USA > New York > Franklin County > A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York : from the earliest period to the present time > Part 35
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 35
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This settlement long bore the name of Bristol's settlement, from the first settler.
The story of Putnam and the wolf, has been often quoted as an in- stance of the display of courage, which has elicited the admiration and excited the interest of every class of readers, but an occurrence which happened in this town, about the year 1821, may be regarded as perhaps equally worthy of our attention, although its hero never wore epaulettes, or shone in public life as a prominent character.
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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
A son of one of the pioneer settlers, who on sundry occasions had evinced that acuteness which led to his being called by his father, "his ingenious," was distinguished for nothing so much as for personal cour- age, and a disregard for consequences, in the attainment of his objects. This lad, being at the time of the incident about to be related, but seven- teen years of age, was out with a dog and gun hunting, late in the fall of the year. A light snow being on the ground, he discovered the tracks of an unknown animal, which he traced some distance, to a place where they entered a cave. Determined not to be hindered from the attainment of his object, and finding the opening of convenient size for entering, he crept in some distance, with gun in hand, keeping his dog behind him, until having reached a part of the cave where it was quite dark, he dis- covered at no great distance from him, two globes, of fire like brilliancy, which gleamed in the dim obscurity full upon him. He here paused, and bringing his gun to bear upon a point directly between them, he deliberately fired. His dog upon this, rushed past him to attack what- ever the enemy might be, while he retreated, and was soon followed by his dog. Hearing no noise, or signs of life within, he, after a short delay, again ventured into the den, and listened for some time, but heard no noise, and at length ventured up nearer, and groping in the dark, he laid his hand upon the paw of an animal, evidently dead, which he with much difficulty dragged out, and found to be a panther, of large size, which on being measured, was found nine feet four inches in length. The ball had entered a vital part of the brain, and proved instantly fatal.
The truth of the above narrative is vouched for by a very respectable authority, and it may be received as reliable.
Deer were at an early day, quite numerous here, and still occur in the forest which extends through portions of this town, and the adjoining sections of Macomb, Gouverneur and De Kalb. It is said that on one occasion, five were shot by a hunter within a brief interval, without re- moving from the place in which he stood.
Many of the inhabitants of De Peyster and vicinity, having been much annoyed by wolves, in the fall of 1836, a public meeting was called on the 17th of December, of that year, and a committee of about forty ap- pointed to make arrangements for a general wolf hunt, on an appointed day, and advertised in the county papers, inviting citizens generally to attend and participate in the enterprise.
Religious societies .- Besides the one above mentioned, two others have been incorporated. The First Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in De Peyster, Oct. 23, 1827, Bela Bell, Luke Dean and Joshua Sweet, trustees; and the First Congregational Society of De Peyster, July 29, 1850, John Humphrey, Joseph McCoy, and Chester Dyke, trustees.
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AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES.
EDWARDS
Was organized from Fowler, April 27, 1827, and at first comprised townships, Nos. 8 and 4, or Edwards and Fitz William, now Hermon. The first town meeting was held at the house of Wm. Martin. The township of Fitz William, was taken off in erecting Depeau, and by an act of the board of supervisors, passed November 17, 1852, all that part of the town of Hermon, situate at the north east corner, known as the south end of the east third of township number 4, of great tract number 3 of Macomb's purchase, being subdivision lots, numbered 32 to 37, according to Ashman's old survey, was annexed to the town of Edwards. This act took effect on the first of February, following, and gave the town of Edwards its present limits.
First Town Officers, 1827 .- Orra Shead, supervisor ; John C. Haile, clerk ; J. C. Haile, Asa Brayton, Jr., Wm. Teall, assessors ; Roswell Lillie, Arba Collisier, Peleg Haile, commissioners of highways ; J. C. Haile, Asa Phelps, Wilkes Richardson, commissioners of schools ; Warren Streeter, Guy Earl, overseers of poor ; J. C. Haile, George Allen, Wm. Teall, in- spectors of schools.
Supervisors .- 1827-8, Orra Shead; 1829, Wm. Teall; 1830-3, Orra Shead ; 1834-35, Hubbard Goodrich ; 1836-40, John C. Haile; 1841-2, J. B. Pickit; 1843-5, Ingraham Winslow; 1846-7, James Noble; 1848, I. Winslow; 1849, Elijah Shaw; 1850, J. B. Pickit; 1851, Elijah Shaw; 1852, Horace Barnes.
This town derives its name from Edward McCormick, a brother of Daniel McCormick, the patentee of tracts 1 and 2. of the great purchase. He was a sea captain, in the East India trade, and was for many years, engaged in voyages between New York and various ports in the Indies.
Edwards was surveyed in the summer of 1806, by Reuben Ashman of Russell, and subsequently settled by agents of Joseph Pitcairn and A. O. Brodie. Mr. Pitcairn received his title from McCormick, and in his will dated May, 9, 1837, made Mr. Brodie his executor and heir. The town of Pitcairn has the same ownership and title.
In January, 1812, Asa Brayton and family, made the first location in this town, on the line of the St. Lawrence turnpike. This road had been commenced in 1810, and was built in this and the two following years, and from this improvement, the first settlement of several of the towns in the county date. The portion through Edwards, was built by Enos Chapin, contractor, Joseph M. Bonner, John Britton, Samuel and Elijah Jones, and several families by the name of Johnson, settled in 1812-13. In 1814, Orra Shead, from Russell, built a grist mill.
The first death in town, was that of - Partridge, who was killed by an accident at a raising, in 1813. The first birth in town, was that of John B. Brayton, a son of Asa Brayton, in the fall of 1812. In 1817, the set-
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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
tlement was considerably increased by several Scotch emigrants, among whom were Robert Watson, Robert Brown, Alexander Noble, William Cleveland, Alexander Laidlaw, Alexander Kerr and James Grieve. In 1819, George Allen arrived as an agent for Mr. Pitcairn, having been pre_ ceded in this office by Phineas Attwater.
Near the south border of the town, is a settlement known as South Ed- wards. The earliest settlement here was made by Job Winslow, in the fall of 1824, who at that time, came in from Potsdam, and erected a saw mill. He had visited the place the year previous, and purchased a farm around the falls, where he afterwards built. In 1825, he erected a grist mill. In March 1825, Elijah Shaw settled in the vicinity, and became the first merchant. From him, the settlement is sometimes named Shawville. The village is situated on the west branch of the Oswegatchie, and at present contains a new and very fine grist mill, a saw mill, tannery, carding and cloth dressing works, store, and a few mechanic shops. It is on the mail route from Edwards to Lowville. On the Oswegatchie river, below Edwards village, in 1830, was erected a furnace, 24 feet square, 28 feet high, 63 feet inside diameter, by A. Freeman. It was run about six blasts, and was burned in 1847. At first it used the cold blast, but from 1840 the hot blast was employed. A part of the iron was made into castings on the premises, and the ores used were bog ore from this town, and specular ore from the Kearney and Little York mines. In 1842 or 3, a forge was built, and run two or three years.
Religious Societies .- The Methodists first organized with but four mem- bers, and held the first religious meetings in town. In 1827, the Chris- tian denomination effected an organization in South Edwards, under Elder Isaac Banister, and he remained its pastor till his death, January 15, 1852. This society has always been small, and the present number is about 25. The First Congregational Church and Society in Edwards, was formed May 10, 1828. Calvin Phelps, Robert Watson, John White- head, Levi W. Gleason, Arba Collister, Orra Shead and Robert Brown, being the trustees. A union church was built in the village, by the Pres- byterians, Baptists and Methodists, at a cost of $1000, in 1850.
FINE
Was erected March 27, 1844, from Russell and Pierrepont, and made to embrace No. 14, or Bloomfield, No. 12, or Scriba, and the south half of No. 9, or Sarahsburgh, in the former town, and No. 15, or Emilyville, in the latter. The funds belonging to the respective towns, were to be equitably divided, and the first town meeting to be held at school house No. 20. It received its name from the Hon. John Fine, of Ogdensburgh, who is interested in an extensive tract in the town, and under whom the first settlement was begun. The supervisors have been, 1844-5, Amasa I. Brown; 1846-50, Daniel Truax ; 1851, A. I. Brown ; 1852, D. Truax.
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This town is one of the newest and least settled in the county of St. Lawrence. The principal settlement is in the east half of Scriba, which is owned by the Hon. John Fine, and James Averell, of Ogdensburgh, Wm. H. Averell, of Otsego Co., and Frederick De Peyster, of New York city. The first settlement was commenced by Elias Teall, who on the 24th of October, 1823, made a contract with the proprietors of the east half of the township of Scriba, and undertook to establish settlers on the tract. He built a mill on a branch of the Oswegatchie, erected a log house, made some improvements, and got some inhabitants to come on, but did not succeed in his undertaking. On the 6th of September, 1828, James C. Haile, made a contract with the proprietors, and erected a saw mill on the Oswegatchie, and a small grist mill, of one run of rock stones, without bolt or other appendages; built a house and barn, and got in more settlers. In May, 1833, he also left the settlement, having been abandoned by his settlers.
In February, 1834, Amasa I. Brown, made a contract with the owners, for the Haile improvements, with an additional tract of land, and on the 28th of March, of that year, he moved his family into the town, having no neighbors nearer than ten miles distant. In a few weeks he was followed by one G. Luther, who had previously attempted a settlement, and in the autumn of the same year, two more joined them, making four families who wintered in town the first season. About twenty persons took up land that fall, although but three or four ever came on to settle. At this time the owners of the west half of No. 12, and of No. 9 and 14, were intending to take measures to commence the settlements of their lands, but the rage of speculation then tended to the west, and their proposed measures were not carried into effect. This left the settlers in the east- ern part of the town, exposed to much hardship, for the unsettled parts lay between them and their neighbors, in South Edwards and Pitcairn, and no roads existed through the forest but such as they made themselves. This inconvenience, joined with a series of unpropitious seasons, tended to keep back the settlement, and impoverish its inhabitants, so that num- bers left, and there now remains of that first immigration, but two or three families. Others, however, came in to take the places of those that got discouraged and left, and in 1843, there were 43 or 44 voters, besides 5 or 6 aliens. In 1843 they petitioned for an incorporation as a town, but failed, but the next year they succeeded. The first town meeting was held June 18, 1844, at which the following town officers, were elected :
A. I Brown, supervisor; Joseph M. Beckwith, town clerk; J. M. Beckwith, James Marsh and Elijah C. Hill, assessors ; John K. Ward, collector ; John Marsh, George Young and William H. Perkins, com- missioners of highways ; A. I. Brown, I. M. Beckwith and Elijah C. Hill, justices of the peace.
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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
From this time forward, the settlement has slowly but steadily im- proved, and they have a tolerably good road through to South Edwards, on each side of the Oswegatchie. They have a road now in contempla- tion, from the western part of the settlement, to run a southwesterly course, and communicate with the navigation on Black river. It has been laid to the county line, by the road commissioners, and some im- provements made towards opening it.
On the 15th of April, 1814, a law was passed to construct a road from Turin to Emilyville, to intersect the Albany road, and commission- ers appointed with power to tax adjacent lands; and in 1816, a further appropriation was made, but this route was never opened.
The legislature, at its session of 1852, passed an act providing for opening a road from the old St. Lawrence turnpike, in the town of Pierrepont, to intersect the Carthage and lake Champlain road. This route has already been laid from Pierrepont to the old Watson road, in Herkimer county, and would have been continued through, had the line between Herkimer and Lewis counties been known. This line passes on or near the east bounds of townships Nos. 9, 12 and 14, and through the eastern settlements in Fine. When these roads are opened, and the proposed state improvements, in progress of construction, are completed, the inhabitants in this secluded portion of the county will enjoy good advantages for markets. Many of the inhabitants, from
narrow and short sighted views, are said to be opposed to both of these roads, but when completed, they can not fail to greatly promote the prosperity of the town. The soil of the town of Fine is generally a gravelly loam, with much of its surface broken; but most, susceptible of cultivation. The timber is much of it beech and maple, with birch, spruce and hemlock, interspersed with elm, ash and cherry. The country is well watered, and from its elevated situation, it is not subject to local causes of disease, and is remarkably healthy. The Oswegatchie here affords an abundance of water power, and iron ore is said to abound, so that this town possesses within itself resources that will eventually place it on an equality with most of adjoining and older settled districts. There is a saw mill five miles from South Edwards, and another in the east part of the settlement. A grist mill is contemplated another season, which will answer the purposes of the settlers.
The author is indebted to Mr. Amasa I. Brown, for assistance in pre- paring the above notice.
FOWLER
Was formed from Rossie and Russell, embracing Kilkenny (No. 7), and Portaferry (No. 11), April 15, 1816, the first town meeting to be
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held at the house of Noah Holcomb. The poor moneys of the respect- ive towns were to be equitably divided. At the time of its erection, No. 7 constituted school district No. 3, of Rossie. On the 10th of April, 1818, the townships of Edwards and Fitz William, previously in Russell, were attached to Fowler. These have since been taken off in the erec- tion of Edwards. In forming Pitcairn, in 1836, a triangular portion of No. 11, lying west of a line commencing three miles S. E. of the W. point of said township, and running at right angles to the S. W. line till it intersected the line of No. 7 was retained by Fowler, and these limits it has since maintained.
On the division of the Great tract, No. 7 fell to Gilchrist and Fowler. On the 3d of August, 1810, the former conveyed his share to the latter (Clerk's office, b. iii, p. 129), and Theodosius Fowler, on the 15th of May, 1821, conveyed to his son, T. O. Fowler (1b., b. vi, p. 75), under whom the most of the town has been settled.
The town received its name from Theodosius Fowler, of New York, who was a captain in the continental army of the revolution. He re- ceived his commission as ensign in February or March, 1776, and was promoted to a second lieutenant on the 10th of August, to be first lieu- tenant after November 21. In June, 1778, he was raised to the rank of captain at first in the 1st N. Y. regiment, but in 1780, he was transferred to the 2d regiment, in which he served till the close of the war; not being absent in all fifty days, either in winter or summer. He was pre- sent and took a part in the battles of Long Island, Saratoga, Monmouth and White Plains, and shared the hardships of the camp at Valley Forge and Morristown, and the expeditions against the Indians of west- ern New York, under Colonels Van Schaick and Willet, in 1779, and of General Sullivan, in the summer of the same year. During the year 1780, the New York line of five regiments was reduced to two, com- manded by Colonel Van Schaick and General Van Cortland, to the latter of which Captain Fowler was assigned. In the fall of 1781, these were ordered to Virginia, and aided in the capture of the British at Yorktown.
We have been under the necessity of condensing the above, from a minute and extended account, written by Mr. Fowler himself, which we had prepared for this work, and was loaned the author by the Hon. E. Dodge, of Gouverneur.
First Set of Town Officers .- Theodosius O. Fowler, supervisor ; Sim- eon Hazleton, clerk; Noah Holcomb, Elvan Cole, Benjamin Brown, assessors ; John Parker, Noah Holcomb, com'rs of highways; Noah. Holcomb, Benj. Brown, overseers of the poor ; Simeon Hazleton, Samuel B. Sprague, overseers of highways; Alvan Wright, constable and col-
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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
lector ; Alvan Wright, Simon Hazleton, Elam Cole, com'rs com. schools ; Theodosius O. Fowler, Jedediah Kingsley, Richard Merrill, inspectors of common schools.
Supervisors .- 1817. Theodosius O. Fowler; 1818, (Feb. 19,) Benjamin Brown to fill vacancy, 1815, 21, Eben Cole; 1825-9, Justus Pickit; 1830, Stillman Fuller, 1831-2, J. Picket; 1833-4, S. Fuller; 1835-6, William Hurlbut; 1837-8, J. Pickit; 1839-41, Henry H. Haile; 1842-3, Asa L. Ha- zleton; 1844-5, Alfred Burt; 1846-7. Heman Fuller, 1848-9; Addison Giles; 1850-1, Thomas T. Hazleton. 1852, E. W. Abbott.
In 1824, the town agreed to raise a bounty for wolves and wild cats agreeably to the late law. This is the only record of any votes having been taken by the town, for the destruction of noxious animals.
The first settlement in the town of Fowler, was made by Brigadier General James Haile, from Fairfield, Herkimer Co., who came into town to explore, and who purchased of Richard Townsend, agent for Gil- christ and Fowler, in the month of June, 1807, a tract one mile square, on the ground where the little village of Hailesboro now stands, under obligations to build mills within a year. In the fall of the same year, he came on with several men, to commence the erection of mills. One Capt. Ward, was millwright. and a Capt. Robinson, carpenter. A saw mill was built the same fall, and a small grist mill, with one run of stones attached to it, was also got into operation in 1808. The latter was swept away by a freshet in 1809, and rebuilt the following year. Timothy Campbell, was the millwright employed to build the second mill, which contained but one run of stones till 1819, when another was added. In 1844, the present mill was erected in a most superior man- ner, containing three run of stones, to which a fourth is about to be added. Mr. Elijah Sackett, from Hartford, N. Y., came into town in 1808, and was employed as a miller, until his death, in the spring of 1812. He was the first white person who is known to have died in town. Lemuel Arnold, John Ryan, - Cleveland, Ebenezer Parker, and others, came on and settled soon after, and in 1811, Samuel B. Sprague, made the first stand in the neighborhood of Little York. Albin & Oliver Wright, were early settlers.
During the war several families left the country from fear of Indians, nor did the town begin to settle rapidly until 1820. Early in 1818, Gen. Haile moved into town with his family, having only come on himself, in the summer time previously. He resided here till his death, Dec. 17 1821.
In 1825, a mill was erected at Hailesboro, by Jasper Clark, for sawing the white limestone, which abounds in the vicinity. The business was carried on by him, and continued by A. Giles, for several years. It was
.
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used for tomb stones, building stones, sills and caps for windows, and for jambs of fire places. The coarsely crystalized structure of this stone, has been found to render it unsuitable for lettering and the finer kind of orna- mental work, but for the heavier uses of building, and especially for the manufacture of lime, it has no equal. The natural water privileges of Hailesboro, are superior. Within a distance of half a mile, the Oswe- gatchie river descends 84 feet, and within a mile above it has an equal descent, so that the same water could be used repeatedly, and such is the nature of the channel, at the island, in the village, that the supply can be regulated, and every liability to injury from floods avoided. In the lowest stages of the water, it is estimated that sufficient water flows in the river at this place, to drive eight run of mill stones. During a part of the year, the supply is much greater. A small mill with two saws, has recently been built about a mile above, and at the village a grist mill, saw mill, clothing works, wagon shop, &c., are erected. It has a tavern, store, the usual variety of mechanic shops, and about twenty families.
The first marriage in the town of Fowler, was Mr. John Parker, to Miss Elizabeth S. Sackett, in 1812. The first birth was in the family of Merrills. A small settlement began to be formed at the present village of Little York during the war, which received its name from the circumstance of the capture of Toronto (which then bore this name), at about the same time. The neighborhood is without the advantages which a water power confers, and is but a centre for the local business of a portion of the town. The village of Fullerville Iron Works, is situ- ated on the Oswegatchie, three mills from Little York, and nine from Gouverneur.
The earliest settlement in this vicinity was made by John Parker, about three quarters of a mile below that place, where the St. Lawrence turnpike originally crossed the Oswegatchie in the year 1812. In 1813 he erected a saw mill at the falls in the present village of Fullerville, which being burned, was rebuilt in 1823-4. In 1826, a grist mill was erected by S. Fuller & Co, and sold in 1838, to Rockwell Bullard and company, who rebuilt the mills, which are the same that still remain.
In 1832, Sheldon Fuller, Stillman Fuller, Heman Fuller and Ashbell Fuller, brothers, originally from Ferrisburgh, Vt., but for eight years previous engaged at the Rossie iron works, came here, and commenced the erection of a blast furnace; and after them the place received its name. A furnace, erected by the firm of S. Fuller & Co., was about 30 feet square, on the ground, and 40 feet high, and was first got in operation in August, 1833. Their first operations were commenced on the ore from the vicinity of Little York, of which they used about 1,000 tons, and
1
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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
this was the first ore raised from that mine. Subsequently several thousand tons of bog ore, obtained from swamps in the Fine tract, from two to three miles distant, in the town of Edwards, were used. During the first years of their operations, a great number of experiments were made, upon ores from numerous localities, the greater part of which failed in producing useful results. The presence of sulphur and various impurities, rendered many kinds of the ores tried entirely valueless for the manufacture of iron. Besides the ores above mentioned, those from the Kearney mine, in Gouveneur, the Keene or Thompson mine, in Antwerp (both red specular ores), and the magnetic or primitive ores of Pitcairn and Clifton, have been used at this furnace. The pig iron made here, has principally been sold to cupola furnaces, in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties; and from its softness, is much prized for castings, as it will admit of the mixture of old iron, and that which from repeated melting has become hard.
The amount made at this furnace, as near as can be ascertained, is as follows:
By S. Fuller & Co.,
about 600 tons, at two blasts.
By Fullers & Maddock,
1,700
«
By H. Fuller & Co.,
1,200
at four blasts.
By Fullers & Peck,
3,000 66 at five blasts.
Total number, 6,500
The furnace was rebuilt by the latter company, in 1846, and a hot blast subsequently used. Previous to this, the furnace was supplied by the cold blast. About 133 bushels of coal have been required to make a ton of iron, by the cold blast; and 125 by the hot blast. Iron made by the latter process will not chill; but it is here thought to make more iron from a given quantity of ore, and the process of separation is much accelerated. At Fullerville are two forges for making malleable iron from ore, scrap and pig iron. The first, adjoining the furnace, was erected in 1835, by the Fullers, contains three fires, and is capable of making 1,200 pounds per day. Previous to 1846, it was worked about two-thirds of the time, and since, about three months in a year. In 1840, Edwin Rockwell, Luther Bullard, Chester H. Benfon and Oliver Benton, under the firm of Rockwell Bullard & Co., erected a forge on the east bank of the river, which contained two fires, and was run very steadily for two or three years, and since that time by different parties more or less every year, till within one or two years. It is thought that magnetic ore makes the best bar iron, although that from the specular or red ores is soft, tough and suited to every purpose for which this useful
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