USA > New York > Onondaga County > Syracuse > From a forest to a city : personal reminiscences of Syracuse, N. Y. > Part 4
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4
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FROM A FOREST
CORNER OF JAMES AND SALINA STREETS.
In 1807, Mr. Merrill built a small frame house on the east side of Salina near James street, it being the first building on that block. The place was so unhealthy that his family were sick much of the time, and becoming discouraged he pulled down his house and carried it away with him. At this date there were not more than half a dozen buildings between Syracuse and Salina : what is now North Salina street was then called Cooper street as nearly every building was used for a cooper's shop, there being only a crude wagon road cut through the woods. About half way between the two places a Mr. Blake had made a small clearing and commenced farming. As soon as the canal was completed boat building became a lively branch of trade. Deacon Spencer built a frame house on the corner where the Greyhound Block now stands. A part of the old house was torn down when the new block was built and was said to have been the oldest house in the city. He also opened a boat yard and commenced the building of boats in 1825. At a later date Mr. John Durston purchased the yard, enlarged it and added greatly to the facilities of boat building. In his yard there was never any con- troversy between capital and labor, and there never was a kinder man to his workmen. Forty or fifty years ago it was much harder for poor laboring men to get through the winter than now, as money w. s scarce .nd baildi: s c. me to a standstill. Mr. Du ten put forth every che :: to supply work in his yard for such needy people. . .. many families were thus made comfortable through the
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TO A CITY.
winter that otherwise must have suffered. The spacious and elegant memorial building erected by his sons is a worthy tribute to the memory of John Durston.
In 1824, there were but three wooden dwellings on Salina street opposite the Empire, these were occupied by Dr. Colvin, Mr. Sacket and a Mr. Lewis. This locality was afterwards built up with wooden buildings. About the year 1838, George and Peter Wagoner erected the first brick store on this block, where the firm sold groceries at wholesale and retail for many years. In those days the side-walk in front of some stores seemed to have been claimed by the occupants for storage pur- poses. One day while hoisting hogsheads of sugar from the side-walk in front of Wagoners' store, a little girl in passing was caught by a hogshead as it swung clear from the walk and was so badly hurt that she was a cripple for life. A lengthy litigation followed which resulted in a verdict for two thousand dollars for the girl, which was paid. This row of old wooden buildings stood out in so great a contrast to the beautiful Empire, that their owners were ashamed of them, and about the year 1850, there was great carelessness with fire in that locality, and fires frequently occurred, but the old rockeries stubbornly refused to be cremated until during a drouth in July they all turned to ashes in a single night. Most of the substantial buildings seen there now were built soon after. As soon as the Erie canal was surveyed and the Are established, wouden buildings were created between Warren and Salina streets. The first building, placed where the Syracuse Savings Bank is now, was a
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long two-story structure filling the space between the canal and James street, and was occupied by General Granger as a store, his family living in the north part of the building. It was placed at some distance from Salina street to give room for a fine plot for shrubbery and flowers which was protected by a fence painted green. On the Warren street corner was a wooden build- ing occupied by E. L. Clark as a store-house. About half way between Granger's and Clark's stood a rookery occupied by an old hunter and trapper named Cuminings, who looked more like a gorilla than a human being; his wealth consisted in a lot of pet bears, wolves and wild cats, which he was anxious to exhibit to the passing boat- men for a small entrance fee. There were several build- ings all of which faced the canal, the gables and back yards facing James street, which was but little more than a wagon track at that time. Eleven of these buildings were burned on the 16th of March, 1834. On the site of the Granger store was erected in 1835 a three-story brick building, -- in front of the second story there was a wide platform running the whole length of the building with three stone steps leading from Salina street. The lower floor contained two entrances, one from James street and one from the towpath. The second floor was used for shops and offices. George Tyler, a mer- chant tailor, occupied the south-west corner for many years. The Syracuse Star, and many other papers were printed in the upper story. It was called the " Star" building, and finally gave place to the Syracuse Savings Bank.
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TO A CITY.
WEST WATER STREET TO CLINTON.
The south-west corner of Salina and Water streets where the Wieting Block now stands, was the site of a small frame building which was removed and gave place to a very substantial structure for those days, erected by Kasson & Heermans. The front faced Water street, with the greatest depth on Salina street ; this side was a blank wall with but a single opening of one small door on the ground floor, --- in strange contrast to the handsome win- dows and doors of the Salina street front of the Wieting Block of to-day. The height was three stories, with battlements carried high above the roof, and did not escape what seemed an epidemic in those days of afflict- ing every brick building with a coat of white-wash, and from which it never recovered. The next building west was of wood, owned and occupied by Mr. Malcom as a hardware store. Mr. Malcom's house was located on the West corner of Salina and Washington streets; he used to go across the lots in the rear of the then shallow build- ing on Salina street and enter the rear of his house. West of Mr. Malcom's store to Clinton street was a row of wooden buildings used as shops and stores. Robert McClelland occupied a hat and cap store, D. & J. Groff merchant tailors, Leslies' grocery store at that time was in one of these wooden buildings, --- they were owned by the Syracuse Company. In 1842, this company cleared the west half of the block, and erected an unattractive : " very substantial building of Onond. ga limestone, and named it after one of their company, the " Townsend Biock." The Syracuse Company was wealthy and en-
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FROM A FOREST
ergetic, and composed of some of the best men in the State, but to compare their buildings with those of the present, it would be seen that both the owners and their architects had very crude ideas of the beautiful. The Townsend Block remains to-day as it has for forty-six years, except that twenty feet of the east end was pur- chased at a great price and torn down by Dr. Wieting to enlarge the lot for his opera house. The brick build- ing on the corner of Salina street was occupied for several years by Chas. A. & Horace Wheaton, hardware merchants. This building burned down in 1849, the vacant lot was bought by Dr. Wieting who erected in 1850 the best building in the city at that time, with the exception of the Empire House. Dr. Wieting was a thoughtful and practical man, and in building his block did what apparently no other man had done in the con- struction of such buildings, that was, to study the wants of the people. Previous to the existence of this block there was not a public hall with a capacity sufficient for a town the size of Syracuse. He took this into consideration and fully supplied the demand. The ample capacity and elegance of finish of the hall met the requirements so essential in places of amusement, for without these an entertainment of high order could not be fully enjoyed. By this course he made the upper part of his building pay him as well as the lower portion, and his block has always been a good paying investment. The first Wiet- ing Block was burned January 5th, 1856. At that time the mercury was several degrees below zero, which made it a difficult matter to fight a fire of such magnitude.
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TO A CITY.
The spray from the leaking hose covered the firemen with ice. Mr. P. S. Stoddard, an insurance agent, seemed more desirous of protecting the interest of his companies than himself, his carelessness in exposing himself to the jets of water which froze as soon as they touched him was remarkable, and in a short time he was covered with a sheet of ice, which hung from the skirts of his coat to the ground, and gave him a most comical appearance. D :. Wieting's energy would not allow an hour's time to be lost in constructing a larger and a more attractive block, and in less than a year he dedicated his new hall which was much more elegant than the first. This second block was burned in 1881. The building of the present block, with the opera house, is of so recent a date that a description is unnecessary. It is to such men as Dr. Wieting that Syracuse is indebted for much of its thrift. I know many men of wealth who have been doing a successful business for many years, who send their surplus money to western States for a larger rate of interest, and never pay a dollar to improve and beautify the city if they can avoid it. These men (and there are not a few) are leeches, gathering money from our city and sending it out of town. Dr. Wieting made his money to build his first block by lecturing in other cities. I think I heard the last lecture he ever delivered in his own hall, in which he gave a short history of himself, with the struggles and trials of his early life. Without cap- .il to start in life. with the disappointments and per- MaxDes of his first experience in the lecture field, how he overcame them all and continued to lecture until he
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FROM A FOREST
bad earned one hundred thousand dollars, and as he was speaking he stepped forward on the platform of Wieting Hall, and raising his voice with much feeling said, "and I have spent the hundred thousand right here."
CORNER OF WEST GENESEE AND CLINTON STREETS.
Previous to the erection of the Clinton Block on the cor- ner of West Genesee and Clinton streets, the old Saleratu- Factory standing here had been a prominent landmark in the center of the town from its early history,-the buildings, which comprised several stores, were built in 1824, by Booth & Elliott. At the time of their erection they were located in the best part of the town. One store was occupied as a book store, one with hats, and the third by Mr. Davis for dry goods. The growth of the town in other directions left these stores undesirable for their line of goods, and they were all used by James M. Taylor & Co., for the manufacture of saleratus, and during the remainder of their existence went by the name of the " Old Saleratus Factory." It did not escape the affliction of a coat of lime-wash colored with yellow ochre, so common on many brick buildings in those days. After manufacturing saleratus here for years, and making some money, Mr. Taylor moved to New York. This was a loss to Syracuse, for he was a very affable and en- ergetic man, admired by all who knew him, perfectly honest and upright with his fellow citizens. In 1847, the " er part of this o'd building was occupied as tenements for pe or faraflies only able to pay cheap rent. In that year I met Dr. Hiram Hoyt on the street one day in a great
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TO A CITY.
hurty. I asked him what was the matter? he answered, "come with me and we will see." We went to one of these tenements where a singular accident had happened. A little child had crept close under a window where a hammer had been carelessly placed on the parting sash, a gust of wind slammed the door, and jarred the hammer off, which falling struck the child on the skull. The Doctor placed the child on the table, and after an ex- amination took a pair of forceps and raised up the piece of fractured skull and the child was instantly restored to consciousness,-he let it slip off and the child was to all appearance dead, -- he raised the piece from the brain and consciousness was quickly regained; thus holding the child between life and death. Turning to me the doctor said, you now see what makes me doubt the im- mortality of the mind, as you plainly see when the organ of the brain cannot act there is no mind, which proves to me that the mind is the result of organization, and when that is destroyed, as I have here demonstrated, the mind ceases to exist. Under the skillful treatment of the physician the child was restored to health. After thirty- five years the old saleratus factory together with adjoin- ing buildings burnt on the 23rd of August. 1859. The Inost unfortunate result of this fire was that a spark from it ignited the tall spire of the First Baptist Church. The great height of the spire defied all efforts to extinguish the flames, and the new and beautiful edifice was soon i; ruins. Three churches in Syracuse have suffered heavy low from accidents to their spires. The First Methodist Church was at first built with a tall spire
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FROM A FOREST
which was destroyed by a thunderbolt and was replaced and a second time demolished in a high wind at the immi- nent peril of life and property adjoining. In 1852, the Unitarian Church and a dwelling near the church were entirely demolished by the falling of the spire in a gale of wind. This was a very remarkable catastrophe. It was supposed that the spire in its fall struck precisely on the ridge of the roof of the church, which slanted in opposite directions, with the rafters resting on the side walls, the great weight and velocity of the spire, acting as a pry upon every foot of the walls at the same moment, forced the walls out, and there was not a piece of the side walls left on their foundation a foot high. The east end wall fell on and completely demolished a frame house in which two ladies were sleeping together in the second story and they were found the next morning under the broken timbers of the house with all the brick wall on the top. After removing a great amount of timber and brick the ladies were extricated, and strange to say were not hurt in the least. It was supposed that they owed their safety to the fact that the bedstead had four strong up- right posts of four feet in height, and the upper floor in desending rested on these posts as the other floors and timbers gave way at the same time. It occurred about three o'clock Sunday morning, and as the hour for service approached the congregation assembled not knowing of the destruction of their house of worship until they came in sight of the ruin . The superstition and bigotry t'.it exists in a less degree co-day I hope, than then, in- duced many of the Trinitarians to laugh with evident
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TO A CITY.
satisfaction at these heretics, and at the same time ex- pressing the belief that it was a judgment from heaven for their unbelief. So universal were these unchristian re- marks, that when the unfortunate congregation had all assembled around their demolished church, they ad- journed to meet at once in the City Hall. Their pastor, the Rev. Samuel J May, preached a very feeling sermon. I think I could repeat much of what he said. He first exhorted his people to bear up under their unexpected misfortune,-stating that the first thing to be done was to compensate the man whose house had been destroyed by their falling walls. He then preached a sermon which was intended as a reply to the uncharitable remarks of the Trinitarians. His text was from St. Luke, xiii, 4, 5. "Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay; but ex- cept ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
POWDER EXPLOSION.
Between the old circus house and the Oswego canal stood the carpenter shop of Charles Goings, where the great explosion of powder took place. On the 21st of August, 1841, I was walking along North Salina street when I heard the cry of fire! fire! and at nearly the same time the church bells sounded the alarm. Soon after there came dashing along the street twelve or fifteen firemen dragging with the greatest enthusiasm their od style fire engine. The foreman with his speaking trump et in his hand which he was swinging over his head hurry-
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ing his men forward by shouting in the greatest excite- ment "let her jump! let her jump boys!" and all the men at the same time shouting "let her go! let her go!" The old machine seemed to bound over the rough cobble stones as though it scarcely touched them. This gallant company so anxious to save property from the flames, little thought that they were rushing into the jaws of death, that in a few minutes later their strong arms would lay powerless by their sides, and in a moment's time, life with all its hopes and anticipations would with them be at an end. As I watched them they turned from Salina into Willow street. I followed them and found the then narrow side-walk filled with a crowd of people, so I opened a gate and ran across the corner into the small lumber yard of Charles Goings, which was on the op- posite side of the street from the fire. The street in front of me was densely packed. I was standing between two piles of lumber two or three feet apart and eight or ten feet high. I thought I would climb to the top of the pile and thus have a good place to see. At that moment a shout was heard at some distance away "powder! powder! there is powder there!" This seemed to pro- duce but little effect as it was thought to be a joke. The fireinen had taken position on the bank of the Oswego cinal and had just commenced to play upon the burning building when all at once there came a terrific explosion. The burning timbers and roof were hurled hundreds of post in the air, and for a moment revealed a sight so .. .. . Tal and grand that it left a never-to-be-forgotten impression on every mind that saw it. The position that
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TO A CITY.
I had accidently and most fortunately taken had shielded me to a great extent from the effect of the explosion, and only those who were in places of comparative safety could describe the scene, as the minds of those in ex- posed places were a blank at the time of the explosion, and those but slightly injured were rendered unconscious and seemed to be in a condition similar to that when awakened from a troubled dream. Many were prostrate on the ground, some swept into the canal, others hurled against a tight board fence ; a part of the old circus building was blown in with those that were standing near it. The many who were prostrated seemed to all have the same sense of bewilderment and were moaning in the most pitiable voice, "where am I?" "what is this?" "what has happened?" The explosion had extinguished every particle of fire, the night was dark and the shrieks of the wounded and mangled, the low moans of the dying, trembling voices calling for relatives and friends who been standing by their sides and disappeared in a moment in the darkness, produced such a scene that a portrayal of it would excel in horror any description of Dante's "Inferno" or Goethe's "Dance of Death." When the lanterns and lights were brought, the scene of horror was beyond description,-twenty-six were found dead, ten others so seriously mangled that death to them would have seemed a blessing, and forty-three others seriously injured. The dead, dying and wounded were found lying in all conceivable shapes. One of the entire plates of the building, thirty feet in length, was stripped from all the rafters that rested upon it and
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hurled into the air, coming down with one end on the ground and the other resting upon the old circus build- ing. Upon this slanting timber, ten feet from the ground, was found a man whose clothing had become tangled in the nails and held him fast, and when helped from his position he was, strange to say, still alive. The fire company that I saw rushing along the street in such hot haste were most unfortunate; their gallant foreman who swung his speaking trumpet and hurried his company forward, was a much respected merchant, Hugh T. Gibson. A flying timber had struck him under the chin and swept his head nearly from his body. He was iden- tified by a suggestion of Harlow DeWolf, who was a clerk in the store of Gibson & Tefft, and had noticed that Mr. Gibson had worn on that day a pair of pants the cloth of which was from a piece then in the store, -- a sample was sent for and by this means he was identified as being Mr. Gibson without a doubt. The anguish of the mangled sufferers and the shock of this sudden bereavement, filled the whole village with sorrow. So universal was the sadness that nowhere could be heard merriment or laughter, every face seemed to wear the impress of sorrow and grief. The next day was Saturday, usually the busiest day of the week, but every store was closed and draped and the whole village was in mourning for the seventy-nine dead and wounded that were in their midst. The Sunday following was truly a day of sorrow and wat there were fenerals in all the church & mhended .. netray the whole population. There was a large fand contributed by the citizens for the sufferers. The owners
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TO A CITY.
of the powder, Messrs. Hudson & Malcom, contributed $1,000. There was six hundred pounds of powder on the second floor of the building,-had the powder been on the lower floor, it was thought that few would have escaped with their lives.
EARLY HISTORY OF BUSINESS ON SALINA STREET FROM WATER STREET SOUTH.
A partial description of the corner of Salina and Water streets has already been given ; a more detailed history of this now very important corner may be interesting. William Malcolm was the first hardware merchant who made that business a specialty. The first merchants carried a general assortment of goods. Mr. Malcolm was an energetic and successful business man ; he located his store on what he supposed was the corner lot of Salina and Water streets. At that date John Lathrop had not completed his map for the Syracuse Company and lines were not so carefully looked after when land was cheap and the country was new. Mr. Malcom did not care to crowd his building towards Salina street, but preferred a good space for teams to load and unload on that side of his store. Mr. Archie Kasson made his appearance here a year later; he had been engaged in the hardware business for several years previous and came here to continue the same. He desired to locate near the canal that his heavy goods might be roiled into his store from the loss. He pr posed purchasing a lot a few rod: west of Mr. Muicom's store. Mr. Malcom tried to persuade him that there was not trade enough to
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FROM A FOREST
sustain two stores so near together ; Mr. Kasson thought differently and words passed between them. Mr. Kasson took offense and proceeded to investigate the precise boundaries of Mr. Malcom's lines which revealed the fact that there were thirty feet between Mr. Malcom's east line and Salina street, this Mr. Kasson at once pur- chased, and before Mr. Malcom was aware of what was going on, had commenced a small wooden building for a store. These neighbors did not harmonize, which re- sulted in Mr. Kasson moving away his building and erecting a brick store, thus closing up the windows and doors of Mr. Malcom's building on the Salina street side; this store (previously described) was sold soon after com- pletion to E. Lynds & Son, who in turn were succeeded by H. & C. A. Wheaton. For this account of the affair between the two men I am indebted to Daniel Elliott of the firm of Booth & Elliott, who were the earliest build- ers in Syracuse, and constructed the brick building for Mr. Archie Kasson. Mr. Malcom was considered one of the best men of the place and had the confidence of all that knew him. He bought and sold only the best, and goods bought at his store needed no other recom- mend ; they were always found just as they were rep- resented. He was kind and liberal to his customers, giving them long credit. In those days there were many poor people struggling to build their simple homes, and to this class Mr. Malcom was very kind. He had a remark- able power to discern a man's character and honest men were never refused credit at his store. There good quali- ties were remembered of him in after years, when some
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TO A CITY. 65
of those he had assisted became men of wealth and many had some story to tell of Mr. Malcolm's kindness. In the year 1320 the canal commissioners opened a boat naviga- tion from the Salina canal to the lake and also to the Seneca river. Nearly the first use made of the new water way was to float the timber for a building to be erected on Salina street on the second lot south of Water street by James Pease, a young man from Lysander, who cut the timber from his father's farm, drew it to Bald- winsville, had it sawed and framed, the timbers ready to put together, shipped it on a scow and unloaded it on the bank of the canal near where the liberty pole is standing. In his new store Mr. Pease carried on the boot and shoe business for many years. Between Mr. Pease's store and the corner was an alley for teams to drive in the rear of the stores, and this alley was to remain open " forever," but to-day its precise location is obliterated by walls of brick and stone. As the years went by the Pease lot became too valuable for such a structure and the old wooden building was removed and a brick one took its place. The lower floor was occupied by the Mechanic's Bank and the upper one by Dr. Amos Westcott's dental rooms. This building was destroyed by fire with the Weiting Block and the lot purchased by Dr. Weiting. The next building south was of wood and erected by Mr. Kneeland about the year 1823. Most of these primitive wooden buildings on this part of Salina street would be of little interest to the reader who would not care for a description ; they were removed at nearly the same time. with the exception of the dwelling house of Mr. Malcolm
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