USA > New York > Franklin County > A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York : from the earliest period to the present time > Part 40
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 40
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Opposite the lower part of Louisville is an island of some two thousand acres, known on Burr's map, as the Upper Long Saut island, but better known among the inhabitants, as Baxter's island, Stacy's island, and Croil's island, from the names of successive owners. The French named it, Isle au Chamailles; and the Indians, Tsi-io-wen-o-kwa-ka-ra-te, or High island. Like Barnhart's island, it was at its settlement considered a part of Canada, but in running the boundary in 1818, it was assigned to the state of New York. The deepest channel being north of the island, indicated the propriety of this according to the terms of the treaty.
MACOMB,
Was organized from Morristown and Gouverneur, April 30, 1841, and made to include the district in the former, south of Black lake, and in the latter, north of Beaver creek, from the line of DeKalb to the Ogden tract which it followed to the Oswegatchie, and thence up that river to Rossie. A small tract south of the lake was still left in Hammond, which on the 11th of April, 1842, was attached to Macomb. The town derives its name from the proprietor, who was by birth an Irishman, and for many years a merchant in New York.
It has been said, that coming events cast their shadows before them, and this proverb was verified in the formation of this town. The inhabitants of those portions of Morristown, and Gouverneur, between Black lake and Beaver creek, having long felt the inconvenience of their seclusion from the places of holding town meetings; several years before they were organized into a town, began to importune for a separate town. In 1837, the inhabitants of Morristown, expressed their willing- ness for this, whenever those in the south of the lake should agree upon the measure. Similar resolutions were passed by Gouverneur. In the town meeting of Morristown in 1841, on the subject of setting off a new town on the southerly side of Black lake, it was resolved :
" That all those electors residing on the northerly side of Black lake, do now withdraw from the room, in order to obtain the voice of those on the southerly side; which being done, it was on motion, resolved, (with only one dissenting voice), that, that part of the town of Morris- town which lies on the southerly side of Black lake, be set off by itself, a new town. The whole of the electors were then called in, and being all present, this resolution was again passed."
The first town meeting was held in pursuance of statute at the house of David Day, 2d.
Supervisors .- 1841-2, David Day, 2d; 1843, John Parker; 1844-6 Enoch Taylor; 1847-50, Wm. Houghton; 1851-2, David Day, 2d.
The first settler in the limits of this town, was Samuel Bristol, who
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located on the place now owned by Robert Wilson. He first made a stand at De Peyster, and was among the very first settlers of that place. Captain Rufus Washburn, formerly of Connecticut, but then from Exter, Otsego county, came into the town when almost entirely new. He lived the first summer at Ogdensburgh, and afterwards for five years at De Peyster. He was a blacksmith, and kept a public house for many years on the place now owned by Wm. Houghton. Samuel Wilson, E. Wil- son and Samuel Peck, were early settlers. The improvements of this town were for many years limited to a small neighborhood on the State road, and schools were neglected till 1818. Capt. Washburn was drowned in the Oswegatchie while returning from a town meeting in Gouverneur village. on the 28th of April, 1817.
Pope's Mills is a small settlement on Fish creek, two miles from Black lake, to which it is navigable. It owes its origin and name to Timothy Pope, who moved from Oswegatchie to this place in 1816, and erected mills. He was originally from Otsego county, and settled in Oswegatchie in 1804. He was killed Nov. 7, 1835, with one - Shaw, by the burst- ing of a defective millstone. A considerable portion of this town is still but thinly settled; but the greater part is susceptible of profitable culti- vation, and it is without doubt destined to be a mining district of much importance. The Wesleyan and Episcopal Methodists have each an or- ganization in town.
About 1836, a vein of lead, zinc-blende, and calcareous spar, was dis- covered near the shore of Black lake, at a place named Mineral Point, and somewhat extensive mining operations were commenced. A com- pany styled the Morris Mining Company, was incorporated May 1, 1839, with James Averell, David C. Judson, Sylvester Gilbert, John W. Grant, Lewis Moss, Thomas L. Knapp and Edwin Dodge, trustees, for the pur- pose of mining in Morristown and Oswegatchie. To continue 25 years ; capital $50,000, in shares of $100 each, and to be managed by seven di- rectors.
About 1836, a vein containing galena was discovered on the land of Robert Wilson, near the Old State road; a company formed, and a shaft sunk to the depth of about 60 feet. A few years after, lead ore was dis- covered on the same range, near the road leading from the Washburn settlement to Gouverneur, and in 1850 small mining operations had been commenced, when in 1851 the right was purchased by parties in New York, and a company formed styled the St. Lawrence Mining Company, who became incorporated under the general mining law of Feb. 17, 1848. The articles of association were filed Sept. 16, 1851, in the clerk's office, and name Thomas Addis Emmet, Stephen Crocker and John L. Grata- cat, trustees; capital $72,000 in shares of $2 each. Duration limited to
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50 years. At a meeting of the stockholders in New York, May 17, 1852 the capital of the company was increased to $360,000. Extensive mining operations were commenced late in 1851, and are believed to be still con- tinued. A furnace for reducing lead was erected, and a considerable amount of lead has been sent to market.
MADRID.
This was one of the four towns formed by the act incorporating the county, March 3, 1802, and at first embraced also the township of Pots- dam. Since 1810, it has been of its present limits. In 1837 an effort was made to procure a new town from parts of Madrid, Lisbon, Canton and Potsdam, with Columbia village for its centre, but it was opposed by the other towns, and failed.
The first town officers in Madrid, were Joseph Edsall, supervisor ; Jacob Redington, clerk ; Cyrus Abernethy, Reuben Field, Alex. Brush, Henry Erwin, assessors ; Henry Erwin, constable and collector ; Jonathan Tuttle, Solomon Linsley, overseers of the poor ; John Sharp, Isaac Bartho- lomew, Ephriam S. Raymond, commissioners of highways ; Asa Freeman, Jonathan Allen, Cyrus Abernethy, fence viewers; Edward Lawrence, pound keeper ; Jonathan Allen, Alexander Brush, Thomas Rutherford, Oliver Linsley Solomon Linsley, overseers of highways.
Supervisors .- 1802-5, Joseph Edsall; 1806-7, Asa Freeman; 1808, Alex. Richards; 1809, Asa Freeman; 1810-12, Joseph Freeman; 1813, Wm. Meach; 1814-15, J. Freeman; 1816-22, Jason Fenton; 1823-28, J. Free- man ; 1829-32, J. S. Chipman ; 1833-6, Geo. Redington ; 1838, R. Blood; 1839, Walter Wilson; 1840, G. Redington; 1841-2, Alfred Goss; 1843-4, A. T. Montgomery ; 1845-6, T. Sears ; 1847-8, A. T. Montgomery ; 1849-50, Jesse Cogswell; 1851, Richard Edsall; 1852, Francis Fenton.
$5 bounty offered for wolves, in 1803, (excepting the township of Pots- dam) and 1804. In 1806, $10 bounty for wolves.
This town began to settle along the St. Lawrence, about 1793, and the following names from the land books, give the dates of purchases, although not of location :
In May, 1798, John Sharp, Barton Edsall; in June, 1800, John Tuttle, Benjamin Bartlett, Godfrey Myers, Benjamin Campbell, Elias Dimick, Reuben Fields, Asa Freeman, Samuel Allen, Edward Lawrence, Asa and Jason Fenton, Alexander Brush, James Kilborn, Jacob Carnes, Allen Patterson, Jacob Redington, Robert Sample, Caleb and Cornelius Peck, Henry Allen, Wm. Osburne, Ira Paine, Oliver Linsley, Joseph Orcutt and Henry and Joseph Erwin.
In 1801, Isaac Bartholomew, Simon Linsley; in 1802, Allen Barber, Nathan Smith, Aaron Scott, Martin Rosenberg, John Allen, Geo. Ruther- ford, Thomas Andrews, Walter and Richard Rutherford, (brothers,) and many others, mostly from New England, who came through from Cha- teaugay, by way of Moria and Stockholm. In 1803, Samuel Chipman, from Vergennes, Vt., and others.
The first agent was Joseph Edsall, who was a native of Vernon, Sus- sex county, N. J., and died in Madrid, in 1844, aged 81. He received
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his agency June 8, 1798, and was instructed to sell river lots at $2-50, and rear lots at $2 per acre. A portion of the former were reserved that the owners might have the benefit of their rise in value. One fourth was to be paid down, and the rest in three equal payments.
The village of Waddington, is named from Joshua Waddington, of N. York, who was a joint proprietor with D. A. and T. L. Ogden, in the town of Madrid, at an early day. It was originally called Hamilton, from Alex. Hamilton, the celebrated lawyer and statesman, who had been associated in business with the Ogden brothers, and the post office originally bore this name. It was, by a vote of the town meeting of 1818 (March 3), changed to its present name, and the post office was soon after altered to correspond with it.
In official papers relating to the war, and in statute laws passed in early times, the name of Hamilton is often used. A grist and saw mill were erected here in 1803-4. The island opposite, the mills, water privilege, land in the bed of the river, and 1,135 acres, comprising the shore oppo- site the island, and extending one mile back, was in 1811, conveyed by T. L. Ogden and J. Waddington, to D. A. Ogden. This tract embraced the whole of the present village. The rapids on the north side of the island, is called the Rapide plat, and extends its whole length, a distance of three miles, and has a fall of eleven feet. On the south side, this fall was originally gained in a distance of fifty rods, constituting a wild and dangerous cascade, which the French voyageurs called La Petit Sauts. The principal fall was near the lower ledge of limestone, near the present dam, and had a height of about eight feet. The dam has destroyed the romantic scenery of the place, and made a basin of still water, the spot which was once a rapid. The primitive scenery of this romanic spot is described as having been one of unrivaled beauty and interest. The water, by flowing down the smooth declivity of rock, acquired an immense ve- locity on reaching the abrupt fall, where, striking the bottom, it rebounded with an immense surge, which threw back so large a volume of water as to make a strong upward current along the shore.
Fish abound in the waters, and the wild fowl and deer appeared to have chosen this spot as a resort. As a natural consequence, the rude Indian here found his favorite employment of hunting and fishing ; there are those of the St. Regis tribe still living, who remember with regret, the peculiar advantages for their pursuits, which the locality afforded, and a few of the race annually visit the island, and camp in the woods near its head. The island was once covered by a pine forest, and large quan- tities of valuable timber having been cut in early, times, under the direc- tion of the St. Regis Indians. Mr. Joseph Edsall, agent for the town, forbid them to take it away. The Indians appeared to be anxious to settle
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the matter amicably, and accordingly in May, 1803, an instrument was drawn up between the agent and William Gray, Louis Cooke and Loren Tarbell, trustees of the Indians, by which Edsall was to be allowed to remove the timber then down, and to pay 60 cents for every tree, if the title to the island then in process of investigation, should be decided as belonging to the proprietors of Madrid. ' In hopes of establishing a com- mercial and manufacturing interest at this point, the proprietors under- took the expensive task of building a stone dam across the southern branch of the St. Lawrence, which at the same time, should make it na- vigable, by having in it a lock, and create a water power of unlimited extent. An act authorizing this, was passed in 1808, and allowed the taking of toll upon vessels passing, at the rate of twenty-five cents per ton for large boats, and double that rate for all boats under two tons. The locks were to be fifty feet by ten, and allow of a draft of two feet. These improvements were to be completed within three years. A wooden lock was first attempted, but before done its foundation was undetermined, and it was abandoned. In 1811 and 1815, the act was extended, and finally a stone lock was built in the line of the store dam, which proved of little or no use, as its dimensions only allowed the passage of Durham boats. The era of steam boats followed, and the Canadian government assumed the task of locking and canaling around the principal rapids. An effort was made to secure the advantages of this trade, by digging a . canal across to Grass river, but never carried out. An account of this will be given in its proper place.
In 1832 the connection between the lock and island shore, gave way, being but imperfectly secured, and caused a considerable break in the dam. To repair this and afford a work which in future should give con- trol to the water in the south channel, the bridge above was filled in with stone, leaving openings through which boats could be admitted, and which when closed, should stop all water from passing. By this means the water can at any time be drawn off below, and repairs made at but small expense. A canal runs from the dam parallel with the river, in front of the village, which affords, in connection with the conveniences above mentioned, facilities of great importance. Floods or drought are here unknown, and the supply of water for hydraulic purposes, has no limits which will ever be reached. There are here a large stone flouring : mill, built in 1832-33, and grist mill, woolen and carding shop, furnace and machine shop, trip hammer, saw mill, shingle, sash and stave ma- chines, paper mill, and other machinery. The manufacture of water lime, has been carried on to a limited extent, and rather as an experiment, at the village of Waddington. The stone from which it was made, is
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said to have been derived from the drift formation which constitutes the island, and the supply must therefore be precarious and limited.
Waddington was incorporated April 26, 1839.
Mr. Spafford, in his Gazetteer of 1813, states that Hamilton then con- tained 135 houses, 2 saw mills, 1 grist mill, a fulling mill, trip hammer, &c .; and the site of an academy then building. The site is still probably there, but no building was ever erected or begun. At that period the want of an academy began to be. felt; and this place, Ogdensburgh, and Potsdam, each wished to secure it; but while Mr. Ogden and others were waiting till the country should become stronger, Judge Raymond and his friends were exerting every effort, and succeeded in founding St. Lawrence Academy at Potsdam. The work above quoted, adds :
" Madrid was owned by J. Waddington, D. A. and T. L. Ogden, Esquires, of New York; men (say the inhabitants), of benevolent dispo- sitions and well calculated to settle a new country, and who have used every possible means to promote the interest and prosperity of the set- tlers. The whole number of electors exceeded 200, and the probable population 6 or 700. There are 5 grist mills, 7 saw mills, several carding machines, fulling mills, tanneries, and one trip hammer, and a conve- nient number of mechanics. There are one Congregational and one Baptist society, but no settled ministers."
A furnace was built by the Ogdens at Waddington in 1834. It was what is termed by iron founders a quarter furnace, with one tewel and a cold blast. It was 26 feet square on the ground, 28 feet high, and run upon bog ore alone. The building, which was of brick, inclosed two stacks or separate furnacees, of which the latter was got in operation in 1836, and was used but in one blast. In 1840, the furnace was stopped, and has not since been worked. A portion of the iron made here was made into castings upon the premises, and the remainder sold as pig iron. The ore was got in swamps in the town, and made very good iron. Much of it was washed previous to using. It cost about $3 per ton de- livered at the furnace. The inside diameter of the furnace was 6 feet 10 inches.
" The ore," according to Professor Beck, was " procured near Grass river, two and a half miles from Columbia village, and seven from Wad- dington. There were three varieties of the ore, viz: one large lumps, called pan ore, another in small masses more or less rounded, called shot ore, and lastly an ochery one called loam ore. All of these were of a red- dish yellow color when reduced to powder, and by calcination lost from 18 to 20-5 per cent in weight, and became black and magnetic. An analysis yielded 71 per cent of the peroxyde of iron, 8.50 per cent of silica and alumina, and 20-50 per cent of water. The proportion of metalic iron was 49-23 per cent, although this variety of ore seldom yields in the large way more than 25 per cent."
(See Geological Report, 1837, p. 41.)
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The first mills at Columbia village, were erected by Seth Roberts in the summer and fall of 1803, and from him it was often called Roberts's mills. It was also called Grass River falls, at an early day. Meetings were first held in the mill, and in 1803 the first school was taught in town by Dorothy Fields.
On the 4th of March, 1806, the dwelling of Uel Gray, which stood about three-fourths of a mile southwest from the present village of Madrid, was burned ; and two children, of five and seven years of age, perished miserably in the flames.
On the 9th of April, 1818, six men were drowned in Columbia village by being carried over the damn in a boat, and although within sight of many, no relief could be extended. Their names were Asa Lord, Abraham and Joseph Loomis, Ezra Bigelow, Asa Dagett, and Leonard Reed.
The following statistics were collected by Mr. E. A. Dayton :
" Columbia village, on both banks of Grass river, but mostly on the west side, and one mile from the Canton and Madrid depot, had in the fall of 1852, 2 taverns, 6 stores, 1 drug store, 4 groceries, 1 book store, 2 shoe stores, 2 tin shops, 1 tannery and shoe shop, 1 grist mill, 1 saw and shingle mill, 1 furnace, 2 wagon and sleigh shops with water power, 1 chair factory and cabinet shop with water power, and 2 cabinet shops without, 1 woolen factory and carding mill, 1 jeweler, 3 blacksmith shops, 1 marble shop, and 2 harness shops. It has 3 lawyers and 4 physi- cians, a Congregational, Methodist, Baptist and Universalist church, each except the Methodist having a settled minister, except the second who have preaching on alternate sabbaths. It had 2 district schools and 1 select school. At the depot was 2 taverns, 1 blacksmith shop and. 10 dwelling houses."
By a law of March 30, 1821, three trustees were to be annually chosen, to have charge of the public lands in town. They were not allowed to sell them on a shorter credit than ten years, or to receive more than a quarter of the purchase money at time of sale. Moneys thus arising were to be loaned on good securities upon lands to double the amount. Half the revenue was to be paid to the school commissioners for the several school districts, in the same proportion as the state moneys were distributed, and the other half was to be equally distributed among the several religious societies in town, These trustees of lands were to hold their offices until successors were elected.
Two library associations have formerly existed in town, both of which were incorporated; that at Columbia village, Jan. 10, 1821, with Charles Pitts, Abner Parmalee, David Holbrook, Anson Hall, and Justin Spar- hawk; and that of Waddington, with Gouverneur and William Ogden, Nathaniel Tagert, Jas. L. Thayer, Robert W. Brigham, Thomas Ruther- ford, Jr., and John S. Chapman, trustees, May 10, 1831.
Religious Societies .- The Congregational church of Christ, was formed
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under the Rev. Amos Pettengill, 17th Feb. 1807, of 10 members. In March they were visited by Mr. Hubbard, of Vermont, a missionary, and letters of thanks were voted to the two societies, who had sent mission- aries to them. In 1809, the Rev. Chauncey Cook, was hired. In 1811, Rev. John Winchester hired for three years on a salary of $91 in cash, and $273 in wheat, at the going price. In 1815, and in 1822, revivals. In 1817, Royal Phelps employed, and in 1821 Oliver Eastman. In 1824, members pledged the crops on certain pieces of land, be the same more or less, for the support of the gospel. These were half an acre of corn ; ten rods of corn, &c., &c. One subscription was " a place for onions." In 1829, an attempt was made to pass a total abstinence vote, but with- out success; but ten members then signed a pledge, which was the first
temperance movement in town. The Rev. Joseph Hurlbut, employed in 1829, and James Taylor in 1833. In 1840, S. M. Wood, was ordained pastor (Dec. 9), and in 1841, there were large accessions to the church, from meetings held by the Rev. J. Burchard, and in 1844; from the labors of A. Wicks. In 1849, the Rev. B. B. Parsons was employed, and in Jan. 15, 1850, was installed pastor. The society of this church was formed May 8, 1820, with Salmon Gray, A. Packard, Sen., Stephen Goodman, Charles McFarlan, Wm. Powell, and Abner Parmalee, trustees.
In 1825-6, the present stone church was built, thirty by forty feet, at a cost of $4000, under the direction of Wm. Powell, Thomas Wright, and Hiram Safford. The numbers received by this church up to the fall of 1852, 350. Present number 185. In 1850, a bell costing $300 was bought by general subscription and placed in the stone church.
The Second Congregational Society in town (at Waddington) was in- corporated Dec. 29, 1828, with Samuel H. Dearborn, Benjamin W. Jack- son, and Lorenzo Sheldon, trustees. On the 5th of Oct., 1841, it was reorganized, and in 1844 a church was began, and in 1848 finished.
The Baptist church of Madrid was formed Sept. 7, 1808, of ten mem- bers, under the Rev. Samuel Rowley, a missionary from the Vermont Baptist Association. In 1810-11, there was quite a revival. In 1818, Samuel Johnson was hired as a preacher one fourth of the time. In 1825, Elder Rhodes hired half of the time, and was succeeded by Elder Safford. In 1829, the hand of fellowship withheld from free masons. In the same year Elder Pratt was employed. Elder Dodge, Peck, Scott. Lyle, R. S. Palmer, O. W. Moxley, Daniel Sabin, - Kyle, T. M. Bea- man, and H. S. P. Warren, have since preached here. A society was formed July 11, 1836, with John S. Whitney, James Simons, Simon S, Clark, James Murphy, Arad Peck, Harvey Linsley, and Enos C. East- man, trustees. A church was built in 1836. The number belonging to this church in Nov. 1822, was 126.
The First Universalist Society of Madrid, was formed in 1814, by a few early settlers. The first minister was John Foster, who in that year commenced his labors and remained two years. He was succeeded by the Rev. Jonathan Wallace, from Jericho, Vermont, was supported as their pastor for about half of the time for thirteen years. On the 31st of March, 1841, a society was incorporated, having Hiram Winslow, Win. McEwen and Luther Abernethy, its first trustees. This society at first consisted of 107 members, and in 1842 a church edifice was built in Columbia village, at a cost of $3000. The Rev. Messrs. D. Mott, and J. Baker, of St. Albans, Vt., and in Jan. 1850, Rev. J. W. Bailey, from Wilmington, Vt., the present pastor, were employed. In 1852 a church or- ganization, with 48 member was formed. The St. Lawrence Associa- tion in 1836, 1842, 1848 and 1852, held their sessions here.
The society owns a parsonage, and is said to be increasing in numbers.
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St. Paul's church, Waddington, was incorporated Oct. 19, 1818, with David A. Ogden, and Gouverneur Ogden, Wardens ; Jason Fenton, Rob- ert McDowall, Thomas Short, Thomas Archibald, John Dewey, John S. Chipman, Thomas Rutherford, and Elisha Meigs, Vestrymen. The church edifice had been finished the same year at the expense of Trinity church, New York, and David A. Ogden, and was consecrated by Bishop Henry Hobart, of the diocese of New York, on the 22d of August, 1818. The building was commenced in 1816, and built in that and the two fol- lowing years. The first meeting of the vestry, was on the 17th of October, 1818, at which time Amos G. Baldwin was appointed Rector. William H. Vining, clerk and secretary ; D. A. Ogden, treasurer. This church possesses a glebe of three hundred acres on Mile square number ten, about a mile from Waddington village. Jason Fenton, Gouverneur Ogden, Thomas Short, and Thomas Archibald, were the persons first mentioned, as charged with an examination of this property. It has since been managed by trustees appointed by the vestry. The following is a list of the rectors of this church since its organization: Rev. Amos G. Baldwin, Rev. Addison Searle, Rev. Seth W. Beardsley, Rev. Hiram Adams, Rev. Aaron Humphrey, Rev. John A. Childs, Rev. John H. Hanson. At the date of writing there is no rector to this church. The following quotation from the records of the church, under date of Octo- ber 17, 1818, explains itself :
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