USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Gazetteer and business directory of St. Lawrence County, N.Y. for 1873-4 > Part 21
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MASSENAt was formed upon the erection of the county, March 3, 1802.1 Hopkinton was taken off March 2, 1805; Stockholm, Feb. 21, 1806; Louisville, April 5, 1810; and Brasher, April 21, 1825. It lies upon the St. Lawrence in the extreme north-east corner of the county, and contains 30,629 acres. The surface is but slightly uneven, and the soil is of an excellent quality. Its streams are Grass§ and Racket rivers, which run nearly parallel with each other and with the St. Lawrence, their recipient, the former through the central, and the latter, the southern part of the town. They are from one to two miles apart. Barnhart's and Long Sault islands in the St. Lawrence form a part of this town.
The population of the town in 1870 was 2,560, of whom 2,047 were native, 513, foreign, 2,547, white and 13, colored.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1872, the town contained sixteen school districts and employed nineteen teachers. The number of children of school age was 1,020; the number at- tending school, 802; the average attendance, 411; the amount expended for school purposes, $5,524.06; and the value of school houses and sites, $19,911.
MASSENA| (p. v.) is situated at the lower falls on Grass River, in the south-west part of the town, and in 1870 had 483 inhabitants. It has an excellent hotel, several stores and a limited amount of manufactures, prominent among which are a tannery of small capacity, and the grist, saw, shingle and plaster and cement mills, owned by Joseph E. Orvis, in which
# Information furnished by Rev. A. G. Markham.
+ Named in honor of Marshal Massena, of the French army. The town originally embraced all that part of the county lying south and east of the Ten Townships, and Louisville and Stockholm of that tract.
¿ The town records were destroyed by fire fifteen years ago.
§ " This stream near its mouth is liable to a sudden reversal of its current by the damming up of the St. Lawrence by ice in severe cold weather. These back currents have been felt at Massena Village; and no bridges have been made to stand below the lower mills. The water has been known to rise 15 feet in as many minutes, and to attain a maximum height of 25 feet. The lower dam is built to resist the current both ways." -- French's Gazetteer of the State of New York.
| Its Indian name was Nikentsiake, the same as that of Grass River.
MASSENA.
161
are annually ground about 62,400 bushels of grain, sawn about 1,872,000 feet of lumber and 1,248,000 shingles, and made 50 to' 70 tons of plaster and 200 to 300 barrels of cement.
MASSENA SPRINGS* (p. v.) is situated on Grass River, near the line of Louisville, one mile from Massena. It has acquired considerable notoriety from the sulphur springs which exist there, and are said to possess valuable curative properties. There is a bathing house, and extensive accommodations are provided for visitors who frequent the place in considerable. numbers during the summer season. When it is rendered more accessible by railroad it will doubtless develope into a place of some importance. The village contains three hotels, (a new hotel is being erected on the site of the old "United States Hotel,") three or four boarding houses, a store, grocery, blacksmith shop, about ten dwellings and eighty permanent residents.
MASSENA CENTER (p. o.) is situated on Grass River, four miles below Massena, and contains a church, school house, blacksmith, carriage, carpenter and cooper shops, fourteen houses and eighty inhabitants.
RACKET RIVER (p. o.) is situated on Racket River, five miles below Massena Springs, and contains a church, store, black- smith shop and about a dozen dwellings.
* Its Indian name was Kanaswastakeras, meaning "where the mud smells bad," owing to the sulphurous odors emitted by the springs here, which were much frequented by the Indians in quest of game, as their saline qualities attracted large numbers of deer and moose. These springs were known to surveyors as early as the beginning of the present century, and the waters were used by the whites for medicinal purposes at an early day. Spafford's Gazetteer of New York, published in 1813, speaks of them as having a reputation for the cure of cutaneous diseases.
" The complaints for which these waters have been most used," says Dr. Hough, in his History of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties, "are cutaneous diseases of nearly every description, dyspepsia, especially of the chronic variety, and chronic diarrhoea. For a disordered condition of the digestive organs in general, and for the debility arising from want of exercise, and close application of any sedentary employment, they have been found to exert a salutary influence. Active organic diseases of the liver and lungs have been oftener aggravated than relieved by the use of these waters. They are found serviceable also, in general debility, chronic ophthalmia, calculous affections, and the debilitating causes peculiar to the female constitution."
The following is the result of an analysis of the 'waters by Prof. F. F. Mayer of New York :
Chloride of sodium
. 79.792 grains.
46 potassium 0,508
29.927
0.673
66
4.852 .6
0.488 66
60.931 .6
soda
3.501
Phosphate of soda
1.320
Hyposulphate of soda 4.205
Sulphuret of sodium.
1.405
Silicate soda and organic compounds. 11.176
magnesium. 66
Bromide "
Bicarbonate of lime 66 " iron
Sulphate of lime.
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MASSENA.
The first improvement in the town was made in 1792 upon Grass River, a mile below Massena, on land leased of the St. Regis Indians. A saw mill was built and was afterwards occupied by Amable Foucher, of " Old Chateaugay," till 1808. The first dam built by Foucher was washed up stream by the back water from the St. Lawrence. Most of the lands in the town not included in the reservation for the St. Regis Indians, were located on Revolutionary land warrants before the sale of the rest of the county. The first settlement upon these grants was made in 1798, by Amos Lay, a native of Lyme, Conn., who in the fall of that year began to survey. Within four years Mr. Lay was joined by many others from Vermont, who came by way of Chateaugay and St. Regis, among whom were Mamri Victory, Calvin Plumley, Bliss Hoisington, Elijah Bailey, David Lytle, Seth Reed, Leonard Herrick, John Bullard, Nathaniel Keeser, Jacob and David Hutchins, Daniel Robinson and David Kellogg. The latter came in 1802, but did not move his family in until 1804, when he settled upon Racket River, about two miles below Massena Springs. The first school is believed to have been taught at Massena, by Gilbert Reed, in 1803. The settlement of the Revolutionary grants upon Grass river was opposed by the St. Regis Indians, on the ground that that river, and a tract half a mile wide on each side of it, was reserved to them by a treaty dated May 31, 1796, and although this was eight or nine years subsequent to the date of the grants, the State found it expedient to pur- chase the lands to secure them to settlers, who, in 1799, pe- titioned the Legislature for aid in the premises. A saw mill (the second in town) was erected at Massena in the summer of 1803, by Calvin Hubbard and Stephen Reed, who also built the first grist mill, with a single run of rock stones, at the same place, about 1807. Wm. Wears came from Ireland about 1812, and settled on Racket river, about one mile below Mas- sena Springs, where he still resides. Dr. Wm. S. Paddock, who came in the Spring of 1818, was the first settled physician in town. Wm. Jones, father of W. H. H. Jones, came from Bethel, Vt., March 2, 1820, and settled on the farm now occupied by Sullivan Burpee. At that time there were but few houses in the town, and the settlers were on friendly terms with the Indians. Hiram Andrews came from Royalton, Windsor Co., Vt., Feb. 16, 1820, and settled upon the lot he now occupies. David Earl, and his son Gardner, came from Vermont about 1822 and settled at Racket river on the farm now owned by the latter.
Early in the summer of 1812 an American boat, while on its way up the river from Montreal, was stopped at Mille Roche
163
MASSENA-MORRISTOWN.
and given in charge of a corporal's guard, to be taken to Corn- wall. As the militia officer was not familiar with the river and its channels, he entrusted the management of the boat to the captain and crew, who took advantage of this circumstance and steered it across the foot of Barnhart's Island, where, be- fore the guard realized their situation, they were made prison- ers by the inhabitants, who, upon seeing them approach, seized their guns and ran to the water's edge to meet them. The guard was afterwards released on parole. The same summer a stockade was commenced at Massena, with a view to enclosing a portion of the village ; but as it was a voluntary movement on the part of the inhabitants the work was abandoned before completion by reason of a dispute arising relative to the limits of the inclosure. In July and August of that year, barracks were erected near the center of the town, north of Grass River, at the expense of the government. It was a frame building, about one hundred feet in length, and was occupied for about three months by militia of the county, to the number of 200 to 250, under command of Col. Fancher, of Madrid. This was burned the following September, by a company of some 300 provincial militia, under Major Joseph Anderson, who crossed the St. Lawrence in the night. They took several prisoners, who were subsequently released, and destroyed several Durham boats.
MORRISTOWN* was formed from Oswegatchie, March 27, 1821.t A part of Hammond was taken off March 30, 1827; and a part of Macomb, April 3, 1841. It lies upon the St. Lawrence, between that river and Black Lake, and contains 27,573 acres. The surface is gently rolling and declines from the center on either side. Chippewa Creek, which flows through the center is the principal stream. The soil is a gravelly loam, underlaid by Potsdam sandstone, and is generally fertile. The growth of the town has been retarded by its de- ficiency in water power, which in many of the towns in this county is so abundant. Its need of railroad communication is soon to be met by the. B. R. & M. R. R. now in process of con- struction. Its population in 1870 was 1,954, of whom 1,624 were native, 330, foreign and all, except one, white.
* Named from Gouverneur Morris, the former proprietor. It originally embraced No. 9, or Hague, of the Ten Townships.
+ The first town officers were, David Ford, Supervisor; David Hill, Town Clerk; John Canfield, Paschal Miller and Horace Aldrich, Assessors; Henry Hooker, Collector; John Hooker, Daniel W. Church and John K. Thurber, Overseers of the Poor; Wm. Swain, Alex. B. Miller and Wm. R. Ward, Commissioners of Highways; Powel Davis and James Burnham, School Commissioners; Erastus Northum, John Grannis and Alex. R. Miller, School Inspectors.
164
MORRISTOWN.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1872, the town contained sixteen school districts and employed sixteen teachers. The number of children of school age was 702; the number attend- ing school, 546; the average attendance, 258; the amount ex- pended for school purposes, $3,690.17; and the value of school houses and sites, $4,810.
MORRISTOWN,* (p. v.) situated on the St. Lawrence, opposite Brockville, and eleven miles above Ogdensburg, is a village of about 250 inhabitants.
EDWARDSVILLE+ (p. o.) is situated on Black Lake, six miles south-east of Morristown. A ferry is established at this point, which is locally known as the "Narrows."
BRIER HILL (p. o.) is a hamlet situated south-west of the center, four miles south of Morristown. The cheese factory located here and owned by F. Franklin has been in operation three years. During the season of 1872, the milk of 550 cows was used, and 133,550 pounds of cheese made, being an average of one pound of cheese to ten pounds of milk.
A survey of the town was made preliminary to its settlement in 1799, and its settlement was commenced a few years later, by Col. David Ford, a native of New Jersey, and brother of Nathan Ford, the pioneer of Oswegatchie, as agent for the pro- prietor, G. Morris.] He located on the site of Morristown village, and built there the first house in town. Arnold Smith and Thomas Hill settled on the site of the village about the same time as Mr. Ford. The former kept the first inn. John Canfield, John Hooker and Henry Hooker, son of the latter, were early settlers in the vicinity of the vil- lage. Mr. Canfield built the first store house there, and in 1817 he built a wharf. John K. Thurber was the first to settle on Black Lake in the limits of the town. He came pre- vious to 1810, in which year Henry Ellenwood located. there, and Henry Harrison, Ephraim Story, Benj. Tubbs and Benj. Goodwin settled about the same time in its vicinity.§ Other
* This name is a slight modification of the one originally assigned t (Morrisville) in 1799, when the town was surveyed and a village plat laid out on the site of the present village, by Jacob Brown.
+ Named from Jonathan S. Edwards, the first postmaster. The name originally assigned it when the village plat was laid out in 1799 was Marys- burgh, by which name it is distinguished on early maps.
¿ Dr. Hough says David Ford, "first made an actual settlement about 1808."
$ Mr. Michael Cooper, who was bound out to Mr. Alex. Miller, a Presby- terian minister, in 1814, and is still a resident of the town, says that Henry Ellenwood became a resident of the town in 1806, and Henry Harrison and Ephraim Story, previous to that year. The date given in the text is obtained from Hough's History of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties. The care and accuracy that work evinces in other particulars incline us to adhere to it.
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165
MORRISTOWN.
settlers along the lake were Henry Bogardus, Norman Tyler, Dr. Powell Davis, Capt. Wm. Lee, Thomas Coats and John, Jonas, Abel and Willard Parker. Arnold Smith erected the first tavern on the site of Edwardsville; and Henry Ellenwood established the first ferry there.
Much suffering was experienced by the inhabitants of this town in consequence of the cold seasons of 1815, '16 and '17, which were unfavorable for cereals of any kind. They were reduced almost to the verge of starvation. During the year 1818, and until the time of harvest in 1819, almost fabulous prices were offered for grain and flour by those who were so fortunate as to possess the means. Many lived to a great extent upon esculent roots, and one family is said to have lived almost en- tirely on turnips for more than a week, when they were re- lieved by a grist from the new wheat of that year, which was. thrashed and sent to mill almost as soon as cut. Mr. A. Wheeler Church, son of Daniel W. Church, says that during this trying period he was asked to take supper on one occasion, and the only edibles which graced the table, or which the family possessed, were pumpkins and milk. In a few years, says Mr. Church, the yield of wheat was so abundant that the merchants at Morristown refused to receive it in exchange for goods at any price. It was not until this period that the settlements in town assumed much importance. Within two or three years after, great numbers came in and took up lands, so that within four years the erection of a separate town was deemed expedient and effected. About the year 1817 a village lot in Morristown was offered to mechanics who would settle there, pursue their trade five years, and within a limited time erect a house of specified dimensions, with a view to promoting the growth of the village. Several lots were taken up under this offer, but, except in one or two instances, none of the occupants complied with the conditions in such a manner as to acquire a title.
A naval engagement between the Julia of the United States navy and the Earl of Moira of the British navy, took place opposite Morristown in July, 1812, in which the latter was worsted .*
The Presbyterian Church, at Morristown, was organized with ten members, May 31, 1822, by Rev. Wm. Smart, its first pastor. A church edifice was erected in 1837, at a cost of $2,000, and is still occupied by the Society. It will seat 250 persons. There are sixty members, under the pastoral care of Rev. Robert McKinsie. The Church property is valued at $5,000.+
The Chippewa Street Congregational Church was organized with nine members in 1827, by Rev. Hiram Johnson of Canton. Their church edifice
* See page 63 ..
+ Information furnished by Joseph Couper. K
.
166
MORRISTOWN -- NORFOLK.
was erected in 1850, at a cost of $1,000, and will seat 225 persons. The first pastor was Rev. James Taylor; the present one is Rev. Samuel Young. The Society numbers 76 members. Its property is valued at $2,200 .*
Black Lake Church (Lutheran) was organized with fourteen members, Aug. 19, 1841, by Rev. C. Francisco ,its first pastor. The house in which the Society worships was completed Oct. 20, 1853, at a cost of $1,500, and will seat 200 persons. There are seventy members. The present pastor is Rev. S. W. Young. The property of the Church is valued at $3,500.+
The First Universalist Church, at Brier Hill, was organized Feb. 14, 1859, by Rev. H. H. Baker, the first pastor, and erected a place of worship in 1859, at a cost of $1,250, the one it still occupies. The church will seat 250 persons. The Society numbers 75 members. Its pastor is Rev. D. L. R. Libby. Its property is valued at $2,500 .¿
The Union Church at Brier Hill was built in the summer of 1859, by the joint efforts of the Baptist, Lutheran and Wesleyan Methodist societies and residents outside of these churches, each contributing one-fourth to- ward defraying the expense and each retaining one-fourth interest in it. Its management is entrusted to nine trustees, two from each of the religious societies and three from those outside. Revs. Reuben Jones, Baptist, C. Francisco, Lutheran, and M. Johnson, Wesleyan, were the first ministers of the respective denominations who preached in the church. It is now occupied and regular appointments are held by Revs. Samuel Young, Congregationalist, Silas W. Young, Lutheran, M. Delarme, Wesleyan, and C. M. Arnold, Episcopal Methodist. Two services are held each Sabbath.§
NORFOLK was formed from Louisville, April 9, 1823.| A part of Stockholm was annexed April 15, 1834; and a part was re-annexed to Louisville April 3, 1844. It is an interior town in the north part, being separated from the St. Lawrence by Louisville, and contains 35,510 acres. Its surface is but slightly broken, and north and west of Racket River it is swampy. Its streams are Racket River; which flows diagonally through the town, near the central part, and Trout and Plum brooks, which are tributary to that river. Racket River furnishes an abundant and excellent water power. There are no less than seven dams upon it within this town. The soil rests upon depositions of gravel and clay, underlaid by calciferous sandstone, and is generally fertile. In the east it is sandy.
* Information furnished by J. E. Ingham, deacon.
+ Information furnished by Rev. S. W. Young.
¿ Information furnished by Seward Ackerman.
§ Information furnished by W. R. Fitch.
.Il The first town meeting was held at the house of Elisha Adams, on Monday, May 5, 1823, and the following named officers were elected : Christopher G. Stowe, Supervisor; Erastus Hall, Town Clerk; Elisha W. Barber, Ephraim S. Raymond and Roswell Hutchings, Assessors; Ebenezer S. Sanburn, Bishop Booze and John Blanchard, Commissioners of Highways; Christopher G. Stowe and Ephraim S. Raymond, Overseers of the Poor; Russell C. Atwater, Roswell Hutchings and Erastus Hall, Inspectors of Common Schools; Elisha Adams, Constable and Collector ; Christopher G. Stowe, Stephen A. Tambling and Benj. Raymond, Com- missioners of Common Schools; and Benj. Raymond, Phineas Atwater and Roswell Hutchings, Trustees of Gospel and School Lots.
167
NORFOLK.
In 1870 the town had a population of 2,441, of whom 1,918 were native, 523, foreign and all, except five, 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 817; the number at- tending school, 584 ; the average attendance, 314; the amount expended for school purposes, $3,521.84; and the value of school houses and sites, $9,420.
NORFOLK* (p. v.) is situated in the south-west part, on Racket River, four miles north of Potsdam Junction, and contains four churches, two schools, two hotels, seven stores, two carriage shops, two blacksmith, one cabinet, one harness, three shoe, two paint, one tailor and three milliner shops, a furniture store, two tanneries,t one grist,} two saw§ and four shingle| mills, a hub factory, T an ashery, four physicians and two lawyers, and had in 1870 a population of 540 .**
A short distance below the village is a brick yard, owned by Messrs. Mould & Griffis, in which are manufactured about 300,000 bricks per annum. The vast deposits of clay and sand in this town, especially in the vicinity of Raymondville, afford constituents for the manufacture of bricks of a very superior quality.
RAYMONDVILLE,tt (p. v.) situated on Racket River, three miles below Norfolk, contains one church, a school house, hotel, two stores, a woolen factory, grist mill,jį two butter tub factories, one wagon and two blacksmith shops, two brick
* Indian name Kanataseke, meaning new village.
+ These tanneries are each of small capacity. One was built by Robt. Griffis, the present proprietor, in 1865, and tans about 6,000 sides per annum; and the other was built by Henry Atwater in 1871, on the site of the one built by his father.
¿ This mill was built by Norman Sackrider, about 1848, is owned by Hutchinson, Sherwin & Co., and contains three runs of stones.
§ One of these mills, (Davis') for which we have the statistics, manufac- tures about 900,000 feet of lumber per annum.
Il Three of these mills, (Dow's, Brinkerhoff's and Davis') for which we have the data, manufacture in the aggregate about 7,000,000 shingles per year.
T Messrs. Martin & Son manufacture about 20,000 hubs of various kinds per annum. This is the only hub factory in this part of the State.
** The furnace which was built here in 1825 and supplied with bog ore, was burned in 1844 ..
++ Originally named Rackerton. Its present name was given in honor of Benj. Raymond, the first agent for this town and Potsdam. Its Indian name was Tsiiakoontieta, meaning "where they leave the canoe."
** This mill contains three runs of stones, and grinds about 100 barrels of flour per month, besides a large amount of custom grinding.
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NORFOLK.
yards,* an oil distillery, one saw and two shingle mills,t a tannery and about 225 inhabitants. Like Norfolk it enjoys an excellent and abundant water power.
There are several other manufacturing establishments on the river, distant from the villages.}
Settlement was commenced in 1809, by Erastus Hall, from Tyringham, Berkshire Co., Mass., who arrived at Potsdam May 9th of that year, and meeting with Judge Raymond, the agent for this town, was induced to examine its lands with a view to settlement. Mr. Hall was accompanied by Ira Brewer, who was from the same place as himself. They reached the site of Ray- mondville by a bush road, cut through from Potsdam for the purpose of conveying potash to the head of boat navigation on Racket River, to be shipped thence to Canada. Being desirous of crossing the river, they constructed a rude raft of logs, upon which they placed their coats, guns, axes and tinder; and having procured poles, pushed out into the stream and endeav- .ored to paddle over ; but the raft soon became unmanageable in the current, and having thrown their goods ashore, they, with much difficulty, rescued themselves by clinging to the branches of a tree under which they passed. They found shelter in a shanty which had been erected and occupied by lumbermen. At night they built a circle of fires, as a protection against the mosquitoes and " black flies," the latter of which were particu- larly annoying. Such was the severity of the attack of these animals that "in fifteen minutes the faces of those exposed would be covered with blood, and on their return to the settle- ments their friends did not know them, they had become so disfigured."§ A few days after their return to Potsdam they again visited the town, and had farms surveyed. The first
* About 1,000,000 bricks of the best quality are manufactured here per annum. The manufacture of bricks was commenced here about forty years ago, and has continued without interruption. The deposits of clay and sand are practically inexhaustible, and the bricks made here are of a very hard and durable nature.
+ At Bishop's saw and shingle mill are manufactured 700,000 feet of lum- ber and 1,500,000 shingles per annum.
# The principal of these are Reynolds and Bowhall's grist and flouring mill, in the south-west corner of the town; Stowell, Austin & Co.'s saw and shingle mill, in the same locality, which gives employment to sixteen men, and manufactures about 1,500,000 feet of lumber and 1,500,000 shin- gles ; Phelp's shingle mill, which is located three miles below Raymond- ville, gives employment to five to ten men, and manufactures six to twelve millions shingles per annum; and Kent's saw mill, in the same locality, which employs a gang of thirty saws and four circular saws, and manufac- tures about one million feet of long lumber and 300,000 feet of lath lum- ber. The first dam and mills were built here by Jonathan Culver, in 1815. The dam was swept away in December, 1847, and another was built near the same place in 1848.
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