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 8
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 8
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 8
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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
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Pirney stone house, on the east side of the turnpike, and his son, the late Evan T. Thomas, of Prospect, subsequently owned and operated it for several years.
In the address of Didymus Thomas we have men- tioned, he says that "Shubael Cross constructed the first grist mill in town, which was propelled by wind; and in place of a stone for grinding, he used a pestle to pound and mash the corn. And he put up the first saw-mill." These mills were at "Crosstown," as Mr. Thomas designates the settlement, in eastern Remsen, which later was known as Bardwelltown. A saw-mill here was run for many years by David and Elias Bardwell, brothers. Prior to their owner- ship the settlement was called "Burritt's Mills," after a man named Burritt, who had also a small grist-mill, which stood just below the saw-mill on the bank of the stream.
The Boon grist-mill, built on Cincinnati creek near where the R. W. & O. railroad now crosses that stream at Trenton village, was erected about 1798, by Gerrit Boon, at the expense of the Holland Land Company, to save settlers the hardship of walking to Whites- boro to get their grist ground. The late Vincent Tuttle, of Holland Patent, stated that this mill was in good order in 1804, though the dam had been car- ried away. The location of this dam proving imprac- ticable, the Holland Land Company abandoned it and built a new dam and mill on Cincinnati creek, a few rods below the Parker foundry, at the foot of the first fall below the bridge. The company also built a saw-mill on the site later occupied by the Parker saw-mill. These mills the company sold to Peter Schuyler, who owned and ran them several years, when he sold to James Parker, a prominent and in- fluential settler, who in turn conducted the business
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for many years. He ran the mills day and night, customers coming from Steuben, Remsen and Boon- ville to have their grist ground. Farmers at this time raised wheat for their own use and often had some to sell; but until the mill at Parker Hollow was built, they could obtain no flour without walking to Whitesboro, the road being otherwise impassable.
The first grist-mill at Remsen village was known as the Platt mill, and was built by William and John Platt, occupying the site of the present Remsen Mills. The late Mrs. Esther (Platt) Sawyer, of Hamilton, N. Y., in answer to our inquiries concerning the matter some years ago, said: "The grist-mill built by Wil- liam Platt and my father was upon the site of an old stone mill, built by I know not whom." As to the Platt grist-mill having been built upon the site of an earlier one, we believe Mrs. Sawyer to be in error. The Platts came into possession of the mill-site and water privilege in 1799, and we know that later than this the settlers in Steuben, less than a mile away, were carrying their wheat upon their backs to Whitesboro to be ground. Had there been a mill in Remsen before the erection of the Platt mill this would not have been necessary.
The mill was built presumably between 1806 and 1809. The machinery was installed by a Mr. Taylor, of Oriskany, a mill-wright of some renown. But little iron entered into its construction, for the neces- sary castings could not be procured nearer than New York or Philadelphia. The iron parts, as the mill was constructed, consisted of. the water-wheel gud- geons, the segments on the pit-wheel, and the crown- wheel. The bolt-gears, shafts and other parts were made of wood, turned in a hand-lathe operated by a . spring-pole. There were two runs of stone made
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from a sort of conglomerate of white flint pebbles cut for this mill in Chenango county. Some years later one of these stones exploded, or was rent asunder by centrifugal force, one half being thrown through the door into the mill-yard.
The Platts also built a saw-mill-here, occupying the site of an earlier one, which may account for Mrs. Sawyer's statement. In a map of the Service Patent made by Calvin Guiteau in 1795, we find a saw-mill marked upon the site of the later Platt saw-mill, possibly of stone, but more likely of logs. This mill no doubt was built by some one in the interest of the Holland Company, who early saw the advantage of utilizing the excellent water-power at these falls, and a saw-mill could be more cheaply constructed and would serve the most needful purpose the power could then be put to, for the settlers were living in cabins without doors, because of their inability to get sawed lumber.
Shortly after receiving his grant of 16,000 acres from the state, Baron Steuben, through his agent, Samuel Sizer, caused a saw-mill to be built on Steuben creek, in Steuben township. John Lincklaen, as we have previously shown, in company with Gerrit Boon made a journey through the forest from Otsego county to the Baron's patent in April, 1792, and in describ- ing this journey says: "We find the Baron has a saw- mill built upon Steuben creek, but it is in bad order. Besides, in summer, there is scarcely enough water."
Prior to 1812, Robert M. Jones constructed a log dam and saw-mill in Cincinnati creek near his house -now the Pirnie stone house-nearly a mile south of the village. It stood about half way between the present R. W. & O. railroad tracks and the bend of the creek where it turns south after its course due
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east about sixty rods, and like all the early saw-mills had one upright saw. The road just below, leading west from the turnpike at the "lime-kiln place," was opened about 1818 for hauling logs to this mill from Steuben. The road then ran over the hill, south of the line it follows now along the side of the ravine. It has been closed and reopened several times.
Principally to avoid the hauling of logs for long distances, saw-mills were erected in different sections wherever sufficient water-power could be obtained. At an early day one of these was built by Robert M. Jones and John Hughes, father of the late Deacon Hugh Hughes, on Cincinnati creek, west of the turn- pike, between Bethel and what was formerly known as the "Higby Tavern."
Judge Pomeroy Jones mentions in his "Annals of Oneida County," "twelve saw-mills in the town of Remsen, and two grist-mills-one of the latter run by steam-power." Some of these saw-mills, however, were in the present town of Forestport.
The Phelps saw-mill, north of Remsen village, was built by Harvey Phelps, father of the late Nathan Phelps. We cannot give the exact time it was built, though it was some years prior to 1824, for Harvey Phelps died in March of that year. After his death the mill was conducted by David Aldrich, under a twenty-year lease, and, after the expiration of the lease, by Harvey Phelps, Jr., and Nathan Phelps. The mill was destroyed by fire in March, 1840, but rebuilt the following summer.
About 1822-23, just below the falls on the east side of the creek at Remsen village, a smelting furnace and foundry was built by Sylvester Burchard. Much of the space it occupied is now taken up by the raliroad embankment at that point. The blast for
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reducing the iron to a liquid state was produced by the following primitive though highly ingenious device: A stream of water passing through a tube from the dam above, carried air with it into a chamber where the air and water separated, the water running out of the cistern while the air rushed through the tweer upon the metal and fuel in the bottom of the furnace.
Mr. Burchard later built a blast-furnace and foun- dry farther south, on the same side of the creek, near where the road to Prospect passes under the railroad tracks. Stoves and plow-points were cast here, and Mr. Burchard manufactured plows extensively for those days. These supplanted the primitive plow with a wooden mold-board, used exclusively in these parts up to that time. The blast in this furnace was produced by a huge bellows, pumped by horse-power, the horse being driven round in a circle after the man- ner in the old time bark-mill. In 1835 Mr. Burchard sold his business and property to John Perry, of Utica. The latter in time was succeeded by Rowland Anthony, and the foundry business and blacksmithing was car- ried on by him for many years.
About 1820, or possibly earlier, Heman Ferry built a distillery about a quarter of a mile south of the village and some ten rods west of the turnpike. His first distiller was a Mr. Tuttle, brother of the late Vincent Tuttle, who had previously worked in a dis- tillery at Parker Hollow, which had been in operation some years prior to the building of the Ferry distil- lery. Josiah Owen, in after life a prominent farmer of Steuben, was distiller for Mr. Ferry many years. The Parker distillery stood near the brick house built by Timothy Powers, and during the war of 1812 Vin- cent Tuttle, under contract with the government, manufactured there 250,000 gallons of spirits for the
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army. This plant had ceased operations before Mr. Ferry built here.
There also was a distillery at Holland Patent be- fore Mr. Ferry built at Remsen. The product of these distilleries was made from rye and corn, and the Ferry plant afforded a convenient market for these grains raised in this section. Later, distilleries were . built in other parts on a larger scale than those we have mentioned, and, it having been demonstrated that dairying was more profitable in this region than the cultivation of grain, the enterprise of whisky- ' making in these townships terminated.
^ After the Ferry distillery had been abandoned, Robert Griffith (Creigiau), utilized the building for brewing ale on a small scale. The venture was un- remunerative and short-lived.
A man named Ensign put up a carding and fulling- mill at Parker Hollow. He was succeeded by Timothy Powers, who for many years carried on the works, serving a large area of country.
About 1823, after constructing a stone dam, John G. Jones built a saw-mill and a grist-mill on the creek less than a quarter of a mile south of the village. The saw-mill was built on the east side of the stream, and the grist-mill on the west side. He soon added to the latter a carding, fulling, and cloth-dressing mill, equipped with the most complete machinery obtain- able at the time; but the undertaking never proved a success. The dam was carried away by freshets two or three times, and the mill badly damaged; finally it was closed, remaining unoccupied for many years, and, about 1860, it was burned, whether by accident or design was never known. Its walls, partially covered with woodbine, remained for almost forty years, and like the ruins of some old castle lent
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a picturesque charm to the landscape. During its operation a number of skilled workmen were employed here, among them John Griffith, Samuel Groat, and a Mr. Murray, of Russia, N. Y.
A carding, fulling and cloth-dressing mill was early established in the village, in a building afterward converted into a steam grist and flour-mill. This enterprise was founded by Gen. Zalmon Root and his son-in-law, Thomas Hawley, and did considerable bus- iness for many years. The superintendent's house was attached to the mill, on the south, and the dye- house stood south of that. Samuel Johnson was at one time superintendent, and later it was under the management of Benjamin Fairchild and brother.
About 1850 some of the leading business men of the village, among whom was Zalmon D. Root, T. B. White and O. J. Owens, formed a company for the purpose of enlarging the cloth-mill building and equipping it with modern machinery for manufactur- ing flour. Steam power was used in conjunction with the water-power furnished by the dam. After the Utica & Black River railroad was built, the tracks of which skirted the mill-pond on the east, a bridge- like structure was built upon the top of the dam be- tween the mill and the railroad. Wheat by the car- load was brought in and trucked across this bridge to the mill, and the flour shipped away in the same manner. The head miller or superintendent was A. C. Herring.
The present Remsen Mills were built for Robert M. Jones by his son, Cornelius R. Jones, of Syracuse, in 1850-1852. The grist-mill had three runs of stones . and derived its power from a large water-wheel twenty- two feet in diameter, known as a "breast-wheel." A new saw-mill was also built by them about the same
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time, and stood north of the grist-mill, parallel with the creek. This building has since been removed, turned at right angles with the stream, and used for other purposes. These mills replaced the Platt grist and saw-mills. Of late years the grist-mill was some- what modernized by the more recent owners, Mat- thew Jones and Richard Richards.
In the infancy of the settlement a tannery was built here by Archibald Blue and Jared Noble. It was a story and a half stone structure, and stood near the foot of the hill, about twenty-five rods to the rear of the pres- ent Baptist church. A small brook flowing down the hill supplied the water required for tanning the hides. This brook at that time flowed continuously, bringing a considerable volume of water, as it does now only after hard rains and protracted thaws; but just below the site of the old tannery it loses itself in a fissure of the under- lying lime rock. Its mysterious disappearance and probable subsequent course were long subjects of specu- lation, and possibly might never have been explained but for particles of tell-tale tan-bark which rode its waters through the dark secret chambers of its subter- ranean passage, coming to light again a mile or more south of the village along the bank of the Cincinnati.
In February, 1812, Blue & Noble sold the tannery and adjacent property to Col. Mather Beecher, who came here from the township of Russia, N. Y., and the former owners removed to Greene, Chenango county. Some years later Colonel Beecher added a large four- story structure, and carried on an extensive business, receiving shipments of hides and pelts from the north- ern counties and from Canada. Thousands of cords of hemlock bark have been hauled here for use at this tan- nery. Mr. Beecher also established here a shoe factory, as it might be called, though shoemaking was a pure
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handicraft then, there being no machinery used. This was one of the first establishments of the kind in the United States, and the work was carried on in the stone building north of the Baptist church in Main street, which he built for that purpose. He employed in the tannery and the shoe factory from forty to sixty men, and provided many of them with board and lodging, as accommodations for workmen of that class were not easy to obtain. Boots and shoes were made in the fac- tory from leather of his own tanning, then shipped by way of the great lakes to Chicago, when that city was little more than a military post-Fort Dearborn. This wholesale traffic in foot-wear was an innovation in which Mr. Beecher was the pioneer. Before that time it was unknown, as boots and shoes were always made to order from measure. His son, Jerome Beecher, with a large consignment of these goods went to Chicago to superintend their sale, settled there permanently, and subsequently became very active and prominent in for- warding that city's growth. In partnership with his brother-in-law, a Mr. Cobb, he took large paving con- tracts, laying the first pavements in many of Chicago's most busy thoroughfares of to-day.
Colonel Beecher, however, through the unfortunate purchase and use of a patent bark-mill, became involved in litigation, and much of his fortune was swept away. About 1850 the tannery was leased to Hale & Kaulback, who conducted the business for a few years.
Chester Porter, who came to Steuben in 1806 or '08, early built a tannery at Sixty Acres. About 1830 he sold the business and the property to William J. Owen, who carried it on for over twenty years.
A tannery was established in Steuben near that sec- tion called "Cobin," owned and operated for many years by Richard R. Roberts (Pen-y-caerau).
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Richard Thomas, who learned the trade of tanner and currier of William J. Owen in Steuben, built a tannery at Bardwell in 1853, which he conducted until his death, in 1872.
Between 1825 and '35, Andrew Nash manufactured wool hats in the house that stands on the south corner ' of Main and Steuben streets. .
John Bronson made wooden buckets at his farm, near the Pen-y-caerau church, in the early part of the last century. The hoops and bails were made entirely of wood, there being no metal about them.
David Philip Thomas had a mill at Ninety Six, where for over twenty years he made cheese-boxes, fully supplying the local demand, which was moderately large, especially after cheese factories were established in these parts.
Rounds & Turner had here a factory for making wooden chairs before 1850, and carried on the business for some years.
David Bardwell manufactured bass and snare drums, bedsteads, chairs and other articles of furniture in a building that stood on the west side of Bardwell creek, which his father had formerly built for a saw-mill. The factory was burned in the fall of 1844.
In some sections of Remsen township, especially at Ninety Six and the vicinity of Bardwell, spruce timber was once plentiful, and in these localities the manufac- ture of shaved shingles was a domestic industry of some importance; for, as was the case in the first stages in the preparation of flax for the loom, the work was done by the father and sons of the household. The spruce logs were sawed into eighteen-inch blocks, termed "shingle butts." These then were split into pieces of the re- quired thickness, about a quarter of an inch, with a cleaving instrument called a "frow," which was a blade
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with a handle at right angles, and operated by striking with a mallet. Those pieces were then placed upon a "shaving-horse," held firmly by a sort of lever pressed by the operator's foot, and with a draw-knife shaved at one end to a proper and nearly uniform thickness. The shingles were packed in bunches of five hundred or a thousand each, carted to town and sold, or exchanged at the store for merchandise. Workers at this craft were called "shingle weavers."
About 1857 or '58, the firm of Joy & Joins engaged in the manufacture of butter tubs, in the Beecher tannery building. Mr. Joins died about 1860, and Mr. Joy sub- sequently removed to Herkimer county.
In 1863, Didymus Thomas purchased the Beecher property and established in the old tannery building a cheese factory, which he conducted for several years, the milk used being brought in by farmers from the sur- rounding country.
The Ellis Foundry and Machine Shop was established in 1867, by John Ellis, the present proprietor. The business was first started in that nursery of many infant industries, the old Steam Mill. Later Mr. Ellis erected a shop near the depot, where he manufactured steam boilers, cheese presses, machinery for the manufacture of all kinds of cooperage, tread-wheels for churning by dog-power, all of which were his own inventions. In 1884 he removed to Sioux Falls, Dakota, where he es- tablished a plant similar to the one he has here; but in 1890 or '91 he returned to the old place.
The occupation of village or country blacksmith, under conditions existing when this section was new, of necessity differed greatly from that of to-day. In those times the blacksmith was in a much broader sense "an artificer in iron." He wrought by hand implements for the farm and utensils for the house-
-
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hold. He fashioned the crane upon which hung the pots and kettles in the fire-place, the andirons, the huge tongs for arranging the embers, and the shovel for removing the ashes. He made the candle-sticks, candle-snuffers and their accompanying tray; and among these what might be termed a "combination ' fixture," that is, candle-sticks having a socket for a tallow candle and an attachment for holding a rush candle, so that either might be used at will. He also made a receptacle for what was known as the "slut"* candle-a small vessel formed like a gravy- boat, in which fat was placed and a rag immersed therein, one end protruding at the neck or spout of the vessel where the light was applied; and to its bail or handle was attached a spike, that might be driven into the wall of the log house, thus providing the occupants with "side lights." In addition to all the iron parts for wagons and sleighs, he made hinges, door-latches, bolts, rivets, and nails. There even yet may be found in the older houses here some of this hand-wrought work. Then too he formed and tempered sickles for cutting grain, and made hoes and other implements. It was said of William Boss, an adept at the trade who located in Prospect in 1798, that he could fashion anything in iron "from a Jews- harp to the iron parts of a saw-mill."
In 1828 a poor German came to Utica, and near what was later known as "Nail creek," in West Utica, built a shop for the manufacture of nails which sold at a shilling a pound. He had two dogs trained to furnish the power by which a pair of bellows were worked. But eventually cut nails took the place of the hand-wrought, as they could be produced much more cheaply.
* From the Danish word "slet," meaning a rag.
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Among the early blacksmiths who located here- about was a Colonel Davis, a revolutionary officer, who worked at his trade at Steuben Corners, having followed closely the arrival of Samuel Sizer. He later removed west. Jabez Burchard carried on the business at Sixty Acres, as early as 1806; and about this time Moses W. Prindle was doing work in a shop on the north corner of the turnpike and the road lead- ing to Prospect, at the south end of the village. At this shop Mr. Prindle was succeeded by Sylvester Burchard, who was joined by his father, Jabez Burch- ard, of Steuben, before 1830. Later they built a shop on the south corner of this road, where, in addi- tion to blacksmithing, they manufactured plows; and Jacob Lewis, afterward for many years a popular hotel keeper in Remsen, conducted the shop that they had vacated.
About 1823 Moses Prindle built a shop in Main street, on the south line of the lot where now stands the house occupied by the late Dr. Reed. This house which then stood close upon the bank of the creek was for a long time the Prindle homestead; Moses Prindle living in the main part, and his son Walker, occupying a two-story ell with basement, which formerly joined the house on the south. Walker Prindle carried on blacksmithing for several years in a shop built by him on the south corner of Main street and the street leading past the site of the old Baptist church. At an early day Hugh Thomas engaged in this business near the Remsen Mills, and immediately south of his shop stood another, which for a time was conducted by William B. Jones. In January, 1848, both these buildings were destroyed by fire, as was also the resi- dence of Mr. Thomas. The latter rebuilt at once, and conducted business on the same spot until incapac-
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itated by age. He was a man of singular industry, working early and late; the bright glow of his forge- fire and the music of his anvil attesting to his dili- gence while the less assiduous were in their beds. He was succeeded by his son, Hugh Thomas, Jr., and a son of the latter, Elmer H. Thomas, carries on the ' business to-day. Scattered through the country dis- tricts were a few more of this trade, notably near Fairchild, where in more recent years Richard Owens engaged in this work, and one near the Higby tavern. The business carried on in the village by Roscoe C. Roberts was established by him in 1884.
CHAPTER VIII
RELIGION AND CHURCH SOCIETIES
For the greater part those here have ever been what may be denominated a religious people. In view of this fact, therefore, it has been necessary to devote considerable space in these pages to the record of the various religious movements and organizations that have taken root and flourished here, evidently from seed scattered on good ground. Representatives of nearly every shade of modern religious belief have proselyted here, from the Mormon elder, with his multiplicity of wives, to the Romish priest with no wife at all; and there have dwelt here adherents to divers and sundry doctrines, from those of Rome who maintained the validity of seven sacraments, to the Quaker of Philadelphia who believed in none .*
Missionaries from New England were timely and effective laborers in the field. At an early period
A man named Williams, a resident of Steuben for many years, succumbed to the teachings of a Mormon elder who visited these parts, and started to move bis family to Nauvoo, Ill., then the seat of Mormonisin, intending to cast his lot with those people. But stopping at Holland Patent to take leave of friends there, he heard reports derogatory to the new sect, so rented or bought a farm near by and remained there.
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