USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Gazetteer and business directory of St. Lawrence County, N.Y. for 1873-4 > Part 20
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 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
* Hough's History of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties, page 334.
152
LOUISVILLE.
The war of 1812 awakened in the minds of these settlers the same apprehensions which prevailed in other localities. Many fled the country, and for a time a disruption of the friendly relations which had previously subsisted between them and their neighbors on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence was threatened. This tendency however proved of only a temporary character. The natural impulses of the heart prevailed over the dictates of the head, and who shall say they were less loyal for refusing to actualize the harsh distinction of a proclamation which pronounced them at enmity with each other. Soon the ungenerous suspicions engendered by a conduct prompted by a sense of duty were dispersed, and they continued to practice the same friendly intercourse, though less openly at first. An or- ganization was however formed in the town for self protection. .It consisted of a company of about forty, embracing all the males capable of bearing arms, and was under the leadership of Benj. Daniels. Frequent reports of hostile visits were circulated and alarms engendered thereby, and many of the settlers sought safe- ty by temporary flight to parts of the interior. It is related that a Mr. Willard upon one of these occasions fled with his family to the woods, and so precipitate was his flight that a child was lost on the way, but was afterwards found. So great was the insecurity felt by those who remained, in consequence of the exodus of others, that Nahum Wilson adopted a ruse to dis- guise the fact and avert the threatened, or apprehended raids from the other side. He constructed tents-some forty or fifty in number-and with the help of his neighbors gathered piles of wood at regular intervals along the bank of the river. Hav- ing made these preparations he assumed the task of simulating the commander of an army, and gave such orders as that officer might be expected to give to a body of troops about to bivouac, which were repeated by his companions as if by the comman- dants of various grades. His stentorian voice rang clear and dis- tinct across the placid river and was heard with the utmost con- sternation by those upon the opposite shore, who believed that an American army had arrived with a view to crossing the river. Soon the torch was applied to the piles of wood and numerous fires flashed their ruddy glare far out upon the sparkling waters, from conspicuous points along the shore. The suspicions of the Canadians were confirmed by the appearance of the fires and they fled with precipitation to the woods, where, as subse- quently appeared, they spent the night in the greatest terror and confusion. "One old Dutchman," says Dr. Hough, "alone remained, declaring that the voice which came across the waters, was too much like that of an old fellow with whom he was acquainted." As much consternation existed among the set-
-
153
LOUISVILLE.
tlers upon the American side, who, being too distant to discover the deception, attributed the glare of the fires to the presence of a British army and fled with as much precipitation. This humorous incident and its ludicrous sequel tended to allay the fears which every suspicious circumstance engendered and pre- vent the recurrence of the disgraceful scenes thereby occasioned.
The first capital offence in this county of which the law took cognizance was committed by Louis Gerteau, who, on the 22d. of February, 1816, entered the house of Michael Scarborough, a resident of this town, during the latter's absence, for the purpose of robbery, and sought to conceal that crime by the murder of Scarborough's wife and infant child and a French lad named Macue, his own brother-in-law, who was in the em- ploy of Mr. Scarborough. He also wounded a second child. The details connected with this brutal tragedy are too horrible and sickening to relate. He was, after trial and conviction, publicly executed (a scene little less brutal and disgusting than the crime for which he legally atoned,) at Ogdensburg, July 12, 1816.
There seems to have been no church organization in the present limits of Louisville, earlier than 1822. There was a church at Raymondville, which was then in Louisville, but it was rendered difficult of access by the swampy nature of the intervening country. Religious meetings were held, however, at an early day by ministers from Canada, whence also came many of the temporal comforts of the early settlers. So far as we have been able to learn, the first efforts to establish a church society were made by Benj. and Peter Powers. They canvassed the town with this ob- ject in view, and established the fact that only five persons held letters from other churches, viz. : Joseph Gould and wife, Peter and Elizabeth Powers and Ephraim Wood. Permission was obtained to hold meetings in the house near where John Whalen now lives, and there Levi Miller organized a class.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church of the town of Louisville, at Louisville, was organized with about fifty members, June 3, 1839, by Levi Miller, John Powers, Levi Miller, jr., Israel G. Stone, Ethan Allen, John Doud, Allen McLeod and A. C. Allen. The church edifice now occupied by the Society was erected the following year, at a cost of about $1,500. It will seat 250 persons. The first pastor was Rev. D. Chidester; the present one is Rev. A. F. Bigelow. The Society numbers 65 members. The Church property is valued at $4,000. Some who were connected with this Society now worship at Louisville Landing, and others at Chases Mills .*
The M. E. Society, at Louisville Landing, was organized with forty members, by Rev. H. Chittenden, in 1852, in which year the church edi- fice, which will seat 200 persons, was erected at a cost of $500. The Society numbers sixty members and its property is valued at $1,350.+
The Second M. E. Church, at Chases Mills, was organized with about twenty-two members, July 12, 1869, by Justus and L. E. Barnett, R. C. Allen and others. The house in which meetings are held was erected in 1869, at a cost of $2,400. It is built of brick and will seat 250 persons. The means for its construction were contributed by the inhabitants of all de- nominations. It is now occupied alternately by the Methodists and
* Information furnished by James Miller.
+ Information furnished by Danford Britton.
154
· LOUISVILLE-MACOMB.
Congregationalists, and is held subject to the use of others. The first pastor was Rev. E. A. Merritt; the present one is Rev. W. H. P. Allen. The membership has increased to 69. The Church property is valued at $3,500 .*
The St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church, at Louisville, was organized with 64 members, but in what year we are not advised. Their house of worship was erected in 1871-2, at a cost of $7,000, which is the present value of Church property, and will seat 325 persons. There are 250 mem- bers. Rev. Father Welch was the first and is the present pastor.+
MACOMBI was formed from Gouverneur and Morristown April 3, 1841.§ A small portion of Hammond was annexed .April 11, 1842. It lies upon the south shore of Black Lake, in the south-west part of the county, and contains 37,995 acres. Its surface is rugged and uninviting in appearance, being broken by ridges of gneiss and white limestone running par- allel with the shore of the lake. The Oswegatchie River and Beaver Creek form its southern boundary, and Birch and Fish creeks, both of which discharge their waters in Black Lake, traverse the interior. Hickory Lake in the east, and Pleasant and Yellow lakes in the south-west, are the principal sheets of water. Their shores are rocky. The soil is a light sandy loam. Much of the town is susceptible of profitable cultivation, and many excellent farms are to be seen, especially in the valleys of the streams, where the soil is fertile. It is best adapted to - grazing. The ridges are often destitute of vegetation, and present to view the naked rock. Several valuable minerals are found in the town, among which are galena, mica, copper pyrites and blende. [ .
* Information furnished by L. E. Barnett.
+ Information furnished by John Carroll.
¿ Named from Alex. Macomb, the patentee of Macomb's Purchase.
§ At the first town meeting, held at the house of David Day 2d, June 1, 1841, the following named officers were elected : David Day 2d, Supervisor; Eliphalet S. Pope, Town Clerk; David B. Woodworth, Wm. Whalin and Wm. Houghton, Assessors; Timothy Pope, Daniel Tully and Denison Coats, Commissioners of Highways; Charlemagne Pope, Collector; Wm. Houghton, Charlemagne Pope and Washington Lawyer, Constables; Wm. Mills, G. Pope and David Tully, Justices of the Peace; George Kennan and Josiah Sweet, Overseers of the Poor; David Day 2d, John S. Kinda and Morgan Starks Jr., Commissioners of Common Schools.
Il Considerable quantities of lead have been mined at Mineral Point, on Black Lake, and May 1, 1839, the Morris Mining Company was incorpo- rated for the purpose of mining in Morristown and Oswegatchie. Their capital was $50,000, in shares of $100 each, and their organization con- tinued twenty-five years. Other veins of lead were discovered about the same time (1836) in the vicinity of Macomb, and still later, between that village and the line of Gouverneur. Mining operations were immediately commenced at the village, and a shaft was sunk to a depth of about sixty feet. In the latter locality operations were commenced on a small scale in 1850. In 1851 the right was purchased by parties in New York, and on the 16th of Sept. in that year, a company was formed with a capital of $72,000, which on May 17th, the following year, was increased to $360,000.
1
MACOMB.
155
In 1871 commissioners were appointed pursuant to statute to clear and open Birch Creek. Work was commenced in Sep- tember of that year and is still in progress. When completed some 2,500 acres of land of the best quality will be reclaimed. The estimated cost of the improvement is about $6,000, which is to be paid by an assessment on the lands benefited.
The population of the town in 1870 was 1,673, of whom 1,391 were native, 282, foreign and all, white.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1872, the town contained fifteen school districts and employed fourteen teachers. The number of children of school age was 689; the number attend- ing school, 551; the average attendance, 244; the amount expended for school purposes, $3,331.50; and the value of school houses and sites, $4,470.
MACOMB, (p. o.) situated on the old State road, in the east part, contains a church, (M. E.) school house, grocery and a steam saw mill capable of cutting about 5,000 feet of lumber per day.
POPES MILLS,* (p. o.) situated near the junction of Birch and Fish creeks, in the north-west part, contains a new church, (Wesleyan Methodist) hotel, grist mill, saw mill, two dry goods and two grocery stores, a blacksmith shop, cooper shop and pump factory. The population in 1870 was 76. The dam across Fish Creek at this place broke away in March, 1862. The tract of about 1,200 acres which it overflowed has been sold to various parties, and now produces valuable crops of hay. The creek still supplies a water power about eight months in the year.
The first settlement was made in 1805 or '6, by Samuel Bristol, who came in from DePeyster, where he was one of the first settlers, located on the old State road, upon the place now owned by Samuel Honeycomb. Captain Rufus Washburn came in, it is believed, soon after, from DePeyster, where he had resided five years. He settled upon the place now owned by David Pierce. He was formerly from Connecticut, but moved into this county from Exeter, Otsego county, and re- sided at Ogdensburg, the first summer of his settlement. He was a blacksmith, and for many years kept a public house, the
The right of the company extends fifty years. Mining operations on an extensive scale were commnced in 1851, a furnace for reducing the ore, and considerable quantities of lead obtained. A few years later work was suspended; and subsequently another company was formed which however did but little work.
* Named from Timothy Pope, who came here from Oswegatchie in 1816 and erected mills. He was originally from Otsego county, and settled in Oswegatchie in 1804. He and a man named Shaw were killed Nov. 7, 1835, by the bursting of a defective millstone.
156
MACOMB.
first in the town. He was drowned in the Oswegatchie, April 28, 1817, while returning from a town meeting in the village of Gouverneur. Samuel and E. Wilson and Samuel Peck were early settlers. The settlement progressed very slowly, owing to the inhospitable appearance of the lands and their remote- ness from any great public highway. The mining operations which commenced in the town about 1836 brought in opera- tives and attracted settlers. A beginning was made at Popes Mills, as previously stated, by Timothy Pope, in 1818, up to which time no schools had been opened.
This town furnished its full quota of soldiers during the war of the Rebellion, mostly by voluntary enlistments in various organizations. There were 230 enlistments in the town. Of this number twelve were killed in battle, seventeen died of dis- eases and in hospitals, six from the effects of wounds, and four in rebel prisons .*
The M. E. Church, at Macomb, was organized with five members, by D. Ferguson, its first pastor, in 1841. The house in which it worships was erected in 1870, at a cost of $2,800. It will seat 300 persons. There are 100 members who are under the pastoral care of Rev. J. R. Smith. The Church property is valued at $3,000.+
The First Wesleyan Methodist Church of Macomb, at Popes Mills, was organized with nine members, by Rev. R. E. Johnson, its first pastor, June 9, 1857. Previous to 1872 meetings were held in the school house. In that year the present edifice was erected at a cost of $1,200, and completed
* The following named officers entered the service from this town: David Day, 2d, Capt. Co. B, 60th Regt., enlisted Sept. 10, 1861. John Snyder, Capt. Co. B, 60th Regt., enlisted Sept. 10, 1861. Charles Snider, Capt. Co. C, 106th Regt., enlisted Aug, 13, 1862. Jonathan Houghton, Capt. Co. A, 142d Regt., enlisted Aug. 11, 1862. James Hurst, 1st Lieut. Co. B, 60th Regt., enlisted Sept. 10, 1861. Frank Corbitt, Lieut. Co. C, 106th Regt., enlisted Aug. 11, 1862. Geo. W. Newman, 1st Sergt. Co. B, 60th Regt., enlisted Sept. 10, 1861. Edwin O. Betts, Sergt. Co. G, 16th Regt., enlisted May 15, 1861. Julius C. Bishop, Sergt. Co. G, 16th Regt., enlisted May 15, 1861. Ephraim F. Fishbeck, Sergt. Co. B, 60th Regt., enlisted Sept. 10, 1861. John Sherwin, Sergt. Co. B, 60th Regt., enlisted Sept. 10, 1861. Wilber Sterling, Sergt. Co. B, 60th Regt., enlisted Sept. 10, 1861. Abram D. Lawyer, Sergt. Co. B, 60th Regt., enlisted Sept. 10, 1861. Frederick Charter, Sergt. Co. C, 106th Regt., enlisted Aug. 11, 1862. John Watson, Sergt. Co. C, 106th Regt., enlisted in July, 1862, and died at New Creek, Dec. 9, 1862.
Nathan W. Thomas, Sergt. Co. B, 142d Regt., enlisted Aug. 11, 1862. Wm. S. Delong, Sergt. Co. B, 142d Regt., enlisted Aug. 11, 1862, and died in camp at Folly Island, Sept. 14, 1863.
John Sitts, Sergt. Co. A, 142d Regt., enlisted Aug. 11, 1862. Robert Hewett, Sergt. Co. A, 193d Regt., enlisted in February, 1865.
Daniel Corbett, Corpl. Co. B, 60th Regt., enlisted Sept. 10, 1861, and was killed at Gettysburgh.
Jacob Roberts, Corpl. Co. B, 60th Regt., enlisted Sept. 10, 1861. John H. Love, Corpl. Co. B, 60th Regt., enlisted Sept. 10, 1861. John Ward, Corpl. Co. C, 106th Regt., enlisted Sept. 3, 1863.
Hezekiah Fishbeck, Corpl. Co. C, 106th Regt., enlisted Aug. 13, 1862, and was killed in action at Locust Grove, Va., Nov. 27, 1862.
Geo. W. Jones, Corpl. Co. A, 193d Regt., enlisted Feb. 23, 1865.
+ Information furnished by David Day, 2d.
157
MACOMB-MADRID.
August 15th. It will seat 300 persons. The Society numbers forty-five members. The pastor is Rev. Richard Delarm. The Church property is valued at $1,800 .*
-
MADRID, was formed from Lisbon, March 3, 1802.1 Potsdam was taken off Feb. 21, 1806, and Waddington, Nov. 22, 1859. It lies north-west of the center of the county, being separated from the St. Lawrence by Waddington, and contains 29,919 acres. It is generally level, fertile, and is well watered by Grass River, which flows diagonally through the town, in a north-east direction, and Trout and Brandy brooks, the former of which crosses the east angle and the latter the west. It is best adapted to grazing.
The Ogdensburg & Lake Champlain R. R. crosses the south angle of the town.
The population of the town in 1870 was 2,071, of whom 1,648 were native, 423, foreign and all, except eight, white.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1872, the town contained ten school districts and employed eleven teachers. The
number of children of school age was 645 ; the number attend- ing school, 538; the average attendance, 244; the amount expended for school purposes, $2,806.23 ; and the value of the school houses and sites, $5,250.
MADRID,§ (p. v.) situated on Grass River, in the south part, and distant one mile from the station on the O. & L. C. R. R., contains five churches, (Baptist, Catholic, Congregationalist, M. E. and Universalist,) one hotel, several stores, a tannery, | grist and saw mills, I woolen factory, several mechanic shops, and had, in 1870, 670 inhabitants. The river furnishes a good water-power.
* Information furnished by D. D. Hutchinson.
+ It originally embraced townships Nos. 3 and 4 of the Ten Townships and still retains the name of the latter.
The first town meeting was held on the first Tuesday in April, 1802, and the following named officers were elected: Joseph Edsall, Supervisor; Jacob Redington, Town Clerk; Cyrus Abernethy, Reuben Fields and Alex. Brush, Assessors; John Sharp, Isaac Bartholomew and Ephraim S. Raymond, Commissioners of Highways; Asa Freeman, Jonathan Allen Cyrus Abernethy, Fence Viewers; Edward Lawrence, Pound Keeper ; Henry Erwin, Constable and Collector; Jonathan Tuttle and Solomon Linsley, Overseers of the Poor; and Jonathan Allen, Alex. Brush, Thomas Rutherford, Oliver Linsley and Solomon Linsley, Overseers of Highways.
§ Formerly known as Columbia Village, and at an early day, as Grass River Falls.
| This establishment tans about 12,000 calf skins and 3,000 sides of rough leather annually.
T The Douglass custom and flouring mill contains five runs of stones and annually grinds about 60,000 bushels of grain. Dr. Douglass has also a saw and shingle mill, in the former of which about 600,000 feet of lumber · are cut per annum.
158
MADRID.
The saw and shingle mill, situated on Grass River, four miles below Madrid, and owned by John Armstrong, manufactures about 1,500,000 feet of lumber and 20,000 shingles per annum.
MADRID SPRINGS, (p. v.) situated on the O. & L. C. R. R., one mile south-west of Madrid, contains a Baptist Church, two stores, two hotels, a blacksmith shop, two cooper shops, a shoe shop and about 150 inhabitants. There are two mineral springs here whose waters are said to possess the same proper- ties as those of the Empire spring at Saratoga.
The settlement of the town was commenced about the be- ginning of the present century. Joseph, Asa, Elisha and Rufus Freeman, natives of Dalton, Mass., removed to Madrid in 1800. The former was born May 7, 1773, and removed to Johnstown, Canada, in 1798, and thence to Madrid. He crossed the river on the ice and by an accident lost his stock of provisions. Cyrus Abernethy, from Vermont, Jesse Goss, and Richard and Walter Rutherford, from Roxburghshire, Scotland, settled in 1801. Goss settled at Madrid village, and in 1823, built the first house east of the river at that place, which was locally known as Brooklyn. The Rutherford brothers emigrated to New York in 1801, and meeting with Mr. Ogden they were induced to visit the town with a view to settling. They came with their families and occupied two months in removing from Pittstown, N. Y., by the tedious water route via Oswego. The place where they settled was known as "Rutherford's Ridge." In 1803 mills were erected at Madrid village, by Seth Roberts, from whom it was often called Roberts' Mills. The first school was taught in the town by Dorothy Fields. Dean Franklin was an early settler in the town. He came here from the town of Washington, Berkshire county, Mass., in 1807. The town was visited at an early day by two appalling calamities; the first occurred March 4, 1806, when the dwelling of Uel Gray, which stood about three-fourths of a mile from the present village of Madrid, was burned, and two children, aged five and seven years respectively, perished in the flames; the other, April 9, 1818, when six men, viz: Asa Lord, Abraham and Joseph Loomis, Ezra Bigelow, Asa Dagett and Leonard Reed were carried over the dam at Madrid village in a boat, and although many were witnesses of the scene, they could render the unfortunate victims no succor, and they were drowned.
In January, 1814, a party of Canadians, under Capt. Reuben Sherwood, a daring and active loyalist, crossed the St. Law- rence near Point Iroquois, and having pressed teams into their service, proceeded to Madrid village, to recover some goods, which Benj. Richards, of Waddington, had captured the pre- ceding October from batteaux which were being taken up.the
159
MADRID.
river, under the Canadian shore. A part of the goods captured were stored in a warehouse in Waddington village, but the cloths and lighter articles were taken to Madrid for greater security. That part of the goods stored at Waddington were recaptured in November, 1813, by Col. Morrison, who was at- tached to the army which hung upon the rear of Gen. Wilkin- son's forces, while the latter were moving down the St. Law- rence. No attempt could be made to defeat Col. Morrison's object, and he proceeded to gather together, with the aid of his troops, such of the goods as could be found. While thus en- gaged, cannonading was heard down the river, which made him impatient of delay, and he ordered the goods and building in which they were stored to be set on fire. As this threatened the destruction of a considerable part of the village, the prin- cipal citizens dissuaded him from executing the project, under the stipulation that all the captured goods then in the village should be landed upon the Canadian shore the next day-an agreement which they fulfilled. No resistance was offered to the recovery of the goods stored at Madrid. Indeed, the sud- denness of this extremely bold and hazardous expedition, which was altogether unexpected, left them no time to concert any measures.
The first religious meetings were held in the mills erected at Madrid, by Seth Roberts.
The Congregational Church, at Madrid, was organized with ten mem- bers, by Rev. Amos Pettengill, Feb. 17, 1807. Meetings were con- ducted by missionaries until 1809, in which year Rev. Chauncey Cook became their pastor. A stone church edifice was erected in 1825-6 at a cost of $4,000. Their house will seat 350 persons. The present number of members is 87; and Rev. Geo. Strasenburgh is the pastor. This is the oldest church in town. No less than twenty-eight ministers have filled stations in home or foreign missions, who received religious instruction here. The primitive means to which the early settlers resorted to secure the benefits of religious instruction is strikingly illustrated by the follow- ing extract relative to this church, from Dr. Hough's History of St. Law- rence and Franklin Counties. "In 1811," he says, " Rev. John Winches- ter hired for three years, on a salary of $91 in cash and $273 in wheat, at the going price. * In 1824, numbers pledged the crops on certain pieces of land, be the same more or less, for the support of the gospel. These were half an acre, ten rods of corn, &c., &c. One subscription was · a place for onions.'"
The First Universalist Church of Madrid, at Madrid village, was or- ganized with 109 members, March 31, 1841, though a society for holding divine service was formed in 1814, and was first ministered to by John Foster. Rev. J. Baker was the first pastor after its organization. A church edifice was erected in 1842 or '3, at a cost of $3,000, in which the society continues to worship. It will seat 250 persons. The present pas- tor is Rev. A. U. Hutchins. The Church property is valued at $8,000 .*
The First M. E. Church of Madrid, at Madrid village, was organized with ten members in 1847, by S. S, Martin, S. F. Palmer and Wm. L. Read, who were the first trustees. The first church edifice was erected in 1847;
* Information obtained from Rev. A. U. Hutchins and Hough's History of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties.
160
MADRID-MASSENA.
the present one in 1868, at a cost of $14,000. It will seat 350 persons. The first pastor was S. F. Kenyon; the present one is A. G. Markham. The Church property is valued at $15,000 .*
The First Baptist Evangelical Society, at Madrid, erected its first house of worship in 1836; and the present one in 1872, at a cost of $10,000. It. will seat 350 persons. The present number of members is 89; and the pastor, Rev. C. H. Johnson, our informant. The Church property is valued at $15,000. We are not advised of the date of the organization of the society. In 1871 it purchased the Union Church at Madrid Springs for $3,000.
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.