USA > New York > Herkimer County > Gazetteer and business directory of Herkimer County, N.Y. for 1869-70 > Part 11
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Herkimer Stone Mills are 60 by 75 feet, three stories high, be- sides the basement, and have a capacity for grinding 500 bushels daily. The water-power for these manufactories is furnished by Canada Creek.
The Herkimer Cemetery lies a short distance west of the. village. It contains about fourteen acres, is tastefully laid out with gravel walks, and ornamented with shade trees, shrubs and flowers.
Eatonville is a postoffice in the north-east part of the town. F
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Herkimer County Cheese Factory was the first one erected in the County and the third in the State. It is owned by Messrs. Pine, Gray and Smith, and took the first prize awarded to any factory in the State. Its capacity is sufficient for the milk of 800 cows, though it has been running the present season with about half that amount.
Herkimer Union Cheese Factory is owned by a stock company and makes about 120,000 pounds annually.
Shells Bush makes about 135,000 pounds.
Countryman's about 200,000 pounds.
There are several saw mills in various parts of the town.' Hart's Mill, three miles north of Herkimer village; Huyck's Mill, in the north-east part of the town, and Stearns' Mill.
Osborn Hill M. E. Church is in the north part of the town. The society was organized in 1811 with forty members, but since the erection of other churches the membership has diminished.
The first settlement of this town was commenced by Palatinates, under the patronage of Gov. Hunter, in 1722. Among the early settlers were Johan Joost Petrie, Frederick and A. M. Pell, Jury Docksteder, Nicholas Feeter, Melgert Fols, Henry Heyer, Lendert, Frederick, Johan, Adam and Philip Helmer, and families named Schmidt, Weaver and Bellinger. Mr. Petrie was one of the original patentees of Burnetsfield, lands being allotted to him, his wife Gertruyde, and his son Mark. The Eighty-six Acre Lot, then and afterwards called the Stone Ridge, was allotted to his wife. The present village of Herkimer occupies a portion of this lot. The adjacent flats were liable to inundation, and this ridge was the only land upon which they could safely build. This circumstance caused so much dissatisfaction among the settlers that Mr. Petrie divided this lot into smaller portions and gave them to the owners of the low lands adjacent. He was one of the principal men of the colony and had accumulated considerable wealth. He was called the "Mayor of the village of the Palatinates," in the French ac- count of the attack made upon the colony in 1757, where it is said he lost 400,000 livres.
This, like the other settlements upon the Mohawk, not only suf- fered during the war between the French and English in 1757-8, but also suffered greatly during the Revolution. Those who re- mained during the struggle for Independence took shelter in Fort Dayton. This was a small fort, erected on the Stone Ridge, about thirty rods above the present site of the Court House. It was erected in 1776 and took its name from Col. Dayton, who erected it. A small force was kept here during the war. Lieutenant Sol- omon Woodworth was in command at Fort Dayton in 1781, and
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while making a reconnoisance with about forty soldiers, about three miles from Herkimer, fell into an ambuscade and were completely surrounded by a force of Indians double their own number, A fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued in which Lieutenant Woodworth was killed and all but fifteen of his men killed or taken prisoners. On the 6th of August, 1781, a German settlement, called Shell's Bush, a few miles north of Fort Dayton, was attacked by a party of Tories and Indians under the command of Donald McDonald. Most of the inhabitants had taken refuge in Fort Dayton. John Christian Shell, with his wife and six sons, took refuge in a strong block house upon their own farm. The first story contained no opening except a doorway and loop holes for firing upon the as- sailants. The floor of the second story projected over the first, and contained apertures for firing upon any enemy who might at- tempt to break open the door or fire the house. When the enemy made their appearance, Shell and his sons were at work in the field, and his two youngest, twins, only eight years old, were too far off to reach the house and were taken prisoners. Shell was well sup- plied with fire-arms, and, after securing the door, kept up a fire upon the assailants until dark. Several attempts were made to set fire to the house, but without success. McDonald attempted to force the door with a crowbar, but was wounded in the leg, and before any of his comrades could rescue him, Shell had unbarred the door and dragged him inside. This secured the house against being burned, and increased Shell's supply of ammunition, McDon- ald giving up his to save his life. Just at dark, Shell made them believe that troops were approaching from Fort Dayton, which caused them to retreat, taking with them the two boys. After providing for McDonald, Shell and his family went to the Fort. Some of the Indians visited McDonald after Shell left, but finding he could not be removed, left word that the welfare of the boys depended on the treatment that McDonald received. The wounded prisoner was taken to the Fort the next day, where his leg was amputated. The enemy left upon the ground eleven killed and six wounded. The boys, on their return after the war, stated that nine of the twelve wounded that the enemy started with, died on their way to Canada. The next year Shell and two of his sons were fired upon while at work in the field; Shell was dangerously wounded, and before his sons left him one was killed and the other wounded. Shell survived only a short time. After the close of the war many of the Indians and Tories who had been actively en- gaged in hostilities, returned to the settlements; but they were re- ceived in a way that made them leave for a more congenial clime.
The first, town meeting was held in March, 1789, at which the following officers were chosen : Henry Staring, Supervisor; Mel- ger Fols, Town Clerk; Melger Fols, George Smith and Melger
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Thum, Assessors; George Fols, Collector; Adam Bauman and George Fols, Constables ; Peter F. Bellinger, John Demuth, Ja- cob N. Weber, Commissioners of Highways; Henry Staring, George Weber, Jr., Michael Myers, Overseers of the Poor; Marx Demuth, Philip Helmer, Adam Hartman, Hannes Demuth, Peter Weber, Philip Herter, Hannes Hilts, Jr., Hannes Eiseman, Over- seers of Highways; George Weber, Jr., Peter Barkey, Hannes Demuth, Nicholas Hilts and Hannes Schell, Pound Masters. It will be seen that several persons held two offices, and nearly all of the favored candidates were descendants of the Palatine settlers.
The first church was formed at a very early day by Rev. A. Rosegrantz, of the Reformed Protestant Dutch denomination.
John Adam Hartman, a native of Germany, was one of the most zealous and efficient of the hardy band who fought so nobly during the long and bloody war that resulted in our independence. Inured to hardship from his childhood, he became a successful ran- ger in this new region beset by a wily and savage foe. A detail of his encounters, perilous adventures and escapes, would prove that fact is stranger than fiction. Soon after the peace of 1783, Hartman fell in company with an Indian at an inn near the west part of the town. After becoming somewhat exhilarated by strong drink, the Indian boasted of his exploits, the number of rebels he had killed, the scalps he had taken, and other deeds of barbarity, and finally exhibited a tobacco pouch made from the skin of a white child's arm, the fingers and nails still remaining on it. The Indian left and Hartman followed soon after. Nothing was ever seen of the Indian after entering a swamp, except by Hartman, who, on being questioned as to the matter, said that the last he saw of the Indian he was standing on a log a few rods in advance, and that he fell as though he was hurt. Hartman was tried for murder and acquitted. The following inscription is upon a tombstone which marks his last resting place in Herkimer, "John Adam Hartman, born at Edenkoben, in Germany. A great patriot in our war for Independence. Died April 5th, 1886, aged 92 years and 7 months.
The population of the town in 1865 was 2,922; its area is 18,978 acres.
There are ten school districts, employing twelve teachers. The number of children of school age is 892; the number attending school 734; the average attendance 319, and the amount expended for school purposes during the year ending September 30, 1868, was $4,283.78.
LITCHFIELD, named from Litchfield, Connecticut, from which place many of the early settlers came, was formed from German Flats, February 5, 1796. A part of Winfield was taken off in 1816. It lies upon the west border of the County,
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south of the Mohawk. The surface is elevated and moderately hilly, its mean elevation being about 500 feet above the river. In the south and west is a series of ridges known as the " Dry Lots," from the circumstance that no water is found upon them. The streams are small, some of them flowing north into the Mohawk, and others south into the Unadilla. In the east part is a sulphur spring of some notoriety.
Litchfield, (p. o.) in the north part, contains a church and about 20 dwellings.
Cedar Lake (p. o.), Cedarville (p. o.) and Jerusalem are hamlets. North Litchfield is a post office.
There is a Wesleyan Methodist society at Cedar Lake, a Univer- salist society at Cedarville, and a Methodist Episcopal church at Jerusalem Hill.
The first settlement of this town was commenced in 1786, by Elijah Snow, from Massachusetts. The place was formerly called Snow's Bush, but more recently Whelock's Hill. William Brew- er and Ezekiel Goodale, from Mass., John Andrews, Christopher Rider and John and Eleazer Crosby, from Conn., and Ebenezer Drewry and John Everett, from New Hampshire, came into the town about the year 1787. Samuel Miller, from Conn., and James Gage and Nathaniel Ball, from New Hampshire, settled about 1788 ; Selah Holcomb, from Conn., settled in 1791. William and Thomas Jones, Oliver Rider and Joseph Crosby were among the other early settlers.
The first birth in the town was that of Luke Andrews, in 1790 ; and the first marriage that of Joseph Day, the same year. Jere- miah Everett taught the first school; Joseph Shepard kept the first inn, and David Davis the first store. John Littlejohn built the first grist mill, and - Talcott the first saw mill, in 1806-7.
An iron foundry was established here for the manufacture of hollow ware, at which a considerable business was formerly carried on, and during a pressure in the money market, notes were given payable in Litchfield hollow ware.
The first religious services were held in 1794; Rev. - Spauld- ing was the first preacher. Elder Joel Butler was the first preacher of the Baptist denomination.
The population of the town in 1865 was 1,397 ; its area is 15,777.
LITTLE FALLS, named from the falls of the Mohawk at this place, was formed from Fairfield, Herkimer and German Flats, February 16, 1829. It lies in the interior of the County, south of the center. The surface is a broken upland, divided by the deep narrow gorge of the Mohawk. A range of hills extends north and south from the village. They are rocky and precipitous
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near the river, but less rugged on the north and south borders. The rocks at Little Falls are chiefly hypersthene and gneiss, over- laid by calciferous sandstone on the south side of the river. Falls Hill, south of the village, is 518 feet above the canal, and Roll Way Bluff, north of the village, is about the same hight. In the immediate vicinity of the village are quarries of limestone' from which is obtained lime and good stone for building purposes. Small caves and pot holes are numerous among the rocks near the river. The largest of the pot holes is twenty-eight feet in diameter and thirty-seven feet deep. At this place was one of the most formidable barriers in the construction of the Erie Canal. The north part of the town is covered by Utica slate, and the south part by the Hudson River and Clinton groups. The Mohawk flows north-east, through near the center of the town, in a series of cas- cades and rapids. Its banks are rocky and in some places precipi- tous. The soil is a sandy and gravelly loam.
Little Falls, (p. v.) situated in the east part, on the line of Man- heim and Danube, was incorporated March 30, 1811. Its name was changed to Rockton, April 16, 1850, and again changed to Lit- tle Falls, April 16, 1852. It is an important station on the N. Y. C. R. R. and the Erie Canal, and contains seven churches, viz., Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, Universalist, African Methodist and Roman Catholic; an academy, two union schools, two printing offices, a bank, a large number of manufactories and about 5,000 inhabitants. The buildings generally are of a substan- tial rather than ornamental character. This village is the great cheese market of the County, the sales frequently amounting to two or three thousand boxes in a day. Two reservoirs afford an abundant supply of water in case of fire, and penstocks in almost every street afford an abundance of pure water for both man and beast.
The Little Falls Cotton Mill is of stone, 147 by 40 feet, and four stories high. It was started in 1835, manufactures prints, runs 6,000 spindles and gives employment to 120 hands.
Saxony Woolen Factory is of brick, 75 by 45 feet, four stories high, and gives employment to 110 hands.
Mohawk and Elboeuf Mills manufacture silk mixtures. Mo- hawk mill is 500 by 50 feet and five stories high, Elboeuf mill is 160 by 50 feet, and three stories high. About 750,000 pounds of wool are used annually, and about 500,000 yards of cloth are man- ufactured. The mills contain twenty sets of cards and give em- ployment to 300 hands. The pay roll is $9,000 per month. Stitt & Underhill are the proprietors.
The Stocking Yarn Manufactory runs 240 spindles and uses about 1200 pounds of wool per month.
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The Cheese Box Factory of LaDieu & Schuyler turns out about 60,000 boxes annually, and gives employment to 14 or 15 hands. The proprietors have a saw mill that cuts 5,000 feet daily.
Little Falls Ax Factory employs eight men and turns out 1,000 dozen axes annually.
The Flouring Mill of Lansing, Mills & Fonda, is of stone, con- tains four runs of stones and has a capacity for grinding 1500 bushels per day.
The Hammer Factory gives employment to 100 men.
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Little Falls Machine Shop gives employment to seven men, the shop capital is $5,000.
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Little Falls Iron Foundry gives employment to 18 men and turns out 400 or 500 tons of castings annually. The building is 80 by 40 feet.
The Tannery of Rust & Company occupies a building 40 by 100 feet. ' The expense of carrying on the business, including stock, la- bor and taxes, is $120,000, and the value of the products is $130,- 000.
The Young Warrior Mower .- This popular Mower was invented by Frank Bramer about two or three years since, and secured by letters patent. Its manufacture was commenced and carried on at Fabius, Onondaga County, until 1868. An exhibition of one of these machines in the field at Little Falls in that season, produced an impression so favorable on some enterprising citizens of that place, that a company was organized and incorporated for its man- ufacture at Little Falls. It commenced business there on the first of December, 1868. The establishment is on the south side of the river, adjoining the tow path of the Erie Canal. The principal building is of brick and stone, 80 feet by 40, four stories high, with an excellent water power. Another building is now being erected adjoining, one story high, with an area of 3000 square feet, to increase its capacity. Its castings are procured from the neighbor- ing furnace of Mr. Reddy. The Company commenced moderately, producing only 600 machines the first year, intending to enlarge its capacity and number of the mowers from year to year, as its merits become better known. It employed 40 men last winter, besides the furnace men. Arphaxed Loomis is the President of the Company, and Frank Bramer the Managing Agent.
Woodbridge's Paper Mill gives employment to 33 hands and turns out $100,000 worth of paper annually.
Gilbert's Starch Factory uses about 100' bushels of corn daily and employs fifteen hands.
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Island Paper Mills consume 2,000 pounds of stock daily and give employment to six hands.
Jacksonburgh, in the west part, on the canal, is a hamlet.
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Bethel, in the south part, and
Paine's Hollow, (p. o.) in the south-west part, are hamlets. The last contains a Methodist church.
Eatonville is a post office.
There are several large cheese factories in different parts of the town ; among them is the " Herkimer County Central Cheese Fac- tory," owned and operated by Mr. George W. Davis. It manu- factures the milk of 700 cows and turns out 280,000 pounds of cheese annually. Mr. Davis is considered one of the most suc- essful cheese manufacturers in the County. c
Eatonville Cheese Factory, in the north-west part, is owned by a company and manufactures 240,000 pounds of cheese annually.
This town embraces parts of several different patents, among which are a portion of the Glen Purchase of 1739; Guy Johnson's Tract, granted in 1765; Vaughn's Patent, granted in 1770; Fall Hill Patent, granted in 1752; six lots of Butterfield's Patent, granted in 1725, and lots 12 and 13 of Burnetsfield Patent.
The first settlement was made by a colony of Palatinates, but at what time is not known with certainty. That it could not be previous to 1722 is quite evident, and that it was within a very few years after is also quite evident. The following persons received grants of land, and most, if not all, settled in the vicinity of Little Falls within a few years after the grants were made : John Jost Temouth, Fredrigh Temouth, John and Anna Veldelent, Jacob, Nicholas and Andries Wever, Mary Beerman, Nicholas Kesler, Johannes Pouradt, Christian Fox, Jacob and Johan Bowman, with several by the name of Staring. The lots embracing the water power north of the river were owned previous to the Revolution by one of the Petrie family, who erected the first grist mill on Furnace Creek. The settlers suffered greatly during the war and most of them were driven away. In June, 1782, a party of Tories and Indians invaded the town, burned a grist mill on Furnace Creek, murdered Daniel Petrie and carried away several prisoners. Among the first settlers after the war were John Porteous, William Alexander, Richard Philips, Thomas Smith, Joel Lankton, Richard Winsor, William Carr, William Moralee, Washington and Eben Britton, Alpheus Parkhurst, John Drummond and Josiah Skinner, all of whom settled here between 1790 and 1800. William Alex- ander was a native of Schenectady, and located here soon after Mr. Porteous, with whom he was for some time connected in business.
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He died January 3d, 1813. Eben Britton settled in the village in 1792 and carried on the tanning business many years.
Col. William Feeter was a native of the territory now embraced in Fulton County. His father and all the other members of the family followed the fortunes of Sir John Johnson and went with him to Canada. This rebellious son was driven from the paternal roof and compelled to seek a home among some of the patriot neighbors. A Mr. Youney, with whom he found a temporary home, presented him with a musket and told him he would have to rely upon that for defense until his country's freedom was acknowl- edged by the British Government. He was among the most ac- tive in repelling the attacks of Tories and Indians during the war, and at its close settled in the town and opened a large farm, which he cultivated more than fifty years. He raised a large family, most of whom settled in this County. He died at Little Falls, May 5, 1844, at the age of 88 years.
The construction of the old canal and locks gave an impulse to the growth and prosperity of the village which brought it into no- tice at an early period, but for the want of a liberal policy on the part of the proprietor, the place did not continue to increase as it would under other circumstances.
"In 1816 there were only two streets or thoroughfares in the vil- lage. The turnpike, now known as Main Street, and the Eastern and Western Avenues, which then extended on the present line no farther than to cross Furnace Creek, where it turned down east of the yellow house, thence over the old canal, and along between the old canal and river, to the head of the Falls. The Western Avenue was not then opened. The other road was what is now called Ger- man Bridge, Ann and Church streets, crossing the river from the South and leading to Eatonville and Topnotch. There were not over forty dwelling houses in the place at the time. Before Main street was extended west from Ann, the traveled road was down Ann street, across the old canal, and thence along Mill street. At this time there was one church, the Octagon, not finished, the stone school house, two taverns, two blacksmith shops, five or six stores and groceries, and one grist and one saw mill on the north side of the river. This was nearly the state of things until 1828, except the few erections and improvements that had been made on Main and Ann streets, and two or three dwelling houses on Garden street. Ann street, north of Garden, was a pasture. All that part of the village east of Second and south of the lots fronting on Main street, extending to the river, as well as that portion east of the old Salisbury road, was a drear wilderness, thickly covered with white cedar undergrowth .- [Benton's Herkimer.
From the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, the progress of the village has been steady though not rapid, and will compare favor-
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ably with other places of similar size. The following extract from the Journal of Rev. John Taylor, who visited the place in 1802, will give an idea of its appearance at that time:
" The village is built upon a ledge of rocks., It promises fair to be a place of business as to trade, as all produce of the Royal Grant will naturally be brought here to be shipped. They have a new and beautiful meeting house, standing about 40 rods back upon the hill, built in the form of an octagon. I am now July 27th, about 30 rods from Fall Mountain on the south. Between this and the Mountain is the Mohawk, and a bridge over it, in length about 16 rods. Between this and the bridge is the canal. On the right, about 40 rods, are the Falls, or one bar of the Falls, in full view. The Falls extend about three fourths of a mile. Upon the whole this place is the most romantic of any I ever saw, and the objects are such as to excite sublime ideas in a reflecting mind. From the appearance of the locks and fragments of rocks where the town is built, it is I think, demon- strably evident, that the waters of the Mohawk in passing over that Fall, were 80 or 90 feet higher in some early period than they are now. Ye rocks even an hundred feet perpendicular above ye pre- sent high water mark, are worn in the same manner as those over which ye river passes."
The Presbyterian Church of Little Falls was organized ecclesias- tically on the 29th of June, 1812, in connection with the " Concord Society," but was not legally incorporated as a separate religious society until April 16th, 1831. As nearly as can be determined, only six entered into the original organization. The first pastor was the Rev. James Joyce, who was ordained and installed July 9th 1812. Since then the following persons have acted either as pas- tors or stated supplies for a longer or shorter period : Hezekiah N. Woodruff, Stephen W. Burritt, Jacob Helffenstein, D. M. Smith, J. Barton, J. H. Martin, Jos. F. Warner, J. I. Ostrom, L. P. Blod- gett, A. B. Bloodgood, A. G. Vermilye, H. W. Morris, M. L. P. Hill, and W. B. Parmelee, the present pastor.
The number of members reported in January, 1869, was 234. The society has had but one place of worship previous to that now occupied, and that was the old Octagonal Church, located on what is now Church street. This was the first church edifice built at Little Falls. From an oil painting of the 'structure, drawn on a scale of one-eighth of an inch to the foot, it appears that the extreme hight of the edifice was about 54 feet. The sides were twelve feet each ; the posts sixteen feet in hight, and the slope of the roof from the top of the posts to where the rafters joined was 16 feet, and from this point to the top of the spire was 24 feet. This edi- fice was free to all denominations and was not unfrequently the scene of sharp disputes. When the church was taken down, a
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manuscript was found in the ball of the steeple of which the follow- ing is a correct copy :
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