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 17
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The road as first opened, about 1799, to Turin, was through what was termed the " eleven mile woods." The first road northward was the east road, which was probably run out the same year. In September, Stow hired Joseph Crary to survey out a line to township 3 (Rutland), which has ever since been known as the " Number Three road." John Bush, Peter Swinburne and - - Weller were first settlers on this road. The west road was laid out about 1801 or 1802.
Th street leading from Lowville to New Boston, was settled west of the west road, about 1805-6, by Roswell Waterman, Nathaniel Bement, Malachi Putnam, Sacket and Alvin Dodge, and about a dozen others in Harrisburgh. It is said that at the time of the war, there were about seventy men on this street in the two towns liable to military duty, but not a single family of these first settlers now resides there. The state road from Lowville to Henderson Harbor was afterwards located on this road.
The first settlement upon Stow's square, was begun in the fall of 1797, by Moses Waters,1 who came on with a back
1 Died, Feb. 5, 1852, aged 81 years.
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load of provisions, and stayed while this lasted, cutting off a small clearing. Jesse and Roswell Wilcox, Charles and Billa Davenport,2 Dr. Wm. Darrow, Daniel Porter, Joel and Wm. Bates, Isaac Perry,3 Jacob Apley, Fortunatus and Mayhew Bassett, James Bailey and Absalom Williams, were among the first settlers of Stow's square. A store, church, inn and post office, subsequently gave the settlement upon the state road within this tract some claims to the appella- tion of a village, but the loss of all these excepting the church (which is falling into ruin), has occasioned the locality to be regarded as only a thickly settled farming neighborhood.
Mr. Stow was succeeded in the agency by Morris S. Miller,4 about 1802, and the latter by Isaac W. Bostwick in
1 These were brothers, sons of Adam and Esther Wilcox. Their brother Elisha, b. Oct. 2, 1768, died in Leyden, and their sister Rebecca, b. Sept. 1770, married Moses Waters. This wedding was the first that occurred in Lowville. Jesse, b. June 8, 1774, resides at Stow Square. Roswell, b. Jan. 22, 1778, died, Oct. 1, 1851. These families were from Killingworth, Ct.
2 The Davenports of this town, are descendants of Thomas D., who settled at Dorchester about 1640, and died, Nov. 9, 1685. His third son, Jonathan (born, March 6, 1658, and died, Dec. 1, 1680), had seven sons, the youngest of whom named Benjamin, was the father of the emigrants named in the text. He was born Oct. 6, 1698, and died about 1785, at Spencertown, N. Y. His family consisted of four sons and three daughters, viz : Samuel who died in Sheffield, Ct.
Hannah, who married - House.
Billa, who settled in this town, and had two sons and four daughters. John the eldest son, settled in Delaware co., and gave name to the town of Davenport ; he died, wealthy. Billa settled in this town.
Charles, born April 15, 1751, married Elizabeth Taylor in 1778, and died, Dec. 12, 1812. His children were, Benjamin, born Nov. 15, 1778, died in Turin, Feb. 19, 1860; Ira, b., May 9, 1787, died, May 19, 1819. Sally, b. Nov. 7, 1782, died -. Betsey, b. Nov. 17, 1791. Charles, b. Oct. 23, 1784, m. May, 1814, to Anna Cole, died July 28, 1855; his portrait is given in this volume. Alexander, b. Oct. 25, 1780, d. Jan. 20, 1851. Roxanna, b. Aug. 1, 1796, m. Rev. J. Blodget. Ashley, b. Feb. 11, 1794, removed to Copenhagen in 1825 and has since resided there; he has held the offices of sheriff and senator. John B., b. Feb. 18, 1798, died in Indiana in 1819.
Jonathan, married a Culver.
Sally, married a Clark.
Zerphiah, married a Bliss.
3 Capt. Perry, originally from R. I., had removed from Hancock, Mass., to Granville, N. Y., and thence to Palmerstown, Westmoreland and Lowville. He settled here in June, 1799, having the year previous located land. One of his daughters married Fortunatus Eager, the first merchant; another a Buell ; another Isaac W. Bostwick. He had served in the revolution, and was related to Commodore Perry. His death occurred Nov. 19, 1840, at the age of 81 years.
4 Morris S. Miller, had been the private secretary of Gov. Jay, and married a Miss Bleecker of Albany. He removed from Lowville to Utica, where he resided till his death, Nov. 16, 1824, aged 44 years. He was a member of the 13th congress, and held the office of first judge of Oneida Co., from 1810 till his death. He was a gentleman of fine manners and extensive acquire- ments, but his brief residence in this section scarcely allowed him to become generally known to our citizens.
Coluche Davenport
Engraved by J. C. Buttre, NY
INNostiuk
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1806. The latter remained in this station till near the end of his life.1
1 Isaac Welton Bostwick, a son of Andrew Bostwick, was born in Watertown, Ct., March 6, 1776, and in early childhood removed with his parents to New York city, but in two or three years returned to his native place. After attending several years a school taught by Mr. Punderson, he removed with the family to Roxbury, and in a school taught by the Rev. Mr. Canfield, prepared for the high school at Williamstown. After two or three years attendance at the latter, he undertook his own support by teaching, at first in a public school in South East, and afterwards as a private tutor in the family of Mr. Livingston of Poughkeepsie.
He here became acquainted with a brother of Judge Platt of Whitestown, who induced him to remove in 1797 to Oneida co., where he entered the office of Platt & Breese, and in 1801, he was admitted to the bar of the supreme court, having for a short time previous served as deputy county clerk under Mr. Platt. In 1804, he removed to Turin, and began the practice of the law, residing two years in the family of Judge Collins, and in 1806, he came to Lowville the scene of his future career, with no resource but his profession and a steady reliance upon his own energy. He became Low's agent in Lowville, Harrison's in Harrisburgh and Denmark, and Pierrepont's in Martinsburgh in which he earned the implicit confidence of his employers. A notice of Mr. B. occurs in the diary of James Constable under date of Aug. 7, 1806, which indicates the impression made at that period upon Messrs. Constable and Pierrepont.
"During the last evening and this morning, we had much conversation with Mr. Bostwick, the agent of Messrs. Low and Harrison in this quarter. He appeared to be a very intelligent, well informed and active young man, and very suitable for an agent. He showed us the instruments used for Mr. Low, which we thought well of, and should at once adopt, but our rule hitherto invariable of requiring part of the payment down, is not contem- plated, and we therefore reserve our determination."
These landholders on their return, Aug. 23d, from the St. Lawrence country, further remark : "Renewed our conversation with Mr. Bostwick, respecting the agency of town No. 4, which he now showed as well as form- erly a great desire to undertake, but the commission which we proposed, of 2} p. c. on sales, and 2 p. c. for collecting and remitting he thought too low, and during the day it appeared as if he would give it up, stating that it was a lower rate than had yet been given in the country, and would be no object to him. Our answer was, that if the rate was lower, the produce would be greater, as a considerable part of the town would soon sell at $6 per acre, and 4} p. c. on that price would be much better than 5 or 7 at $3, at which most of the preceding agents had sold, but he did not agree, tho' he could not reply to such reasoning. He spoke at large of the labors and difficulty in such business, a subject so familiar to us, that we soon convinced him the commission was a full compensation. The subject dropped for the day with- out coming to an agreement.
24th. Next morning early we prepared a letter to him, in which the com- mission was the same as verbally, and after a very few words he declared himself perfectly satisfied, and that he would exert himself to the utmost for our interests. We enjoined upon him as one of his first measures, to acquire a personal knowledge of each lot in town, which he promised to do; and recommended him to be mild and conciliatory with the settlers, as they were apt to be apprehensive of an agent of the legal profession. He had before disclaimed all idea of making money as a lawyer, through his situation as an agent, and said he had so expressed himself to Mr. Low and Mr. Harrison when they employed him ; and to prove his aversion to harrassing settlers, he told us several anecdotes of his having on his own account, bought in their property at low prices, and delivered it to them. We pro- posed to him to accompany us to the township which he accordingly did,
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The village of Lowville carly became a prominent point in the county, from its academy, the spirited efforts of its merchants,1 and the location of several influential citizens
and we introduced him to such of the settlers as were there, being nearly the whole, informing them that he had full powers as agent, that the price of $7, for lots on the road, and those of the first quality in that quarter of the town, and $6 for the remainder ; the credit 5 years for the first payment, interest on the whole to be paid in one year, one quarter of the principal with the interest in 2 years, the same in 3 years, the same in 4 years, and the same in 5. They appeared to be well satisfied, and we left them."
We have extended this quotation for the double purpose of embracing the facts, and of showing the business habits of the parties. He continued Pierrepont's agent until 1834, for No. 4, and part of No. 5. Mr. Bostwick's subsequent life, vindicated the sincerity of the intentions, thus early declared, of mildness towards settlers, and his uniformly kind and conciliatory man- ners, have endeared his memory to multitudes in the towns of Lowville, Harrisburgh, Denmark, Adams, and Watertown, which were mostly sold and settled under his agency.
Although he continued the practice of law many years, his land agencies oc- cupied a large part of his time, and after having been in partnership at different times with Ela Collins, Samuel A. Talcott, Cornelius Low and Russell Parish, he finally withdrew from the profession altogether, and devoted his entire care to his own ample estate, and his land agencies.
He was appointed surrogate upon the organization of the county, and held this office ten years. On the 29th of Sept., 1812, he was married to Miss Hannah Perry, daughter of Capt. Isaac Perry, a pioneer settler. This accom- plished partner of his life and solace of his declining years, still resides at his elegant seat in Lowville.
Mr. B., was several years president of the Lewis Co. Bank, and first pre- sident of the bank of Lowville. Having held the office of trustee of the Lowville academy many years, he was elected their president in 1840, and continued in that station till his death, ever taking a deep interest in its wel- fare, and finally leaving to its library, a munificent addition to its literary treasures. The was an active and consistent member of the Presbyterian society and church, liberal in all matters of public improvement, prompt, energetic and efficient in business, and of integrity without stain and above reproach. He died at Lowville, Jan. 3, 1857, at the advanced age of 81 years, universally respected for his great moral worth.
Mr. Bostwick resigned the agency of the Low estate in 1854, and was suc- ceeded by Russell Parish, who lived but a few months after. It then was given to Nathaniel B. Sylvester of Lowville, who still holds it. Mr. Bostwick stated frequently with great satisfaction, that he had remitted to the pro- prietor more than five times the amount of the original purchase money, and that he left contracts exceeding the said original sum. This is to be re- marked alike to the credit of proprietor, agents and settlers, that in the large amount of business transactions between them, no occasion arose for an appeal to the courts of law.
1 Subsequent to the settlement of Eager and Card, already noticed, James H. and Stephen Leonard came to reside in the village, and during many years conducted an extensive business.
The Leonard families of this town emigrated from West Springfield, Mass., and are descendants of John Leonard, who settled in Springfield in 1639. Abel and Josiah, probably sons of John, settled on the west side of the river in 1660, and died in 1688 and 1690. James and Henry Leonard, sons of Thomas and supposed to be related to these, removed from England before 1642, and built the first forge in America at Taunton, Mass., in 1652. (Mass. Hist. Coll., I., series iii., 170).
The descendants of the latter were remarkable for a kind of hereditary at- tachment to the iron business, which led to the remark that " where you can
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within the first fifteen years of its settlement. This early prestige has been maintained, and while Lowville village is
find iron works there you will find a Leonard." The name is somewhat common in New England, and in 1826, 28 had graduated in the colleges of that section, of whom 12 were of Harvard.
The first emigrants of this name to the Black river country were sons of Elias and Phineas, sons of Moses Leonard. The sons of Elias Leonard were James H., Rodney, Loren and Francis Leonard, and those of Phineas Leonard were Stephen, Chauncey, Phineas and Reuben.
James Harvey Leonard was born at West Springfield, Sept. 22, 1780, and first visited Lowville in 1804 with Stephen Leonard. They came on horseback from Skaneateles where they liad been employed as clerks, with the intention of settling and crossed from Rome to Talcott's. The roads were so rougli and the settlements so rude that they began to have serious doubts about finding a place that offered inducements, but as they reached the brow of the hill overlooking Lowville, the neat newly painted mansion of Judge Stow, and the thrifty settlement beyond, gave a cheerful aspect to the spot and deter- mined their future course. They were on their way to Chaumont, but did not get nearer that place than Brownville, and returned through Red . field. J. H. Leonard began business in Lowville, Sept., 1804, and in Jan., 1805, was joined by Stephen Leonard. Before this they had leased four acres, at what is now the city of Auburn, for 100 years, at $4 per acre, and J. H. L. had leased 50 acres at $5 for 30 years. The latter lease failed from a refusal of Hardenburgh, the proprietor, to execute the papers, and the for- mer was sold for $150 before a payment was made. J. H. Leonard continued in the firm of J. H. & S. Leonard just a quarter of a century and remained in business here till his removal in 1839, except one or two years at Skane- ateles. This firm became widely known throughout northern New York. I supplied rations to the troops passing through the country, and in embargo times were largely engaged with business connections in Canada. They held during the war a contract for supplying 40,000 gallons of whiskey for the navy, and owned one-half of a like contract of Allen & Canfield, making 60,000 gallons at $1 per gallon, to be delivered at Sackett's Harbor. A change in the movements of the fleet, occasioned a transfer to New York where most of it was finally delivered.
Mr. J. H. Leonard was public spirited and benevolent, and was always among the foremost in every measure of public utility. He was an original trustee of the academy and an elder in the Presbyterian church until his removal from the county in 1839. He was also post master at Lowville many years. He became deeply interested in the culture of the mulberry for silk after his removal, and died at Syracuse March 14, 1845. His remains were interred at Lowville. Mr. L., in May, 1805, married Mary, sister of Russell Parish, and his widow still survives. His brother Rodney died in West Mar- tinsburgh, Aug. 13, 1852, and brother Loren in Lowville. Francis Leonard, the youngest brother, resides in Brooklyn. Cornelius P. Leonard, cashier, and James L. Leonard, president of the bank of Lowville, and Francis K. Leonard of Harrisburgh, are sons of James H. Leonard.
Stephen Leonard settled in Lowville early in 1805, and has since, with the exception of a short interval, been engaged in mercantile business. As one of tlie firm of J. H. & S. Leonard, he was largely concerned in the manufac- ture of spirits, potash, &c., in milling, and in the trade in live stock; inci- dent to the former. The first distillery in Lowville was begun by this firm in the fall of 1804, and the last one in the county, which had belonged to them, was burned Feb. 16, 1842. He lias been many years a trustee of the academy, was an original trustee of the Presbyterian society of the village and from the first, with the exception of one year, has been treasurer of the Lewis county bible society. He marrried a daughter of Gen. W. Martin of Martinsburgh.
Chauncey Leonard, brother of Stephen L., died in Pennsylvania. Phineas, another brother, resides in Denmark, and Reuben died in Brantford, U. C.
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the only one in town, it is the largest in the county, afford- ing to the man of business or of leisure, one of the most eligible places of residence in northern New York.1
1 Of those who settled within this period in Lowville village, we may, with great justice enumerate, in addition to those already noticed, the following : Samuel Austin Talcott was born in Hartford, Ct., in 1790, graduated at Williams college in 1809, studied law, in part, with Thomas R. Gold, and came to Lowville in 1812 where he entered into a law partnership with Bostwick, and remained three or four years. He then removed to Utica, and his politics becoming favorable to the then republican party, he was ap- pointed Feb. 12, 1821, to the office of attorney general, which he held eight years. He died in New York March 19, 1836, the admiration and sorrow of his friends. Few men in our country have evinced more brilliant talents, a clearer perception of the great principles of law, or a more powerful and con- vincing eloquence than Mr. Talcott. His career was an impressive warning to those who apprehend no peril from the wine cup.
Ela Collins was born at Meriden, Ct., Feb. 14th, 1786, and died at Low- ville, N. Y., Nov. 23d, 1848. His parents were Gen. Oliver Collins and Lois Cowles. His father served seven years in the revolutionary war as an officer in the Massachusetts troops. Soon after the close of the war he removed to Oneida county, N. Y., and purchased a fine farm, near New Hartford, upon which he resided until his death, Ang. 14, 1838. At the beginning of the last war with Great Britain he held the commission of brigadier general and commanded during the war, the militia of Oneida, Jefferson and Lewis counties. He succeeded Gen Jacob Brown in the command of Sacketts Harbor, which position he retained till near the close of the war. Kla Collins was educated at the Clinton academy. He read law in the office of Gold & Sill, at Whitesboro, and commenced law practice at Lowville in 1807. He married Maria Clinton, daughter of the Rev. Isaac Clinton, July 11th, 1811. They had eleven child- ren. On the 15th of March, 1815, he was appointed district attorney for the district composed of Lewis, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties, which office he held several years, until the districts were reduced to single counties. He was then appointed to the same office for Lewis county, successively, until 1840, when he resigned, having held the office for 25 years. He was elected in 1814 a member of the assembly, and was in the legislature when peace was proclaimed. He was a member of the N. Y. Constitutional Convention of 1821. In 1822 he was elected from the double district of Lewis, Jefferson, St. Law- rence and Oswego, as a member of the 18th congress. He was secretary of the last congressional caucus for the nomination of president, when William H. Crawford was nominated. He was for many years a trustee of the Low- ville academy.
As a lawyer Mr. Collins attained a high position. He was an excellent and successful advocate and criminal prosecutor. His manner of presenting a case to a jury was clear, forcible and admirably fair. His speeches were always sensible, candid and to the point. And he had rare ability in present- ing the questions at issue, in stating the facts, and in argument upon them. His integrity was unsullied, and his manners were simple, cordial and unaf- fected. In politics he was a republican of the school of Jefferson. For seve- ral years he voted the local anti-masonic ticket. He was highly respected and popular throughout the section of the state where he was known. His sons are, William Collins, who studied law with his father, was appointed district attorney of Lewis county in 1845, and held two years, when he was elected to the 30th congress. He now resides in Cleveland, O. Francis Collins, another son, entered West Point academy, as cadet in 1841, became second lieutenant in the 4th artillery July 1, 1845, and first lieutenant by brevet, " for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Cherubusco " on the 27th of August, 1847. In the former of these he
Engraved by J.C Filtre
Plabolling.
Aufsell Parishy
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The first trial for a capital crime in the county, was that of Rachel, a servant of I. W. Bostwick, for setting fire to her master's house, and was held before Judge Platt, about 1821. The accused was about eighteen years old, and of bad temper, but as the damage had been slight, the public sympathy in her behalf was strong. The sentiment of that day had not favored commutations or pardons, and execu-
was wounded. He became first lieutenant, Sept., 1847, and resigned Dec. 11, 1850. He is now a lawyer at Columbus, O. Isaac C. Collins, youngest son of Ela, graduated at Yale college and resides at Cincinnati, O., where he holds the office of judge of the district and circuit court.
Russell Parish was born in Branford, Ct., Oct. 27, 1789, and graduated at Yale college in 1813, in the same class with Professor Fisher, who was lost in the Albion, Profs. Olmstead, Douglass and Mitchell, and Judges Badger, Longstreet and Kane, and other distinguished persons. He was employed in November of the same year as principal of the Lowville academy, and in 1814 he began the study of law with Mr. Bostwick. In due time he was admitted to the bar, and he spent the remainder of his life in Lowville, chiefly in the practice of his profession in which he was regarded as learned, judicious and able. In 1846 he represented the county in the convention for revising the constitution. He died Feb. 21, 1855, and the trustees of the academy and members of the bar testified their respect for his character by calling meetings to express their sympathy with his family and by attending his funeral in a body.
Charles Dayan was born July 16, 1792, at Amsterdam, N. Y., and is a son of Charles D., an Austrian emigrant, who died in 1793, leaving him an infant in charge of his widowed mother, in very indigent circumstances. He remained with Zaccariah Peterson till fourteen years of age, and went to Elliott's mills in Amsterdam, from whence, in August, 1809, he came to Lowville. After working at chopping, and upon Heman Stickney's oil mill (now Gen. Willard's factory), he began going to school at the academy. He was then entirely ignorant of the rudiments of learning and was placed at first in a class of small children, but by great industry and the aid of a Mr. Obits, an old friend of his father, in Germany, he made such rapid progress that in a few months he was able to engage a school in Rutland. He taught four winters in the same district at a monthly price of twenty bushels of wheat, which he sold at $2 per bushel. He entered Bostwick's law office in 1816, and in 1819 was admitted to practice.
From this time, till within a few years, he has been actively engaged in his profession at Lowville, except when withdrawn by the duties of the public offices to which he has been elected, having been at different times in part- nership with Edmund Henry, Hiram Carpenter, Russell Parish and Ziba Knox. In 1820 Mr. Dayan was appointed by Le Ray and the Brown family, an agent for settling certain lands east of the river, and he continued agent of the former until 1833. In 1826 he was elected to the state senate to serve out the unexpired term of two years, occasioned by the resignation of Geo. Brayton, and in the extra session, convened in the fall of 1828, to adopt the revised statutes, he was elected Oct. 7, president pro. tem. of the senate. As the office of governor was then filled by Pitcher, elected as lieutenant gover- nor, Mr. Dayan became charged with the duties of the latter office. He presided over the senate until its adjournment Dec. 10th, and was virtually lieutenant governor till Jan. 1, 1829
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