USA > New York > Lewis County > Gazetteer and business directory of Lewis county, N.Y., for 1872-73 > Part 10
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$ Benjamin Van Vleck, Daniel Kelley and Jonathan Collins were commissioned to superintend the erection of the building. It consisted of a large wooden building. comprising on the lower floor the sheriff's office, rooms for the jailor's family and three prison rooms, one of which was subsequently converted into an office for the County judge and surrogate ; and ou the upper floor a court room and two jury roome. This building, since the removal of the County seat, has been fitted up as the Martin Institute, a fuller description of which will be given in the history of Martinsburgh.
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LEWIS COUNTY.
structure. It was erected in 1852, with the expectation of effecting a change in the county seat in that year, but failing in this it was used as a town hall until the removal in 1864. It contains, in addition to the court room, offices for the District Attorney, Surrogate and Supervisors, and Jury rooms. Its original cost was $6,000. The clerk's office, a substantial brick structure, adjacent to the court house, was erected immediately after the removal of the county seat. The jail and sheriff's residence, also a brick structure, is located in the south part of the village, about one-fourth of a mile from the other county buildings. The county poor house is located upon a farm of fifty acres, one mile west of Lowville. It is a commodious brick edifice, three stories high, 58x32 feet, with a wing 60x32 feet, and was erected in 1868. The old stone structure, its predeces- sor, erected in 1846, was torn down. The present one is a sub- stantial building, adapted to the comfort and convenience of its unfortunate inmates. A school was maintained in the build- ing until within two or three years, when it was deemed advis- able to send the children to the district school, which has since been done. Religious services are held semi-monthly at the house. While economy in its management is studied, the material interests of the inmates are not neglected. From the Annual Report of the Superintendents of the Poor for the year ending Nov. 13, 1871, we glean the following particulars: The number of paupers remaining in the house at that date was 53. There were received during the year, 29; discharged, 20; and died, 7. The number who received relief during the year was 80. The number of week's board furnished during the year, to paupers, was 2.568 1-7; the average number of paupers during the year was 40g; and the cost of each per week was $1.75}. The farm produced "20 tons of hay, 400 bushels of potatoes, 154 bushels of oats, 77 bushels of wheat, 12 bushels of peas, 800 pounds of pork, 30 bushels of beets and 30 bushels of apples." Seven cows were kept, the products of which were used on the place. The lunatic asylum, under the same supervision, but occupying a separate building, 30x40 feet, two stories high, was erected in 1862.
The principal works of internal improvement are the Black River Canal and the Utica & Black River R. R .*
The Black River Canal was authorized April 19, 1836, and work was begun upon it the following summer. It connects the
* The Ogdensburgh, Clayton d Rome R. R. was organized Feb. 19, 1853. A large amount of work was done, but nothing completed, and the road was abandoned after the expenditure of about half a million dollars.
The Black River & St. Lawrence Tram-road was organized June 30, 1868, with a capital of $380,000, and although considerable work has been done upon it, it is at pres- eut abandoned. Some grading was done on the route in Diana.
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LEWIS COUNTY.
navigable waters of Black River with the Erie Canal at Rome, and extends up the valley of Mohawk River and Lansing Kill to Boonville, and thence down the valley of Black River to a point a little below Lvons Falls. Its length is 36.62 miles. Its summit level is 693 feet above the Erie Canal at Rome, to which it descends by seventy locks. Northward it descends 386 feet, by thirty-six locks. It is forty-two feet wide at the top and twenty-eight, at the bottom, and has a uniform depth of four feet. Each lock has a chamber 15x90 feet. Boats of forty to fifty tons burthen are readily passed. The State has constructed reservoirs by damming the outlets of Wood- hull, Chub, North and South Branch, and other lakes in Her- kimer county.
The Utica and Black River R. R. was organized Jan. 29, 1853, as the Black River & Utica R. R. The road was opened to Trenton, Jan. 1, 1855, and to Boonville, Dec. 18, 1855. It was originally designed to connect Utica and Clayton, but after its completion to Boonville the company became involved financially and the road was sold on mortgage, Nov. 2, 1860. The com- pany was reorganized under its present name, May 22, 1861, with a capital of $860,000, and the intention to extend the road to Philadelphia, (Jefferson Co.) The road was completed to Lyons Falls in 1866, to Lowville in 1868, and to Carthage in 1871. It will be opened to Philadelphia Jan. 1, 1873. The grades through this County are very favorable, the steepest being about forty-five feet to the mile .*
This, Herkimer and Jefferson counties compose the Twenty- first Congressional District; and this and Jefferson counties, the Eighteenth Senatorial District ; it is in the Fifth Judicial District of the State; and it forms one Assembly District.
There are four papers published in the County, three weeklies and one monthly.t
* The company expect to complete the road to Clayton, by a branch from Theresa, by June, 1973. The Carthage, Watertown & Sacketts Herbor R. R. is leased by the company and the Black River and Morristown R. R. will come under its control. The total length of the road when completed, will be about 190 miles.
t The following is a list of obsolete publications which have been issued in this County :
The Black River Gazette, the first newspaper printed in this State, north of the Mo- hawk valley, was commenced ut Martinsburga, in advocacy of the principles of Repub- licaniem, and mainly under the patronage of Gien. Walter Martin, by James B. Robbins, Mar. 10, 1807, and continued one year, when the prees was removed to Watertown. and need in printing the first paper published in Jefferson county. It was distributed by Ephraim Luce, who was post rider.
The Lewis County Gazette was started at Lowville, by Lewis G. Hoffman, in the spring of 1821, and published nearly two years, when Mr. Hoffman removed to Biack Rock.
The Louis County Sentinel was started at Martinsborgh, by Charles Nichols, Oct. 12, 1824. and published one year. It was neutral in politice.
The Black River Gazette was started at Lowville, by Wm. L. Easton, Oct. 19. 1925, the press formerly employed in the publication of The Lewis County Sentinel being used. H. L. Easton was associated with him several months during the issue of the
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LEWIS COUNTY.
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THE JOURNAL & REPUBLICAN was started at Lowville, Jan. 4, 1860, by the consolidation of The Northern Journal and The Lewis County Republican, under the management of Henry A. Phillips. The Northern Journal was commenced at Lowville, by Ambrose W. Clark, from Otsego county, Feb. 22, 1838. In 1846 it passed into the hands of Edwin R. Colston, and in Nov., 1847, C. W. Haven became its editor. It was published succes- sively by Jason C. Easton from March 9, 1848 to October of the same year, by William Oland Bourne, of New York, until 1850; and by Wm. X. Nindle, who, with V. R. Martin as editor, pub- lished it a few months. Its publication was resumed by Jason C. Easton, and in the spring of 1853, he became associated with Homer C. Hunt, and the paper was published by Easton & Ilunt till the close of volume sixteen. It was purchased by Cordial Storrs Jr., Dec. 28, 1853, and continued by him until Jan. 2, 1856, when he sold it to George W. Fowler, who, Oct. 27, 1858, sold it to Henry A. Phillips, by whom it was published until its consolidation. The Lewis County Republican was com- menced at Martinsburgh, May 18, 1830, by James Wheeler, with the type and press used by Jas. K. Averill, in the publica- tion of The Martinsburgh Sentinel & Lewis County Advertiser. Daniel S. Bailey purchased it Sept. 12, 1836, and Jan. 1, 1860, he sold it to Henry A. Phillips, who, as before stated, consoli- dated it with The Northern Journal. The Journal was estab-
second volume. Dec. 1, 1830, Mr. Easton sold it to Joseph M. Farr, and Oct. 10, 1832, he again became interested in its publication, an interest he maintained until the paper was discontinued the following year. Its columns were open to discussion upon any subject of public interest, and the nominations of both political parties were presented until 1832, when it was given to the support of the anti-masonic nominations.
The Martinsburgh Sentinel and Lewis County Advertiser was commenced at Martins- burgh, by James Ketchum Averill, Oct. 13, 1820, as a Democratic organ, and was dis continued in February, 1830.
The Lewis County Democrat was started by Le Grand Byington, as a Wbig organ, March 25, 1834, and published one year, at Lowville.
The Lewis County Democrat was started at Turin, by Horace R. Lahe, Sept. 22, 1846. It was the first paper published there and was aided by local subscriptions, but mainly by Clement Whitaker and Homer and Jonathan C. Collins, who exacted from Lahe the promise to purchase the material at the end of the year. which he did. It was removed to Martinsburgh in January, 1850, and, after a few issues at the latter place, to Boot- ville. It endorsed the views of the radical, or barn-burning Democrats, and in the campaign of 1848 strongly advocated the doctrines of the Free Soilere.
Tre Dollar Weekly Northern Blade was started at Constableville, in August, 1854, by Fairchild & Bealls. Mr. Bealls retired from the firm in July, 1835, and it was published by Mr. Fairchild alone until February. 1856, when it passed into the hands of Galusha P. Eames. Wm. R. Merrill and Edwin R. Cook became its publishers April 23, 1857. and changed its name to
The News Register, and in the spring of 1858, removed the office to Carthage and be- gan the publication of the Carthage Standard.
The Hawk Eye was issued at Constableville a few weeks in the fall of 1855. It was a juvenile four page quarto cheet and is suppored to have been printed at Lowville.
The Young Anierica was is ned from the Blide office a few weeks, in opposition to The Hawk Eye. It was somewhat larger than ite opponent.
The Port Leyden Reyister was started by Rev. James E. N. Backus, in the spring of 1947 and was continued by him until Jan. 1, 1963, when he left the piace and ite publi- Cation was discontinued.
This Sabbath School Gem was started at Port Leyden by Rov. J. E. N. Backus, in 1567, and issued monthly about one yoar.
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LEWIS COUNTY.
lished as an organ of the Whig party, and in 1854 it was changed to the advocacy of the principles of Republicanism. The Republican was started as a Democratic paper, and became a Republican organ the same year as the Journal. The Journal & Republican was published by Mr. Phillips till March 1, 1864, when he sold it to Smiley & Hazen, who continued it three years. Mr. Hazen sold his interest to Mr. Smiley, March 1, 1867, and it was published by the latter until July, 1867, when it was again purchased by Mr. Phillips. Jan. 1, 1870, it again passed into the hands of Mr. Smiley, by whom it is still pub- lished.
THE LEWIS COUNTY DEMOCRAT was started at Lowville, as The Lewis County Banner, a Democratic organ, Sept. 8, 1856, by N. B. Sylvester. It was subsequently published by E. A. Teall and Almont Barnes. Sept. 1, 1858, it passed into the hands of Henry Allgover, who sold it to Dewitt C. Finch, Jan. 1, 1865, at which time the title was changed. In April, 1867, Mr. Finch sold it to Manville & Phelps, the present publishers.
THE PORT LEYDEN ENTERPRISE was begun at Port Leyden, by Alvaro F. Goodenough, Dec. 15, 1871. April 4, 1822, he disposed of one half his interest to Dexter E. Orvis, and the paper is still published by the firm of Goodenough & Orvis.
THE BOYS' JOURNAL was started at Martinsburgh, by the Mereness Brothers, in July, 1868, and is still published by them. It is a sprightly monthly juvenile paper.
Measures looking to the settlement of this County were de- layed in consequence of the unfavorable impression which for a long time prevailed regarding the value of the lands border- ing on and adjacent to the St. Lawrence, in the north part of the State, an impression which was founded in great measure upon the reports of the survey of Totten & Crossfield's pur- chase, which lay in the center of the great northern wilderness, and which is still as wild and uninviting as when first trod by the foot of the surveyor. From the little known regarding this section the belief readily obtained that the whole northern part of the State was equally inhospitable .* Not until long after
* This region was variously named on old maps as Irocoisia, or the land of the Iro- quois ; Coughsagraga, or the dismal wilderness ; and the deer hunting grounds of the Five Nations. " A map drawn iu 1:56, says the county by reason of mountains, swamps and drowned lands, is impassible and uninhabitable." An old map has this inscription across the northern part of New York :
"Through this tract of land runs a chain of mountains, which, from lake Champlain on one side, and the river St. Lawrence on the other side, show their tops always white with snow ; but. although this nnfavorable circumstance bas hitherto secured it from the jawa of the happy land jobbers. yet, no doubt, it is as fertile as the land on the east side of the tale and will in Diture furnish a comfortable retreat for many industrious families." -- Hough's History of Lewis County.
On Suuthier's map dated Jan. 1, 1713, Black River is represented as flowing into the St. Lawrence at Ogdensburg ; and upon a tract bordering upon the west and south parts of the County is this inscription : " This Mareby Tract is full of Beavere and Otters."- Doc. Hist.
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LEWIS COUNTY.
the settlement of the lands in the western part of the State, whose richness and fertility was discovered by military expedi- tions against the Indians, did the foot of the emigrant tend toward this section, the knowledge of which obtained by similar expeditions,* does not appear to have been sufficiently exten- sive or favorable to remove the prejudice acquired for it. By a treaty at Fort Stanwix, Sept. 22, 1788, the Oneidas ceded to the State all their lands, including this County, excepting certain reservations, among which was a tract a half mile wide on each side of Fish Creek, which was retained on account of the sal- mon fisheries. In a little less than three yearst Alexander Macombt submitted to the Commissioners of the land office of the State, assembled at the city hall, New York, an application for the purchase of lands known as Macomb's Purchase, which was accepted.
The bounds of this tract and the terms of payment are thus described in the application :
"Beginning at the north-west corner of the township called Hague, on the river St. Lawrence, and thence extending southerly along the wester- ly bounds of said township and the township called Cambray, to the most southerly corner of the latter, thence extending easterly, northerly and southerly, along the lines of the said township of Cambray, and of the townships of De Kalb, Canton and Potsdam, and Stockholm, to the eastermost corner of the latter, thence north-westerly along the line of the said township of Stockholm, and the township of Louis Ville, to the river St. Lawrence, thence along the shore thereof to the line, run for the north line of this State, in the 45th degree of north latitude, thence east along the same to the west bounds of the tract formerly set apart as bounty lands for the troops of this State, serving in the army of the United States, thence southerly along the same, to the north bounds of the tract known by the name of Totten & Crossfield's purchase, thence westerly along the north bounds of the tract last mentioned, to the wester- most corner thereof, thence southerly along the south-westerly bounds thereof, to the most westerly corner of township number five, in the said tract, thence westerly on a direct line to the north-westermost corner of the tracts granted to Oothoudt, thence westerly on a direct line to the mouth of Salmon river where it empties itself into lake Ontario, thence north-easterly along the shore of the said lake, and the river St. Lawrence to the place [of] beginning, including all the islands belonging to this State, fronting the said tract in lake Ontario and the river St. Lawrence, five per cent to be deducted for highways and all lakes whose area ex- ceeds one thousand acres, to be also deducted, for which after the above deductions, I will give eight pence per acre to be paid in the following manner. to wit: One sixth part of the purchase money at the end of one year from the day on which this proposal shall be accepted, and the residue in five equal annual instalments on the same day, in the five next
* The expeditions of Belletres against the settlement at German Flats. in 175, of Lery against Fort Ball, Dear Rome, in 1757, and of Lieuts. Mcclellan and Hardenburgh to Oswegsichio, in 1779. ; the latter with a view to divert the attention of the friendly Oneidas, and prevent their being disturbed by Sullivan's expedition against the Indians of the Genesee country.) are supposed to have passed through the valley of Black River.
+ June 22. 1791.
+ Daniel McCormick and Win. Constable were equally interested with Macomb.
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LEWIS COUNTY.
succeeding years. The first payment to be secured by bond, to the satis- faction of your honorable Board, and if paid on the time limited and new bonds to the satisfaction of the board executed for another sixth of the purchase money, then I shall be entitled to a patent for one sixth part of said tract, to be set off in a square, in one of the corners thereof, and the same rule to be observed as to the payments and securities and grants or patents, until the contract shall be fully completed. But if at any time I shall think fit. to anticipate the payments, in whole or in part, in that case I am to have a deduction on the same so paid, of an interest at the rate of six per cent, per annum, for the time I shall have paid any such sum before the time herein before stipulated."
The following concession was annexed to this application May 2, 1791:
" I do hereby consent and agree, that the islands called Carleton's or Buck's islands, in the entrance of lake Ontario, and the isle Au Long Saut, in the river St. Lawrence, and a tract equal to. six miles square, in the vicinity of the village of St. Regis, be excepted out of the above con- tract, and to remain the property of the State: Provided always, That if the said tract shall not be hereafter applied for the use of the Indians of said village, that then the same shall be considered as included in this contract, and that I shall be entitled to a grant for the same, on my per- formance of the stipulations aforesaid."*
This contract was made without regard to the Indian reser- vation on Fish Creek, for the reason that it was not supposed to encroach upon it, the source of that creek being then unknown, and when the tract was surveyed and this oversight discovered, it became a subject of anxious inquiry as to how far the reservation might be justly considered to extend. It was evident, however, that the State was responsible for whatever damages might accrue to the Indians in consequence of the sale, and in conformity with this humane view a treaty was held with the Oneidas Sept. 15, 1695, at which the latter engaged to sell a certain tract of land, for an annuity of $3 for each hun- dred acres. March 5, 1802, "a provisional agreement of sale of this and other parts of reservations was made, and on the 4th of June of that year it was confirmed, thus forever canceling the native title to the lands of Lewis county."
* Doc. Hist. Vol. III, p. 1009-71. From the same source we obtain a tabulated state- ment of the contents of Macomb's Purchase.
" No. 1 contains
821,819 [acres.]
2 do
553,020
3
do
458,228
450,900
..
٠٠
65 W'm. Inman's 2nd Tract
74,400
Thos. Boylston's Tract .. .817,155
.6
Peter C'hassanis' Tract
.220,500
..
James Watson's Tract
61,433
John Julius Angeletein. 210,000
1,409,738
3,693,755
" Deduct Six Miles Square to Le laid out at St. Regis for the Indians, 23,040
..
" Acres ..
3,670,715
11
-
..
4 do
5 ) Wir. Inman's Ist Tract ... 26,250
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LEWIS COUNTY.
This County is wholly within Macomb's Purchase,* and embraces a part of Great Tract No. IV., most of the Chassanis Tract, Watson's West Triangle, Inman's 2d Tract, or the Brantingham Tract, and a small part of Brown's Tract, or Angerstein's Tract, on the east side of Black River: and Inman's Triangle, Constable's Four Towns, four of the Eleven Towns and six of the Thirteen Towns of. Boylston's Tract, ; on the west side.
Great Tract No. IV. was purchased by a company of capital- ists in Antwerp, Holland, with a view to establishing a colony upon it, but the project proved abortive. Count de Survilliers subsequently became interested in lands in Diana, which is included in this tract, where he built a summer residence and was accustomed to make regular visits during the summer season.
Chassanis,' or Castorland Tract.S including parts of Greig and Watson, the whole of New Bremen and Croghan and a small portion of Jefferson county, is worthy of special note, as the first settlement in the County was made upon it, but did not, however, prove a permanent one. It is named from Peter Chas- sanis of Paris, who, on the 31st of August, 1792, purchased of Wm. Constable, while in that city, 630.000 acres of land lying south of No. IV. and between Black River and a line near the 44º north latitude, in the interest of himself and associates, at the rate of eight livres turnois per acre.| The State reserva- tions for roads &c., were stipulated, and a deed for 625.000 acres executed and delivered to Rene Lambot, as an escrow, to take effect on the payment of £52.000. Immediate efforts resulted in the organization of a company by the name of La Compagnie de
* The purchase was subdivided into six great trante, though the division line between the fifth and sixth was never surveyed. Theoretically this fine, as indicated on Chas. C. Broadhead's map of Macomb's Purchase. starts from near the south-west corner of the purchase, and passes at an angle of fifteen degrees north of a horizontal base line. just north of the east bend in Black River, between Martinsburgh and Watson. No I. of these tracte lies in Franklin county. Nos. HI. and III. in St. Lawrence, No. IV. em- brices Diana in this County, a small part of Herkimer county, and all of Jefferson county north of a line running parallel with the south line of Diana, No. V. embrace- & small part of Oswego county, all of Jefferson county lying south of No. IV .. that part of Lewis County lying between Nos. IV. and VI. as established by the line above de- scribed, most of Watson's Tract and a small portion of Brown's Tract, and No. VI. embraces a small portion of Oswego county and all this County and Brown's Tract lying south of No. V.
+ The Boylston Tract was divided into two tracts and is more commonly known by the names applied to these subdivisions. The five northern towns bordering on Block River, and the six towns south of them, in this tract, are known as the Black River Tract ; the other thirteen towns in this tract bear the original name. The towns are numbered with respect to the divisions.
+ Further mention of the Connt will be made in the history of Diana.
§ This traet was supposed to contain $10.000 acres, but when surveyed, owing to the misConception of the course of Black River, which was assumed to flow directly wert to the lake, it was found to contain only 214, 000 acres.
Tho livre was a French silver coin, equal to 13% cents, but has been superseded by the frauc. s
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LEWIS COUNTY.
New York and the devising of a plan for the division of 600,000 acres into 6,000 equal parts, to be allotted to as many persons .* The emeute instigated in France by Murat, Robespierre and their associates favored the project for colonizing this tract, but a sufficient number of shares had not been taken to meet the payment at the time designated, and Constable ordered the lands withdrawn from market. Chassanis, how- ever, unwilling to relinquish the project entirely, prevailed upon Col. Ward, Constable's agent, to consent to the sale of 2,000 shares, or 200,000 acres, and was assured that that quan- tity of land should be reserved adjacent to Black River, and extending to Lake Ontario. In conformity with this plan Constable executed a contract April 12, 1793, transferring to Chassanis 200,000 acres, with an additional five per cent. for public roads &c., and 10,000 acres to facilitate its being brought into market. Simon Desjardins and Peter Pharoux were appointed commissaries to superintend the affairs of the company in America, while the headquarters and pa- pers belonging to the company were to remain at Paris, and its interests to be supervised by Chassanis. Desjar- dins and Pharoux started on their mission July 7, 1793, and arrived in New York two months thereafter. At Albany they met Marc Isambart Brunel, a political exile from France, whom they readily induced to accompany them. Brunelt was an accomplished surveyor and was made the captain of the party ; Pharouxt was a noted architect and proficient engineer ; but Desjardins is not known to have possessed either of these qualifications. They hired four natives of the country and
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