USA > New York > Franklin County > A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York : from the earliest period to the present time > Part 36
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 36
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metal is applied. It has much local celebrity, and all the bar iron made at this place has been consumed within thirty miles of these forges .*
As no rolling mills have been erected, the iron is drawn out under a trip hammer. Coal for supplying the furnace and forges is obtained from within 1 to 5 miles, and the distances to several neighboring mines are as follows: to Kearney's and to Thompson's, 11 miles; to Tait's, in Hermon, 20 miles; to Pitcairn (Jayville), 15 miles; to Clifton mine, 21 miles; to Little York, 3 miles; to bog ore swamps, 2 to 3 miles.
The Fowler Library was incorporated April 12, 1831. Simeon Hazel- ton, Justus Pickit, George Draper, Charles C. Edgerton, Gaylord Graves, Theodosius O. Fowler, Reuben Wright, trustees.
Religious Societies .- The Baptist church of Fowler was organized February 9, 1822, and at the time of its formation, embraced 13 members, all of whom united by letter. This number was soon after increased, by baptism, until it amounted to forty, of whom twenty-one at present belong to the church. The first clergyman employed, was Elder Jona- than Paine. In December, 1822, Elder Noah Barrell was employed to preach a quarter of the time for one year. Elder William Gorrey commenced preaching in May, 1828, and remained until the close of May, 1831. The Rev. Mr. Gurnsey soon after was employed, end con- tinued a year, when his place was supplied by Elder Wilkey (June, 1833). Elder Brand was afterwards invited to preach (May, 1836), and remained two years. Elder John Peck was invited to preach September 6, 1838, and left in November, 1840. Elder David Deuland was em- ployed in March, 1843, and remained for one year. He was subsequently again invited to preach for one year. In September, 1851, Elder Nicols was employed to preach a part of the time. A church edifice was erected in the village of Fullerville, in 1835.
The foregoing data were furnished by Mr. Kentfield, the present clerk.
The Antwerp and Fowler Baptist society was incorporated December 31, 1825, James N. Graves, Peter Sigourney and Moses Burge, trustees. The church edifice of this society is in Jefferson county, near the line, and at Steele's corners. A Free Will Baptist church has existed for many years in the west part of the town. They have recently erected a church edifice.
A Presbyterian church and society was formed at Fullerville, about 1833, consisting of ten or fifteen members, and a church was erected. Most of the members having moved away, the organization has been lost for several years. The Rev Mr. Batchelor, from Hermon, officiated here as clergyman for a time.
The Little York Universalist society was formed March 22, 1841, Jabez Glazier, Leman Fuller, Simeon Hazleton, Albert A. Vedder and John P. Ryon being the first trustees. They own a church which, in the census of 1850, is reported worth $1,000.
* The experience of those who have dealt in this vicinity, might possibly establish the fact, that bar iron has, to some degree, served as a currency, or circulating medium, to facilitate trade. The advocates of hard money might here find arguments, both pro and con, in refer- ence to this great national question.
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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
GOUVERNEUR,
Was formed from Oswegatchie, April 5, 1810, and embraced the town- ship of Cambray, until the recent division in erecting Macomb. It at this time contained 223 inhabitants, of which 30 were senatorial voters. An effort was made in 1841 to form a new town out of parts of this, De Kalb and Hermon, but failed. The first town meeting was held at the house of Jolin Spencer, at which the following officers were elected:
Richard Townsend, supervisor; Amos Comly, town clerk; Rufus Washburn, Isaac Morgan, Pardon Babcock, assesors; Amos Comly, Benj. Smith, Ephriam Case, commissioners highways; Jonathan S. Col- ton, Israel Porter, overseers of poor; Barnabas Wood, constable and collector ; Jonathan S. Colton, Isaac Morgan, fence viewers ; Israel Por- ter, pound master.
Supervisors .- 1811-4, Richard Townsend; 1815-9, John Brown; 1820-1, Israel Porter; 1822-6, Aaron Atwood; 1827-35, Harvey D. Smith ; 1836, Almond Z. Madison ; 1837, Harvey D. Smith; 1838, Almond Z. Madison; 1839-41, William E. Sterling; 1842, Peter Van Buren; 1843, Wm. E. Sterling; 1844-5, Peter Van Buren; 1846-9, Geo. S. Winslow; 1850-2, Charles Anthony.
Memoranda from the Records .- March 5, 1811, voted that Ephraim Case, Rufus Washburn, Pardon Babcock, Jonathan S. Colton and Benjamin Smith, be appointed a committee to superintend the destruction of nox- ious weeds, and any person who may discover any of these shall give notice to one of the above committee, on whose farm such weeds are growing; and it shall then be the duty of the committee man to go and give such person warning that such weeds are growing on his farm, and the place where they grow, and if such person do not cut such weeds in the month of June, so as to prevent their going to seed (provided such warning be given previous), shall forfeit and pay to said committee five dollars, the one half to go to the informant, and the other half to be paid into the hands of the overseers of the poor in this town for the support of the poor, and that this committee shall be allowed at and after the rate of $1 per day for their services in giving notice of the growth of such weeds. 1814. Voted that the block house be sold at vendue, and the avails applied to build a house of public worship. 1824, Nov. 25. Special town meeting to vote on receiving part of Rossie to this town. Resolved not to receive petition. 1828. "Since it is understood that cer- tain persons in Potsdam, will give $3000 for public buildings, and since we are convinced that at no distant day the county will be divided; there- fore. Resolved, On condition of $3000 granted as above, that we recom- mend the location of the county building at that place. 1829. The sale of the gospel and school lots for school fund advised. 1835. Voted to remove the burying ground in the village. Rescinded in 1838. 1839. Trustees of academy requested to petition the legislature for an appro- priation of $2000 to be refunded by a tax within 4 years, to rebuild the academic building destroyed by fire Jan. 1, 1839. A very full town meet- ing voted for this, but five or six dissenting. 1839. Resolved that the county poor house system ought not to be abolished. 1841. Protest against any division of the town at present. The only division practi- cable is Beaver Creek, and the creation of a new town between that creek and Black lake. 1841, Aug. 18. The fund derived from the sale
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of the gospel and school lot divided between Macomb and Gouverneur, as follows: to Macomb $281.38, to Gouverneur $2,082-37. 1842. Vote against the erection of a new town from parts of Gouverneur, De Kalb and Hermon, 1843. The town petitioned for the abolition of the office of deputy superintendent of schools. 1844. Resolves against the division of the town again passed, and in favor of the formation of a new' county from Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence. 1845. A committee of five to report on the expediency of erecting a town house. May 6, a special town meeting convened to hear the report of the committee which was in favor of the measure. [This plan failed from efforts made to secure its location west of the river.] 1846. A town map to be procured for the town and a copy to be deposited in the county clerk's office. In 1847 resolved to keep both copies. 1850. Resolved to sustain the resolution of the board of supervisors restoring the distinction between town and county poor. Wolf bounties were offered in 1819, 1820 and 1821, of $5, and in 1840 of $10, with half these sums for wolf's whelps. Fox boun- ties of 50 cents in 1820-1. In 1822, 25 cents penalty for every goose running in the highways.
Gouverneur and Morristown were named from Gouverneur Morris, an early and extensive proprietor in the lands of Northern New York. He was born at Morrisania, Westchester co., Jan. 31, 1752, and educated at Columbia college. At an early age he engaged in the political discussions of the day, and became a member of the provincial congress, and a dele- gate to the convention that framed the first constitution of the state. A few years after the war, he repaired to France on commercial business, and remained in Europe several years; during a portion of which time he held the office of minister from the United States to the French court. During his residence there he was a witness to the excesses of the French revolution, and incurred much personal danger in the discharge of the duties of his office. In 1798 he returned home with a justly acquired ce- lebrity as a statesman, and with enlarged and liberal views acquired from extensive travel and careful observation upon European affairs, and was soon afterwards elected to fill a vacancy in the United States senate. On the death of Washington he delivered an oration in New York, at the request of the corporation, and it fell to his lot to perform the same duty to the memory of Hamilton and the elder Clinton. Mr. Morris died Nov. 6, 1816. An injury which he sustained by a fall from a carriage 'in 1780, deprived him of a leg, which was supplied by one of wood.
His life and writings by Jared Sparks form three octavo volumes, and to these the reader is referred for a minute account of this celebrated man.
In the summer of 1805, Dr. Richard Townsend, of Hartford, Washı- inton co., having procured of Gouverneur Morris of New York, an agency for the sale and settling of his lands in Cambray, started with several men, his neighbors, to visit the tract, and make arrangements for
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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
beginning a settlement. The party consisted of Richard Townsend, Isaac Austin, Willard Smith, Pardon Babcock, Ambi Higby, John Alden and Morris Mead, the latter a surveyor. They proceeded to the head of Lake George, and thence with map and compass, and with three days pro- visions, they struck into the woods on a course which they supposed would bring them to their destination. Several incidents of interest happened to the pioneers on their journey. On one occasion having caught some fish in the morning, their dogs (two fine mastiffs), by their barking and manner, indicated that they were followed by some wild animal. On the approach of night, they built a row of fires, within which they camped, having placed their fish in the branches of a tree much elevated above the ground. In the morning, these were gone, and the tracks around the roots indicated that they had been followed by one or more large panthers.
They were seven days on the route, suffering towards the last from want of provisions, and first came into clearings in the Smith settlement in De Kalb. The sound of a bell attached to an ox, first indicated their approach to clearings, and by following this they were led into the set- tlement, where several men were chopping. One of the party hailed the owners of the cattle with a complaint that they had broken into and injured his cornfield, for which he demanded compensation.
The surprise of the settlers was unbounded, upon seeing a company of men emerge from the depths of the forest, and they could scarcely credit the story that they had traversed the wilderness from Lake George, with no guide but their compass, and an outfit of only three days pro- visions. The party thence proceeded on to Gouverneur, arriving just be- low the present village, and after a short stop most of them proceeded down, and crossing near the present Kearney bridge, returned by way of the Black river country to their homes, having been absent about three weeks. Townsend, Austin, Smith, and others, visited the town again late in the fall, proceeding on horseback by the Black river road as far as Boon's upper settlement, where they were obliged to leave their horses from the badness of the roads. Arriving by the route of the state road to Lee's tavern, three miles north of Antwerp, they proceeded thence to their destination on the Oswegatchie, where its placid course was broken by a small cascade, and its channel divided by two beautiful green islands, in the present village of Gouverneur. Here they constructed a float of logs, and crossed, arriving at their destination about the middle of Octo- ber. A surveyor (Col. Edsall, of Madrid), was procured, and several farms surveyed, and slight beginnings made, when the party returned home by the route they came. In February 1806, Pardon Babcock, Wil-
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lard Smith, Eleazer Nichols, and Isaac Austin, with their families, the wife of the latter being borne an invalid, in a cradle, the whole journey, arrived at Antwerp, on their way to Cambray, with the view of making a permanent settlement. Here their families were left a few days, while the men went forward to erect a shanty and provide accommodations. One Jershom Matoon, was keeping an inn at Antwerp at this time, and his was the only house in the place. It was a very humble log cabin, with but one room, which served every purpose of bar room, bed room, parlor, kitchen, and dining room, was without a chimney, and destitute of every accommodation properly so called.
A slight shelter having been erected, these four families proceeded to take possession, and crossing on the ice near the site of the Kearney bridge, they arrived at their home, which was found to be an open shed covered with boughs. This stood in the present road in front of Elwis E. Austin's present dwelling house. On the next day, a flat roofed log shanty, open on one side, and covered with wooden troughs, after the manner still occasionally seen in sugar camps, was erected; and soon after another, facing the first, but with a space between of a few feet, which served the purpose of a door, as well as a chimney; and at each side, a pile of logs was laid at night, and set on fire, for the triple pur- pose of light, warmth, and a defence against wild beasts.
This cabin furnished a common shelter for several weeks, until the several families had provided for themselves separate huts. Isaac Mor- gan, from Orange co., Vt., arrived on the last of March, and the number was soon after increased, and Dr. Townsend, during the summer, em- ployed one John Simons, of Brownville, to survey into farms the lands around the present village. In July 1806, the first religious meeting was held in town, at the shanty of Esq. Austin, by Elders Nichols, and Pettengill, two missionaries from Connecticut. A Mr. Heath, a method- ist preacher, living in Rich's settlement in De Kalb, preached occasion ally on sabbaths, the settlers always keeping up some form of divine service on Sunday, at the hut of Mr. Austin, until a school house was erected, when the meetings were held at that place.
A road was cut through to Richville, on the first summer, by voluntary labor, and communications were soon opened with Antwerp. The first # Have birth in town, among the settlers, was a son (Allen Smith), in the family of Willard Smith, May 8, 1806. The first death was Emily Porter, aged two years, in Aug. 1808. The second a Mrs. Martin. The third death also was that of Stephen Patterson, who was crushed while stoning up a well. The first marriage was Medad Cole to a daughter of Stephen Snows Patterson. Dr. John Spencer, from Windsor, Ct., was the first practising meany all the wa ives mentions are those familiar friends. de 3.ML
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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE
physician, who moved into town, and for several years was the only one within many miles. On his arrival in April 1807, there were eleven families living in town, viz : Richard Townsend, Isaac and Daniel Austin, Pardon Babcock, Willard Smith, Eleazer Nichols, Stephen Patterson, Isaac Morgan, Benjamin Smith, Israel Porter, and Stephen Smith. Previous to his arrival Dr. Seeley, of De Kalb, was occasionally called. On the first occasion in which medical assistance was needed, the mes- senger got belated, and was compelled to lie ont in a thunder storm, and returned in the morning by following in his dog. Gilchrist, Consta- ble and others, of the great proprietors, traveled through the town in the summer of 1807, and made a short stay. The settlers feeling the want of a bridge, and hoping nothing from the town of Oswegatchie, of which they were tl.en a part, raised in 1808, by voluntary subscription, the sum of $500, with which they hired Mr. Isaac Kendall, to build the first bridge in the village. It stood 12 years, and was then replaced by one costing $1000, built by Mr. James Parker. The chief contributors to the first, were the two Austins, Townsend, Babcock, Spencer, Porter and Morgan.
The shanty used by the workmen on the bridge, in the autumn of the same year, became the first school room, and was occupied by Miss Elizabeth S. Sackett, now Mrs. John Parker, of Fowler. It stood near where the Presbyterian church now is. The first man school, was taught by Sylvester McMasters, in a shop erected for mechanical pur- poses, by Capt. Babcock, but which was relinquished for this use. In 1811, the first school house was built of logs, on the ground now occu- pied by the Plank Road House, west of the bridge. In 1808, Mr. Porter opened the first public house, and soon after, John Brown commenced as a merchant. During this summer Gouverneur Morris, spent three weeks in town, at the house of Mr. Isaac Anstin, from whence he pro- ceeded by water to the Ox Bow, where his nephew Lewis R. Morris, was living. In 1809, a clearing of 80 acres was made for Morris by Joseph Bolton, near the natural dam, and a grist and saw mill were erected there at the proprietor's expense, by Mr. Austin, and the premi- ses long afterwards bore the name of Morris's Mills. Lands first sold for $2.50, but soon after were fixed at $3.00.
In the spring of 1809, the following families were living in town. Win. Cleghorn, J. S. Colton, Wm. Colton, Ilenry Welch, Israel Porter, Elkanah Partridge, Dr. J. Spencer, Isaac Austin, Eleazar Nichols, Rockwell Barnes, Stephen Patterson, Joseph Bolton, Holeab Smith, amylin Benjamin Smith, Caleb Drake, Benjamin Clark, James Barnes, Calvin 5gens Bullock, Ephraim Gates, Richard Townsend, Isaac Morgan, Timothy afhis &
Int two
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Sheldou, Colburn Barrell, Reuben Nobles, Ephraim Case, Richard Kem- ble, John Hoyt, Pardon Babcock, Daniel Austin, Medad Cole. Besides these, Wm. Canning, Sela Coleman, Alfred Cole, Harvey Black, Charles McLane, James and John Parker, Josiah Waid, and a few others, the last mentioned being mostly single men, were living in town or came in very soon after. The settlers in 1812, participating in the general alarn), commenced the erection of a block house in the present village of Gou- verneur, but it was never finished. The timbers were subsequently employed in the dam, and in buildings soon after erected. The dam in the village was erected in 1814, the first machinery being clothing works, put in operation by one Downs. A frame school house was built on the east side of the river, in 1815, which was replaced by the present brick edifice in 1827. in which A ? Madison taught the fust sal 1827
The war in this and many other towns, checked its growth, for many years, but it soon after began to increase in population quite rapidly, and in 1816-18, many families from Johnstown, located on the road leading to the Ox Bow, which still bears the name of Johnstown Street, from this cause. The first settler on that road was Jeremiah Merithue, in 1810. In 1825 Israel Porter built the first grist mill in the village, Mr. Daniel W. Church, being the mill wright. It was burned about 1825. A saw mill was built several years previously.
The following incident, which occurred in December, 1807, is worthy of record. It is derived from the person who was the subject of the adventure, and is reliable. Dr. Spencer had set out in the morning, on foot, to visit a patient beyond Antwerp, guided by a line of marked trees, and an obscure path through the woods, which extended but a part of the way. A light snow, followed by rain and frost, had fallen, which rendered the tread of men and animals andible to a great distance, and the air was chilly and uncomfortable. When he had proceeded about three miles, he was aronsed by a rustling sound, and presently a deer pursued by a black wolf, past swiftly by him. He dropped behind a log to see the chase, without interrupting it, when he heard a louder sound' behind him, and on looking back saw eleven other wolves, in a pack, which gave up the chase for the deer and stood gazing at the new game they had discovered. He jumped up, and with loud shouts and threat- ening gestures, endeavored to frighten them away, but without success, for they retreated but a few paces, and then turned to eye him narrowly. A short distance beyond, on the ground now covered by the house of Mr. G. Norton, stood the body of a log house, and his first thought was to run for that, in hopes that he could defend himself at the door, but upon second thought it was evident that but little hope of escape could
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be expected in flight. He next thought of climbing a tree, but then the wolves might watch him till he was exhausted with cold. At last find- ing that shouting and gestures, were of no avail, he laid down his pill bags, overcoat, and hat, and cutting a green beech stick, of sufficient size to be easily wielded, and of a weight that would give effect to a blow, he rushed at them swinging his weapon, and making all the up- roar in his power, by beating the icy bushes until they were scattered, when losing that confidence which numbers had given them, they fled in different directions. His first thought was to return back, but dread- ing the jeers of his neighbors, who might say that he had been scared by a wolf, he kept on his course. Before out of hearing, he distinguished the cries of the pack, as they were again mustering, but he saw no more of them.
A separate account of the academy in this town will be given. The village of Gouverneur, was incorporated under a general act, Dec. 7, 1847. Its first officers were as follows:
Edwin Dodge, Peter Van Buren, S. B. Van Duzee, N. D. Arnod and I. P. Smith, trustees. H. Schermerhorn, Rich'd Parsons and O. G. Barnum, assessors. Zebina Smith, collector. Chauncey Dodge, clerk. H. D. Smith, treasurer. O. G. Barnum, pound master. Its present officers (1852,) are Peter Van Buren, M. Barney, J. Fosgate, R. Parsons and W. M. Good- rich, trustees. I. Smith, O. S. Barnum and S. Cone, assessors. H. L. Conklin, clerk. H. D. Smith treasurer. Z. Smith, collecter and pound master.
The inhabitants of Gouverneur and Morristown, were authorized, April 15, 1826, to elect three trustees, to have charge of the public lands, and apply the profits for the support of schools. On the 31st of March, 1828, the overseers of the poor were directed to pay to the trustees of the pub- lic lots, $1000 of the poor moneys in their hands, to be invested for the support of schools. From this fund and the proceeds from the sales of the school lot, a large fund has accrued. The trustees of the Baptist and Presbyterian societies, by an instrument on file, among the archives of the state, relinquished their claims in favor of schools.
The Gouverneur Union Library was incorporated Feb. 14, 1815. Richard Kimball, Benjamin Brown, Timothy Sheldon, Joseph Smith, Pardon Babcock, Aaron Atwood, Rockwell Barnes and Israel Porter, being the first trustees.
· Religious Societies .- The first church formed in town, is said to have been by the Baptists, to which sect many of the first settlers belonged. They were organized in February, 1810, by Elder Jonathan Payne, and at first, numbered eleven members. Elder Payne has been succeeded by Elisha Morgan, Noah Barrell, Joseph Sawyer, Clement Haven, Newell Boughton, S. Pomeroy, N. O. Webb, J. Sawyer and Conant Sawyer. The First Baptist Society of Gouverneur was formed April. 14, 1825. Wm.
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W. Rhodes, Rufus Smith, Alanson Townsend, Benjamin Leavitt, 7 Miles Turner and Moses Rowley, being the first trustees. It was reor- ganized July 2, 1835. In 1822, they erected a church; and in 1850 and Out 1851, their present very elegant church, at a cost of about $3000. It is trimb the first one to the right of the Seminary, in our view of Gouverneur village.
The First Congregational or Presbyterian Church, was formed May 24, 1817, consisting of six persons, since which time up to Jan. 1, 1852, 538 have been admitted to membership. On the 20th of April, 1820, the First Congregational or Presbyterian Society in Gouverneur, was incor- porated, with John Spencer, Richard Kimball, Wm. Cleghorn, William Colton, Rockwell Barnes and James Parker trustees. This church was not regularly supplied by a minister until the 1st of January, 1820, since which time the following clergyman have been employed.
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