USA > New York > Lewis County > Gazetteer and business directory of Lewis county, N.Y., for 1872-73 > Part 12
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" The foreigners settling in this town are mostly industrious, frugal, and disposed to avail themselves of every advantage their situation affords. Settling together, they retain in common use their native languages, in their families and religious meetings, but most of them readily acquire the English; while their children, attending the district schools with Americans, speak English without the slightest foreign accent."
He makes exception, however, to a company of sixteen Italians who came over in 1859, and who, he says, "have proved entirely untit to settle a new country, or encounter the hardships of pioneers."
" This was the first grist mill built in the town. It was erected about the year 1830, and is now owned by Manrice Kladwirk.
Belfort Tannery, owned by James Il. Morrow, was built in 1865. It gives employ- ment to some twenty to twenty-five men, gunnally consumes 3,500 cords of bark, and is capable of manufacturing 33,000 sides of leather per ant un.
# The extent of business carried on in this establishment is indicated on page 81.
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Previous to the settlements just indicated, however, and as early as the latter part of the last century, efforts were made by the proprietors of lands here to effect permanent settle- ments, and many Europeans, principally from France, were induced to locate here; but owing to mismanagement and the discouraging aspects which greeted the pioneers, these early settlements were abandoned and nearly, if not quite all traces of them obliterated when the present settlers came. It was the purpose of the New York company to lay out a city to be called Castorville, on the site of Beaver Falls. A plat of 663 acres was reserved for this purpose; but, it is believed, was never surveyed into lots. A saw mill, the first east of Black River, was built upon it in or about 1798, and from it was obtained the first lumber used by the settlers at Lowville. Its site was that of the upper part of Lefever's tannery, but long before its modern occupation the last vestige of the mill had disappeared. A clearing was made and a few log huts were erected by Rodolphe Tillier, agent of this company, at the head of navigation on Beaver River, four miles from its mouth. No roads were yet opened and the locality was only accessible by the river. J. T. Devouassoux,* A. Tassart, Louis Francois de Saint Michelt and perhaps others were French immigrants who settled on the banks of Black River. The daughter of Saint Michel was married to Louis Marselle, "and adopted with grace
* Derouassonx was a retired officer. He had selected a piece of low level ground, which, he thought, could be readily converted into a smooth, verdant lawn, and on it erected a log honse, a few feet from the river. He was accosted one morning while sitting by the door in morning-gown and slippers, by Mr. Le Ray, who was on his way down the river to visit his lands, and asked "whether he was not afraid the water would reach his house in the spring ?" This was a new idea and he requested an ex- planation, when his attention was called to the marks made on the trees by the inunda- tions of previous years, which indicated that the plat on which his house stood had been submerged two feet. He was completely abashed when his visitor disclosed the intelligence that the spot he had selected as affording admirable facilities for indulging his fondness for fishing was attended with so serious a draw-back, and readily accepted the invitation of Le Ray to explore his premises for a more eligible building site, which was soon found. - Hough's History of Lewis County.
In such characteristic lack of prescience more, perhaps, than in the difficulties to be overcome do we see the late of the first settlements in this locality.
+ Saint Michel was a man of culture, fervent piety and deep thought, and was sup- posed to have seen better days in his untive France, where. it is believed. he held an office under the ill-starred Louis XVI. He arrived in New York in November. 1798, and undertook the improvement of a tract of 1, 200 acres, owned by three danghters of Mr. Lambot, and from them named Sisterfeld. "His household affairs were managed by a daughter who had been tenderly reared at the schools in Paris, but who applied herself to the duties of her father's home with a cheerfulness that did much to lighten the gloom of solitude and legsen the sadness of both." It is related of him that in 1803, he went, in company with Richard Coxe, to Browville, to see Gouverneur Morris who, with Nicholas Low and other landholder, was at that place, and to " enjoy the Inxury of a conversation with one who could speak his native language with fluency. The meeting is described by an eye witness as affording a scene worthy of a painter. Their visitor was a tall, thin man, with a kern and intelligent eye, and a vivacity peculiar to the French character. The cagerne- - with which he grasped the hand of the dignified Morris, and the satisfaction he evinced w- ne interesting to the spectators as it was gratifying to the parties." He moved to a farm a little south of the village of Deer River, and there died.
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the coarse fare end rustic accommodations of a new country, without a marmur." Upon the death of Marselle she became the wife of Louis de Zotelle .*
The clearings abandoned by the early French settlers were overgrown with briars, and their rude cabins had dilapidated and rotted down before the advent of the next settlers, who dis- covered but few evidences of their industry, or indications that this region had previously been trod by the foot of a white man.
It will be seen by the following resolution which was adopted at a town meeting held at the house of John C. Fox, the first Tuesday in May, 1841, that the settlers took early measures to protect themselves and their flocks from the ravages of wild beasts :-
"Resolved, that there be a bounty of fifteen dollars paid for every full grown Wolf, ten dollars for every full grown Panther, and five dollars for every full grown Bear; and that half of the above named sums be paid for the Whelp of the Wolf, Panther or Bear that shall be killed by an inhabitant of the town."
The bounty was decreased as the emergency warranted.
St. Vincent de Paul Church, at Belfort, was organized with thirty members, by Count Le Ray, in 1832, and its house of worship, which will seat 125 persons, was erected the same year, at a cost of 6600, the present value of Church property. Rev. Mr. Guth was the first pastor; Rev. Gabriel Volkert, our informant, is the present one. There are 100 members.
St. Stephen's Church, at Croghan village, was organized with 125 members, by Rev. Mr. Guth, its first pastor, in 1835, and its first house of worship erected the same year. The present church edifice was erected in 1842, and will seat 600 persons. The present number of members is 1,200; and the present pastor is Rev. Gabriel Volkert, to whom we are also indebted for information relative to this church. The Church property is valued at $8,000.t
The Reformed Church at Naumburgh was organized in 1847, by Rev. M. Weiscotten. The church editice was erected the following year. It will seat 200 persons. The present num-
* In the summer of 1838, Zotelle was supposed to have died. Preparations for the burial were made, and a premature notice of his death was printed in the Northern Journal. "In a few days ne called upon the editor to request that no notice be again printed unless he informed in ; ercon. He died . in good faith,' about 1854." - Hough's History of Lewis County.
t The Catholic school is attended by 120 to 135 pupils during the winter term. Cate- chetical instruction in given chgost every day. The building was erected in 1850. It is two stories high, and with it are attached three and one half acres of land. It is the purpose of the Catholics to give the building to the Sisters of some religious order, for the establishment of a ladies' institute.
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ber of members is 72; the present pastor, Rev. John Boehrer, our informant. The Church property is valued at $3,000.
Beaver Falls Methodist Church was organized with fifty mem- bers, in 1834. The following year a church edifice was erected, at a cost of $2,000. It will seat 300 persons. There are 100 members, who enjoy the ministrations of Rev. Edward A. Weier, who kindly imparted this information. The Church property is valued at $3,000.
The Evangelist Baptist Church at Naumburgh was organized with eighteen members, in 1859. Their house of worship will seat 100 persons, and was erected in 1861, at a cost of $600, which is three-fourths of the present value of Church property. There are forty-seven members. The first pastor was Rev. Joseph Verkler; the present one is Rev. Peter Verkler .*
DENMARK, was formed from Harrisburgh, April 3, 1807.1 It lies upon the north-west border of the County, and contains 31,245 acres.§ It is triangular in shape, its southern line forming the base of the triangle, and Jefferson county, or the west line, and Black River, or the east line, forming its other two sides. Its surface descends to Black River by a suc- cession of irregular terraces. Deer River flows through the town a little west of the center, in a north-east direction, and its several falls afford an abundant and excellent water power. High Falls on this river are situated about one-half mile below Copenhagen, and present a scene of marked picturesque beauty.
* Information furnished by Augustus Schlieter.
t Denmark embraces Township No. 5, or Mantua, of the Black River Tract, or the Eleven Towns.
+ The first town meeting was held at the house of Simeon Dunham, and the first town officers were : Lewis Graves, Supervisor ; Win. Derbyshire, Clerk ; Levi Robbins, Wil- lis Secombe and Eleazer Sylvester, Assessors ; John Clark, Wm. Clark and John Hurd, Commissioners ; Stephen Parson and Sueton Fairchild. Poor Masters ; Aaron Nash, Constable ; and Eleazer S. Sylvester. Constabis and Collector.
$ Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors for 1571. This differs from the record of Benj. Wright, who, in April, 1796, surveyed around the town, which gives it an area of 31.951 acres, "strict measure."
In his report, Wright says of this town. "This'is a most excellent township, and is beautifully watered with small streams, with a large creek called Deer creek running through the middle of it. On this creek is a cataract, about four miles from the mouth, of abont twenty or thirty feet, and very curious mill seats. There are several large creeks of fine water running through the town, with mill seats on them. There is an exceeding large intervale on Deer creek, near the month, which is of the richest kind of land, and will be equal in quality and extent to any flat in the State of New York. [ ] The south line of this town is of an excellent quality, excepting a swamp near the Black river, which is timbered with pine, ash, cedar, beech and soft maple. This township needs no other remarks, but only to say, that it is the best township in the 300,000 acrey, and has every good quality that can be contained in & township of land : mill seats, ex- cellent timber, Anest quality of soil, excellent water and pretty good situation."
" The extent of these date is about 2,00 acres, and their richness is not over-estimat- ed. They are not ordinarily flowed over their whole extent, but in the winter of 1556, '57, the flood came up to the foot of the hill. a few rods below Deer River village. On the 12th of May, 1533, the inundation was higher than ever before or wince known .- Hongh's History of Lewis County.
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The stream which here falls 166 feet, at an angle of about eighty degrees, has worn a broad, deep chasm in the Trenton lime- stone through which it flows. On the south side the bank is 225 feet high ; on the north side it is marked by a steep inclina- tion, with a succession of small, narrow ledges or steps and occasional projections, which admit of its ascent for a con- siderable distance, though the undertaking is a perilous one .* Kings Falls, two miles below these, named in honor of Joseph Bonaparte, ex-king of Spain, who visited and admired them, form a cascade forty feet in height, and are rarely excelled by others of their kind in picturesque beauty. The east part of the town is covered with deep deposits of drift. There are exten- sive flats near the mouth of Deer River, and a cedar swamp borders Black River. The soil is very fertile.
* We find the following mention of theee falls in the " Journal of Rev. John Taylor's Missionary Tour. through the Mohawk and Black River countries in 1802," which ap- pears in the Doct. Hist. of New York, Vol. III. page 1145-6. "Capt. Mosley and five others rode out with me to see a great curiosity, six miles from Champion, in ye corner of No. 5. It is a gulf in Deer river. We walked 36ths of a mile from the road on the rocks on the bed of the river. The rocks are limestone, and smooth, with h re and there a large crack. Thu river has worn the rock on an average about twenty feet deep-and [the] bed of the river is about nine or ten rods wide, At present there is on each side of the stream abont three rods of fine walking. When we come to the falls, the most sublime prospect presents which is conceivable. The ground above has the same appearance as the general form of the country, and is level. The water paases down into a gulf 155 feet. The top of the gulf from rock to rock is, as near as I could judge, 12 roda; at the bottom, it is on an average 8 or 9. For the first hundred feet the rocks are perpendicular-and then there lies fragments of rocks and stones-so that where the water passes, when it has come to the bottom of the fall, it is about 4 rods wide. Upon ye side of ye place where the water passes over, Mr. Mosley went to the edge, and let down a cord, with a stone, when I was at the bottom. The cord hang per- pendicular, and I was then 24 feet from the base of the rock, The cord measured 153 by a square. 15 rods below the falls, the perpendicular rock is abont 40 fret higher than where we mea-ured. At the bottom where the water strikes, it is 120 feet wide. About 25 rods below this, there is a place where it is possible for people to get down, but extremely steep, and something dangerous; but we passed down without injury. At ve bottom of ye river, there is ye same rock-which rock extends all over this county : how deep. no one can tell. The rock is a great curiosity : it is all a limestone, and is filled with every kind of sea-shells, petrified. I knocked out of ye solid rock, 155 feet below the surface of the earth. varion- shells. * * * This gulf is without any doubt all inade from 34ths of a mile below by the wearing of the water, which makes the curiosity of the shells vastly greater. And, indeed, this whole rock, which is certainly 155 feet deep, and which extends to Sandy Creek- and perhaps 50 or 100 miles round in all directions, made up of sea-shells of every kind, - as cockles, clams, oysters, and & thousand others."
"About 1806." says Hough, In his History of Lorte County, "Miss Lodema Schermer- horn. in attempting rashly to climb this perilous steep, had crept over half way up be- fore she was aware of the danger, when she found that descent was impossible, and. her only chance for life depended upon her reaching the top. With cautious and steady berve, sbe continued on. now clinging with one hand in a crevice of the rock while she found a firm hold for the other a little bigher, she finally gained the summit, exhaust- ed with fatigue and overcome by the extraordinary nervous excitement which the ef- fort occasioned. A female associate had followed her lead and also found it necessary to go on or perish in the effort. She also reached the top of the precipice in safety. Some years after Thomas Parkman attempted to scale the cliff, and got so far np that he could neither advance nor recede, His companions ran to the nearest house, pro- cured a bed cord, and drew him to the top.
" On the night of Sept. 17. 1-53, Wm. Ferguson, a British deserter, working in a fonn- dry, having drank Prey the day pre viona and retired late, spang up from sleep, saying that a man had fallen into the river above the falls, and ran toward the precipice. A person followed, but before he could be overtaken, the delirious man had climbed a tree that overhung the chasm, when the branch on which he stood, broke, and he fell to the bottom, a distance of 10 feet, priking half way down, and bounding into deep water. He was instantly killed by the fall."
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The Utica & Black River R. R. extends through the town along the valley of Black River.
In 1870 the town had a population of 2,109, of whom 1,898 were natives and 211, foreigners; 2,100, white and 9, colored.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1871, the town contained eleven school districts and employed twelve teachers. The number of children of school age was 634; the number attend- ing school, 477; the average attendance, 278; the amount expended for school purposes, $3,316.55; and the value of school houses and sites, 88,450.
COPENHAGEN* (p. v.) is located on Deer River, near the south-west corner of the town, seventeen miles south-east of Watertown. It is an incorporated village (incorporated May 4, 1869,) of about 650 inhabitants. and contains three churches, (Baptist, Congregational and Methodist,) two school houses, one hotel, eight stores, a carriage factory, grist and flouring mill, two saw mills, a planing mill, butter tub factory, two cabinet shops, four blacksmith shops, two harness shops, four shoe shops, a tanneryt and two lodges ( Masons' and. Good Templars'.) The manufacture of cordage on an extensive scale was commenced here about 1830 and was continued for many years.§
DEER RIVER (p. v.) is pleasantly situated on the river whose name it bears, about one mile from its junction with the navigable waters of Black River. It is on the line of the U. & B. R. R. R. and is distant north of Lowville eleven and one- half miles, and south of Carthage three miles. The river affords an excellent water power, which is utilized to some extent in the various manufacturing enterprises which have grown up here, and for the conveyance of whose products to market the railroad affords valuable facilities. The village
* Copenhagen was originally called " Mangers Mills." which name it derived from Nathan Munger, an early settler, and the mills erreted by him on its site. The inde- fensible bombardment of Copenhagen. Demark, by the British feet in 1807, aronsed in the early settlers in this vicinity feelings of sympathy for the outraged Danes and of indignation for the Britons which crystallized into a determination to change the name of the place to that of the discomforted European city, as a means to resent the as- sumption that, being federalists, they acquiesced in the aggressive policy of England.
t The population in 1870 was 575 and embraced 518 natives and 57 foreigners. All were whites.
# Since the above was in type, we have learned that the tannery was destroyed by fre.
§ The Copenhagen grist mill. J. C. Wright. proprietor, is operated by water. contains four runs of stones and is capable of grinding 400 bushels per day. F. M. Whiting's cheese factory, located three-fourths of a mile -onth of Copenhagen, is capable of manufacturing 60,000 lbs. annually ; that of Nathan Clark, which was built in 1863, and was the first one built in the County, is capable of using the milk from Con cows, and manufactures about 90,000 1hs. annually : that of Aaron S. Burington, gives employment to four persons and is capable of making abont 15,000 lbs. annually ; that of Geo. C. Yonny, located about two miles north-west of Copenhagen, uses the milk from 140 cows; that of Vorce & Sons, located two and one-half miles north-es-t of Copenhagen, uses the milk from 250 to 273 cows, though it is capable of using it from 500 cows.
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contains two churches, a fine school house, a hotel, store, harness shop, two or three shoe shops, a telegraph office, a carriage shop, blacksmith shop, carpenter and joiner shop, a flouring mill,* a factory for the manufacture of shade rolls and broom handlest and about 150 inhabitants. The country in the vicinity of the village is highly cultivated, and often as many as 500 tons of hay and large quantities of dairy produce are annually shipped.}
DENMARK (p. v.) is located a little south-east of the center of the town, nine miles north of Lowville, and contains a church, a school house, store, grocery, blacksmith shop and two shoe shops. This is the oldest village in the town-the postoffice having been established in January, 1804-and was formerly a flourishing one, but in a business point of view it has been superseded by Copenhagen and Deer River, both of which are sustained by splendid water privileges, in which Denmark is deficient.
CASTORLANDS (p. o.) is located in the south-east part of the town, opposite the mouth of Beaver River, on the west bank of Black River. It is about equi-distant from Lowville and Car- thage, or eight miles from each. It is a new and thriving vil- lage, lying on both sides of Black River, and already consider- able business interest has centered here. A station bearing its name has been established on the U. & B. R. R. R. The Black River is spanned by a fine bridge, and the Beaver River is also crossed by a bridge near its mouth.
RUNYANS LANDING is located in the south-east part, on the Black River, near Castorland depot, and contains two steam saw and shingle mills,| seven houses and about fifty inhabit- ants. It has been built up within six years.9
* Deer River Flouring Mills, of which John T. Standring is proprietor. were erected in 1871, and are among the best in Northern New York. They are operated by a never failing water power, contain three runs of stones, and are capable of grinding 100 bbls. of flour and 10 tons of feed in 24 hours. There is a home demand for all the mille can produce.
t These works are owned by Meears. Mason & Lanphegr. They employ four per- sons, anunally consume over 200 010 feet of bass-wood, pine and spruce lumber, prin- cipally the former, aud manufacture shade rolls and broom handles by the millions.
+ The cheese factory of which Messrs. Marsile & Gibbs are proprietors is located about one mile west of Deer River, and uses the milk of 300 to 400 cows.
§ Named from the old French Castoriand Company, and meaning the land of the beaver.
"L. M. Gates' steam saw and shingle mill is operated by a forty-five horse power engine and manufactures 10,000 feet of limber, 8,000 shingles and 6,000 lath per day. A. D. Wright's steam sew and shingle mill was built in 1st1, and gives employment to seven persons, and is capable of manufacturing 6,000 foet of lumber and 8,000 shingles per day.
" There are also in the town two other extensive cheese factories, one of which is located one maile north of Denmark village and is capable of using the milk of 700 cows ; and the other, between the State and East road«, near the line of Lowville, is capable of using the milk of 500 cows. D. E. Cheney is proprietor of the former and J. M. Wal- lace, of the latter.
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The first definite knowledge of this town was ascertained through the survey of Benjamin Wright, in 1796, to which pre- vious allusion has been made. It formed a part of the pur- chase of Harrison, Hoffman, Low and Henderson, and fell by lot to the first two as joint owners. The latter, May 1, 1805, sold his interest to T. L. Ogden ; and July 19, 1809, Hoffman and Ogden conveyed this moiety to Harrison. It was subdivided into farms, in 1798-9, by Joseph Crary, under the direction of Abel French of Albany, who became the agent of the proprie- tors, and who settled at Deer River a few years after his appoint- ment as such. The first settlement in the town, however, was made at Denmark village, by Jesse Blodget, who located there with his family in the spring of 1800. Mr. Blodget erected the large stone hotel at Denmark village in 1824. He died Jan. 9, 1848, aged nearly 84 years; and his wife, who was the first woman in the town, died Aug. 5, 1844, aged 70 years. Their son, Harrison Blodget, who was born March 18, 1801, and was member of Assembly in 1831, was the first male child born in the town, and has always resided in it. No accessions were made until the following year, after which it was settled with considerable rapidity. Among those who are believed to have settled in 1801-2 were Joseph Crary, from Vermont, Peter Bent, Solomon Farrell, Win. and Daniel Clark, James Bagg, Chas. Moseley and Simeon Dunham, all of whom settled in the south part of the town; the families of Freedom and Chas. Wright, (including Jabez, Douglass and Freedom, sons of the former, and Chas., Tyrannus A., Stephen, Erastus, Chester. Nathan and Mathew, sons, and Wm. Merriam. son-in-law, of the latter,) from Winstead, Conn., Joseph and Calvin Blodget, the latter son, and Shadrach Case, son-in-law of Joseph Blodget, from N. H., Andrew Mills, Freeman Williams and Darius Sherwin, and Levi and Reuben Robbins, from Saundersville, Mass., David Goodenough, John Williams, Nathan Munger and his son Nathan, (the latter two from Ludlow, Mass.,) Levi Barnes, John Clark, (the latter from Barre, Mass.,) Joseph and Bezaleel I. Rich, from N. H., David King, Isaac Munger. (the latter from Ludlow, Mass.,) Abner Whitney, Robert Horr and Henry Welch, all of whom settled in the central and western parts of the town, and most of whom came to select land and begin im- provements the year previous to the removal of their families. In 1801 Nathan Munger and his son completed a saw mill about half a mile above High Falls, an enterprise which was encour- aged by the proprietors by giving them the water privilege on the Black River from the Falls to over two miles above them, and in 1800 they built a grist mill with one run of burr stones, which was got in operation in time to grind the first wheat
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