USA > New York > Essex County > Westport > Bessboro: A history of Westport, Essex Co., N.Y. > Part 29
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Another arrival from Vermont was Judge Asa Aikens, with his family, from Windsor, as is apparent from the notice of Judge Aikens' law business in the Times, and the announcement of his daughter's marriage, in June. One reason for their coming to Westport was the res- idence here of Mrs. Aikens' brother, William Guy Hun- ter, and of the family of her sister, Mrs. Sewall Cutting, who had died three years before.
Asa Aikeus was born in Barnard, Vt., Jan. 13, 1788, the son of Solomon and Betsey (Smith) Aikens. He entered West Point Nov. 30, 1807, and in the war of 1812 was a captain in the Bist regiment, U. S. A. He graduated from Middlebury College, class of 1808, and practiced law in Windsor until his removal to Westport. From 1818 to 1820 he was in the Vermont Legislature.
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
from 1823 to 1825 Judge of the.supreme Court of Ver- mont, and in 1827 President of the Council of Censors. In 1827 and 1828 he edited the Supreme Court Re- ports. He published two law-books, "Practical Forms" in 1836, and "Tables," in 1846, after he had settled in Westport. The latter is doubtless the first book ever published by any oue living in our town. He married his first wife, Naney Ann Spencer, Jan. 24, 1809, and her children were Emma Jeromine and Julienne Ger- trude. His second wife was Sarah Hunter, married Dec. 4, 1814. Children : Villeroy Spencer ; Mary Eliz- abeth ; Helen St. Johns (Mrs. Grant); Augusta (Mrs. Dudley); William Hunter; Edwin Edgerton; Charles Eugene ; Sarah Hunter (Mrs. Jacobson): Guy Hunter ; Franklin Hunter. Judge Aikens died in Hackensack, N. J., while on a visit, July 12, 1863, and his wife died seven years later.
184-1.
Town Meeting held at the Inn of H. J. Person.
Franklin H. Cutting, Supervisor.
William Van Vleck, Clerk.
John H. Low, Justice.
Asahel Lyon, Town Superintendent of Common Schools. This is the first election of suen an officer, and probably marks the date of the first election of trustees in the dif- ferent districts. We do not find the three "school com -. missioners" and the three "school inspectors ; again elected as town officers.
Diodorus Holcomb, Luther Angier. Alexander Steven- sou. Assessors.
Elijah Angier, Hinkley Coll, Abram E. Wadhams, Road Commissioners.
James W. Eddy, William L. Wadhams. Joseph R. Delano, Inspectors of Election.
This is the first election of such officers.
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
Hezekiah Barber and Horace Holcomb. Overseers of the Poor.
Benajah P. Doug'ass. Collector.
B. P. Douglass. Erastus Loveland, Jared Goodale, Hor- ace Barnes. Constables.
Henry H. Holcomb. Sealer of Weights and Measures.
Pathmasters .- Joseph Bigalow, Elibu H. Coll. James Peets. Tillinghast Cole. Charles Fisher. Willard Frisbie. William Viall, James Marshall. Henry Royce, George W. Sturtevant, Aoram E. Wadhams, Jobn R. Whitney, Joel R. Whitney. Joel B. Finney. Curtis Pierce. Leonard Fisher. Jonas Vanderhoff, Alonzo Slaughter, Joshua Smith. Jacob Decker. Daniel Nichols. Jesse Sherman. Solomon Stockwell. Lee Prouty, William P. Merriam, William Mar- tin, Lyman F. Hubbard. John Flinn, Artemas Hartwell. Joseph Duntley, John Stone, Truman Bartlett.
Voted to raise ten dollars "to purchase a set of Weights and Measures for the use of the Town."
- Asahel Lyon failing to serve as Superintendent of Com- mon Schools Asa P. Hammond was appointed in his place.
In consequence of the resignation of William Van Vleck." Samuel C. Dwyer was appointed Town Clerk by three Justices, Miles M'F. Sawyer, Anson HI. Allen and Ira Henderson.
By this time the old militia training day had passed away, and its place had been taken by the mass meet- ings of the people called political conventions. This year saw the last campaign of the brilliant Whig lead- er, Henry Clay, and a grand Whig Convention was held
.
*William Henry Van Vleck was the son of Mrs. Cathaline Post Van Vleck, a widow who resided in Westport from some time before 1S30 to her death in IS67. He married Elizabeth Whallon, daughter of James M Whallon, owner of the mills at Whallonsburgh, and they lived in the large brick house on the river bank (since used as a hotel) which is still sometimes called "the Van Vleck House," although the Van Vlecks moved to Washington more than a generation ago. Upon the death of Elizabeth his wife, William Van Vleck, married her sister Ein - eline Whallon. Elizabeth Van Vieck, sister of William, married the Rev. Thomas Brandt, a Baptist minister who preached in Westport from 1843 to 154), and who is said to have been a descendant of Joseph Brandt, the famous Mohawk chief who fought for the British in the Revolution.
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at the county seat in September, at which every town in the county was represented by a pictorial delegation. The display made by Westport is still remembered as a triumph. In a large car rode "twenty-six ladies, young and beautiful," as an eye witness reports, representing the number of states then in the Union, and each car- rying a flag with her state name upon it. The car was drawn by thirteen yoke of oxen, each with its own teamster, and with horns decorated with red, white and blue ribbons, while behind the car rose deafening music from fife and drum. The head teamster of all was Elijah Wright, a famous driver of oxen, then more com- monly used than horses for farm work. To-day thirteen yoké of oxen cannot be found in the township. The car was a rude affair, and the roads very bad, even for that period, and the whole delegation took turns in walking part of the way, with the single exception of Joseph R. Delano, who was lame at the time, and rode in state in a rocking chair. Of the twenty-six young girls who took part in this ardent display of political enthusiasm three are still living in 1903. One was Mary Hardy, afterward Mrs. Humphrey Sherman, another was Louise Dunster, afterward Mrs. Maurice Sherman, and the third was a daughter of Alexander Whitney who went in disregard of her father's allegi- ance to the opposing party, the Locofocos, and who mar- ried George F. Stanton.
Westport still has a newspaper, but its editor has changed. Its name is simply "The Essex County Times," it is published Thursdays, and its editor is David Tur-
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
ner. In politics it represents the Anti-Whig party whose name is still in process of formation, as is well shown by this phrase from the resolutions of a recent convention-"every republican who desires the pros- perity of the good old democratic cause." This con- vention had nominated Augustus C. Hand for Senator.
It is announced that "the Democrats of Wadhams' Mills will erect a Hickory at that place on Friday, Oct. . 4. The friends of Polk and Dallas, Wright and Gard- ner, everywhere, are invited to attend," and there are to be distinguished speakers from abroad. There is also a call for three delegates from each town to meet at Elizabethtown "to nominate a candidate for Member of Assembly in the place of William G. Hunter, who de- clines." We know that the man who actually went to the Assembly from our district this year was Gideon Hammond.
There is a note about the "Whitehall,"-"this spa- cious and magnificent Steamer has again taken her place in the Line," Capt. G. Lathrop. And "it is said that the new Steamer building at Whitehall is to be called the Francis Sultus, in honor of a New York Mer- chant." Our postmaster is still C. B. Hatch. D. H. Kent has not yet changed the May advertisement which announced that he had just returned from the south with a full and complete assortment of Goods, "which range from "Balzarines, Parisiennes, Muslin de Laines and kid gloves" to plough points, wash tubs and wagon tires with a supply of Parlor, Cook and Box Stoves, "cast from the first quality Pig Iron, and warranted
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ITISTORY OF WESTPORT
against cracks for six months with good usage." There were still people who cooked over the primitive fire- places, though they were becoming very unfashionable, and all the stylish folks had theirs bricked up be- fore this time, with an ugly iron stove set in the mid- dle of the dear old hearth-stone which had been warm to the feet of so many babies as they sat before the open fire and toasted themselves before going to bed. Apropos of the subjects of stoves and cookery, it must have been about 1848 when Phebe Sawyer, presented by her uncle with a new gold dollar, chose to invest it in the most approved cook-book then known, that of Miss Catharine Beecher, in which full directions are given-for cooking before an open fire, with crane and bake kettle and spider-legged frying-pan to be set in a bed of glowing coals. Cake was to be raised with eggs only, though directions are given for the use of "pear- lash," which was usually made at home by burning a little pile of clean cobs on a newly washed hearth, and then gathering up the pearly little heap of ashes.
Returning to the columns of the Times, we find that Kent still makes Hats of the Latest Fashion, and that William J. and Franklin H. Cutting are in business as before. Horace and Jason Braman have "assigned their book accounts, notes and other effects to Platt Sheldon," and Horace Braman wishes to let "the well- known Tavern Stand at Wadhams Mills." The firm of W. D. and B. F. Holcomb has dissolved partnership, but W. D. Holcomb will "continue to carry on the Tai- loring Business." John H. Low is selling dry goods,
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
from Broadeloths to "Ladies' Cravats, Fringes, Dress Silks, Hat and Cap Ribbons, with groceries, among which we notice "Lamp Oil," showing that the tallow candle was in a way to be left behind like the fire-place. The Port Henry Iron Works call for 3000 cords good hard wood and 50,000 bushels charcoal made from hard wood, at $1.75 per cord and 6 cts. a bushel. Signed F. H, Jackson, Treasurer Port Henry Iron Co. This may serve to explain what became of our forest primeval. Solomon Stockwell has lost a red two year old heifer with a slit in the left ear, but the most remarkable loss is that of Jacob Allen of Elizabethtown, who announ- ces indignantly that "on Sunday last an indented ap- prentice named Thomas Halfpenny" ran away from the subscriber. It seems that Thomas Halfpenny was an Irishman and "wore away a dark blue coat considerably worn, light coloured vest, blue cotton drilling panta- loons, a new fur hat and black velvet stock."
There are two very interesting obituaries.
"Died, at his residence in this village, after a long and painful illuess, on the 30th ult., the Hon. Barnabas Myrick, aged 49 years. Mr. Myrick's loss is a public calamity. He was one of our wealthiest, most enter- prising and useful titizens. For many years he has been identified with the prosperity of our flourishing village, and been foremost in its advancement, having filled many offices of trust with honor and ability, among which was the representation of this county iu the State Legislature. But he is cut down in the midst
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
of his days, leaving a lovely family and a large circle of acquaintances.
"Also, on the same day, William Hunter Aikens, late of the University of Vermont, second son of the Hou. Asa Aikens, aged 20 years. This talented, amiable and interesting young man has been cut down in the midst of his collegiate course. It is about a year since the insidious disease which was destined to prostrate in the dust the buoyant aspirations of the youth and the fond hopes of parents and friends, began to mani- fest itself in the decline of his health. Although he had been placed under the special care of eminent med- ical gentlemen of the city of New York, no exertions could save him, and his friends are left with no other consolation than that his elevated spirit shrunk not at the prospect of death."
: This year also died two of the pioneers, Enos Love- land, aged seventy-eight, and John Halstead, aged seventy-four. Both born under the reign of a British king, they had lived to see the young republic come to that stage of development in which an American had just perfected the electric telegraph. Coming into the wooded wilderness of this region in 1800, they had seen, in the passage of a half-century, the growth of a busy little village, with comfortable homes scattered over all the tillable land of the township.
1845.
Town Meeting held at the Ion of H. J. Person. Asa Atkeas, Supervisor.
Wiliam D. Holcomb, Clerk.
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
Daniel S. French was elected Justice of the Peace, and David S. MeLeod was appointed to fill vacancy.
Leverett Pardy, Collector.
David P. Holtou. Town Superintendent of Schools.
Moses Felt, Aaron B. Mack. Archibald Patterson, As- sessors.
George Skinner, William J. Cutting, Samuel Root, High- way Commissioners.
James W. Eddy, David H. Sayre, William J. Cutting. Inspectors of Election.
Albert P. Cole and Stephen Sayre. Poor Masters.
, Leverett Pardy, Horace P. Carpenter, Ira Downey. Ralph A. Loveland, Constables.
Jobu H. Low, Town Sealer of Weights and Measures.
.Patbmasters .- Thomas Walton, E. H. Cole, Samuel Root. Peter Ferris, Charles Fisher, Asa Loveland, William Viall. James Marsball, Elijah Angier, George W. Sturtevant. Elijah Wright. Joseph Hardy, Auson Braman. D. R. Wood- ruff, Leopard Fisher, Harvey Smith. Marcus J. Hoising ton. Johu Daniels. Barton Hammond, Edward Harper, F. T. Howard. Solomon Stockwell. Lee Prouty. Moses Felt. William Martin, Leonard Taylor, Benajab P. Douglass. William Hartwell, Orrin Skinner, James Fortune, Ziba Howard.
Voted to raise $15.00 for Weights and Measures.
This year we have no old newspaper to refer to, and so far as the knowledge of the present writer extends. no more of the Westport papers are in existence. Nothing is more ephemeral than a newspaper, and it is only by accident that our few treasures have been kept for us. Even now, as I write, some housewife may be going through some inherited garret like a destroying angel, piling up rubbish in the chip-yard, and applying a match to the last one of the old Turner papers. They were not published for more than three or four years after this, and if we had a copy of each number it would not take a very large place to pile them. Old letters
HISTORY OF WESTPORT SORTE 4+1
and diaries contain much that is of interest, but are not. of course, generally accessible to the public.
In January Platt R. Halstead made one of his win- ter journeys to the south, to escape the chilling winds of the climate which had already set its seal upon all his father's family. This was probably his first winter spent in the south, and after this he went every winter until his death, stopping in New York for a short visit to Dr. Evander Ranney, and then going on to Jackson- ville, Florida. He kept a diary of these trips, portions of which were printed in the New York Evening Post. He was personally acquainted with the editor, William Cullen Bryant, a man of exactly his own age. There are a few leaves of the manuscript of this diary left, in which he gives a description of Savannah, and says : "We arrived at Savannah about eleven o'clock, A. M. I took a walk through the town, and took quarters at the City Hotel. In the course of the day I came across Rensselaer Ross, son of Theodorus Ross, formerly of Elizabethtown. He is an old acquaintance, and we were much pleased to meet each other." His eye for military matters is thus shown: "Passed by the bar- racks of the U. S. troops, about one hundred left. Went on the parade ground and saw them inspected. Should think them mostly recruits." The first of Feb- ruary he concludes to go further south. "Made a few purchases, as I had been advised by a Mr. Hancock, a gentleman from Virginia who had just returned from Jacksonville, sent some papers home, packed up my baggage, paid my bill, took a friendly share of the hand
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
with some acquaintance which I had made while in Sa- vannab, and was accompanied to the boat by mine host of the hotel, who kindly introduced me to some gentle- men who were journeying south. The scenery this evening as we passed through it was very interesting to a Northern man. Some of the inlets appeared to me like our creeks, or the lake ten or twelve miles below Whitehall, excepting the marshes, smooth and even, ex- tending in some places, as far as the eye can reach, , with numerous bluff's or islands covered with live oak, with its long grey hair-moss hanging from the limbs, with their beautiful green leaves. The yellow or long. leaved pitch-pine, stately and tall, with but few limbs until you approach the top of the tree, -- the palmetto, which you frequently see along the banks or edges of * the marshes, with its round top composed of long shin- ing green leaves,-all, all is new to me, and highly pic- turesque. We passed several islands, with large plan- tations, with venerable mansious, surrounded by their numerous out-buildings and negro houses, all white and neat in appearance. You occasionally get a view of the ocean, and see its huge billows bursting in foam on the sandy points of the islands, or the numerous bars be- tween them." This fragment of the diary stops with the boat running aground near Jacksonville.
Lieutenant Halstead had given up his own house at
1 the top of the hill not long after his sister's marriage. and had bought and remoteled the long white house which was built by Charles B. Hatch almost on the site of "the Gables" of the Westport Inn, but standing close
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
upon the road. Here he occupied a bedroom and sit- ting room up stairs, in the north end, while Mrs. Van Vleek and her family occupied the rest of the house. Mrs. Van Vleck was an old and dear friend, and he took his meals with her, this arrangement lasting until his health failed so fast that he went to his sister's house and there died in 1849. This uncle was the fairy god- father of his sister's growing family of children, always coming back from the south with trunks full of gifts, and when he died he left them all his property.
In 1845 was built a plank road to Elizabethtown with two toll gates, one standing near where the rai !- way now crosses the road, and the other near the village of Elizabethtown. This road to the Val- ley had up to this time been invariably bad, running through low land which could only be crossed by miles of agonizing corduroy. It was made a turnpike. This plank road greatly facilitated the carriage of ore from boats lying at our wharves, which had been loaded at Port Henry, to the forges at Elizabethtown and Lewis, . and the return of their manufactured iron. This year a new forge was erected, on the Boquet, by W. P. & P. D. Merriam. It contained three fires, one bammer and two wheels. It consumed charcoal, burned in kilus on the Iron Ore tract owned by the company, and also in many a solitary kiln in the forest, tended by some farmer or woodsman willing to make a few dollars in this way. Twenty-one years after the opening of Mer- riam's Forge, iu 1866, according to Watson, it was burn- ing eighty thousand bushels of charcoal, and making
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
six hundred and thirty tons of ore into four hundred and fifty tons of iron, in oue year. This was no doubt the maximum out-put. These works remained in ope- ration until about 1870, but since then have been shut down.
This year D. L. Allen bought the Douglass wharf and store. For six years he had been at Wadhams, in partnership with J. R. DeLano. For thirty-three years he did a flourishing business in the Douglass store, and in 1878 moved into the large new store on North street, where his son, Frank W. Allen, has succeeded him. This makes a continuous business in town for sixty- three years, the longest in our history. David Lewis Allen was a son of Nathaniel Allen, who came in from Panton in 1821. The other sons of Nathaniel Allen . were Almond and James A., and his daughters Alma and Susan, now Mrs. Farnsworth.
In 1815 the first steam propeller on the lake was built at Whitehall and called the Jomes H. Hooker, af- terwards doing a large towing business. The Hooker. when first built, carried sails and had a center-board.
In the trustees' book of the Baptist church is a list of the pew-holters of this year, which it is believed will be of interest. First comes the minister's pew, just south of the pulpit, occupied by the family of the Rev. Thomas Brandt. The nine other pews in the front of the church are owned by Joel Finney, Miles M'F. Saw- yer, H. Bostwick, Alexander Young, Albert P. Cole. William Stacy, Ira Henderson, Norris MeKinney, and William J. Cutting. Then in the body of the church
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
Barnabas Myrick, Enos Loveland, Gideon Hammond, Edmund J. Smith, Calvin Angier, George B. Reynolds, Jonathan Nichols, Tillinghast Cole, Platt Rogers Halstead, Abuer Slaughter, Newton Hays, Darius Mer- riam, Calvin Hammond, William Olds, Dependence Nichols, Elijah Angier, Alonzo Slaughter, A. Barber, Hammond & McLeod. Ralph Loveland, E. Angier &- Sons, Dan H. Kent, Joel B. Finney, Caleb P. Cole. James McKinney, Aaron B. Maek, Donglass & Allen, Mr. Hubbard, Charles B. Hatch, Dr. Ranney, Charles Hatch, William Viall, Jabez Frisbie, Luther Angier, E. B. Nichols. Each pew was considered the property of the person who bought it, and the prices varied accord- ing to the desirability of the situation, the highest being two at $90 each, owned by Norris McKinney and Wil- liam J. Cutsing, to half a dozen, mostly marked "Bap- tist Church," valued at $30. The sum total of value of all the pews was $1000. These names are not all those of members of the Baptist church. For instance, the Hatches all belonged to the Methodist church, but bought pews in the other church because they were willing to help both societies. Neither were all these men living at the time, since we know Dan Kent, Enos Loveland and Barnabas Myrick were dead, but the pews were still held in their names. A similar list of pew- holders in the other churches at this time would be of great interest, but I have not been able to obtain them.
This year the M. E. church built a new parsonage, directly north of the church, which was in use until the present one was built in 1889. The old parsonage now
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
stands at the western end of the bridge, and is owned by Mrs. John Touhey. The committee upon building the parsonage, which had been appointed four years before this, consisted of William McIntyre, Andrew Frisbie, E. Holcomb, John Greely and Aaron Clark.
In connection with the subject of travel it is interest- ing to note a table of prices for this period, from which it appears that one could go from New York to Albany on a first-class steamer for fifty cents; from Albany to Whitehall, seventy-seven miles, on steamer and packet, for one dollar and thirteen cents; from Whitehall to St. John's, one hundred miles by steamer, twenty-five cents; from St. John's to LaPrairie, fifteen miles, by railway, fifty cents, and from LaPrairie to Montreal. nine miles by steamer, fifty cents.
1816.
Town Meeting at H. J. Person.
Benajab P. Douglass. Supervisor.
William D. Holcomb, Clerk.
Thomas Walton, Justice.
Asa P. Hammond. Town Superintendent of Comnor Schools.
Ira Downey. Collector.
Aaron B. Mack was elected Assessor for three years. M. Mitchell for two years and Andrew Frisbie for one year. This is the first time that the board of Assessor- was so formed that one member should be changed every year.
. Jason Braman was elected Highway Commissioner for three years, William MeIntyre for two years and Hinkley Coll for one year.
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David H. Savre. David S. McLeod. Roderick R. Risiog Inspectors of Election.
Albert P. Cole and Benjamin Hardy, Poor Masters.
. Ira Downey. James B. MeLa n, Charles H. Eddy. Hor ace Fish, Constables.
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HISTORY OF WESTPORT
Dan S. Cutting. Sealer of Weights and Measures.
Patbmasters. - Thomas Walton. Alexander Stevenson. Jaunes W. Coll. Levi Frisbie. Albert P. Cole. Elijah New- .11. William Melutyre. Eleazar H. Rauney. Elijah Angier. George W. Sturtevant, Francis Hardy, Edward Colburn. Joel K. Freneb. Dyer S. Hill. Ephraim Bull. Jr .. Harvey Sinith. Abram Slaughter. Asa Smith, D. M. Howard. Stukely B Stacy. Dort M. Howard. Ezekiel Pangburn. F. Mason. Umpbrey Sherman. Abram Greeley, L. Hubbard. Sewell Cutting. Willard Hartwell. Orrio Skinner, John Stone. Rufus Barr. Ziba Howard.
In December a new road was laid out near Brainard's Forge " through lands of Deliverance Nichols. Dyer'S. Hill and Nelson Lewis.
Road district No. 10 was changed to run from "town line at M. P. Whallou's north-east corner to the line of Lutber Angier's farm.
This year the three men who were elected County Su- perintendents of the Poor were H. J. Persoosand William 1. Merriam of Westport. and Eli W. Rogers of Whallons- burgh.
In May there was a special Town Meeting to vote upon the question of giving licenses to liquor sellers. This was apparently the first time that the point had arisen. There were cast 265 votes, of which 149 were for "No License," and 116 for "License." This shows a great change in public opinion in the last fifteen years.
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