USA > New York > Onondaga County > Syracuse > From a forest to a city : personal reminiscences of Syracuse, N. Y. > Part 12
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localities has been epidemic to an alarming extent. The cities of Brooklyn and Albany, and many other places, have suffered from its effects. In Newport, N. Y., in 1845 typhoid fever was so prevalent that there were not well persons enough to care for the sick, and assistance was required from the adjacent county. About 1856 the fever was more prevalent and more deaths occurred in the little village of Baldwinsville, than I ever knew to result from that disease in Syracuse in the same length of time. If the cause of this exemption was known, it is not improbable that it would be credited to the atmospherical conditions alluded to above. In still further support of this theory, experiments have been successfully tried where decaying vegetable matter produces ague in par- ticular localities, certain kinds of plants may be rendered useful in absorbing the effluvia as fast as it is produced, and thus prevent the poison from attacking the inhabi- tants. The sunflower is said to be one of the most active absorbers of ague poison; the hop plant is another. In 1855 the experiment was tried at Washington, by Lieut. Maury, on the grounds near the Potomac, where the observatory stands, and which were known to be exceed- ingly unhealthy at some seasons of the year, from the effects of decaying vegetable matter, the inhabitants always suffered from the annual visitation of ague. The fever was observed to make its appearance during the five months of the year in which the decay of vegetable matter was most active, in the marshy grounds around the observatory, or within a short distance of the place. In the fall of 1855 Lieut. Maury caused a strip of land
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45 feet wide to be dug about two feet deep, around the observatory, at a distance of about 200 yards from the river. This land was properly prepared for seed, and in the spring of 1856 was sown with the seeds of the sun- flower plant which flourished well, and in the month of August following, when ague fever might have been ex- pected to appear as usual, no sickness occurred, and to the surprise of everybody the locality remained quite healthy during the whole season. This was a remark- able experiment and worthy of universal attention. It would seem that the success of this experiment is of suffi- cient consequence as an indication that the field is wide for research in this direction, and a method found, if possible, of absorbing, on a larger scale, the poisonous cfflavia of decaying vegetable matter in marshy places, so as to prevent, to some extent at least, the ravages of ague, cholera, and yellow fever, in countries where these dire diseases are most prevalent. Hitherto the progress of the world has been slow and unsuccessful in determin- ing the cause and cures of even the simplest diseases which are common in the nursery of every family, such as whooping-cough and measles, yet from the days of Æsculapius and Hippocrates to the present day. there has never been a physician who could inform us of the cause and prevention of these simple diseases. The pre- vailing disease of Syracuse, which has been the cause of more sickness and suffering by far than all the other mit dies to which we are MIN , has been a fever name . i by melania or from poison ari low freen the der ongonodi of vegetable matter in the midst of stagnant water and
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marshy grounds. What the chemical nature of this effluvia may be, has not yet been positively ascertained. Some say carbonic acid mainly; others, nitrogen; others again, hydro-carburetted gas or a peculiar compound of nitrogen and oxygen called septon. In the early history of Syracuse so favorable and abundant were the con- ditions to generate fever poison, and so highly charged was the atmosphere, that the fever was of a malignant type and frequently dangerous to life, while at a later date, when the causes were less abundant, the same dis- ease was of a much milder form. Much has been already said in description of this endemic disease; so exceed- ingly prevalent and troublesome has it been that the peo- ple of the present day can hardly comprehend what the inhabitants were obliged to endure. Physicians have made a specialty of treating this disease. Dr. Zenas Corbin made himself wealthy and popular as a specialist, and for many years Corbin's Ague Cure required an ample space in all our drug-st. res, from which place it found its way into many houses. Even so late a period as the first years of our city life the mechanics and laboring classes were extremely annoyed by this disease. Dr. Moore felt such compassion for these poor people who were spend- ing their time and money in consequence of the fever, that he hung a sign in front of his drug-store that read: " Fever and Ague Cured for One Dollar." Great num- bers availed themselves of this generous offer, and many a quinine bottle was emptied in his store. The citizen. of to-day will comprehend, to some extent, the great amount of labor performed by lowering the lake, drain-
12
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ing the swamps and stagnant pools once so numerous and a lurking place for this troublesome disease, and will also rejoice with me in seeing a completion of .: work which has been continued through the long period of sixty-nine years. The garbage wagon of the presen .: time has been the instrument to complete the task of filling the old channel of the creek and every pool in its vicinity. In consequence of all this that has been accomplished no citizen of Syracuse shivers within the clutch of the ague and it is probable since its last hiding place is obliterated it has taken its departure forever.
There have been three periods in Syracuse when the inhabitants have suffered more than usual by sickness. In 1847 a disease most commonly called ship fever or emigrant fever, was quite prevalent along the line of emigrant travel. At that date and for a year previous. there had been unusual suffering in Ireland, famine pre- vailed among the inhabitants and so great was the dis- tress from scarcity of food, that parliament voted $50,- 000,000 to relieve the famishing poor. Many became discouraged and resolved to emigrate to America, where famine was never known. In the over-loaded ships where large numbers of these half starved people were stowed away, every condition existed for the outbreak of pestilence and death in some form, and ship fever was the result. The quarantine grounds were filled with these people, and at one time there were 1382 persons lying si \ with the fever in the endgrant sheds in Montre !! and to some extent the fever found its way among the inhabitants. At that date large numbers of emigrants
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were shipped from New York west, by way of the Erie canal, and Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo were in a measure sufferers from the disease. In Syracuse it was quite prevalent, though in a mild form, yet quite a num- ber died from it. J. P. Dodge was at that time the prin- cipal undertaker, he seemed much elated over the in- crease of his wealth which this harvest of death had brought him, and frequently boasted to his friends that he had " planted " so many during the week, but seem- ingly as a retribution for his unfeeling remarks, he too fell a victim to the fever and was "planted " with the rest at Rose Hill. For a few years previous to 1849, cholera had been prevalent in Europe, and it was feared and expected that it would visit America in the same manner as in 1832-34. In the fall of 1849 a disease resembling Asiatic cholera made its appearance in several of our northern cities, and quite a panic was the result, and hospitals were extensively organized in some cities in anticipation of a fearful epidemic. The disease, however, proved comparatively mild, and possibly may have been nothing more than cholera morbus. There were about a dozen cases in Syracuse said to have been cholera, this was sufficient to create an excitement among the more timid of our citizens, and every effort to avert the disease was made, but it very soon passed by and quiet was restored. Notwithstanding the city was in usual health, the following notice made its appearance in the newspapers :
"NO MORE CHOLERA By order of the Board S. CORNING JUDD, Clerk."
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The lack of proper punctuation in the notice made con- siderable amusement, whether the error was the fault of the printer or the clerk, it was all the same to his fun loving friends, who joked him in assuming to have power to banish the cholera. In 1865 there was more than the usual amount of sickness, those diseases generally pecu- liar only to the autumn months made their appearance in the summer. severe cases of dysentery occurred, many proving fatal. Malarial fevers to an unusual degree pre- vailed throughout that year.
EARLY BUSINESS MEN.
The recital of the evolution of the first crude dwellings of the early settlers, to the spacious and magnificent blocks and residences that adorn our city, together with the redemption of our miles of city streets from the log- filled roads of mud that existed in early times, would be incomplete without a short description of some of the early business men whose energy and thrift put in motion the wheels of commerce and manufactures that to-day have developed into a power, whose influence is felt far and near through this broad land of ours. Ephraim Webster, from New Hampshire, who came here in 1;86, was without doubt the first white settler. He built of logs the first store, where a few goods were kept for trade with the Indians. Webster was an important personage in our early history, and much has been written about him. The most complete account I have ever seen was published in the centennial edition of the Syracuse Evening Herald, September 1, 1886. Webster was of
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much service to the early inhabitants; in fact, it was through his influence with the Indians that the first set- tlers were permitted to make homes here. He was on the most friendly terms with the Indians, understanding their language; and, in many ways, was of the greatest assistance to the early settlers in establishing peaceful relations with the savages. Webster's services had been of great value to the government, for which he drew a pension. He was a man who never knew fear nor danger and acted as a spy when we were at war with England. His knowledge of the language and customs of the Indians, together with his pretense of being a half-breed, gave him an advantage as a spy by which he entered their lines and returned with the most valuable informa- tion. At one time he swam across Lake Champlain at night, a distance of three miles, at the imminent risk of his life, carrying dispatches that enabled our forces to concentrate, by which an important victory was achieved. So great were the services he rendered to the State of New York that, as a token of acknowledgment, the State delivered to him, on the 12th of April, 1796, a warranty deed of 640 acres of the beautiful Onondaga valley. His house was built near the centre of his mile square, and is still standing within half a mile of the postoffice at the Valley, on the farm now owned by Mr. Bostwick. Mr. Webster died while on a trading excursion with the Sene- cas in 1825. and was buried at Tonawanda. Miland C. Taylor and Sidney Dole purchased the mill in 1814 and built the first store in Syracuse. In 1817 Northrup & Dexter took a large contract on the canal and purchased
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the store of Taylor & Dole, where they continued until the canal contract was completed in 1821. Henry New- ton made his appearance here in 1824 and engaged in the grocery business on Water street, about midway be- tween Salina and Warren streets. Newton was a genial, good-natured man, and soon made many friends; but he was too vacillating to accumulate wealth. As soon as he had secured a good trade he changed his business to that of boots and shoes. At one time he rented the corner store in the old yellow building on the corner of Warren and Water streets, where John Mann's tea store is now located. Mr. Newton fitted up this place for an auction- room, and on the Water street side he put in a wide door, opening it outward and fastening it back to the outside of the building, where it much resembled a barn door. By this means during auction sales the whole corner was thrown open to the street. One day a customer was brought to this store in a way never before known. In those days cattle, hogs and geese roamed at will in the village. A lordly bull, whose disposition was far from being amiable, was walking over Warren street bridge to take a stroll through Hanover Square. The drive and sidewalk on the bridge was divided by a tight board par- tition. An Irish woman was walking from James street across the bridge a little in advance of the bull. As soon as he espied her he made a bound and picked her up on his horns, upon which she was so nicely poised that the was carried along with great rapidity. The animal, being blinded with the skirts of her dress, ran into Newton's store and, falling over some dry-goods
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boxes, landed his passenger in the centre of the store. The woman, although nearly frightened to death, was only hurt from the fall upon the floor.
Haskell & Walbridge were the first saddlers and har- ness makers, locating here in 1824. This same year the first jeweler, Hiram Judson, commenced business here, continuing for many years, and in 1847 he was elected Justice of the Peace, having his office in the west wing of the Empire Block. It was believed by some that his decisions favored the plaintiff as far as possible. John Wilkinson was the first lawyer, locating here in 1819. The first physician was Dr. Swan, coming here in 1807. While the canal was being dug sickness was so prevalent that Dr. Bassett came to assist, their successor being Dr. Colvin, whose life labors were in Syracuse. Later, in 1824 Dr. M. Williams and Dr. Day came here. Benja- min Rector was said to have been the first cartman. In the winter of IS34 he drew'a load of salt to Pennsylvania, returning with two tons of coal, which he sold for $2S. It was said to have been the first coal in our market. The first German to make a home in Syracuse was Andrew Fesenmyer. The first Irish family was that of John Savage, father of the late Richard Savage. The first Scotchman was Boyd, the hermit. The first French- man was a Mr. Lewis, who lived here when the name was Cossett's Corners. The first colored man was Isaac Wales.
GROWTH OF THE VILLAGE.
Av ies of the erosth of the village of Syracuse, for the first ten or fifteen years of its existence, may be gained from the following statements: In 1820 there
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was a scattering population of 250 inhabitants; a village charter was applied for and passed the Legislature April 13, 1825, with the usual powers granted to villages when chartered. The first meeting for the election of officers of the village of Syracuse was held at the school-house in said village, May 3, 1825, at which Joshua Forman was elected President; Amos P. Granger, Moses D. Bur- net, Herman Walbridge and John Rogers, Trustees ; James Webb, Alfred Northum and Thomas Spencer, As- sessors; John Wilkinson, Clerk; John Durnford, Treasurer; Daniel Gilbert, Justice of the Peace, presiding. In 1830 the population was 2,565, but the increase in population and business was greater after that date. That same year the Onondaga County Bank was chartered, giving life and confidence to business, the bank being located in the east wing of the Syracuse House. During the three years following, the population had increased 1,200. 1834 was a year of decided progress in the appearance of the village, notwithstanding it had suffered from a destruc- tive conflagration which had destroyed many stores, yet happening, as it did, early in the season, allowed of re- building with mach finer blocks. At this time the Frank- lin buildings were completed; by this means both sides of Hanover Square presented a row of four-story buildings which, in those days, were considered attractive structures. In 1834 there were fifty-five stores opened for trade, as follows : 22 grocery and provision stores, 16 variety stores, 2 hardware stores, 4 clothing stores, 5 boot and shoe stores, 4 drug stores, 2 book stores, 3 printing offices, 3 silver-smiths, 2 flouring mills, i lum-
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ber mill, i planing to !!!. 3 tin shops, 3 furnace and ma- chine shops, 2 carriage shops, 3 cabinet shops, 2 leather manufactories, I morocco manufactory, I soap and can- dle manufactory. i distillery. 1 brewery, 3 marble yards, I boat yard, 15 salt blocks. I Episcopal church, I Metho- dist church, : Baptist church, 2 lyceums. There were also sixteen lawyers and eleven physicians. In 1834 the fire department was much improved, as the great destruc- tion of property by fire in that year was an impressive les-on of the folly of constructing costly buildings with no means to protect them from the flames. Previous to this dite the facilities for extinguishing fires were of the simplest and most primitive kind. Most of the depend- ence was to form a line of men from the fire to the nearest water supply, when buckets of water were passed from one man to another, until the last man in the line threw it upon the fire. As a curiosity I will here pro- duce an ordinance which was passed by the trustees for the purpose of protection :
"June 23, 1331. And be it further ordered that the owner of every dwelling house. store or shop in sai.l village, shall procure and keep at his, her, or their house, store or shop, the following number of good leather buckets to be used for extinguishing fires, viz: every dwelling house having one smoke, shall have one fire-bucket, and every additional smoke shall have an additional fire-bucket, which bucket shall be of good quality and marked with the owner's name. In case of neglect or. refusal to comply shall forfeit the sum of $1."
1839 was an eventful year in consequence of the com- pletion of a line of r.frond, so essential to the growth of a town. The first train of cars arrived in Syracuse from the east over the Syracuse & Utica road in that year.
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The locomotive "Syracuse " drew the first train of cars out of the old depot over the Auburn road on the 4th of June of the same year. The first telegraphic message was received from Albany in 1846. The first levy for taxes after the village charter was $250; the first levy after the city charter was 823,441; the last levy (1888) was $537,000. The least number of votes cast at any election was 56, which occurred in 1826; the greatest number was 15,026, at the election in 1888.
THE LOCATION OF THE COURT HOUSE.
Probably no other county in the State has had so much dispute over the location of its county seat as our own. Onondaga Valley, Onondaga Hill, Salina and Syracuse have all in their early days been earnest competitors for its location. To give an account of all the spirited de- bates and shrewd schemes employed by each would fill a volume. A brief account can only be given, and that confined mostly to the part Syracuse has taken in the matter. The history of the locating and erecting these county buildings is such that it seems necessary to commence at the beginning, which ante-dates my re- collections by many years. I know of no authentic records relating thereto. There have been newspaper articles published at various times, the writers of which are unknown to me, and from this source, and accounts verbably given me by the early settlers of Syracuse, a part of the information is gained by which this account is driven. The first courts were held at Onondaga Valley in barns, corn-houses and dwellings of the first settlers as early as 1794. When the population of the
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county had increased in numbers and had sufficient wealth to build a court house, there was much strife be- tween the dwellers on the Hill and in the Valley as to where it should be located. The arguments of the people at the Valley were, that their location was every way more desirable than the Hill for the county buildings; that the clerk's office was already there, and that it should not be removed without some good reason. Those living on the hill succeeded, however, in getting a bill passed, April 7th, 1801, empowering the Board of Supervisors to raise the sum of $3,000 to erect a court- house and jail at the Hill. This amount was insufficient to complete the buildings, and other sums were raised from time to time for that purpose. In 1803 the first court was held in the new building, before it had been completed. The salt interest of Salina had attracted to that place a sufficient number of inhabitants to organize in 1824 under a village charter. Although Syracuse was the smaller of the two, yet it was but one year and one month later in securing a village charter. The canal was then nearly completed, and this gave Syracuse a great advantage over its rivals, as its situation on the line of navigation through the State attracted men of wealth here to make investments. The Walton tract had been purchased by the Syracuse Company, which was com- posed of some of the best business men in the State, who for purposes of speculation had located here and become - metade alarge tabt of land, upon which, if possible. they were determined to lay the foundations of a flowri ... ing town. They proceeded to rebuild the Syracuse
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House, making it one of the finest hotels in this part of the State. Their lands were laid out in village lots, with energetic agents to boom them. The company at once saw that upon the growth of Syracuse depended the value of their investments. They were therefore deter- mined not to let any advantages slip through their hand», if possible to prevent it, and they, believing that great benefits would arise from the location at Syracuse of the county seat, all energy was centered in an effort to bring that about. The jealousy that had ever existed between Salina and Syracuse seemed at this period to be at its height. They watched each other's movements with the closest scrutiny. The people of Salina claimed that their village was the largest, and more business was done there than in any of the other villages in this vicinity, and for those reasons if the county seat was removed from the Hill it should be located in Salina. Meanwhile the people at the Hill became greatly excited over these plots to deprive them of the only interest that gave some little importance to their village. At that time a large part of the legal talent of the county was located there, and frequent meetings were held to prevent if possible the removal. B. Davis Noxon, in a speech at one of these meetings, advocated the raising of a sufficient sum to put the buildings in perfect repair, and by this course it could be made to appear that there was no necessity for a removal, and a large expense could be saved the county by this means. The advocates of removal had the advantage, as it was apparent to all disinterested parties that the old buildings had been constructed on
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such a plan that it would be folly to expend more money in the hope of making them comfortable, or even of decent appearance. They were built when the inhabitants were living on their new farms which had to be cleared from forest trees before a crop could be raised, and nearly all were too poor to pay any taxes that could possibly be avoided. Under such con- ditions the first court-house and jail were built. So scarce was money at that time that a "bee" was made, to which nearly all the inhabitants turned out and cleared the trees away for a place to lay the foundation for the jail. The buildings had been built by piece-meal, from time to time as money could be raised. The foundation walls of the jail were several feet high, upon which the build- ing was constructed. These walls were laid in mortar without a crevice for an air passage, and this large space was used for a vault, into which all the filth of the prison was deposited. There was not a drain nor even a venti- lator carried above the roof. To imprison human beings in such a place was nothing less than barbarous. So great and unceasing was this nuisance that it was obviated by indictment by the Grand Jury; but ever after the county buildings at the Hill were in disrepute and fur- nished an argument to the advocates for their removal to another locality. Onondaga Hill had enjoyed for more than twenty years the honor of being the county seat, and an effort had been made to elect Supervisors from euch of the towns who were favorably inclined towards bulding a ner court-house at thet place. Accordingly, in 1826, at a meeting of the Supervisors, a resolution was
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passed to present a bill at the next meeting of the Legis- lature asking the passage of a bill empowering the Super- visors of Onondaga county to levy a tax for the purpose of building a new court-house at the Hill. This resolu- tion was brought before the Legislature as early as Janu- ary, 1827. The people at the Hill had instructed Daniel Mosely, their representative, who was a lawyer then re- siding at the Hill, to look after their interest in the mat- ter, as he was personally interested. When it became known that the initiatory step had been taken to rebuild, Moses D. Burnet, John B. James, and a few others, met at the office of the Syracuse Co., taking care that the out- side parties should not be advised of their movements. Mr. Burnet was made chairman, and on taking the chair stated that the object of the meeting was consultation upon the best course to be pursued in order to defeat all other competitors for the location of the court-house, and to establish the county seat at Syracuse. After the most careful deliberation of this body of able schemers, it was resolved that a sufficient number of capable canvassers should be placed in every town in the county, to obtain the signatures of as many tax-payers as possible, petition- ing the Legislature to establish the court-house at Syra- cuse. So effectually was this plan carried out that a can- vass of the whole county was made before the opposition could take measures to counteract it. The petitions of a large majority of the tax-payers of the county, praying that the reart-house might be located at Syracuse, vathe pouring in at Albany until the legislative halls were de- luged with them. The consideration of the bill was
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