USA > New York > Oneida County > Steuben > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 6
USA > New York > Oneida County > Remsen > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 6
USA > New York > Oneida County > Trenton > A narrative history of Remsen, New York, including parts of the adjoining townships of Steuben and Trenton, 1789-1898 > Part 6
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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
Sir William Johnson, following the custom of the
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times, acquired to himself by a succession of ingenious manipulations vast tracts of valuable land. On one occasion he prepared a great feast or barbecue, to which he invited "Peter Service and his twenty-four associ- ates," together with a large number of the other male inhabitants of the Mohawk Valley, with their wives and children. When all at the feast were in the best of spirits, he arranged for a transfer of the Service Patent to himself, he having doubtless furnished the money and exerted the necessary influence for its procurement. "Although there is no record of this conveyance from Service to Sir William," says one authority, "his title has never been disputed save once, and then by Service himself, who, after the revolution, hearing that Sir John Johnson had buried his title deeds during the war to pre- vent their destruction, brought an action of ejectment against Boon; but the court allowed verbal evidence to be given of his conveyance to Sir William, and Service was defeated. The witness to prove the conveyance from Service to Sir William was an old negro, who was employed to fiddle for the guests at the feast."
After the death of Sir William, and prior to the revo- lution, his son, Sir John Johnson, and other heirs, sold the Service Patent, consisting of 23,609 acres, to sev- eral gentlemen living in New York city; so it was not confiscated with the property of the Johnsons in the Mohawk Valley. Between 1790 and 1800, this with other tracts was conveyed to Gerrit Boon and others, in trust, and on March 24, 1801, Mr. Boon and his col- leagues conveyed the Patent formally to the Holland Land Company, an act having been passed by the legis- lature in 1798, authorizing conveyances to aliens for the term of three years. This conveyance was made only a few days before the expiration of the act by its own limitation.
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Peter Service was a relative of the first wife of Sir William Johnson, and twenty-four of the other partners were Sir William's tenants or hired retainers. Records do not show who conveyed "to Gerrit Boon and others." In 1795, what remained of the Service Patent was di- vided into one hundred and ninety-one lots, by Calvin Guiteau, surveyor.
The Steuben Grant of about 16,000 acres was granted to Baron Steuben, in 1786, by the State of New York, out of territory recently purchased from the Oneida In- dians. It was erected into a separate township and named for him.
The following account of a journey made in 1792 by John Lincklaen, an agent of the Holland Land Company, is of interest, since it gives not only a glimpse at condi- tions prevailing in this vicinity at that time, but also is enlightening concerning the uncertainty of land titles then. Lincklaen was accompanied by Gerrit Boon, and they traveled through the forest from Otego creek, in the township of Hartwick, Otsego county, visiting the various patents for the purpose of acquiring informa- tion concerning the newly opened tracts through per- sonal investigation. Leaving Otego creek April 22, they had reached the Holland Grant on the 25th, whence they followed a road that led them to Steuben's Patent, or to quote from Lincklaen's journal :-
"On the 26, we followed the road leading to Baron Steuben's patent, and arrived there at the house of one of his farmers [superintendent] Samuel Sizer.
· "The Baron's patent is of 16,000 acres, but 6,000 acres are already part sold, part leased out. He asks 1 Dlr the acre money down, and 10 Shlg's at five years credit. Already fifteen families are established there. The Baron has sixty acres cleared of the best quality, which are tilled by three men that he hires by the year. On the mountain is an excellent situation for building,
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which commands a superb view. He has a saw-mill built on Steuben creek, but it is now in bad order, be- sides in summer there is scarcely enough water. Other- wise the patent is generally good ground, but there is very little pine.
"Went through Holland's Patent*, south of Steuben's; this patent is superb, the land is extremely rich and everywhere intersected with little brooks and springs of soft water; the land is level, there being but two hills, which are of no consequence. On account of not know- ing who the proprietor is, the patent is not yet settled, however some ten families have risked taking posses- sion of the land near Nine Mile Creek. They say there are 20,000 acres, & that Charles Fox now has the dis- posal of it. The patent of Service [Trenton] to the east is said to surpass even Holland's; a little part that we have seen is not to be excelled by anything so far as land is concerned, but the greatest drawback to the patent as to all others in their environs, is the lack of pine. Service's patent is said to belong to an Irishman named Dondell, now in New York."
The township of Steuben was erected by act of the legislature April 10, 1792, and extended to the north bounds of the state. In March, 1796, the townships of Rome and Floyd were taken from Steuben, and in 1797, Western and Leyden were erected from its territory. A part of Steuben Patent east of Cincinnati creek was later annexed to Remsen. Fort Stanwix, now Rome, was in the center of the original township as pertaining to what is now Oneida county, and the first town meet- ing was held at that place.
* On March 20, 1769, 20,000 acres, probably in Trenton, Marcy, and a part of Steuben township not included in the Steuben Patent, were granted to Henry Fox, Lord Holland. This was in no way connected with the Holland Land Company. Lord Holland when young was a gambler and spendthrift, but later in life became influ- ential in politics. He died in 1774, and his son Stephen, who suc- ceeded to the title, died a few months after. Richard Henry Fox, then about a year old, was a grandson of Lord Holland, and suc- ceeded to the property.
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The present area of Steuben is 26,126 acres, the greater portion of which consists of the Steuben Grant, while the southern part includes a portion of the Hol- land Patent; and the western, parts of Fonda's and other tracts.
In reference to this township, Rev. John Taylor, who visited it in 1802, says in his journal: "A considerable part of the lands which are settled, are to hire or lease- the inhabitants have not got the right of soil. Ten dol- lars is the common price for 100 acres annual rent; but most of these leases are for perpetuity. About one- third of the people in Steuben are Welsh-who are in- dustrious and prudent beyond example. * Crops in this town much injured by rust. Winter wheat is open to winter-kill-lands though are very wet. There is, however, some low, rich land, of the nature of marsh. The prospect on the height of land in this town is very extensive."
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CHAPTER V
HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION
In quest of a home in the new country, the pioneer naturally followed the path of the waterways as the most convenient means of ingress, and it was equally natural that he should appropriate the fertile bottom- lands which he found already cleared of heavy timber by freshets and inundations, or perhaps by the abo- riginal owners of the soil. Here he staked his claim and built his cabin, and because of the comparatively easy adaptation of these lands to agriculture, other locations in the highlands and more remote from these natural lines of travel were left to the later comer. Hence this region remained without an inhabitant long after neighboring localities were permanently settled, though comparatively few miles of forest intervened.
The journey of the immigrants to the interior of the state from New York city was made in sailing boats up the Hudson to Albany, thence by teams across country to Schenectady, where flat-boats were procured to take them up the Mohawk river. These flat-boats were eighteen or twenty feet long, eight feet wide, and of about five tons burden. They were manned by crews of four each, two men on either side, who propelled the boat by means of push-poles; one end of the long pole being placed against the bank, or on the bed of the river, while the other end rested against the shoulder of the "poleman," who thus walked the boat from bow to stern pressing the weight
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of his strength against it. To prevent the boat from receding during temporary stops there were two poles fastened on,either side of it by means of pins or pivots, and these hung diagonally toward the stern, their lower ends being sufficiently weighted to keep them upon the bottom of the river when the boat was not in motion. As it advanced they floated free, but when the forward motion ceased, the weighted ends of the poles settled to the bottom of the stream and held the craft stationary against the current-hence they were called "setting poles."
At the rifts there were usually extra men in waiting, who made the work of assisting these boats through the strong currents their occupation. Often at these places, when the nose of the unwieldly boat would plow under the water, and the craft at last wheel about in spite of setting poles and swearing, and go swirling to the foot of the rapids again, every human being who could pull was sent ashore to lay hold of a long rope and by united force tow it up again. Some- times, where the condition of the banks would admit of their use, oxen were brought into requisition for this purpose. Six days were thus consumed in making the journey from Albany to Old Fort Schuyler.
The first settlers in Remsen, as we have shown, were mostly from New England; though among those closely following the pioneers were several families from the eastern counties of our state. All of them, however, came first to Albany, thence to Schenectady, and up the Mohawk as we have described, finally to follow the trails up West Canada creek, or a line of marked trees along the valley of the Cincinnati.
Before the construction of turnpike roads, such highways as then existed were merely rude passage- ways through the sparsely settled country, rough at
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all seasons, but in spring and fall well-nigh impassable. Often the early emigrants were obliged to stop in their, progress for hours to construct a temporary bridge whereby to cross a stream; and sometimes it became expedient to travel together in considerable numbers for the purpose of mutual assistance in cross- ing streams, passing swamps, and ascending steep hills.
Oxen attached to roughly made carts or sleds was the most common mode of conveyance. Wheeled vehicles were rare, even in the older settled communi- ties. In 1789, only three years before Barnabas Mitchell settled here, the first wagon was brought to Meriden, Conn., his former home. This vehicular novelty was owned by a Mr. Ezra Rice, and is said to have been of very rude construction, simply a square-framed box on four wheels. It was drawn by two horses, with ropes for traces and cords for guid- ing lines. Previous to that time there had been owned in Meriden only three two-wheel carriages, which are described as "rude, awkward, chaise-bodied or uncovered seats, hung on two wheels in the manner of the later chaises." And it was as late as 1784, only eight years before Mr. Mitchell came here, that the first public stage was operated in the state of Con- necticut. It ran through Meriden, along the old country road .*
In those days few traveled for pleasure. By far the greater proportion of those who did travel were in search of homes in the newly opened patents, where land was cheap, and these made their journey in the manner we have described. Itinerant preachers, schoolmasters, artisans of various trades in search
* "Historical Sketches of Meriden," by G. W. Perkins, 1849; and Barber and Howe's "History of Connecticut."
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of employment, peddlers, and an occasional mendi- cant made their way from town to town on foot.
Among the early projected highways through this region was one to extend from the Mohawk, at Little Falls to High Falls (now Lyons Falls), on Black river, passing through Steuben. In 1791 this measure was urged upon the legislature by Baron Steuben and Arthur Noble-the latter of whom owned upwards of 40,000 acres in Herkimer county-and received a favorable report, but no further action was taken. The hope of diverting the Canadian fur trade from Montreal to Albany and New York was prominently urged as a motive by its promoters.
In 1798 a road was cut through by one Jordan, at the expense of the Castorland Company, from Rome to High Falls, passing through Steuben. It was known in this section as the "French Road."* As its course lay across the subsequent current of travel it fell into disuse for general traffic, and the northern portion was abandoned some years later.
When Gerrit Boon came to Trenton from Fort Schuyler, in 1793, he marked a line of trees until he reached the junction of Cincinnati and Steuben creeks, afterwards the location of Olden Barneveld, or Trenton village, as it was afterward called. The course thus marked by him in his journey was later chosen for aroad.
The late Didymus Thomas, in an historical address delivered at Remsen in 1851, says that "Shubael Cross left the valley of the Mohawk at Utica, and
* "Traces of an old road, following nearly a north and south di- rection, were noticed by the early settlers in Steuben. Articles of camp equipage and arms-kettles, a sword, musket, etc.,-were found. It was thought a French expedition had passed through here during the French and Indian war. Subsequently a highway was laid out through the town near the course of this old road, and it has always been designated the 'French Road."-Simeon R. Fuller.
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- with his family struck into the forest; and along the ' valley of Cincinnati creek followed a line of marked trees through the present village of Remsen." This was in March, 1794.
The road from Steuben to Remsen village was opened about 1794, or possibly a little earlier, by men in the service of Baron Steuben, to provide a way for settlers on his patent to reach the primitive saw-mill constructed about this time at Remsen falls, the mill built by the Baron on Steuben creek a few years earlier having proved a failure owing to insufficient water-power.
In 1794-95 the Holland Land Company cut a road through the valley of the Cincinnati, under the di- · rection of the Company's sub-agent, Capt. Andrew Edmunds. It extended from Trenton to Boonville, where in the latter year a settlement called "Boon's Upper Settlement" was made. Of the roads in this section diverging from this main highway about 1801, was one leading to the east, crossing the Cincinnati about half a mile south of Remsen, and nearly oppo- site the site where later stood the house of Rev. Rich- ard Jones. Crossing the creek by a rude log bridge, the road thence diverged to the northeast for a short distance, until reaching the hill where stands the John G. Jones stone house, which elevation it ascended far enough to avoid the marshy ground, when it bore to the south-east and followed for some distance the present line of the Mohawk and Malone railroad.
This highway was only the width of a wagon track, and of the kind known as "corduroy;" that is, it was built of logs a foot or less in diameter, laid crosswise the track and the interstices filled with turf. It opened up for settlement several lots on the Service Patent, which were soon thereafter occupied. An-
the
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other !og bridge spanned the creek opposite the house of William Platt, he having purchased from the Hol- land Company in 1799 land that extended east of the stream; and this bridge also gave access to the clear- ings of Robert Jones (Tyddyn-y-Felin) and Morris Jones (Felin Chwelog), who in 1801 settled at the top of the hill, one on either side of the road. To these clearings was as far as this road extended until 1804 or 1805, when Broughton White made a survey con- tinuing it to intersect with the State road near Pros- pect. He was aided by Robert M. Jones, then a boy, who accompanied him on horseback to mark the trees as he directed.
What is known as the "State road" was so called because it was constructed by the state from the pro- ceeds of a lottery, which was authorized in 1803 to raise $41,500, for the purpose. It extends from Johns- town through the Black river country to Sacket Harbor, crossing West Canada creek at what was formerly known as "Boon's Bridge," at the present village of Prospect. It traverses the township of · Remsen diagonally, passing a mile or so east of the village; and about four miles north, it later was in- tersected by the Utica and Black River Turnpike. The latter road was built before the war of 1812, under the supervision of Col. Thomas Hicks, of Trenton.
The charter for the construction of the Mohawk Turnpike, along the north bank of the Mohawk river from Schenectady to Utica, was granted in 1806. The work was completed a few years later, and it became a part of the great east and west highway from Albany to Buffalo. After its completion, trav- elers to this section were relieved of the necessity of "poling" boats up the Mohawk, to which laborious task passengers often lent a willing hand.
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The "Northern Plank Road Company" was or- · ganized in 1845, with a capital stock of $30,000. By September, 1848, the stock was all subscribed, and the road completed to "Hicks' Tavern" (known also as the Black River House) four miles north of Remsen village. From that point other companies continued the road to Martinsburgh and Watertown. Its course did not vary much from that of the old turnpike, though the heavy ascent of Deerfield hill was avoided by verging to the east. The road was graded the width of two tracks, but only one was planked; and when completed, it was announced that "loaded teams can easily keep on a trot when the ascent is not more than one foot in fourteen." Here was the beginning of "fast freight" transportation in this section. It was a toll road, with gates at intervals of about four miles.
The first mail-route north from Utica was estab- lished January 19, 1804, and Daniel Gould is said to have been the first mail-rider. He was soon suc- ceeded by Reuben Chase, and one trip each week was made from Utica to Brownville, in Jefferson county. Barnabas Dickinson, of Denmark, Lewis county, was the next carrier, and by him a two-horse vehicle was placed upon the route for the accommodation of travelers, prior to which time the mail had been car- ried on horseback. About 1812 or 1814, "Parker & Co." ran a line of stages, and were succeeded by others in the business. In January, 1824, E. Backus and Ela Merriam, with N. W. Kinniston and John McIlwain began carrying the mail. The speediest stage trip from Utica to Sacket Harbor over this route was made on Thursday, February 19, 1829, when the route was covered in nine hours and forty- five minutes, the mail being changed at every office.
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The time consumed in stops amounted to thirty-nine minutes- distance ninety-three miles, snow two and a half feet deep.
The mail in those days was far from heavy. for many years the cost of postage was governed by the distance carried, and to many families this was a bar to·frequent correspondence between them and others they had left behind, or to those who had gone to make their home in the more remote west. On May 1, 1799, a postal law went into effect that was con- tinued without material change for many years. Sec- tion 2 of that act, after specifying the limitations as to size and quantity of paper that constituted a letter, established the following rates: "Every such letter, conveyed not exceeding forty miles, eight cents; over forty and not exceeding ninety miles, ten cents; over ninety and not over one hundred and fifty miles, twelve and a half cents; over one hundred and fifty, and not beyond three hundred miles, seventeen cents; over three hundred, and within five hundred miles, twenty cents; and for all over five hundred miles, twenty-five cents." The postage could be prepaid or not. When not prepaid, a bill for the postage accompanied the letter to be paid by the addressee. Thus the settler from New England, or other distant locality, might pay a good round sum in postage an- nually if his friends chose to send him the home news- paper.
The earliest stages were merely rough wagons, lacking every comfort for the traveler. Open to the elements, and without springs to ease the jolts en- countered by running over stones, roots of trees and deep ruts in the poorly constructed highways, they afforded a most unpleasant and wearisome mode of travel.
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In course of time, however, an improved and com- paratively luxurious stage-coach took the place of the old rough wagon. With increase of travel, and better roads, came the "coach and four," and often even "six" horses. The coach body was supported upon strap-springs, which gave it when upon the road a dipping, rocking, swinging motion, like the nest of a bird on a wind-swayed bough. At the rear, in a leather-covered rack called the "boot," the trav- elers' baggage was stowed. With the advent of the more elaborate stage-coach, came also in a correspond- ing degree an increase of importance to the driver, both in his own estimation and in the opinion of the .public. His trips brought him directly from "the city," upon his dexterity in handling the reins de- pended the safety to life and limb of his passengers; he made trips according to a schedule, usually arriv- ing on time; and above all, as there was no telegraph and but few newspapers in circulation, he was the principal conveyor of news. So why should he not be considered a character of no little dignity and con- sequence?
The arrival of the stage at the village was the great event of the day. The driver would sound his horn as he approached, and there would be a hurried run to the "Tavern" by men and boys to see who had arrived, and to learn the momentous news of the day. With a loud crack of his long-lashed whip over the heads of his four or six-horse team to accelerate their speed through the town, the driver would circle up to the door of the tavern with a grand flourish, throw the reins to a hostler in waiting, and descending from his high seat on the top of the coach, walk with the dignity of a general into the house. It was not until he had removed the dust and grime of the trip, and
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sauntered back to the bar-room, that any could have the boldness to ask for "news."
In 1844, on the occasion of the National Democratic Convention at Baltimore, a prominent Democrat of the village, aided by several other enthusiasts, wheeled an anvil-which served as a cannon on Fourth of July, and other occasions of rejoicing-to a convenient place on the bank of the creek near the hotel, just before the arrival of the stage. When it came in, this local leader of the Democracy approached the driver with great deference, asking if he could tell him the nominee of the Baltimore convention.
"James K. Polk," the driver answered.
"P.olk, Polk, Polk, who in h- is Polk!" he exclaimed; and then turning to his companions continued. "Well, he must be a Democrat, anyway, so fire away boys!"
The first vehicle with a body supported by springs ever seen in these parts was the coach of Joseph Bona- parte,* erstwhile king of Naples and of Spain, who made periodical journeys through here from his home in New Jersey to visit his countryman and fellow exile, Le Ray de Chaumont, at the latter's estate in Jefferson county. The coach hung on heavy leather straps similar to those the later stage coaches were provided with.
Among the leading stage lines out of Utica in 1830, was that to Sacket Harbor and Ogdensburg, via Rem- sen, Denmark and Watertown. It was advertised to "Leave Utica every day from nine to ten A. M., through in one day to Sacket Harbor, distance 94 miles; through in two days from Utica to Ogdensburg
* In 1818 Joseph Bonaparte, who in the United States assumed the title of Count de Survilliers, entered into a bargain with James Le Ray de Chaumont for some thousands of acres of the Le Ray estates, for which there is supposed to have passed certain court diamonds brought from Spain.
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(about 120 miles), intersecting the Ogdensburg stages at Denmark and Watertown, Monday, Wednesday and Friday."
The canals which finally joined our lakes with the waters of navigable rivers were projected soon after settlement was well advanced throughout the central and western portions of the state; and until the early system was completed, their establishment was from time to time ably advocated. The Western Naviga- tion Company was incorporated March 4, 1792, with power to improve the channel of Mohawk river, and to build a canal to Lake Ontario and Seneca Lake. Construction of the Erie canal was begun at Rome, July 4, 1817, and was completed in October, 1825, at a cost of $7,143,789. The event was celebrated by civic and military demonstrations from the lakes to the sea. As then built the channel was forty feet wide at the top, twenty-eight feet at the bottom, and of a depth permitting boats to draw four feet of water. Its docks were entirely of wood, being made of three pieces of timber 6 x 12, set one upon the other edge- wise, making three feet of docking. The entire length of the canal was three hundred and sixty- three miles.
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