Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890, Part 109

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- [from old catalog] comp; Horton, William H., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers and binders
Number of Pages: 1384

USA > New York > Jefferson County > Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890 > Part 109

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A census of Watertown taken in April, 1827, gave 1,098 males and 941 females-a gain of 500 in two years. There were 321 buildings, of which 224 were dwellings ; three stone churches (Methodist, Universalist, and Pres- byterian), court-house, jail, and clerk's office ; arsenal, a cotton factory with 1,300 spindles, another (Beebee's) then building ; one woolen factory, three paper-mills, three large tanneries, three flouring-mills, one furnace, a nail factory, two machine shops, two fulling-mills, three carding machines, two distilleries, one ashery, two pail factories, one sash factory, two chair factories, one hat factory, four wagon shops, two paint shops, four cabinet and joiner shops, eight blacksmith shops, four tailor shops, seven shoe shops, three sad- dle and harness shops, eight taverns, 15 dry goods stores, two hardware stores, two hat stores, two book stores, two leather stores, one paint store, two druggists, two jewelers, two weekly papers, seven public schools, six play- sicians, and 10 lawyers.

In 1829 an association was formed for boring for water on Factory Square, and a hole two and a half inches in diameter was drilled to the depth of 127 feet, when water was obtained that rose to the surface, and having been tubed discharged a copious volume of water slightly charged with sulphur and iron. On Sewall's Island a similar well was bored, which at 80 feet dis- charged water and inflammable gas ; but on being sunk further these were both lost.

Among the early enterprises of Watertown was the Black River Cotton and Woolen Manufacturing Company. This company was organized De- cember 28, 1813, with a capital of $100,000, in 1,000 shares, the stockhold-

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ers being William Smith, Jabez Foster, Marianus W. Gilbert, John Paddock, Egbert Ten Eyck, Amos Benedict, William Tanner, Jasan Fairbanks, and Perley Keyes. The company purchased the right of way for a road to Fac- tory Village, and of Ezekiel Jewett, for $10,000, a tract of 400 acres, with the adjacent water-power, and here, during the summer of 1814, they erected a dam and a stone building for a cotton factory, and commenced spinning in November. The cost of the factory was $72,000. It was erected and put in operation under the supervision of William Smith, and continued three years. It was afterwards hired and run three years longer, and was subse- quently sold for $7,000.

The erection of the Jefferson cotton-mills, by Levi Beebee, in 1827, gave a strong impulse to the growth of Watertown. Mr. Beebee effected the pur- chase of the small properties which comprised most of Cowan's Island (since called Beebee's Island), and from Mr. Le Ray 120 acres on the north bank of the river opposite for the nominal price of $1,500. Early in the spring he commenced the erection of a large and substantial stone building, which was completed, and the water-wheels and shafting inserted under the super- intendence of William Smith. The building was 250 by 65 feet, three stories high, besides a high basement with a projection before and behind, and connected with this were several offices and stores rooms, and in the vicinity two large stone buildings for boarding-houses. Under the main building two wheel pits, each 24 by 32 feet, and 24 feet deep, were blasted in the rock, and a canal, 10 feet wide, 6 feet deep, and 250 feet long, was made, which furnished water from the smaller or south branch of the river. It was intended for 10,000 spindles, of which 3,000 were got in operation. A legal company was formed April 14, 1829, under the style of the " Jefferson Cot- ton-Mills," having for its nominal trustees Levi Beebee, W. T. Beebee, L. S. Beebee, E. Faunda, and Horace Hunt. To secure the exemptions from tax- ation, which the statutes afforded in certain cases, Mr. Beebee obtained, April 7, 1830, an act of incorporation, in which himself and sons Levi S. and Washington T. were constituted a company, with a capital of $250,000, in shares of $50, and under the management of three trustees. On Sunday, July 7, 1833, the premises were discovered on fire, and such progress had been made before discovered that no effort was attempted further than to protect surrounding buildings. The fire was probably of incendiary origin. The loss was estimated at $200,000 ; insurance, $25,000.

The Watertown Cotton-Mills Company, capital $100,000, was formed in 1834, with Isaac H. Bronson, Jasan Fairbanks, Samuel F. Bates, John Sigourney, and Joseph Kimball, trustees. This continued several years and was replaced by the Watertown Cotton Company, capital $12,000, formed in 1846, with E. T. Throop Martin, Daniel Lee, S. Newton Dexter, Hiram Holcomb, and John Collins, trustees. Their plant contained 50 looms, and occupied the buildings erected for a cotton factory in 1814, at Factory Vil- lage.

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In 1835 the Hamilton Woolen-Mills, capital $50,000, was formed by Henry D. Sewall, George Goulding, John C. Lasher, Simeon Boynton, and John Goulding. March 10, of the same year, this was reorganized under the name of Hamilton Manufacturing Company, capital $100,000. A factory was built the same year and put in operation in 1836. In May, 1842, it was bought by the Black River Woolen Company, which was formed in 1836, with a capital of $50,000, by Isaac H. Bronson, S. N. Dexter, O. Hunger- ford, John Williams, Hiram Holcomb, and Daniel Lee. These erected a factory, which was burned in 1841, loss $36,000, insurance about $12,000.

The Watertown Woolen Company, capital $100,000, was formed in 1834, with I. H. Bronson, John A. Rodgers, John Williams, S. Newton Dexter, and Hiram Holcomb, trustees. The Watertown Woolen Manufacturing Com- pany was formed in 1835, capital $25,000, the trustees being J. Williams, I. H. Bronson, H. Holcomb, D. Lee, and Silas Clark. This soon ceased to exist. In 1836 the Williams Woolen Company was formed, capital $10,000, by I. H. Bronson, S. N. Dexter, J. Williams, H. Holcomb, and Charles Weber. The company was engaged for a short time in manufactur- ing coarse goods, the premises subsequently being occupied by a tannery.

Other early manufacturing enterprises will be described in different portions of this work. (See " Paper-Mills " in County Chapter, and " Present Manu- factures " in connection with the sketch of Watertown city, a few pages sub- sequent.)

SCHOOLS .*

In 1802, two years after Henry Coffeen built his hut upon, or near, the spot where the Watertown National Bank now stands, the first school was es- tablished in a barn where is now the brick block next to the Times and Re- former building on Arcade street. Henry Coffeen had been soon followed by Zachariah Butterfield, Hart Massey, Asaph Mather, Thomas Butterfield, and others, and this pioneer school, attended by the few children of the set- tlement, had for its teacher Sally Coffeen, the daughter of the first settler. She was succeeded by her sister, Heiress Coffeen, who obtained more com- fortable quarters in a log house built directly in front of what is now known as the Philo Johnson house, which is on the corner of Washington and Ster- ling streets. This school was maintained until 1804, when the first school district of Jefferson County was organized, embracing the whole town of Watertown.

Very soon thereafter there was erected a small frame building on the crest of what was then quite a steep hill, and where now stands the Universalist Church. This house was elevated about four feet from the ground on the west side, " underpinned " at each corner, and in the middle by three pieces

* We are indebted to Mr. Fred Seymour, clerk of the board of education, and super- intendent of schools, for this excellent sketch of the schools of Watertown.

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of logs set on end. The furniture of the school room was of the most prim- itive kind. Pine boards on three sides, running the whole length, were the best that could be done for the accommodation of the scholars, while the central, and by far the most comfortable, part of the room was reserved for the teacher.

The first court of Jefferson County was held in this building in 1807, at which were present Smith Thompson, as presiding justice, Augustus Sacket, Joshua Bealls, and Perley Keyes, judges, and Lyman Ellis, assistant justice. The statement, as per the court records, that this court was held in a school- house "next south of Cowan's mill," does not conflict with the foregoing ac- count, as it probably means that the school-house was situated next south of Cowan's mill property, which was true ; in fact the early maps show no build- ing lying directly between the mill and school-house. It is said that after the formal adjournment of the first court a mock tribunal was organized, and the scene of fun and frolic that ensued has seldom been equalled.

The first teacher employed in the new school-house was a Mr. McGregor, a Scotchman, of whom little is remembered, as he remained but a short time. After him a missionary, by the the name of Leavenworth, attended to both the spiritual and secular education of the community, but after a couple of years, finding that his increasing clerical duties demanded the greater part of his time, he was obliged to resign the ferule to Roswell Babbitt, an uncle of the former sheriff of this county. Mr. Babbitt was soon succeeded by a Mr. Laidlow, and he in turn by Jeremiah Bishop, who was commonly known as " long-legged Bishop." The latter's expenses seem to have far exceeded his small income, and he soon found himself plunged in hopeless debt. Although his creditors did not entirely distrust his honesty, it was thought advisable to place him upon the jail limits. His plan of ridding the Common-what is now Public Square-of thistles, by sprinkling them with salt so as to make them more palatable to the cows and sheep, gives some idea of his eccen- tricity.

After Mr. Bishop resigned a Mr. Cowan was employed for a short time, who was succeeded by Joel Everett, to whom tradition ascribes great effi- ciency and rigid discipline. Mr. Everett remained until 1816, when he left to take charge of a school at Sackets Harbor, under the patronage of the army officers stationed at that post. Soon after this the old school-house fell into disuse, and was removed to the corner of Arsenal and Arcade streets, where it was burned in the fire of 1849.

The founding and growth of woolen and other industries had tended to in- crease the population to such an extent that, at the time of the incorporation as a village in 1816, a division into two school districts, with Washington street for the dividing line, was found necessary. The following year the lots now occupied by the Arsenal street school and the Methodist parsonage were bought of Hart Massey for $214, and a plain one-story brick building.

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was erected thereon at a cost of $696. This, for a number of years, was the only school in the western district of the village.

To get a better idea of what was done in the eastern district it will be nec- essary to go back to 1810. At this time the first effort was made to estab- lish a public seminary in Jefferson County. A subscription paper was drawn up, $2,500 subscribed, a lot bought of Judge Keyes for the site of an acad- emy, and the following year a plain two-story brick building, about 32×40, was erected for academical purposes. This building did not stand, as some suppose, on the present site of the First Presbyterian Church, but rather di- rectly in the rear of the present residence of B. B. Taggart, on the corner of Washington and Academy streets. Soon after the completion of this build- ing came the war with Great Britain, and it was turned over to the United States forces and occupied by them as a hospital until 1814, the sum of $400 being allowed Mr. Keyes for its use.

Soon after the close of the war the Rev. Mr. Banks opened a select school in the lower story, which was maintained for several years, while a little later an effort was made to establish a " Lancasterian " school, something on the plan of the present " Kindergarten " system, in one portion of the building, but it was soon abandoned.

In 1817, when the new building heretofore mentioned had been erected in the western district, the building on Academy street was taken by the east- ern district for its school, and the Hon. Avery Skinner, then but a youth of 20 years, was employed as the teacher. He taught from 1817 to 1823, and was no less distinguished as an efficient teacher than he was in later years as an upright and worthy legislator.

A large debt having accrued on this school property, it was appraised at $1,000, and sold on foreclosure of mortgage to the trustees of the First Pres- byterian Church in 1820, although the building was used for school purposes until 1823. Soon afterwards it was taken down, and the material used in building what was then known as the Watertown Female Academy, on Clinton street, and at present the residence of Elias Hagar. This academy was maintained until 1837; it had a high reputation, and did much toward en- couraging similar. enterprises throughout the county.

The sale of the academy building to the Presbyterian Church in 1820 rendered necessary the erection of a new school-house for the eastern dis- trict. But as there was considerable difference of opinion as to the proper location it was decided to divide the district, State street being the dividing line. That portion lying north of said street purchased a wooden building on Factory street, and fitted it up for school purposes, but in a few years this was replaced by a brick building in front of what is known as the Acker car- riage shop, on the corner of Factory and Mechanic streets. In 1823 the por- tion of the district lying south of State street purchased the lot now occu- pied by Grace Church, on the corner of Jay and Sterling streets, and erected a stone school-house thereon.

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This must have been the state of affairs in 1840, when the first . Village Directory speaks of three school districts : the school on the corner of Ar- senal street and " Madison Square," J. W. Weeks, principal, with 95 pupils; that on Factory street, C. H. Wright, principal, with 140 pupils ; and that on Sterling street, Samuel Myrick, principal, with 50 pupils. These districts were under control of trustees the same as any country district is managed.

The progress of the schools from 1840 to 1864 did not satisfy those par- ticularly interested in their welfare. Their supervision by the town superin- tendents, and afterwards by the county school commissioner, was necessarily imperfect. There being no uniformity of text books, people moving from one district to another were subjected to continual and useless expense. Private schools had become quite numerous, and did much to hinder the growth and lower the standard of the public schools.

The Arsenal street school building, by occasional repairing and enlarge- ment, continued to accommodate all the children from that district which is now known as the 3d and 4th wards, until 1856, when it was replaced by another building, to which an addition was built in 1871 at a cost of $2,584.23, which again in 1883 was entirely remodeled and a new addition built thereto, at a total cost of $10,976.76.

The Factory street school building continued to accommodate the children from that portion of the village lying between State street and the river until 1852, when it was sold, and the original Lamon street building was erected to supply its place. The latter was thoroughly repaired in 1872, and a new addition built thereto, at a cost of over $6,000.

The children from the district south of State street, now known as the 2d Ward, were accommodated in the little stone building on Sterling street until 1846, when this was replaced by another building which was used for school pur- poses until 1868, when it was sold to Grace Church for $2,000, and the stone academy on Academy street bought to supply its place. For a correct knowledge of this Academy street building one must go back a number of years.

As has been stated there was a successful female seminary from 1828 to 1837, but up to 1832 no institution had been founded for the education of young men higher than that to be obtained in the ordinary district school. In that year the " Watertown Academy " was incorporated, with Micah Ster- ling, Henry D. Sewall, Thomas Baker, Reuben Goodale, Orville Hungerford, Alpheus S. Greene, Egbert Ten Eyck, Justin Butterfield, William Smith, Jasan Fairbanks, Joseph Goodale, Loveland Paddock, Joseph Kimball, George S. Boardman, and John Safford as trustees. A two-story stone build- ing, with basement, was erected on Academy street, and first opened for the reception of students September 19, 1832.

La Rue P. Thompson was the first principal, who was succeeded by Sam- uel Belding, and he by Joseph Mullin. From 1832 to 1838 the school seems to have enjoyed a fair degree of prosperity, although never received under

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the visitation of the Regents. After the incorporation of the "Black River Literary and Religious Institute," which will be described later, the useful- ness of this school was impaired, or at least transferred to the stronger insti- stution, and in 1841 the property was formally deeded to its trustees. By them, in 1842, it was deeded to Micah Sterling. Finally, after various pe- riods when it was occupied for school and other purposes, and longer periods when it was entirely abandoned, it came into the possession of the First Wes- leyan Methodist Church, and was deeded by its trustees to the village of Wa- tertown, July 11, 1866, consideration $2,000, although the old Sterling street property was not sold to Grace Church, and the school was not transferred to Academy street until 1868. This building, although rather dilapidated, and in some respects unfit for school purposes, was all the 2d Ward had until 1886, when the present elegant and commodious building was erected, directly in the rear of the old structure, at a cost of over $20,000, and the following school year, when the new building was ready for occupancy, the old landmark was taken down.

On March 21, 1836, a meeting of committees appointed by the Water- town Presbytery and the Black River Association was held in the Second Presbyterian Church, on Factory street, to consider the subject of " estab- lishing a literary and religious institution for the young," which, while it should avoid a sectarian discipline, would be surrounded by a salutary re- Jigious and moral influence. Application was made which procured the passage of an act (May 25, 1836) for the incorporation of the " Black River Literary and Religious Institute." Its first trustees were Marcus Smith, James H. Monroe, Eli Farwell, Jason Clark, George S. Boardman, Hart Massey, Roswell Kinney, Crafts P. Kimball, Elisha Camp, Lewis A. Wickes, Henry Jones, George W. Knowlton, E. H. Snowdon, John Covert, E. M. Adams, Elisha P. Cook, David Spear, Charles B. Pond, Artemus Crittenden, John A. Cathcart, David Granger, Abel L. Crandall, Roswell Pettibone, and William Chittenden.

These trustees, authorized to establish a seminary of learning in Water- town, whose annual income should not exceed $4,000, and who were to elect the faculty and supply vacancies in their board, met on the 4th of June. A constitution was then adopted that provides, among other rules, that the board of trustees shall consist of six clergymen and six laymen of each de- nomination in charge of the institution, and in supplying vacancies a person of the same class or sect should be elected.

The following persons were elected as the first faculty: Rev. James R. Boyd, principal ; Rev. John Covert, vice-principal ; Mrs. Covert, preceptress. The lot on the corner of State and Mechanic streets was purchased for $4,500, a wooden building was fitted up for temporary use, and in the spring of 1837 was commenced the erection of a building, of stone and brick, 40 by 75, two stories high, with basement, at a cost of $6,500. The corner-stone of this edifice was laid with religious ceremonies, and in presence of a large.

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audience, June 5, 1838, Governor Marcy being present. The inauguration of the faculty occurred on the 13th of September, 1836; the institution was received under the visitation of the Regents, January 30, 1838, and it has since shared in the distribution of the " Literature Fund."

At a meeting of the trustees February 23, 1846, it was voted to make an application for a change of name, which was granted by the legislature on the 12th of May following, and the name was changed to the " Jefferson County Institute." In January, 1847, a portion of the real estate was sold to liquidate the debts of the institution. This is the part now occupied by the State Street Methodist Church.

In June, 1848, Mr. Boyd, who had filled the office of principal since the beginning. resigned, and D. M. Linsley was appointed. He taught until May, 1852, when he resigned and was succeeded by Rev. Alvin Parmelee, who taught until June, 1856. Mr. Parmelee was succeeded by Rev. J. Ses- sions, who was principal until July, 1859, to be succeeded in turn by M. P. Covert, who served until 1861. Rev. George Kerr was principal from 186 1 until 1865. The school during all this period, from 1836 to 1865, had en- joyed considerable prosperity, and may be said to have been, in an educa- tional sense, a successful institution.

In April, 1865, the special act relating to the public schools of Watertown was passed, and in this act the trustees of the Jefferson County Institute were authorized to lease, or transfer by deed, their property to the village for a High school. It was also provided that, while they did so lease their property, they would be entitled to be represented by two members on the board of education.

In June, 1865, a lease for three years of all the property hitherto belong- ing to the trustees of the Jefferson County Institute, including apparatus, library, and all appurtenances, to the village of Watertown, was executed, and Milton H. Merwin and John C. Sterling were appointed to represent said trustees on the board.

The " Watertown High School " was opened in September, 1865, as part of the graded system of the public schools of the village, with William Reed, Jr., as temporary principal, and Miss A. M. Allen, preceptress. Mr. Reed was succeeded in the spring of 1866 by N. M. Merrill. In March, 1868, Miss Cornelia M. Johnson was appointed as assistant to Miss Allen, whom she succeeded as preceptress at the end of that school year. Edward P. Nichols succeeded Mr. Merrill as principal in the fall of 1868, and remained only until the following year, when he resigned to accept a more lucrative position, and G. B. Manley took his place. Watertown had now become a city, and the schools of North Watertown were brought into the system, as will be spoken of later. The old lease having expired a new one was exe- cuted for 10 years to the city of Watertown. Mr. Manley resigned in Janu- ary, 1870, and Hannibal Smith was employed in his place, and taught

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until the close of the school year 1873-74, when he resigned and was suc- ceeded by W. K. Wickes.

In 1878, the 10 years' lease having expired, the board of education de- cided that it would be unwise to renew the lease unless the property should be improved, and the board was unwilling to make these necessary improve- ments and changes unless the lease should be executed for a long enough term to warrant the expense. The trustees of the Jefferson County Institute consented to the proposition, and a lease was drawn for 20 years. The old building was entirely overhauled, repaired, and refitted at an expense of $5,- 034.09, and a new addition built on the north side at a cost of $4,200.

Mr. Wickes resigned at the close of the school year 1887-88, after 14 years of very efficient service. He was succeeded by H. M. Hill, who had been teacher of the sciences and higher mathematics since 1881. Much to the regret of all concerned Mr. Hill resigned after one year's service as prin. cipal. He was succeeded by F. D. Shaver, the present incumbent. Miss C. M. Johnson is still the preceptress, having served in that position for 22 years. The Watertown High School has been a remarkably prosperous and successful institution. It has had 408 graduates, and has taken a very high rank among the institutions under the jurisdiction of the board of Regents.

There are at this writing (March, 1890) nine public schools in Watertown. The High School, Academy street, Arsenal street, and Lamon street schools have already been mentioned. The old Mullin street school was built in 1867 at a cost of about $6,000, but as the ventilation was very bad, and the building in other respects so unfit for school purposes that people in the 3d Ward would not send their children there, the board decided to replace it with a suitable building. Accordingly early in 1889 additional land was bought, and a new and elegant building was erected directly in the rear of the old building, which will be ready for occupancy at the beginning of the school year 1890-91, and which, when completed, will have cost about $20,000. The old building will be taken down at the end of the present school year.

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Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890, Part 109

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- [from old catalog] comp; Horton, William H., [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers and binders Number of Pages: 1384

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- [from old catalog] comp; Horton, William H., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers and binders
Number of Pages: 1384