USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Gazetteer and business directory of St. Lawrence County, N.Y. for 1873-4 > Part 10
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ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
exposure to moisture. Being little liable to disintegration, a remarkable absence of those elevations and depressions common to other localities is observed in surfaces underlaid by this formation. When it forms the margins of valleys bold, per- pendicular cliffs of naked rock are presented ; and not unfre- quently, as in Hammond, columns, detached by running streams or the action of the elements, stand almost isolated, but have the same altitude as the parent rock. It is extremely diverse in texture and stratification, some kinds giving little evidence of the latter quality. The angular and spheroidal masses, giving little, if any, indication of stratification, com- pactly cemented together, and firmly embedded in rock whose strata are clearly defined, and cylindrical vertical columns of uniform strata, varying in diameter from two inches to twenty feet, and firmly embedded in rock apparently devoid of stratification, are anomalies which afford ample scope for scientific speculation. These cylinders sometimes encroach upon each other, those giving evidence of more recent forma- tion being perfect in form, while those suffering impingement are defective. The calciferous sandstones possess a commer- cial value in their adaptation to building purposes and the manufacture of lime; but in the former quality they are far inferior to the Potsdam sandstones, and in the latter they are excelled by the white limestones. The primitive rocks in this county abound in ores possessing a commercial value, the prin- cipal of which are iron and lead. Magnetic iron ore is found in Clifton and Pitcairn ; specular, in Fowler, Gouverneur and Rossie; and bog, in Norfolk and Brasher. The former lies in localities little settled at present, and is practically inaccessible. The specular ores have been worked since the early settlement of the county, and have proved a source of no little wealth. Operations in this ore have hitherto been most actively prose- cuted in Rossie, but a strong impetus has recently been given this enterprise in Gouverneur. Bog ore has been obtained in considerable quantities, in Norfolk, but more extensively in Brasher. The most valuable deposits of lead were found in Rossie, where, some thirty years since, it was obtained in large quantities ; but the mines there, as well as in Macomb, where it was also formerly worked, have relapsed into disuse. Traces of copper exist, but whether this mineral is deposited in suffi- cient quantities to render its working profitable is doubtful. In 1846 the St. Lawrence Copper Company was formed through the exertions of H. H. Bigelow of Boston, and several thousand dollars were expended in developing a mine near the south line of Canton. A shaft was sunk to a depth of about sixty feet and some eighty tons of ore obtained, when operations were discon-
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tinued. Deposits of clay suitable for the manufacture of crockery exist in various parts of the county, and in Gouver- neur measures are now projected to give it a commercial value by applying it to this purpose. Extensive deposits of clay and sand occur along the St. Lawrence, in which fossils indigenous to the arctic regions are found, and these with the numerous bowlders strewed over the surface of the country, the deep fur- rows plowed in the solid rock by moving masses and the vast deposits of drift, whose constituents and frequently rounded eminences indicate their origin, bear testimony to the fact that this country has been submerged, and, as the nature and loca- tion of the fossils indicate, at no very distant geologic period.
The soil in the north, west and central parts is good, while that in the elevated region in the south-east part, underlaid by gneiss, possesses little attraction to the agriculturist. The drifts give to the gneiss region its principal value for agricul- tural purposes. The soil underlaid by the limestones and clay, and the alluvial deposits along the river valleys are very fertile. The clayey soils afford some excellent grazing country and the county generally manifests a similar adaptation. All the cereals are successfully raised, some of them quite extensively. Potatoes do extremely well, especially in the north-east part, and large quantities are raised and manufactured into starch .* Dairying, however, forms the chief agricultural pursuit, and the Ayrshire cow meets with much favor among the dairymen of this county. Much attention has been given by gentlemen in this county to the subject of breeding improved cattle, and some of the finest herds of Ayrshires to be found in America are in St. Lawrence county. Many of the premium takers in Ayrshire, Scotland, have been imported, and it is thought by
* From a compilation from the census of 1870, by the Ogdensburg Jour- nal, we learn that the number of acres of improved land in St. Lawrence county exceed those in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, or Washington ; that the value of its farms exceeds those of all the above and Florida and Oregon combined; the value of its farming implements is greater than those of Delaware and Oregon ; the value of its farm productions exceeds those of any of the territories, and the States of Delaware, Florida, Nebraska, Nevada, Ore- gon or Rhode Island; that it produces more butter than Alabama, Arizo- na, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Dakota, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vir- ginia, West Virginia, Washington or Wyoming; and that it stands first in New York in the number of improved acres, value of farming imple- ments, total value of farm productions, value of home manufactures, value of live stock, number of horses, number of milch cows and other animals, bushels of spring wheat, pounds of butter, tons of hay, maple sugar and gallons of molasses. A tabular statement of the more important agricul- tural productions of the county will appear in another portion of the work, and to it the reader's attention is directed.
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many that Ayrshire itself cannot now produce better stock than is found in this county. The census for 1870 reports 87,293 milch cows, the product of which was 8,419,095 pounds of butter and 1,710,082 pounds of cheese. The number of gallons of milk sold was 1,880,649. Fruits are but little cultivated, though the smaller kinds do well. Much of the south-east part of the county is still covered with forests, and is but little settled. Commerce receives some attention, but it is principally con- fined to Ogdensburg. Considerable activity is manifested in manufacturing enterprises. The principal articles of manu- facture are iron, castings, lumber, articles of wood, flour, starch and paper.
The principal works of internal improvement are the Og- densburg & Lake Champlain R. R., the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg R. R. and the Black River & Morristown R. R.
The Ogdensburg & Lake Champlain R. R. filed articles of or- ganization June 18, 1864, and its dissolved charter was amended Feb. 7, 1866. This road was originally chartered as the Nor- thern R. R., whose second mortgage bond-holders effected a change in organization. It is leased and operated by the Ver- mont Central, asa branch of the western division of that road and the Vermont & Canada R. R., under a lease of twenty years, though its corporate name is maintained. It extends from Ogdensburg to Rouse's Point, passing in an almost direct east- erly course through the towns of Lisbon, Madrid, Potsdam, Stockholm and Lawrence. It was built without reference to the accommodation of local interests, as a direct route from Boston to the foot of lake navigation. It is an important thoroughfare of freight and travel.
The Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg R. R. filed articles July 10, 1861, having previously been known as the Watertown & Rome R. R. It purchased the Potsdam & Watertown R. R. un- der the law of 1860, and assumed its present name. It enters the county in the south-east corner of Rossie and passes through Gouverneur, DeKalb, across the north-west corner of Canton and south-west corner of Lisbon and through Oswe- gatchie. A branch from DeKalb Junction to Potsdam Junc- tion, passes through DeKalb, Canton and Potsdam.
The Black River & Morristown R. R. is under construc- tion as a continuation of the Utica & Black River R. R. from Philadelphia, Jefferson County, under the control of which company it will come. It is completed to Theresa.
The Ogdensburg & Morristown R. R. is projected and will, it is expected, be constructed in a year or two. It is designed to connect the B. R. & M. R. R. at Morristown, with the O. & L. C. and R. W. & O. Railroads at Ogdensburg. .
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A railroad to connect Ogdensburg with Portland, Maine, is contemplated and measures looking toward its accomplishment are being concerted. The Clifton Iron Co. constructed a tram road from their mines to a point on the R. W. & O. R. R. two miles south of DeKalb Junction, under act of April 20, 1864, but it is not now in use. The company were empowered by act of April 15, 1868, to extend the road to the St. Lawrence and to carry passengers, but this has not been done. Various local roads have been projected by mining companies, and in some instances the routes have been surveyed, but as yet noth- ing promising immediate construction has been done. Ogdens- burg is connected with the St. Lawrence & Ottawa R. R., at Prescott, on the opposite side of the river, by a ferry carrying loaded cars. The Grand Trunk R. R., which extends along the north shore of the St. Lawrence, and the Brockville & Ottawa R. R., with its branches from Perth to Smith's Falls, which terminates at Brockville, opposite Morristown, are intimately connected with the commercial interests of this county. The St. Lawrence is navigable for vessels of all sizes from the lake to Ogdensburg, and the rapids below that city are avoided by means of canals on the Canadian side of the river.
The county seat is at Canton, having been removed from Ogdensburg, its original location, by an act passed January 28, 1828, appointing commissions to select a site and erect county buildings .* The first courts were held in one of the stone buildings previously used as barracks, located on the west side of the Oswegatchie, and which was fitted up for that purpose until better accommodations were afforded. A bomb-proof magazine adjacent to it was used temporarily as a jail. The office of Louis Hasbrouck, the clerk, was used as a clerk's office. This building, which was one of the first dwellings erected in Ogdensburg, together with much other valuable property, was consumed by fire in the autumn of 1852. It was continued in use for that purpose until the erection of a clerk's office.t The court house and jail were superseded by the erec- tion of a new court house in 1803, and the clerk's office, by the erection of a stone building in pursuance of an act passed at a session of the Board of Supervisors held in October, 1821. Sec- tional jealousies were early manifested at the location of the county seat at Ogdensburg, remote from the center of the
* The first commission was composed of Joseph Grant, George Brayton and John E. Hinman of Oneida County; and the second, of Ansel Bailey, David C. Judson and Asa Sprague, Jr.
+ The first County officers were: Nathan Ford, First Judge; Alex. Tur- ner and Joseph Edsall, Judges; Stillman Foote and John Tibbetts, Asst. Justices; Thomas J. Davies, Sheriff; Louis Hasbrouck, County Clerk ; and Matthew Perkins, Surrogate.
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ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
county, and the early years in the history of the county are marked by continual strifes, fed by the zealous advocacy of lo- cal interests, with a view to effect a change. So warm did the discussion become that the division of the county was for a time seriously entertained, and in 1827 the election for mem- bers to the assembly was made a test question, the candidates being confessedly for or against the proposed change .* A pe- tition, not numerously signed, but representing some of the most influential men in the county, was circulated in Decem- ber, 1827, and received in the Senate, Jan. 18, 1828. In con- sonance with its spirit a law was passed Jan. 28, 1828, appoint- ing commissions to locate the site and superintend the erection of buildings thereon, and making other provisions relative thereto. The same act authorized the sale of the old court house, jail and clerk's office, and the application of the pro- ceeds to the purchase of the site selected by the commissioners ; also the levying of a tax on the county of $2,500 for the con- struction of new buildings and a like amount in 1829 for their completion. This sum proved to be inadequate and the Su- pervisors were authorized to raise $600 more, by an act passed April 16,. 1830. All the buildings were constructed of stone. The court house was 40 by 44 feet, and two stories high. The lower story contained four rooms, one for the grand jury, another for the constables and witnesses attending the grand jury, and the remaining two for the petit jury. The entire up- per story was devoted to the court room, which was 37 by 41 feet. The clerk's office and jail were adjacent to the court house. The latter was 36 by 40 feet, and one and one-half stories above the basement, which rose five feet above the ground. The court house being found insufficient to accommodate the in- creased business of the county, the Supervisors, at the sugges- tion of the judges of the Supreme Court, resolved, at their session in 1850, to construct a twenty-four feet addition thereto. A committee of three was appointed to superintend the erec- tion of this addition, but were prohibited from taking any action in the matter unless it could be completed for a sum not to exceed $2,000, and in 1851 the contemplated addition was ef- fected, thus giving to St. Lawrence county a court house ex- cellent in point of adaptation, if not in architectural beauty. The jail having delapidated and become unfit for the purpose for which it was designed was superseded by the present elegant and substantial structure in 1860. It is built of Potsdam sandstone and cost $14,000. It contains twenty-four cells,
* The candidates favoring a change (Moses Rowley and Jabez Willes,) received, respectively, 2,364 and 2,178 votes; and those opposed to it, Jason Fenton and Phineas Attwater,) 2,069 and 1,688.
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which admit of a classification of prisoners as regards sex, and is arranged with a view to the comfort and security of the prisoners. In 1825 the Supervisors resolved to establish a county poor house and an appropriation of $2,400, to be raised in three equal annual installments, was voted to be applied to the purchase of a site and the erection of suitable buildings. A lot of eighty acres, with house and barn attached, located one mile west of Canton village, was purchased for $1,250. Five hundred dollars was applied to repairing buildings and stock- ing the farm, and a further like sum, to the erection of an ad- ditional building. An act was passed Feb. 5, 1866, authorizing the Supervisors to change the site of the poor house, to sell the old site and apply the proceeds to the purchase of a new one, and to legalize the purchase of the farm of Joseph J. Harriman, of Canton, "supposed to contain about 330 acres, at $50 per acre," by a committee, consisting of Milton D. Packard, Julius M. Palmer and T. Streatfield Clarkson 2d, appointed by the Supervisors for that purpose. The present poor house was completed in 1869, at a cost of $50,000. It is a commodious and substantial brick structure, and its design evinces careful study of the comfort of its unfortunate inmates. It consists of a central part, which is 50 by 76 feet, and two wings, each 87 by 151 feet, and is three stories high, including the basement. It affords accommodations for 300 inmates; and the building is heated, the cooking done, and the water pumped by steam. The brick of which it is built were made upon the farm con- nected with it, and the stone of which the basement is con- structed was obtained from the bed of the stream running through the farm. The Supervisors, having under advisement a memorial presented by the Superintendents of the Poor di- recting their attention to the expediency of providing more suitable accommodations for the large number of insane pau- pers who are remanded to the county poor house, at their session of Nov. 22, 1871, appointed a committee consisting of Parker W. Rose of Parishville, and Edward W. Foster of Potsdam, to ascertain what measures were necessary to be taken in the premises, and Nov. 14, 1872, the Supervisors voted an appro- priation of $1,400 to make such alterations in the poor house as will accommodate the county insane there, as the committee found that such a change can be made without impairing the efficiency of the accommodations for paupers .*
* From the Report of the Superintendents of the Poor for the year 1872, we extract the following interesting facts : The expenses of the poor house for that year were $9,027.35; the expense per capita for feeding and cloth- ing the poor per week was $1.29; the number of week's board furnished at the poor house was 7,080; the number of paupers admitted during the year was 146; the number discharged, 163; the number of births, 12; the
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ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
This county and Franklin, form the Seventeenth Congres- sional and Senatorial Districts ; it is in the Fourth Judicial District of the State ; and it forms three Assembly Districts. The first Assembly District is composed of the city of Ogdens- burg and the towns of DeKalb, DePeyster, Fine, Fowler, Gouverneur, Hammond, Macomb, Morristown, Oswegatchie, Pitcairn and Rossie; the second, of Canton, Clifton, Colton, Edwards, Hermon, Lisbon, Madrid, Norfolk, Pierrepont, Rus- sell and Waddington ; and the third, of Brasher, Hopkin- ton, Lawrence, Louisville, Massena, Parishville, Potsdam and Stockholm.
There are seven papers published in the county, one daily and six weeklies, and a comic monthly magazine.
THE OGDENSBURG JOURNAL was started as The Boys' Daily Journal, March 1, 1855, by H. R. James, J. W. Hopkins and C. Foster, neither of whom was of age, and who, while students in the Ogdensburg Academy, were previously associated in the publication of the Morning Glory and Young America. In 1857, Foster withdrew, and the name was changed to The Daily Jour- nal. In the winter of 1860-61, Hopkins withdrew, and the sole management devolved upon Henry R. James, who still pub- lishes it daily as The Ogdensburg Journal.
Messrs. James, Hopkins & Foster started The Boys' Journal (weekly) about the same time or prior to The Boy's Daily Jour- nal, and it was merged into the Ogdensburgh Weekly Journal at the time the word "Boys'" was expunged from the name of the latter paper.
The ST. LAWRENCE REPUBLICAN AND OGDENSBURG WEEK- LY JOURNAL was started in 1858, by the consolidation of the Weekly Journal, (which was published in connection with and made up from The Daily "Journal,) and the St. Lawrence Repub- lican, which was purchased by James & Hopkins that year. Mr. James became sole proprietor at the same time that Hop- kins withdrew from the daily, and has since published it. The St. Lawrence Republican was started in 1826, at Potsdam, by W. H. Wyman, and in 1827 removed to Canton, where it was pub-
number of deaths, 19; the number absconded, 8; the number of children bound out and put out, 24; the number remaining in the poor house, 106; the number of insane paupers, 9; the number blind, 3; the number deaf and dumb, 2; the number idiotic, 7; the number of weeks of school, 25; the number of children taught, 30; the average attendance, 20. The farm stock consisted of 2 spans of horses, valued at $500.09; 40 milch cows, valued at $1,200; 7 fat cattle, valued at $140; 1 bull calf, valued at $6; 13 fat hogs, valued at $273; 1 breeding sow and pigs, valued at $45; and 5 shoats, valued at $30. The value of farm produce on hand was $3,597.10, which included 100 tons of hay, valued at $2,000; of farming implements, $1,271.50; of household furniture, $1,426.50; of sundries, including grocer- ies, provisions, 450 cords of wood, &c., $2,203.28.
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lished as the Canton Advertiser and St. Lawrence Republican, by Preston King, until 1830, when he removed it to Ogdensburg, merged into it the St. Lawrence Gazette, which was started at Ogdensburg in 1815, by D. R. Strachan, and published it as the St. Lawrence Ropublican till 1833. It was subsequently published by Hitchcock, Tillotson & Stillwell until purchased by James & Hopkins.
THE OGDENSBURG ADVANCE AND ST. LAWRENCE WEEKLY DEMOCRAT was started as the Advance, daily and weekly, in March, 1861, by James W. Hopkins, and passed into the hands of the Democracy, May 2, 1862, at which time H. H. Abbott retired from the firm of Abbott & O'Brien, publishers of the St. Lawrence Democrat, (which was started at Canton in the fall of 1855, by H. C. Simpson, and was subsequently published at that place by John F. Ames,) and Amos S. Partridge was ad- mitted, when the Advance and the Democrat were united and published by O'Brien & Partridge. The name of the daily was continued, but that of the weekly was changed to The St. Lawrence Weekly Democrat. May 30, 1863, Mr. O'Brien retired, and was succeeded by E. M. Holbrook, and the paper was con- tinued by Holbrook & Partridge until Oct. 24, 1864, when it passed into the hands of Ransom Skeels, who discontinued the daily, and reduced the weekly to the size of the daily. In April, 1867, the establishment was purchased by the present proprietor, Charles J. Hynes, who at once re-furnished the office throughout, enlarged the weekly, and changed its name to that it now bears. It is one of the largest and most prosperous country papers in the State.
The ST. LAWRENCE PLAINDEALER (weekly) was commenced at Canton in July, 1856, by Goodrich & Remington. The fol- lowing year it passed into the hands of Mr. Remington, and in 1863 it was sold to J. Van Slyke. In July, 1867, it was re- purchased by S. P. Remington, and has since been conducted by him.
The GOUVERNEUR TIMES (weekly) was started at Sandy Creek, Oswego county, by F. E. Merritt, as the Sandy Creek Times, and the first number issued Nov. 29, 1862. In July, 1864, it was removed to Gouverneur, and its name changed to the Gouverneur Times, the first number at the latter place being issued Aug. 12, 1864. In September, 1869, it was enlarged to eight columns per page, and Jan. 1, 1870, to nine columns. It has a circulation of 1,100 and is still published by F. E. Merritt.
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ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
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THE COMET, a comic monthly magazine, was started at Ogdensburg in February, 1873, by Gardner B. Chapin .*
* A sketch of The Potsdam Courier and Freeman and The Rising Sun and the New York Recorder, the latter published at Gouverneur, and both weeklies, will be given in the Errata, if the data therefor are re- ceived in season.
The following is a list of publications which have been issued in this county, and are now obsolete :
The Palladium, the first paper published in the county, was commenced at Ogdensburg by Kipp & Strong, in 1810, the means being furnished by David Parish and Daniel W. Church. In less than a year Strong sold his interest to Kipp, who, in the fall of 1812, sold to John P. Sheldon, by whom it was published until 1814, and then discontinued. The first issue was a sheet 11 by 17 1-2 inches, and contained only two pages. On the advent of Sheldon it was enlarged to folio size, and owing to the difficulty in getting regular supplies of paper, many of the numbers were printed on sheets of common foolscap. It was printed weekly, on a wooden press, and distributed by a carrier-a Swiss, about sixty years of age, acting in that capacity.
The Northern Light was begun at Ogdensburg as an anti-masonic paper, by W. B. Rogers, July 7, 1831; and the following October, Dr. A. Tyler and A. B. James assumed and published it about one year, when the for- mer withdrew, and it was continued by Mr. James, who changed its name April 10, 1834, to The Times. At the end of the fourth volume it was en- larged, and its name changed to the Ogdensburgh Times. In July, 1837, Dr. Tyler again became associated with Mr. James in its publication, and the name was again changed to the Times and Advertiser. The following year Dr. Tyler became sole publisher, and continued it until March, 1844, when it was transferred to H. G. Foote and S. B. Seeley, and changed to the Frontier Sentinel. Upon the death of Mr. Seeley, Aug. 17, 1844, the paper passed into the hands of his partner, who changed the name, June 8, 1847, to the Ogdensburgh Sentinel, under which name it was published by Stillman Foote, to whom it was transferred Nov. 27, 1849, until 1858, when it was merged in the Daily Journal.
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