USA > New York > Franklin County > A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York : from the earliest period to the present time > Part 31
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York : from the earliest period to the present time > Part 31
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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 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84
In March, 1834, 116,8733 acres were sold in St. Lawrence and 28,323 acres in Franklin counties, amounting, in the latter, to $841-73 only. At this sale, Peter Smith bid off large amounts in these and other counties. In 1839, 43,164 acres in St. Lawrence and 65,881 acres in Franklin counties, were sold. In 1843, 93,690 acres in the former, and 45,457 acres in the latter.
These sales, which formerly took place at Albany, have, by a recent act of the legislature, been very judiciously transferred to the county seats. These lands have usually been sold at prices scarcely nominal.
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The following are examples: 17,140 acres, $185.09; 20,568 acres $263.02 ; 21,165 acres, $671.03.
The state is said to own considerable tracts, which have been forfeited for taxes.
Landholders' Reserves have very frequently been made in the northern counties, and generally apply to mines and minerals. In some deeds. these reserves embrace certain specific ores or minerals, and in others the reservations are extended to mill seats and mill privileges. A clause is commonly inserted, by which it is stipulated, that all damages arising from entering upon the premises, in pursuance of the conditions of the reservation, shall be paid.
This has undoubtedly, in some cases, operated as a drawback upon the mining interests, as the occupant, having no claims upon ores that might exist upon his premises, would feel no solicitude about their dis- covery; and even would take pains to conceal their existence, preferring the undisturbed enjoyment of his farm, to the annoyance and disturb- ance that might arise from mineral explorations.
These reservations of ores are superfluous, in sections underlaid by Potsdam sandstone, or any of the sedimentary series of rock that overlay this formation; as none have hitherto been discovered or suspected to exist in any of these rocks.
It is only in primitive rock, or along the borders of this and sediment- ary or stratified rocks, that useful ores have hitherto been discovered in this section of the state.
The Original Survey of Macomb's Purchase.
The following account of these surveys, was obtained from Mr. Gur don Smith, a pioneer settler, and one of the surveyors who run out the great purchase.
The north line of Totten and Crossfield's purchase, was run during the revolutionary war, by Jacob Chambers, and forms the southern boundary of the great tract.
The ten towns had been supposed to be surveyed, previous to 1799, but some of the lines, if ever marked, could not then be found, and a part of them were run out, under the direction of Benjamin Wright, of Rome, in 1799.
The outlines of the great tract had been surveyed by Medad Mitchell, and - Tupper; the former from New York, who laid out the great tracts numbers 1,2 and 3, but did not subdivide it into townships. On finishing their work, they were at the extreme south east corner of Franklin county, from whence they proceeded through the woods towards Rome, but bearing too far to the north, they crossed Black river,
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below the High falls, and when they first recognized their situation, were in the town of Redfield, Oswego county, where one of them had pre- viously surveyed.
When they reached Rome, they were nearly famished, having been several days on close allowance, and for a short time entirely destitute. From one of these surveyors, Tupper's lake, on the south border of the county, derives its name. In the winter of 1798-9, Mr. Benjamin Wright, originally from Connecticut, but then a young man, residing in Rome, and by profession a surveyor, obtained from the proprietors in New York, a contract for surveying the three great tracts of Macomb's purchase, into townships. He had been engaged from 1795 till 1798, in company with his cousin, Moses Wright, in surveying large tracts, and among others, the Black river tract, in Jefferson, Lewis, and Oswego counties.
From his excellent reputation as a surveyor, he was employed as a suitable person to superintend the survey of the great northern purchase.
Early in June, Mr. Wright, with a party of about twenty men, started by way of Oneida lake, and the St. Lawrence rivers, with a six handed bateau, to commence their operations at St. Regis. They left arrange- ments for three of their number, G. Smith, Moses Wright, and Ebenezer Wright, with eight other men, to come through the woods, to meet them at Penet's bay, now the village French Creek. The latter party started on the 11th of June, 1799, having been prevented by the absence of one of their number from getting off, till several days after the main part of the company had left; and arrived after a march of about four days, at the point designated, but instead of finding their companions, they found a letter, stating that after waiting in vain several days, they had gone down the river. With the exception of a small supply left for their support, they were destitute of provisions, but making a virtue of the necessity, they divided their little stock equally between them, and pulling down the little log cabin which had served for their shelter, and which was then the only tenement in the country, they made of its tim- ber, a raft, and following on, came to where some Canadian timber thieves were at work on the American shore, near the head of Chippewa bay.
Here they found provisions for supplying their most pressing hunger, and from hence they were taken in a boat to where Brockville now is, then a small settlement.
From this they proceeded to Oswegatchie where they overtook the others, and being assembled, they descended to St. Regis, to commence their operations at that place. At the head of the Long Saut, two of the number intimidated by the swiftness of the current, slipped out of the
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company, and attempted to gain St. Regis, by land, but on arriving at the mouth of Grass river, they were obliged to hire some Indians who were passing, to convey them to Cornwall, from whence they proceeded to St. Regis. A small party under the direction of G. Smith, was put on shore, to proceed by land from the Long Saut to St. Regis, to make a traverse of the river, who arrived two or three days later than those who proceeded by water.
The arrival of so many men upon their lands, at first greatly alarmed the Indians, who suspected evil designs upon their persons, or their property, and they assembled in arms, to repel them ; but at length, being satisfied that their designs were altogether peaceable, they were received and treated with much kindness. The names of those assembled at this place for surveying, were as follows:
Benjamin Wright, (principal surveyor), Gurdon Smith, Moses Wright and Ebenezer Wright, (the latter cousins of B. Wright,) Clark Putnam, E. Hammond, Benjamin Raymond, surveyors at the head of parties, and each having his lines assigned him. Each had two axe men to mark the lines, and two chain men. B. Wright, superintended the operations of the others, and had the direction of supplying the several parties with provisions, at camps, that were established at different points. He had his head quarters at the mouth of Raquette river.
One of the first duties to be done, was to explore the Raquette river, and ascertain how far that stream was navigable, and at what points it was most eligible to establish camps. To Mr. G. Smith, was assigned this duty, and he with two men, followed the shore as far up as the present village of Potsdam, and in consequence of this, and other . explorations, a camp was established at the present site of Norfolk village at the foot of the rapids on the west side; another near Coxe's Mills in Pierrepont; another at the Canton high falls; and another at Cooper's falls, in Dekalb, and at each of these a man was left to take charge of provisions.
In commencing operations, Mr. Wright found it a matter of the first importance, to ascertain the point where the line formerly run between the great lots of Macomb's purchase, intersected the south line on the southern border of the county.
To determine this, Mr. Hammond was despatched to find the point of intersection, but not only failed in this, but also was detained so long by various causes, that his absence became a serious source of uneasiness with those who were left. He at length came in nearly famished, having failed to accomplish his object.
Still in hopes of ascertaining these important data, Mr. Smith was next sent, with directions to make the most careful examinations, and
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not return until if possible, they were found. After traveling nearly as far as was necessary to reach the point, the party camped near a river to spend a night, in hopes of being so fortunate as to find the object of their search the following day. Next morning one of their party related a curious dream, which he had dreamed during the night, in which he re- lated, that they seemed to be traveling along, and carefully examining every object for land marks, when they came to a bog meadow, with scarcely any vegetation but moss, and that on a solitary bush which grew apart from all others, might be found the mark. This dream was treat- , ed with derision, but they had scarcely proceeded a quarter of a inile when they came to a marsh which the dreamer declared was like that which had appeared in his vision, and on careful examination, he detect- ed the bush and the mark, much to the surprise of all.
The manner in which this anecdote was related, leaves no doubt of its truth, and it remains a subject for the speculation of the physiologist to offer a solution. He might have heard it related casually, and years before, that such a mark had been made in such a place, and this, from its trifling nature, might have made no impression at the time, and was forgotten, but when it became an object of solicitude to ascertain it, the busy thoughts flitting through the mind in dreams, without the control of the will, and following each other in a succession of which we know no law or order, might have brought, unbidden, the welcome fact, long forgotten, and which no effort of memory in the waking state could have recalled. In [no other rational manner can this singular instance of apparent revelation be satisfactorily explained.
These different surveying parties, spent the summer in running some of the principal lines of the great purchase, meeting at times with great hardships, from exposure to the elements, want of provisions, and mis- understanding of instructions, from the imperfect knowledge possessed of the different lakes, streams, and rivers in the country.
Towards fall, the several parties proceeded back to Rome, where they all resided, some by water, and two parties, (Smith's and Raymond's) through the forest.
An incident occured in Mr. Smith's party, worthy of record. He had procured a supply of provisions, about 25 miles below [Tupper's lake, of a party who had been sent by Mr. Wright, for this purpose, and thence in pursuance of instructions he had turned back to the south line, and had proceeded on this, to the extreme south western corner of St. Lawrence county, where they camped for the night. In the morning, it being foggy and misty, two of his men had conceived that the course he proposed to take, in order to reach the High falls on Black river, (S. 25° W.) was not in the direction of their homes, notwithstanding the
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evidence of the compass, and peremptorily refused to accompany him. The course they proposed to take, was back on the south line towards Lake Champlain, and no argument or expostulation could convince them that they were in error.
Mr. Smith, endeavored to remonstrate, by showing that the line was obscure, and would soon be lost, and that they must then wander at ran- dom and perish in the forest, which had then no limits, but the St. Lawrence, Black, and Mohawk rivers. But finding entreaties vain, he divided his provisions equally between them, and they shouldered their knapsacks and started. At this trying moment, those that remained, tortured with fear that the missing men would be lost, and that their blood would be required at their hands, resolved to remain in the place they were a short time, in hopes that the deluded men would lose their course, and call for assistance before they had got beyond hailing dis- tance; and so it providentially proved, for their receding forms had scarcely disappeared in the distance, than, from the very anxiety they felt to keep their line, they became confused, and perplexed, and a faint shout in the distance conveyed back to those who remained, the joyful news that the misguided men had discovered their folly, in time to be saved.
Mr. Smith, who had been listening intensely to learn whether such would not be the result, instantly sprang upon his feet, and bidding his men remain in the place they were, he darted off in the direction of the cry, and at length overtook them, much to the relief of all parties.
Being by this time convinced of their error, and willing to trust that most reliable guide the compass, they willingly consented to follow the others, thankful for having discovered their folly in season.
Had not the others remained where they were, the two parties would have been beyond hailing distance, and the consequences must have been fatal.
The company on the third day, arrived at the High falls, having struck the road, then newly cut from that place to Brown's tract, at a point seven miles from the falls.
In May, 1800, Mr. B. Wright, Mr. M. Wright, G. Smith, and B. Raymond, returned with men by way of Lake Ontario, and finished during that season, the survey of their contract, embracing the first three great lots of Macomb's purchase.
The head quarters during this summer was also at St. Regis, but no- thing worthy of notice occurred. In the latter part of the summer, they returned home with their work finished.
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CHAPTER V.
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ORGANIZATION AND SETTLEMENT OF THE SEVERAL TOWNS.
ITH most persons, the adventures of the pioneer settler, and the privations and inconveniences experienced in forming a new settlement, possess a great degree of interest; and if we consult the annals of any people, or of any age, we shall find that the origin, and the first feeble beginnings, of a new settlement or colony, are those which have been described with the greatest minuteness, and read with the greatest interest. The idea of an ERA, or STARTING POINT, from which future events shall be dated, of itself pos- sesses an importance which engages the attention, and is afterwards re-' called as an occurrence not easily forgotten; and the magnitude of the enterprise, enhances the importance of the initial steps. On this princi- ple, the corner stone of the edifice, which is to be the pride of the archi- tectural art, is laid with imposing ceremonies; and the first discovery and occupation of a new country, has been by voyagers and discoverers, celebrated with such acts as were well calculated to fix the event in the memory, and add to the importance of the beginning of a new series of events.
Thus it is in the formation of new settlements; the commencement of a labor which is to change the wilderness to the cultivated field, and the difficulties encountered in effecting a lodgment in a forest, remote from sympathy or assistance, and exposed to all the hardships which such a situation imposes, has in it a species of merit which deserves to be com- memorated; and especially, if there be in this any self-sacrifice from principle, or for the good of others, or the exhibition of those traits of character which evince courage in the presence of danger, perseverance in defiance of obstacles, or the exercise of those ennobling traits of cha- racter which elevate and adorn the human mind, do they especially demand our favorable attention.
Entertaining such a view of the subject, the author has for several months, devoted his time exclusively to the laborious but pleasing task, of gleaning from the memories of the early inhabitants, and the scattered records of the various towns; from the periodical press, the records of
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societies, and from the public archives, the details which follow, in rela- tion to the origin, progress and present condition of the towns of these two counties. The difficulties which attend this class of researches, can be realized only by one who has experienced them. To patiently listen to the broken and disconnected narrative of the aged, whose sluggish memories are scarcely able to recall the incidents which marked their prime; to submit to the verbose and disjointed accounts of the illiterate, and the loose statements of those who talk at random; to guard against the impositions of those who have an interest to be promoted, and the misstatements of those who are themselves in error, and from these to select those parts which have worth, and reject the worthless, and to connect and arrange the whole in such a manner as to form a consistent and impartial narrative, requires an amount of labor which is very great.
It is hoped that these statements will be remembered should the reader observe any deficiencies or errors in the following pages.
St. Lawrence county, is at present divided into twenty-eight towns, which were organized on the following dates, and from the following towns.
BRASHER, taken from Massena, April 21, 1825
CANTON, taken from Lisbon, March 28, 1808.
COLTON, taken from Parishville, April 12, 1843.
DEKALB, taken from Oswegatchie, February 21, 1806.
DEPEYSTER, taken from Oswegatchie and Dekalb, March 24, 1825.
EDWARDS, taken from Fowler, April 27, 1827.
FINE, taken from Russell and Pierrepont, March 27, 1849.
FOWLER, taken from Rossie and Russell, April 15, 1815.
GOUVERNEUR, taken from Oswegatchie, April 15, 1810.
HAMMOND, taken from Rossie and Morristown, March 30, 1827.
HERMON,* taken from Edwards and Dekalb, April 17, 1830. HOPKINTON, taken from Massena, March 2, 1805.
LAWRENCE, taken from Hopkinton and Brasher, April 21, 1823.
LISBON, taken from (the Ten towns,) March 6, 1801.
LOUISVILLE, taken from Massena, April 5, 1810.
MACOMB, taken from Gouverneur and Morristown, April 30, 1841. MADRID, taken from Lisbon, March 3, 1802.
MASSENA, taken from Lisbon, March 3, 1802.
MORRISTOWN, taken from Oswegatchie, March 27, 1821.
NORFOLK, taken from Louisville and Stockholm, April 9, 1823.
OSWEGATCHIE, taken from Lisbon, March 3, 1802.
PARISHVILLE, taken from Hopkinton, March 18, 1814.
PIERREPONT, taken from Russell, April 15, 1818.
PITCAIRN, taken from Fowler, March 24, 1836.
POTSDAM, taken from Madrid, February 21, 1806. ROSSIE, taken from Russell, January 27, 1813.
RUSSELL, taken from Hopkinton, March 27, 1807.
STOCKHOLM, taken from Massena, February 21, 1806.
BRASHER. Was erected from Massena, April 21, 1825, and the first town meeting
* Under the name of DEPEAU, changed to HERMON 28, Feb. 1834
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was directed to be held at the house of Benjamin Nevin. The poor moneys of the towns, were to be divided agreeably to the last tax list. It originally embraced the greater parts of townships No. 17 and 18. By an act of April 11, 1827, all that part of No. 16 or Chesterfield, north of the south line of Stockholm, extended to the county line, was added, without the knowledge or consent of its inhabitants. The latter part was taken off in 1828, in forming the town of Lawrence.
Town Officers .- The following is a list of the first town officers, elected June 6, 1825. Benjamin Nevin, Supervisor ; David McMurphy, Town Clerk ; Wmn, Stowell, Jehiel Stevens, and Benjamin Watts, Assessors ; John Burroughs, David Richardson, and Peter Corbin, Commissioners of Highways ; Benjamin Watts, Constable and Collector; Francis Nevin, and David Richardson, Overseers of the Poor ; Luman Kibble, Jehiel Stevens, and Francis Nevin, Com'rs of Com. Schools ; David McMurphy, Benjamin Nevin, and Wm. Stowell. Inspectors of Schools.
Supervisors .- 1825, Benj. Nevin; 1826, David McMurphy; 1827-8; Jehiel Stevens; 1829, B. Nevin; 1830; J. Stevens; 1831-3, B. Nevin, 1834. J. Stevens; 1835-6, David Richardson; 1837-8, Nicholas Watts; 1839-41, J. Stevens; 1842-3, John Phelps; 1844-7, Joseph A. Jacobs, 1848-9, John Phelps; 1850-1, James H. Morse; 1852, Hannibal Andrews.
The town of Brasher derives its name from Philip Brasher, of Brook- dyn, who acquired by purchase at different times from the eight heirs of Thomas Marston, one of whom was his wife, a portion of the town. Mr. Marston had received his title, March 18, 1809, from G. V. Ludlow, Master in Chancery, and the tract thus conveyed, had been set off to Jonathan Dayton, in a division between Dayton, Gilchrist, and Fowler, in July, 1801. Mr. Brasher held for several years the office of alder- man, and member of assembly, and had been in the legislature for seve- ral years, previous to the time the town was organized. It was the in- tention of the petitioners that this town should bear the name of Helena, and as such the bill passed the assembly, but was altered in the senate. This town has at present three villages and post offices, which were es- tablished as follows: Helena, Feb. 13, 1827; Brasher Falls, July 22, 1840; and Brasher Iron Works, July 14, 1849.
This town embraces most of the townships of Grange and Cru- mack, and was subdivided into strips running north and south. McCor- inick, one of the proprietors, conveyed to Joseph Pitcairn by deed dated July 6, 1818, the middle part, and under this proprietor the settlement first began. The eastern part, which is known as the Chandler tract, of 12,235 acres, was conveyed by McCormick to Samuel Ward, Dec. 15,1794, and formed a part of 192,000 acres to which the latter became entitled on a division of the great purchase. It passed thence to Samuel Havens, of Dedham, Mass., Dec. 6, 1806, and in 1834 the tract was surveyed into 33 lots, and sold Aug. 10, 1842, to T. P.
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Chandler. The west third was confirmed by McCormick, Constable, and Macomb to Harrison and others, in a partition executed Jan 19, 1801, It ultimately became owned by Thomas Marston, and by inheritance and purchase by Brasher. The first improvement began in town was the erection of a saw mill on Deer river, and as was supposed on the Ha- ven tract, by G. B. R. Gove in 1815. The first actual settlement was made March 17, 1817, near the village of Helena, by several families who came on and settled under the agency of Russell Attwater, of Norfolk, who in that year erected a saw mill, which afterwards contained a grist mill, with a single run of stones. Benjamin Nevin succeeded as agent in May, 1819. There were then living in town the following men, and their families: Wm. Johnson, Amos Eldridge, Jeremiah Shuff, Enoch Hall, - Brown and Francis Nevin, a young man. A grist mill erected by Mr. Nevin, was burned in April 1828, but immediately re- built, and is the one now at Helena. The first religious meetings were held by the Methodists, and the Rev. Squire Chase, preached the first sermon in town. The settlement at the mouth of Deer river, received the name of HELENA, from Helen, only daugliter of Joseph Pitcairn. It was the intention of this proprietor to make the place his home, and he caused to be erected the large stone dwelling west of the village, for a residence, but domestic afflictions prevented him from carrying this in- tention into effect. This place is a small village, and a fall in Deer river, gives it a water power sufficient for common mechanical purposes.
Some importance was at an early day attached to the navigation of the St. Regis river in this town, and a boat capable of carrying ten barrels of potash, was run between Hogansburgh and the landing, seven miles below Brasher falls. The inhabitants of Stockholm and Hopkin- ton availed themselves of this communication, in reaching market. To promote this, an act of March 25, 1828, made it the " duty of the asses- sors of the town of Brasher, to designate in their next assessment all lands lying west of and within two miles of the St. Regis river, and above the place usually called the landing. The board of supervisors were authorized from this to levy a tax not exceeding twenty cents on an acre, in addition to the ordinary tax, to be expended by the road com- missioners of the town in improving the roads through these lands." By an act passed April 18, 1831, the board of supervisors were authorized and required to tax the town of Brasher $1,600 to rebuild two bridges over the St. Regis river, where the main road from Potsdam and Stock- holm to Hogansburgh passes through the town, This sum was not to be levied unless the same should have been previously fixed and de- termined upon by a vote of the freeholders and inhabitants, at a legal town meeting assembled.
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On Deer river two and a half miles from Helena, is the small manu- facturing village of Brasher Iron Works. The first beginning here, was about the 10th, of September, 1835, by Stillman Fuller, formerly from Fullerville Iron Works. Mr. Pitcairn had known of the existence of bog ores in this town, and induced Mr. F. to come and examine the ores, and if practicable to erect a furnace. The first contract run ten years, and allowed Mr. Fuller the sole right of digging ores on his tract, by paying a tribute of twenty-five cents a ton. The furnace at Norfolk had previously been in part supplied from this town, but the new contract cut them off from all further supplies from this quarter. A furnace was erected on the left bank of Deer river, which was 31 feet square on the ground, of the same height. Inside diameter, 7 feet. Lining, sandstone from Potsdam, which was found to answer the purpose of a firestone admi- rably. It was made a quarter furnace, and at first fed by a cold blast. It was got in operation and the first casting of iron made on the 29th of Octo- ber, 1836. The first blast continued till the last of January following, without delays or accidents, and about 250 tons were made on the first trial. At the end of the second blast, in the latter part of 1827, the pre- mises were sold to Isaac W. Skinner, from Buffalo, and R. W. Bush, of Ogdensburgh, under the firm of Skinner & Bush, who continued about three years. At this time, Wm. H. Alexander, of Syracuse, took the place of Bush, under the firm of Alexander & Skinner, who have con- tinued the business till the present time, with little interruption. It has been run exclusively on bog ore, mostly loam ore, which yields about twenty per cent, and makes a good quality of iron. The iron made has been partly exported in the pig, but since 1843, the greater part has been cast into stoves, and other castings, upon the premises. Two cupola furnaces have been erected, for remelting the iron for castings. About 1843, a machine shop was erected for finishing mill irons, and other ar- ticles, and a large amount of this business has been done here. A hot blast has been introduced, and is now used exclusively. The furnace has been three times burned. At the first of these burnings, the en- tire premises were consumed, but the latter only burned the casting house. Coal is obtained within from 1 to 3 miles, at a cost of about $4 per hundred bushels. Two brick coal kilns have been built, but their use here, as well as elsewhere, has been discontinued, the coal not being found to be of so good a quality as that burned in pits covered with earth in the usual way. Most of the inhabitants of this place are directly or indirectly dependent upon the iron works for employment. The sur- rounding country is much of it still a wilderness, the settlements being new and scattered, and presents an appearance of desolation from its
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