 Mr. Reamer died at Watertown, Aug. 12, 1858. He was sole manager at Louisburgh, the other associates being non-residents. In 1848 he was elected from this county to assembly, and soon after removed to Watertown, where he became an unsuccessful merchant. He was afterwards a clerk in the R. R. freight office.
2 The cost of drawing ore from the Kearney mine, in Gouverneur, averaged $2.25, besides $1.75 for the ore delivered on the bank. It yields readily 50 per cent in the large way, although, theoretically, it should produce more. Most of the ore used by Sterling was drawn from his mine in Antwerp.
3 Son of Asa Harris, who removed from Newport, N. Y., to Champion, the second year of its settlement. Mr. Harris died at Harrisville, Dec. 17, 1842, aged about 56 years. Mr. La Farge presented fifty acres of land to his widow.
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were opened, lands cleared, and the place.appeared destined to become a central business point. Several families were from Le Ray and towns adjacent ; but no sooner was it known that Mr. La Farge had become the owner of the lands in this section, than they resolved to quit the place. The reputation of La Farge was exceedingly bad among the settlers on Penet square and elsewhere, and cases of marked severity had created so bitter a prejudice, that no induce- ment, not even that of a free gift at his hand, could induce them to remain. Thus deserted, the place retained little besides a name, until about four years since, when Joseph Pahud, a Swiss gentleman (who had become concerned in the Alpina works, towards the last of the Swiss company's operations), came to reside at this place. Under his aus- pices, a grist mill of superior finish was erected in 1858, and a saw mill, with double saws, in 1859, Inducements were offered, which led, in 1859, to the building of a chair factory, a sash, door and blind shop, and several buildings in the village. In May of that year, Messrs. Beach and Dodge1 began an extensive tannery on the east side of the river, half a mile below the village, and in the midst of a forest: It is 288 feet long, has 160 vats, and is intended to turn out about 40,000 sides of sole leather annually. A new saw mill has been got in operation a mile above, and other manufactories are in progress. The village as yet, embraces, besides the above, only an inn, two stores, and about fifteen houses. It is half a mile from the St. Law- rence co. line, and by the nearest practicable route, thirteen miles from Keene's station, on the Potsdam and Watertown R. R., to which place a common or plank road, will, proba- bly, before long, be laid out. The Oswegatchie was de- clared a public highway, by act of April 13, 1854, as far up as the junction of the middle and west branches.
Eugine Burnand, a Swiss, about 1844, purchased 48,513 acres from La Farge, embracing two ranges of lots in Ant- werp, and 122 lots in Diana, and returned to Switzerland to find purchasers to settle upon his tract. While traveling upon the lake Neufchatel he met Louis Suchard, the pro- prietor of the steamer upon which they then were, and in conversation got him much interested in the chances of spec- ulation, which his tract afforded, especially when he learned that iron ores occurred in this region and that forests of wood were abundant. Selecting, at random, a lot upon the map, (No. 920), he paid for it, and took a deed upon the
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