USA > New York > Lewis County > Gazetteer and business directory of Lewis county, N.Y., for 1872-73 > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
+ Plummer Cheese Factory. located in the north-east corner, was built in ISST, by Charles Plummer, the present proprietor. It is 60 by 30 feet, and is capable of using the milk from 500 cows. The product of this factory is of excellent quality. Mr. Plummer was awarded the premium at the County fair in 1870. C. Closner & Sons' Cheese Factory. located at High Market, was built by C. Cloener in 1968. It is 20 by 32 feet, and is capable of using the milk from 1.000 cows. One hundred and twenty thou- sand pounds of cheese of excellent quality, is made during the season, Dairy Hill Cheese Factory, located at Byrons Corners, was built in Ivis, by Charles Wider. and purchased and enlarged in 1-19, by Sammel Techume. It is 63 by 26 feet. and is capa- ble of using the milk from fax! cowe. About 120,000 pounds of cheese are made, from which the factory he- acquired a good reputation. High Market Cheese Factory. located near the line of West Tarin, was built in 1-81, and enlarged in 1864. It is capable of n-iner the milk from bon cows. and i- makin : 150,000 lbs. of cheese during the season. The first cheese factory in town was started by Mr. Wider.
+ Named from Patrick Byron, who is engaged in business here, and whose father, Michael Byron, who came here in 1 40, was one of the first settlers in this locality.
& Among other manufacturing establishments are the Eureka saw mill, situated on Big Alder Creek, and built in isit by A. Ward, A. Me Vickar, E. Allen and N. Northast,
.
105
-
HIGH MARKET.
More than half the town is still unsettled, only the eastern and southern parts being occupied. Settlement was commenced by Liberty Fairchild, who came in February, 1816, and located upon the farm now owned by Solomon Zarn. He was followed two weeks later, in the same month, by Alpha Hovey, who settled on the farm owned by Wm. Reardon. Hovey was a mill- wright, and built the first saw mill erected in the town, for Silas Markham. The next, in the order in which they settled, were John Felshaw and Benjamin Markham, in 1818, Solomon Wells, in 1819, Elam Wheelock and Asa Dow, in 1820, Daniel Tuttle and James Hadnett, the latter in 1826. Felshaw settled on the farm owned by Frederick Anken. He was a blacksmith, and the first one of his profession to settle here. He died June 24, 1857, aged 82 years. Markham settled on the farm owned by C. Closner; Wells, on that owned by Robert Wynn ; Wheelock and Dow, on that owned by C. Wider ; and Tuttle, who was from Vermont, on that owned by Eli Capron. Had- nett settled on a farm owned by F. Auken. He came from Ireland, where he was educated for the ministry; but that occupation seems to have been distasteful to him, for he fol- lowed that of carpenter and joiner on his settlement in this town. S. C. Thompson came here in 1834 and built on the farm owned by Closner. He kept the first store and inn, and in 1850, built the first grist mill in the town. He subsequently removed to Constableville, where he is now engaged in the banking business .* Charles Plummer and Edward Sweeney settled in the town in 1840, the former in March, and the latter in October. Plummer settled in the north-west part, on the farm he now owns and occupies, being preceded in his settle- ment there only by James Mullen ; and Sweeney, in the south- west part, on the farm upon which he now resides, and where he, Philip, (his father.) Francis and Michael Sweeney, were the first settlers. James Reardon was born in county Cork, Ire- land, emigrated to this country in 1837, and settled in this
which is 40 by 60 feet, contains one circular saw and edger, gives employment to four- teen men, and is capable of sawing 2,000,000 feet of lumber per annum. The motive power is supplied by a fall of water, 175 feet high, The firm of Me Vickar, Allen & Co., have purchased of the MeVickar heirs 14,000 acres of land, timbered principally with spruce, and some maple, cedar and hemlock. The company have erected a store and four dwellings on the place and contempitte the erection of a planing mill. They employ a large number of men in drawing mmber to and from the mill, which is twelve miles from the U'tica and Black River R. R., and the Black River Canal. Fisk Creek runs through the center of the purchase. This section is becoming noted for brook trout, and is visited by many of the lovers of piecatorial sports in the summer. Joynt raw millis situated near the center of the town. It was built in 1853, by Henry and J. A. Bri geman, who sold it in 1862 to Anthony Joyut, of whom it was purchased in Ist2, by Emery Allen, the present owner. It contains one circular saw and edger, and is capable of sawing 2.000,000 feet of lumber per annum. Closner's saw mill, built by S. C. Thompson, is capable of sawing 500,000 feet of lumber per annum.
* We are indebted for much of the foregoing information relative to the first settle- ment to Alpha Hovey of West Turin.
106 HIGH MARKET-LEWIS.
town on the farm now owned by his son, in April, 1841. He was one of the first to settle in the south part. C. Closner Sr., emigrated to this country from Switzerland in 1850, and took up his residence in this town, on the place he now occupies, in 1853. He purchased 510 acres from S. C. Thompson, for which he paid $17,000, $2,000 of which he paid down. By industry he has acquired one of the best farms in the town, where he repre- sents important business interests. Considerable accessions to the number of settlers was made upon the suspension of public work upon the Black River Canal in 1842. Many Irish families settled on small tracts of land back of the first settlers.
LEWIS* was formed from West Turin and Leyden, Nov. 11, 1852.+ It lies upon the elevated plateau in the south angle of the County, and contains 40,515 acres. Its surface is generally rolling, but in the west part it is broken and hilly. Its entire surface is 700 to 1,200 feet above the valley of Black River, It is watered in the east by the head waters of the west branch of the Mohawk; in the center, by Fish and Point of Rocks creeks; and in the west by the west branch of Sal- mon River and the numerous streams flowing into Fish Creek from the west. The soil is generally a sandy loam, moderately fertile, and is best adapted to grazing. In some places it inclines to clay.
The population of the town in 1870 was 1,252, of whom 884 were native and 368, foreign, and all, white. The foreigners are principally Germans.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1871, the town contained nine school districts and employed ten teachers. The number of children of school age was 643; the number attending school, 428; the average attendance, 191; the amount expended for school purposes, 81,750.23; and the value of school houses and sites, $1,780.
WEST LEYDEN (p. v.) is situated on the head waters of the Mohawk in the east part, near the line of Oneida county. It is twenty-six miles south of Lowville and seventeen north of
-
* Named from the County. It embraces very nearly that part of Inman's Triangle known as the Vew Surrey. the whole of Towinship No. 1, or Xenophon and three rows of lots from the south-west side of Township No. 2, or Flora, of Constable's Four Towns.
t The first town meeting was held at the house of Orlando S. Kenyon, Feb. 8. 1853, and the following named officers were elected: Orson Jenks, Supervisor ; David Cro- foot, Town Kerk : Alex. Kent. W. Higer and Warren B. Williams, Assessors ; Fred. Doty, Hiram Jenks and Adixon Sawyer, Commissioners of Highways ; Ambrose Kent, Superintendent of Comment vous ; Frederick Maurer, Collector and Constable ; Jacob Koehley, Benj. Green and Win. Camstoca, Constdes ; Jacob Gribble and John Brown, understers of the Pur ; Wm. Brown, Jacob Miller, James D. Wright and Charles Pense, Justices of the Fence ; Wm Hadley, W. Hagrand Oliver Capron. Inspectors of Elections ; Henry Hager, Sealer of Weights and Measures ; Joseph Hunt and George Olney, Pound Masters.
1 -
107
LEWIS.
Rome. and contains three churches, (Baptist, Lutheran and Reformed,) a school house, hotel, three stores, a grist mill, two blacksmith shops, two carriage shops, two saw mills, two planing and matching machines. a cooper shop, cheese factory, forty-four dwellings and about 300 inhabitants.
WILLIAMS SETTLEMENT, (or "Yankee Settlement," as it is sometimes called,) located on the west bank of Fish Creek, in the south part, contains two saw mills and about sixteen families. It is eligibly situated for the transaction of an immense lumber business. Fish Creek furnishes an abundant and excellent water power; and to the north and west lies a vast unbroken wilderness, heavily timbered with spruce, hem- lock and maple. When cleared this land will make a fine grazing country, and will support the dairying interests with as much munificence as it is now capable of doing the lumber- ing. Two or three miles to the westward is an Irish settle- ment.
The first settlement was made at West Leyden, in the sum- mer of 1798 or '9, by two families named Newel and Ingraham, who came by way of Whitestown and Fort Stanwix ( Rome) and located near the east line of the town, They remained here but two years .* Col. John Barnes came in 1799, and brought on his back from Whitestown potatoes to plant. Joel Jenks, Medad Dewey and John and Cornelius Putnam came in this or the following year. Jenks, who was from Rhode Island, and held the first appointment as magistrate, built the first saw mill, the following winter. He died Feb. 9, 1838, aged 77. The Putnams were from Somers, Conn. Major Alpheus Pease settled at West Leyden in 1801, and built there two or three years after the first grist mill. He died April S. 1816, aged 54 years. Nathan Pelton and Wm. Jenks, from Stafford, Conn., Stephen Hunt, Graham. McGlashan, Levi Tiffany (from Somers, Conn.,) and Winthrop Felshaw settled within four years after. Most of the lands taken up were sold at $5 per acre. The first school was kept at the house of Joel Jenks, and Samuel Kent and Jeremiah Barnes were early teachers. The first death was that of a family of some travel- ers; but the first adult person that died in the town was Mrs. Calvin Billings, in 1810. Darius Hunt, who is living with his son William, about two miles north of West Leyden and was 100 years old June 12. 1872, came here from Connecticut about forty-six years ago. He is still able to walk and converse with
* It is related that the wives of these two settlers, while returning. on foot, from Fort Stanwix, discovered a bear in a tree. One stationed herself at the foot of the tree, club in hand, to prevent the bear's escape, while the other returned a distance of twe miles and procured a gun, with which she shot the bear.
108
LEWIS.
ease. About 1831 the Germans, who now form a large per centage of the inhabitants, began to settle here. John Hays and his wife were the first to settle at what is known as the Irish settlement. They came in 1842, carrying their house- hold goods and provisions upon their backs from Florence, a distance of seven miles. Mrs. Hays was so dissatisfied with the change in her home that she spent the first week in crying, and after about two months she attempted to leave the place, but got lost in the forests, in which she wandered two days and nights. Their crops and flocks frequently suffered from the wild beasts which were numerous. A few bears are yet to be seen .* Lyman Searls was one of the first to settle west of Fish Creek. He lived alone two years in a log hut. Bears, wolves and panthers made him frequent visits, not however of a very friendly character.
From Hough's History of Lewis County, from which we have drawn liberally for matters pertaining to the early history of this town, we make the following extract :-
"An occurrence happened in November, 1804, which caused much alarm in this settlement, and might have led to a most melancholy result. Joseph Belknap, Cornelius Putnam Jr., and Josiah Dewey Jr., set out from the former Dewey tavern stand, westward, on a deer hunt. The snow was about ten inches deep, and they found tracks of deer plenty, but no game. They had no compass, the day was cloudy, and towards night they attempted to return, and as their track was crooked they concluded to take a direct line for home. After traveling some distance, they came around to the same place, a second and a third time. They were evidently lost, and no longer trusting to their own estimate of direction, they conclud- ed to follow down a stream of water which they took to be the Mohawk, which would of course lead them home. They passed a number of beaver meadows, and were frequently obliged to wade the freezing stream, and at other times were forced to wade down its channel instead of climbing its steep rocky banks. They tried to kindle a fire but failed, and finally kept on traveling till day-light, when they came to a foot-path, which in two or three miles, led out into a settlement which proved to be in the town of Western, twenty miles by the nearest traveled road from home. They had followed down the Point-of-Rock stream, to near its junction with Fish creek. The half-starved wanderers having fed, pushed on over a miry road, and reached home at midnight, when they found the country had been rallied, and a dozen muen had gone into the woods in search of the lost."
The first religious services were held in 1804, by Justus Bil- lings, a Presbyterian, at the house of John Putnam. In the summer of 1806 a Congregational Church was organized, and several years after a church edifice was built, a mile north of West Leyden. In February, 1826, it joined the Watertown Presbytery.t
* Cook Williams had several sheep killed by them in the spring of 1872.
+ At Its organization it consisted of Josiah Deway, Justus Billings, Cornelius Putnam, Solomon Washourn, Alpheus Pense. Cyrus Brooks, - Wood and their wives, and widow Horton. The four last named lived a mile east of Ava Corners.
109
LEWIS-LEYDEN.
The Baptist Church was organized in May, 1829, with four- teen members, by Elders Marshall, Ashley and Salmon, the for- mer of whom, it is believed, was the first pastor. A legal organization was effected Sept. 9, 1837, in which year the house of worship, which will seat 200 persons, was erected at a cost of $300. The society numbers twenty-two members, but is with- out a pastor. The Church property is valued at 81,000.
St. Paul's Church (United German Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Congregational) at West Leyden was organized with fifty members, Aug. 16, 1847, by Rev. - - Smith, its first pas- tor. The church edifice was erected the same year at a cost of 8400. It will seat 250 persons. There are eighteen members. Rev. Cladius is the pastor. The Church property is valued at $500 .*
The Reformed Church of West Leyden was organized with ten members, Sept. 12, 1856. The house of worship was erected in 1861, at a cost of $1,650, and will seat 230 persons. The first pastor was Rev. John Boehrer; the present one is Rev. F. E. Schlieder, our informant. The present number of members is 71. The Church property is valued at $2,500.
Mary's Church (Catholic) erected a house of worship two miles west of West Leyden, in 1861. It will seat 300 persons.
LEYDENt was formed from Steuben, March 10, 1797.1 Brownville, (Jefferson county) was taken off April 1, 1802; Boonville, (Oneida county) March 28, 1805; a part of Wilna, (Jefferson county) April 2, 1813; Watson, March 30, 1821; and a part of Lewis, Nov. 11, 1852. It lies upon the west bank of Black River, on the south border of the County, and contains 19,988 acres. Next to Turin, it is the smallest town in the County. Its surface is undulating, and its inclination is toward the east, the west border being about 500 feet above the river.
* These two societies separated about the time of the organization of the Reformed Church of West Leyden (Sept. 12, 1856.) by reason of difficulties resulting in a law suit, which was decided in favor of the Lutherans .- Information furnished by Peter Wolf.
t Named from Leyden, Holland, where resided, principally. the members of the Hol- land Land Company, under whose anspiers Boouville (then embraced in this town) was settled. Upon the erection of Lewis County the town was divided, and that part lying within this County retained the original name. in order that the name of the settlement at Boonville might perpetuate that of Gerret Boon, by whom the settlement was made. This town, with that part of Lewis erected from it, forms Inman's Triangle. It orig- inally embraced that tract and all of Jefferson and Lewis counties lying eart and north of Black River.
# The first town meeting was held at the house of Andrew Edmonds, (Boonville) April. 1, 1797. and Andrew Edmonds was chosen Supervisor ; John >tormes. Town Clerk ; Asa Brayton, Jacob Rogers and Phineas Southwell, Assessors ; Jared Topping and Levi Hinman, Constables and Centers ; Bein Hubbard and Lake Fisher, Poor Masters ; Asa Lord. Ronben King and Edicha Randall, Commissioners of Highirays ; Sheldon Johnson, Fliphalet Edmonds. Amara King and Archeline Kingsbury, Rood Masters ; Lilly Fisher, A-abel Hough and Timothy, Burgen, Fence Viewers ; Charles Otis and Joshua Preston, Pound Masters .- Hough's History of Leurs County.
-
110
LEYDEN.
It is watered by Sugar River, which flows in a south-east direc- tion through the central part, and its branches, the principal of which is Moose Creek. " Upon Sugar River, about a quarter of a mile above the Canal, the water passes through a gorge worn in the limestone which composes its banks, having a fall of over a hundred feet, over a succession of terraces. The banks above and below are nearly vertical, and from 100 to 200 feet high.
" Below the falls," says Dr. Hough, "the gorge spreads out into a beautiful vale of some thirty rods in width, and forty in length, covered with a dense growth, chiefly of evergreen timber, far above which the massive walls extend on either side. Several very deep pot-holes, worn by pebbles, occur above the falls. About a quarter of a mile below, the whole of the river, in the summer, disappears in the fissures worn by the current, and about fifty rods below again appears at the surface. The river road passes over this natural bridge thus formed. Near this place, and in the same strata, are caves which have been explored some 200 or 300 feet in different directions. They are simply natural fissures worn in the formation known to geologists as the Black River limestone. This rock is very soluble, and streams almost uniformly find an underground passage when their course lays across it." Of the rapids upon Black Riv- er, a little below Port Leyden, the same author says, " the channel is con- tracted to less than twenty feet in width, and the torrent rushes through the gorge with immense force. Several pot-holes have been worn in the gneiss rock to a great depth. Rock Island, at this place, is a rugged bluff, surrounded by water only during floods, and easily accessible at other times. Its scenery is highly picturesque, and as yet mostly undisturbed by the hand of man. In the map of a survey, made before settlement, this narrow gorge is named Hellgate. Therock has been partially exca- vated west of the Island, to afford hydraulic privileges, but the cutting off of the supply by the Canals has prevented the completion of this work."
The soil is a fertile loam mixed with disintegrated slate and limestone.
The Black River R. R. and Black River Canal extend through the town, and afford ample facilities for the transportation of the products of the farm, dairy and manufactory to market.
The population of the town in 1870 was 2,048, of whom 1,675 were native and 313, foreign; 2,045, white and 3, col- ored.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1871, the town contained fifteen school districts, and employed seventeen teachers. The number of children of school age was 787; the number at- tending school. 600; the average attendance, 308; the amount expended for school purposes, $4,144.35 ; and the value of school houses and sites, 88,200.
PORT LEYDEN* (p. v.) is situated in the north-east part, in the valley of Black River, on the line of the U. & B. R. R. R. and the B. R. Canal, and is distant by rail from Lowville seventeen
* The village lies partly in the town of Greig. on the opposite side of the river. Of its 977 inhabitants, 364 were in that part of the village lying in Greig.
.
LEYDEN.
.111
miles, and from Utica forty-two miles. It contains two church- es, (Episcopal and M. E.) a printing office, ( Port Leyden Enter- prise) two hotels, two drug stores, three dry goods stores, four groceries, one bakery, a clothing store, harness shop, two liver- ies, five blacksmith shops, three saw mills, one large tannery,* an extensive iron foundry, two cabinet shops, a grist mill, shin- gle mill, two boot and shoe establishments, and two milliner shops. The Black Rivert furnishes an excellent water power for its various manufacturing establishments. It is an incor- porated village, and in 1870 had a population of 977.
Port Leyden Lodge of F. & A. M., instituted in 1867, meets every Thursday evening. George W. Manchester is W. M., and R. L. Harris, Secty.
Post Merrium G. A. R., instituted in 1868, meets the first Tuesday of each month. Geo. W. Manchester is Commandant, R. F. Wilcox, Adjutant.
Port Leyden Lodge, No. 256, I. O. G. T. was organized May 28, 1867, and has 78 members. Rev. M. F. Cutler is W. C. T., Dexter Orvis, Secy., and R. Kline, L. D.
Port Leyden Union Sabbath School Temperance Society was organized July 22, 1872, with 95 members. J. J. Giles is Pres- ident, and H. W. Giles, Secy.
TALCOTTVILLE (Leyden p. o.) is situated in the central part, on the south bank of Sugar River, and is nearly equi-distant from Port Leyden, Constableville and Boonville. It is a thriving village of about 175 inhabitants, and contains three churches, (Baptist, Methodist and Universalist) one hotel, a saw mill, cheese box factory, a grist mill, sash, door and blind
* Port Leyden Tannery, of which H. D. H. Snyder, Jr., is proprietor, is centrally lo- cated in the village, on Blick River, and is about 450 feet long and 40 wide. It gives employment to 80 men, to whom is paid in yearly wages about $38,000; annually con- snmes about 7,00 cords of bark, worth about $38.500; and tans from hides imported from Central and South America 63,000 to 70,000 sides of sole leather, weighing about 1,200,000 pounds, and worth in the New York and Boston markets from $350,000 to $100.000. It was originally a small upper leather tannery, capable of tanning about 7,000 to 8,000 deacon skins aunually, and as sich was run many years by C. Wool- worth, who now resides in the village. Mr Snyder purchased the property about the 1si of February, 1856, and during that year enlarged it to the capacity of 10.000 to 11,000 hides annually. He again enlarged it in 195> and '39. to the capacity of 30.000 to 35,000 eides, and during the summer of 1864. to its present size. Five water wheels are re- quired to run all the machinery, of which Mr. Snyder has been to great expense to pro- cure the best kinds, Connected with the tannery is a blacksmith shop, where one or two skilled workmen are constantly employed on work for the establishment ; and near the tannery, and owned by Mr. Snyder, isa large two-story circular saw and play- ing mill, capable of swing 10,000 feet of lumber per day, and planing and matching 1,000 feet per hour. It is operated by two large iron water wheels, of the finest in uee.
f About 3 years since a flood caused by the overflow of this river destroyed a large amount of property. The bridge cros-ing the river, a large grist mill and a wheel house connected with the iron works, were swept away.
# Of this number 748 were native and 229, foreign ; 974, white and 3, colored.
·
112 .
LEYDEN.
factory, two stores, two blacksmith shops, a quarry,* and a wagon shop. Its smooth, macadamized streets, neat dwellings and out-buildings, supplemented by charming flower gardens, and the deep interest manifested in its schools, evince the industry and prosperity of its citizens, many of whom are retired farmers, who are engaged in mercantile and mechanical pursuits.t The river has a fall here of about 75 feet within three-fourths of a mile.
LEYDEN HILL is a hamlet in the north part about two miles north of Talcottville and the same distance south-west of Port Leyden. The cheese factory of the Leyden Cheese Association (of which James S. Jackson is President, T. E. Munn, Secretary and L. S. Loomis, Treasurer and Salesman,) is located near here. It is 34x80 feet, two stories high, and is capable of using the milk of 550 cows.į
The first settlements were made under the owners of Inman's Triangle. This tract was . named from William Inman, who was made the agent of Patrick Colquhoun, high sheriff of London, by whom it was purchased, June 5, 1792, at one shilling sterling per acre. Itcontained 26,250S acres, 4,000 of which was bought by Inman at the original price. Inman's transactions in connection with this agency do not appear to have been creditable to him, as some of the settlers who pur- chased of him, were required to make second payment by a transfer of the title by Inman, before their deeds were made out or their payments completed. A few received their titles directly from Inman. | In February, 1794, most of this tract was sold to Lemuel Storrs and Joshua Stow of Middletown, Conn., with whom Thomas and Abel Lyman of Durham, Conn .; and Silas Stow were interested. William Topping, who came with his family from Meriden, Conn., early in 1794, was the first to settle in the town and County." Their journey to Whites-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.