USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Gazetteer and business directory of St. Lawrence County, N.Y. for 1873-4 > Part 22
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.
-
NORFOLK.
169
contract for land was given to Mr. Hall in June following. He erected a house, and in the fall returned to his family, which he moved into the town the next spring, and settled near the village of Raymondville. When Mr. Hall arrived, his worldly goods consisted of $15 in cash, a pair of two years old steers and an old mare; but before his death, at the age of eighty- three years, he had acquired more than a comfortable compe- tency, and had the satisfaction of dividing among his family property valued at $100,000, none of which was acquired by speculation, but all by frugality, patient industry and laborious effort. Eben Judson, from Williston, Vt., and Martin Barney . also came in 1809, and commenced slight improvements. The former moved his family in the following March, and his wife was the first white woman who settled in town. He was ac- companied by a brother and brother-in-law, and Ashbel and John Hall, brothers and young men, who returned after sev- · eral months. His brother and brother-in-law returned imme- diately, leaving the family established in a shanty ten by fourteen feet, and built between two hemlock trees. The arrival of Mr. Judson's family antedated that of Mr. Hall's four days. Gen. R. W. Judson, who was born Aug. 7, 1810, in a log house, on the farm now owned by Louis Small, was the first white male child born in town. The first death in town was that of E. Judson, who died June 29, 1813. Timothy W. Osborne came from Georgia, Vt., in September, 1810, as an agent for Major Bohan Shepard, of St. Albans, Vt., with eight or ten men, and erected a saw mill on Trout Brook. The first grist mill was built by Jonathan. Culver, on Racket River, three miles below Raymondville, in 1812. It contained a single run of stones, and was afterwards burned. Previous to that time the early settlers carried their grists to Potsdam ; and for some time Racket River was the only avenue by which they con- veyed their produce to market. Raymondville was at the head of navigation for bateaux, though a boat was once taken as far up the river as Norfolk village. Christopher G. Stowe, Milo Brewer, and others, came in and commenced improvements in 1810, but the families of Hall and Judson were the only ones who spent the winter in town. Stowe was a native of Grafton, Mass. He subsequently removed to Vermont, and thence, in 1809, to Potsdam, from which town he came here on foot, through the forest, carrying upon his back a knapsack which contained his effects. He settled about two miles from Erastus Hall; and as the latter had a yoke of oxen, and Stowe did not, Hall was accustomed to do Stowe's logging, for which the latter paid him by other work. In 1811 the settlement was increased by several families. Dr. Lemuel Winslow, from
170
NORFOLK.
Williston, Vt., who was the first physician, came in that year. In this year the first clearing at Norfolk village was made for James D. Le Ray, and in 1812 a crop of wheat was raised upon it. The first settlement at Norfolk village was made in 1816, by Judge Russell Attwater, from Russell, who built a large stone grist mill, with two runs of stones that year. The mill irons, together with goods and provisions, were . brought up the river from Schenectady, in a Durham boat, the first ever run on this river, which was drawn around Culver's dam and afterwards, for one or two seasons, performed regular weekly trips from that point to Norfolk, in connection with a line below the dam, which ran to ports on the St. Lawrence. In 1816 Judge Raymond removed his family to the village which bears his name and resided there several years. M. Barney was the first settler in the south angle of the town, near Knapp's Station. He came from Vermont about 1820, and for several years he held the office of justice of the peace. Moses B. Hale, from Vermont, settled here, upon the farm he now owns, March 18, 1823. This part of the country, says Mr. Hale, was quite new at that time, and there was but one frame building within three miles. Sylvester C. Kingsley, a noted hunter, A. Brad- ley and Ira Hale were early settlers in this locality. Fisher F. Ames came from New Hampshire about 1822, and settled upon the river three miles below Raymondville. Levi Haywood, from Springfield, Vt., settled in the same locality in 1819. Barnard Smith, from Ireland, settled in the west part June 9, 1823, at which time, he says, there were but few roads in the town, but three or four dwellings, a grist and saw mill and grocery at Norfolk village, and no settlers between him and that village, a distance of four miles. Julius Grant, from Canada, but immediately from Madrid, settled in the east part, at what is known as Grant settlement, in 1838. He was joined by his son, James, the next year. They were among the first settlers in that locality. They suffered much at first from the priva- tions incident to pioneer life. They manufactured black salts, which was the only thing they could dispose of for money. They raised corn, but sometimes one year's supply, would be ex- hausted before the next crop was harvested. During one of these periods of scarcity Mr. Grant traveled over nearly the entire town, but was able to obtain only a very small quantity of rye. Waddington was the nearest place upon which they could de- pend for a supply, and sometimes they were obliged to go into Canada. Jacob Grant was another early settler in this part of the town.
Religious meetings were held soon after settlement commenced, alter- nately at the houses of Messrs. Hall and Judson, who, though not church
171
NORFOLK-OSWEGATCHIE.
members, believed, says Dr. Hough, "that the observance of the Sabbath conduced to morality.". Other settlers occasionally attended these meet- ings, and "one Montage, who," says the same author, "came on with others to build a mill on Trout Brook, having heard of [them, ] attended, and was the first worshiper who could sing and pray; and thenceforth they lacked none of the elements requisite in the protestant worship." In 1811, Seth Burt, a missionary from Massachusetts, visited them and left books. They were also occasionally visited by ministers from adjoining towns. Upon the completion of Attwater's mill at Norfolk village, the upper story was fitted up and used as a place of worship, and there that worthy gentleman for many years officiated as "lay reader " in accordance with the ritual of the Episcopal Church.
Grace Church, (Episcopal) at Norfolk, was organized with twenty mem- bers, in 1820, by Hon. Russell Attwater. Their house of worship was erected in 1848, at a cost of $3,000, and will seat 250 persons. The present number of members is fifty. The Church property is valued at $6,000 .*
OSWEGATCHIEt was formed from Lisbon upon the organization of the county, March 3, 1802.1 DeKalb was taken off Feb. 21, 1806; Gouverneur, April 5, 1810; Morris- town, March 27, 1821; and a part of DePeyster, March 24, 1825. It lies upon the St. Lawrence, a little north of the center of the county, and contains 41,901 acres. Its surface is level or gently rolling. The principal stream is the Oswegatchie, which affords an abundant and valuable water power. Its soil is excellent and well cultivated. The O. & L. C. and R. W. & O. railroads enter the town and terminate at Ogdensburg.
The population of the town (including the city) in 1870 was 13,094, of whom 8,139 were native, 4,955, foreign, 13,074, white and 20, colored.§
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1872, the town (outside the city) contained twenty-two school districts and employed twenty-two teachers. The number of children of school age was 951; the number attending school, 738; the average attendance, 388; the amount expended for school purposes, $4,971.47; and the value of school houses and sites, $11,245. In the city during the same period twenty-eight teachers were employed. The number of children of school age was 4,237; the number attending school, 2,065; the average attendance, 968; the amount expended for school purposes, $17,507.95 ; and the value of school houses and sites, $52,914.||
* Information furnished by S. Foord, M. D., warden.
+ It originally embraced Nos. 5 and 10 of the Ten Townships, but now only that part of the latter lying north of Black Lake and Oswegatchie River.
¿ The early town records were destroyed in the great fire in Ogdensburg, on the night of the 16th and morning of the 17th of April, 1839. The first Supervisor was Nathan Ford, at whose house the first town meeting was directed to be held. Mr. Ford served in that capacity until 1814.
§ The population of the town outside the city was 3,018.
| From the Superintendent, R. B. Lowry, we learn the following addi- tional particulars relative to the educational interests of the city, which
172
OSWEGATCHIE.
OGDENSBURG* is beautifully and eligibly situated on the St. Lawrence, at the mouth of the Oswegatchie, opposite Prescott in Canada, with which it is connected by a ferry. Its natural advantages, both as regards beauty and utility, have been sup- plemented and developed by art. The city is built mostly upon elevated ground, which has a gently rolling surface. The streets are generally regularly laid out and cross each other at right angles. They are clean and handsomely shaded, principally with maples, a fact which has acquired for it the name of " Maple City." The many tasty and elegant buildings, with their floral adorninents, evince the high æsthetic culture of its citizens. It is lighted by gas, having seventy-one public street lamps, and has an abundant supply of pure water, which is drawn from the Oswegatchie and supplied by the Holly sys- tem of water works. It extends three miles along the St. Lawrence from the west line of Lisbon, and a little more than a mile back from the river. It possesses rare commercial and manufacturing facilities, and in both these branches much activity is displayed. It is the western terminus of the O. & L. C. R. R. and the northern terminus of the R. W. & O. R. R. The through freight cars of the former road are transferred to the Grand Trunk and St. Lawrence and Ottawa railroads at Prescott, by the ferry boat St. Lawrence which crosses the river with six loaded cars at one trip. Its depot is on the east side of the Oswegatchie, and that of the R. W. & O. R. R., on the west side, being two miles apart. The Northern Transportation Company's line of propellers is run by the Vermont Central R. R. Co., in connection with the O. & L. C. R. R., which is also controlled by that company, and forms its western branch. These steamers which connect this city with the upper lakes, and
refer to a little later period : There are ten school buildings, six of which are built of brick, two of stone, one of wood and one is rented : there are twenty-one schools, in which are employed twenty-six teachers; the schools are graded as higher, including an academic department, secondary and first, second and third primary, each grade comprising two years work and consisting of two classes; the number of scholars was 1,472, and the average attendance, 1,048; the wages paid to teachers in the higher depart- ment, or Educational Institute, is, to one $800, and to another $600; in the secondary, $500; in the first grade of the primary department, $400, and in the second and third grades of that department, $350.
* Ogdensburg was originally the county seat, which was removed to Canton, Jan. 28, 1828. It was named in honor of Samuel Ogden, the first proprietor, under whom the present settlements were begun. It was in- corporated as a village, April 15, 1817, and as a city, April 27, 1868. It is divided into three wards, the first embracing all that part lying east of the river and between it and Franklin street, and the prolongation of that street from its intersection with Canton street; the second, all that part lying west of the river; and the third, all that part lying east of the first and extending to the east boundary.
173
OSWEGATCHIE.
with the lines of steamers running between Montreal and the ports on Lake Ontario, which touch here, and the numerous sail- ing vessels, for which this is the natural head of lake navigation, give it considerable commercial importance. Vast quantities of lumber are manufactured and shipped from this port and a large amount of grain is transhipped here .* Grain is trans- ferred from the vessels to the cars by means of an immense elevator, constructed and owned by the Vermont Central R. R. Co., and which is located at the terminus of the western division of that road. It cost about half a million dollars, and has a capacity for storing 650,000 bushels.t It is proposed to increase these commercial facilities by new projected railroads, prominent among which are the Adirondack R. R., designed to connect Ogdensburg with Saratoga, and in aid of which the city has issued conditional bonds for $200,000; the Portland & Ogdensburg R. R., from Swanton, Vt .; and the Ogdensburg & Morristown R. R., which it is designed to connect with the O. & L. C. R. R., by a line running along the water front of the city and crossing the Oswegatchie upon a bridge.
* The following entries were made at this port in 1870:
Barley, bushels
170,798 | Flour, barrels 216,502
Wheat, 66
959,109
Pork, 4,061
Corn,
2,037,841 -
Lumber, feet. 47,858,133
Oats, 66
394,718
Shingles, thousand. 538,617
Rye, 66
4,526
The total amount of grain and flour reduced to bushels, was 4,649,132 bushels .- Hough's Gazetteer of the State of New York, 1872.
+ The car shops of this company are located near the east line of the city ... When in full operation one car can be built per day. About 700 cars are repaired each month. The company employs about 200 men at this terminus-100 in the car shops, 20 in the elevator, and the remainder in the offices and in various capacities. The elevator was built in 1867. It is 183 by 83 feet on the ground, and 69 feet high from. sill to plate, and 113 feet from sill to ridge. The superstructure is brick, resting on a stone foundation 4 1-2 feet thick; is inclosed by a slate roof, and protected by iron shutters throughout. The cornice and gutters are composed of brick, iron and copper. The lower openings are protected by iron doors, and the windows in the upper story are at least 80 feet from the ground, and 25 feet back from the front walls. The sashes are cased with iron; and the projections with metal. The building is so constucted that the "ship legs " and projections might be destroyed by fire from a vessel alongside, without endangering the main part. The heads of the "lofting legs " and their surroundings are constructed of iron, thus preventing the com- munication of fire by friction, that most fruitful source of such accidents in elevators. There are two elevators, the foot of each being lined with iron. The engine house is a separate fire-proof brick building, with iron floor and roof. The chimney is 117 2-3 feet high. A low pressure engine of 60 horse-power, of Shepard & Co.'s (Buffalo) build, is used, and various ingenious devices are employed to carry the grain from the vessels to the cars and to different parts of the building. 130 cars can be loaded per day. There are water tanks, supplied with city water, and hose running to every part of the building, for use in case of fire.
174
OSWEGATCHIE.
The manufactures of the city are important and consist principally of flour, iron, lumber, articles of wood and leather .*
Ogdensburg contains three banks, all private; two newspaper offices ; ( The Ogdensburg Journal and The Ogdensburg Advance,) six churches, (Baptist, two Catholic, M. E., Presbyterian and Protestant Episcopal,) all substantial, and some of them elegant edifices, especially the Episcopal, which was built in 1870-'71, at a cost of $75,000; a Catholic Seminary ; (Notre Dame des Victores,) ten schools, with an excellent graded system, in- cluding an academic department; a magnificent building erected by the United States government, and occupied as a custom house, post office, U. S. court house and other govern- mental offices ; ¿ a State arsenal built in 1858; a town hall built
* There are three flouring and ore grist mills, the former of which com- bined contain 15 runs of stones, gives employment to about 100 men, (in- cluding coopers, ) and manufacture about 175,000 barrels of flour annually. John Glass' steam engine, boiler and machine works, established in 1861, give employment to twelve men, have facilities for manufacturing boilers of any size up to a hundred horse-power, and building circular saw mills, mill gearing, steamboat machinery and surface planers. They make a specialty of the latter, which is one of the best planers in the market. Gates Curtis' foundry and machine shop gives employment to about twenty men in the manufacture of brass and iron castings of all kinds, steel plows, cultivators, thrashing machines with wood attachments, and castings for mowing machines. The wool pulling and tanning establish- ment of F. N. Burt, started in 1850, gives employment to ten men during the year and during the pulling season to about twice that number, pulls about 50,000 pelts and tans about 1,000 hides, and 5,000 calf and 50,000 sheep skins annually. The yearly product is valued at about $65,000, and is mostly marketed in the rough in Boston. E. Vilas' upper leather tannery was built in 1828, gives employment to four to six men, consumes about 300 cords of bark and tans from 4,000 to 6,000 sides and 2,000 to 3,000 calf skins per annum.
+ See pages 171-2 for an account of the schools.
¿ This structure is built of Berea (Ohio) sandstone, above the Ottawa limestone watertable, fifteen inches wide, which surmounts a basement of blue cut-limestone, resting upon a concrete foundation four feet wide by six feet deep, filled with broken limestone and Salina cement. It is three stories high, 120 by 60 feet on the ground, occupying the entire block bounded by State, Knox, South Water and Spinner streets, and was com- pleted and occupied in the spring of 1870. The lower floor is occupied by the postoffice, customs department, pension office, and offices for the assessors and collectors of internal revenue. In the second story is the United States court room, with all the necessary offices connected there- with. The rooms in the third story are used for storing records and papers. The floors rest upon iron joists, supported by brick arches. The roof of Vermont slate is supported by iron rafters, and is surmounted by an iron framed dome, thirty feet in diameter, in the center of which is an iron spiral staircase, fifty feet in height, reaching to the balcony above, which overlooks the entire city and commands a fine view of the St. Lawrence River for a long distance in either direction and the adjacent villages upon the Canadian shore. All the interior upright finish is black ash, and the furniture, black walnut. The hall floors are laid with slate and the office floors with four inch spruce. The frame of the stairs is of iron and each step is composed of one piece of Ohio stone. The building is heated by steam and each room is provided with a grate and marble mantel. The entire cost ofthe building furnished is little less than $300,000.
175
OSWEGATCHIE.
the same year, at a cost of $10,000; the ship-yard and marine railway, on the St. Lawrence, in the western part of the city, now operated by the Vermont Central R. R. Co., in repairing steamers and vessels and building new boats; and four parks, one of which is in the first ward, on the river front of the gov- ernment building, two in the second ward, and bounded respec- tively by Rensselaer and Ogden streets, and New York and Ford avenues, (Mansion Square) and Grove and Oak streets and Madison and Albany avenues, (Grove Square) and one in the third ward, bounded by Green, Knox, Paterson and Hamil- ton streets.
The Ogdensburg water works were constructed in 1868, by the city, at a cost of $100,000, for which amount the city issued bonds, which mature in twenty years from date, and bear interest at seven per cent., payable semi-annually in New York. Improvements to the value of $35,000 have subsequently been made by the extension of pipes, the purchase of additional gates, the setting of new hydrants, and the purchase of an en- gine of 120 horse-power, to guard against the contingency of a scarcity of water power, the breakage of the dam, or trouble with the machinery connected with the pumps. There are twelve miles of mains, sixty-five hydrants and seventy-two gates. The pump house is thirty-three feet square, three stories high, and is substantially built of blue limestone. It has a wing eighteen by twenty-five feet, built of the same material, which forms the boiler house. The water is drawn from the Oswegatchie River by pumps capable of discharging three millions of gallons every twenty-four hours. They furnish a bountiful supply of wholesome water for domestic, mechanical and fire purposes.
The Ogdensburg fire department consists of three companies, comprising thirty-six men, who are paid by the city. There are two first-class steamers, and five hose carts, which are sup- plied with 2,250 feet of hose .*
The population of the city in 1870 was 10,076.t It is now about 10,500.
* A fire which destroyed property valued at $150,000 and threatened the destruction of the entire city occurred here Sunday morning, March 16, 1873, and demonstrated the efficiency of the fire department and water works. Measures are already being concerted to rebuild the burnt portion of the city, and it is quite certain that the whole district ravaged by fire will be soon covered by more sightly edifices than heretofore graced it.
+ The inhabitants are classed as follows in the census of 1870 :-
Total.
Native.
Foreign.
White.
Colored.
First Ward
3,203
1,963
1,240
3,189
14
Second Ward.
2,889
1,582
1,307
2,889
Third Ward
3,984
2,459
1,525
3,980
4
Total
10,076
6,004
4,072
10,058
18
176
OSWEGATCHIE.
The Oswegatchie is spanned by two bridges within the city, one constructed of iron and one of wood. The iron bridge, at the foot of Lake and Ford streets was built in 1866 at a cost of $22,500, and is considered one of the cheapest and most sub- stantial bridges of its kind in the State. The committee having its construction in charge bought a quarry, and after taking out 220 cords of stone for the piers, sold it for double the pur- chase price. The wooden bridge, above the dam, was built in 1867 at a cost of $8,000. A new light-house was built at the mouth of the river in 1870, replacing the one erected in 1834. It is built of limestone, and is thirty feet high.
The Oswegatchie Fair Ground Company was incorporated April 12, 1860, with a capital stock of $8,000, divided into 1,600 shares of $5 each, and with the privilege of increasing it to $15,000. Geo. D. V. Seymour, Wm. J. Averell, Peter McGregor, Chester Dyke and Charles G. Myers were the first directors.
The International Agricultural and Mechanical Association was organized in 1856, with A. P. Morse, of Hammond, President ; Chas. Shepard, of Ogdensburg, Secretary; and Geo. N. Seymour, of Ogdensburg, Treasurer. They negotiated with James Aver- ell for the purchase by private subscription of 100 acres of land on the east bank of the Oswegatchie, about one mile south of the city. "Annual fairs were held until the breaking out of the war, when the association, feeling the payments of interest and principal too much of a burthen, relinquished the grounds to Mr. Averell, who consented to take them back without further compensation than the interest already paid.
The Oswegatchie Agricultural Society was organized June 10, 1871, and that year the Legislature constituted Hons. D. C. Judson and A. B. James, and Messrs. Z. B. Bridges, J. C. Houghton and John Pickens, superintendents of fair grounds and authorized them to issue bonds of the town of Oswegatchie to the amount of $15,000, and to apply the proceeds to the pur- chase of grounds and the erection of buildings. In 1872 the amount of town bonds was increased to $20,000. These bonds were negotiated at par, and $7,500 was applied to the purchase of 27 acres of land lying on the east side of the Oswegatchie, in the south part of the city, and partly within the corporation. The remainder, with an additional $3,000 profits from two fairs, was applied to the erection of buildings and inclosing the grounds. The buildings consist of an agricultural hall, 62 by 32 feet ; a mechanics' hall, 100 by 40 feet ; a floral hall, octagonal in shape and 75 feet in diameter, with a gallery 18 feet wide ; a dairy hall, 65 by 32 feet; a dining hall, under the grand
-
177
OSWEGATCHIE.
stand, 45 by 100 feet and 25 feet high; a kitchen, 18 by 36 feet; two cattle sheds, semi-circular in form, each 300 feet long, with stalls 10 by 12 feet; a horse shed 600 feet long, with stalls 8 by 10 feet; a horse barn, 30 by 50 feet; office, 16 by 18 feet ; shed, 26 by 50 feet; wing, 26 by 36 feet; and a small dwelling, which is used by the officers during the fair and oc- cupied by the man having charge of the grounds. There is an excellent half mile track, which incloses a ball ground. The superintendents hold the grounds in trust for the town, and rent them to the society annually for the profits of the fair to the extent of the interest on the bonds. The first officers of the society were Hon. A. B. James, President; Hon. J. D. Judson, Treasurer ; Hon. Arnold E. Smith, Secretary ; J. C. Houghton, Superintendent ; Thomas N. Derby, Marshal. The same officers were re-elected, and Houghton and Derby exchanged positions. The first fair was held in October, 1871. The receipts were $5,500, and the expenses, $3,600. The receipts of the second fair, held in October of the following year, were about the same as those of the first, but as the premiums were larger, the ex- penses were increased to about $4,000.
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.