Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890, Part 15

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 15

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).

In 1837 the Trenton and Sackets Harbor Railroad was chartered, but no . work was ever done. In 1850 the Sackets Harbor and Ellisburgh Railroad Company was organized, and June 1, 1853, was completed to Pierrepont Manor and opened for the regular passage of trains. It was run to connect with the R., W. & O. Railroad at the Manor, and with the Ontario and St. Lawrence Steamboat Company at the Harbor. The road was abandoned in 1862.

A company called the Sackets Harbor and Saratoga Railroad Company was incorporated in April, 1848, for the purpose of building a road from the first named point via Watertown, Carthage, and Castorville, and through the wilderness, to Saratoga, and eventually to Boston, Mass. No part of the road in this county was ever built.

The Carthage and Adirondack Railroad .- The building of this road was the consummation of a project conceived by George Gilbert, of Carthage, N. Y. as early as 1865. At that time very little lumbering had been done in the country now tributary to this road. A tannery had then recently been erected at Natural Bridge village, and at Harrisville, Lewis County. The

I25

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

large lumber interest at Gouverneur, St. Lawrence County, that has now for more than 20 years drawn almost entirely from this section for its supply of logs, was then in embryo. Little was then known of the large mineral resour- ces of this locality ; yet small quantities of very excellent iron ore had been mined, and the sanguine predicted its existence in endless quantities. By occasional trips through this section Mr. Gilbert had become acquainted with the large resources of the locality in its forests, and the great wealth that might be derived therefrom if some adequate mode of transportation could be pro- vided. The importance of penetrating this country with a railroad, having its starting point at Carthage, began to be discussed by him, and while every one conceded the desirableness of such an enterprise if it could be accom- plished, yet the poverty of the country to be directly benefited was so great as to lead most people to view it as a quixotic undertaking. Nevertheless the project found some friends who thought it worth while to try and see how much interest could be developed.

Acting upon this idea Mr. Gilbert prepared a bill and submitted the same to the legislature of 1866, providing for the incorporation of a company with power to construct a railroad from Carthage, Jefferson County, N. Y., to some point on the Oswegatchie River, at or near Harrisville, in Diana Lewis County, and to purchase timber lands in unlimited quantities and en- gage in the business of lumbering. This bill was amended by the legislature by striking out the provision empowering the company to purchase lands, etc., and then passed it. It became a law, but without the element that in the judgment of its author made it of any particular value. Nevertheless it served the purpose of forming a nucleus which was of some service in work- ing up the scheme. In the fall of 1866 very thorough preliminary surveys were made between Carthage and Harrisville. Statistics were collected, and in the following winter a report showing the feasibility of the route and the resources of the country was made and published. This report was very generally circulated and attracted much attention. Carthage was then a village of nearly 2,000 inhabitants, nearly equal to the number of inhabitants in all the remaining country along the line of this proposed road. The prop- osition was then to build a railroad about 20 miles in length through a sec- tion of country containing no men of large means, and where the business necessary to its maintenance would have to be created to a very great extent. Nevertheless confidence in the scheme began to increase. In the following year the Clifton Company began the construction of a railroad from its mines, in the town of Clifton, St. Lawrence County, to De Kalb Junction, on the Rome, Watertown, and Ogdensburg Railroad, using wood rails instead of iron. This was a new idea, and seemed to be a feasible one for a pioneer road in a country where timber was abundant. In the fall of this year preliminary surveys were made from Harrisville to a point of intersection with the Clif- ton road in the town of Russell, St. Lawrence County, and soon after the work of securing pledges for a sufficient amount of stock to organize a com-

I26

JEFFERSON COUNTY.

pany under the general law for the incorporation of railroad companies was set about in good earnest, and prosecuted with a zeal that seemed to preclude all doubt of success.

In December following the persons pledging subscriptions for stock in the company to be organized met at the hotel in Harrisville and selected a board of directors ; but the articles of association then adopted were not signed, and the 10 per cent. was not paid in until the latter part of June, 1868. It was provided that the company should be known by the name of the Black River and St. Lawrence Railway Company. The length of the proposed road was to be 38 miles, and was to extend from the Black River at Carthage to the point of intersection above named. The amount of capital stock as fixed in the articles of association was $380,000. The board of directors selected to serve the first year was composed of George Gilbert, Hezekiah Dickerman, Richard Gallagher, Jackson Weaver, Samuel H. Beach, Joseph Palmer, William Palmer, William Hunt, Silas Bacon, George M. Gleason, Henry Rushton, Lucius Carr, and George Smith. Samuel H. Beach was made president ; George Gilbert, vice-president and secretary ; and Henry Rushton, treasurer. In the winter of 1868 laws were passed author- izing the company to use wood rails instead of iron ; also authorizing the sev- eral towns along the route of the proposed road to issue bonds, and subscribe for and take stock in this company. In pursuance of the provisions of the last named law the town of Wilna subscribed for stock to the amount of $50,000; the town of Diana, Lewis County, subscribed for a like amount ;. and both of these towns paid their subscriptions in full. The town of Edwards, in St. Lawrence County, subscribed for stock to the amount of $35,000, but paid only a small part of its subscription. The work of build- ing this road was let to' Row, Fields & Co., of Brockville, Canada, in the winter of 1868-69.

The work of construction was actually commenced on April 29, 1869, and prosecuted by the contractors until about the middle of October of the same year, when some difficulty arose between the directors of the company and the contractors, resulting in the directors assuming the work of construction and the discharge of the contractors. Litigation ensued, but was subse- quently settled ; work was suspended during the winter, but resumed in the spring and prosecuted in a very moderate way until late in the fall, when further operations were stopped for the want of funds. The road was oper- ated, so far as completed, for a part of one year, when it was practically abandoned, and nothing further of any moment was done with it until the or- ganization of the Carthage and Adirondack Railway Company in the spring of 1883. For sometime previous to this Byron D. Benson, of Titusville, Pa.,. had been investigating the extent and character of the deposits of iron ore at Jayville, Fine, and other points in St. Lawrence County, the title to which had been secured by Joseph Palmer, of Harrisville, to be used in aid of the completion of this road. Mr. Benson and his associates became satisfied

I27

COUNTY CHARITIES.

that these ores were of sufficient value to warrant the construction of a rail- road from Carthage to Jayville, and a company was organized for that pur- pose, as above stated. The property and franchises of the Black River and St. Lawrence Railway Company were transferred to the new organization, and the work of construction was commenced and prosecuted for a short time, and then suspended until 1886, when the road was completed to Jay- ville, a distance of about 29 miles. In the summer of 1887 an extension was commenced from Jayville to Little River, in the township of Chaumont, St. Lawrence County, which was completed in the summer of 1889.

Although not as much iron ore has been transported over this road as its promoters expected, yet in other respects the widsom of its construction has been fully demonstrated, and the shipment of ore will undoubtedly be greatly augmented at no distant day. The present company is an outgrowth of the former one, and it is evident that neither would have been formed and the road not constructed but for the untiring efforts of Mr. Gilbert from the first conception of the enterprise until the fall of 1869, subsequently reënforced by Mr. Palmer's efforts in directing attention to the mineral resources of the country penetrated by it.

The Rome and Carthage Railroad is a contemplated line, with terminal points at the places named. The company has been incorporated, and J. C. Smith, of Rome, is president ; Chester Ray, of Martinsburg, vice-president ; A. W. Orton, of Rome, secretary and treasurer.

The Dexter and Ontario Railroad is also a contemplated line to extend from Dexter village to connect with the R., W. & O., about two miles from Brownville village. James A. Outterson is president of the company.

COUNTY CHARITIES.

Those who from age, infirmity, or otherwise become unable to support themselves, and are so unfortunate as to be obliged to rely upon public char- ity for support, are provided with a comfortable home on the county poor- farm, situated in the town of Pamelia, one mile below Watertown city. The first county poor-farm was located in the town of Le Ray. The present farm was purchased in 1833, and cost, including buildings erected soon after the purchase, $6, 123.36. In 1855 a lunatic asylum was built of brick, at a cost of $4,811.57. In 1870 the poor-house was remodeled and rebuilt at an expense of $13,750. In 1887 other improvements and additions were made, and it will now accommodate 150 inmates. The present superintendent of the poor-farm is John Washburn.

The Jefferson County Orphan Asylum has served a most useful purpose since it was started as the "Watertown Home" in 1859. It is a brick struct- ure, and is pleasantly located on Franklin street, surrounded by a beautiful grove. The institution is ably managed, and more than maintains itself. A. O. Freeman is superintendent ; Mrs. A. O. Freeman, matron ; G. W.

I28

JEFFERSON COUNTY.

Knowlton, secretary and treasurer. At the present time about 60 children are cared for here.

STAPLE PRODUCTS, ASSESSED VALUATION, ETC.

The soil generally of Jefferson County is of average fertility. The districts underlaid by limestone and slate are exceedingly fertile, and particularly adapted to dairying and the raising of spring grains. The intervales are also remarkably fertile, while the ridges are often naked rock. The soil, over a part of the sandstone, is too thin for cultivation, but the barren region is comparatively limited. Barley, oats, corn, rye, and peas are staple products. For many years, from the first settlement of the territory, manufactures have received much attention, and employed a large amount of capital. They have been principally carried on along the line of Black River, and are quite fully described in the sketches of the towns in which they are located. The growing of hay for the great markets has become a chief staple, and we are told by a New York dealer that Jefferson County grows the best hay that comes to that market. Ship-building and lake commerce form prominent pursuits at several points along the lake and St. Lawrence River.

To give the reader an idea of the business of the county in the early days we quote the following from Spafford's Gazetteer of 1813 :-

" Agreeable to the census of 1810, there are in this county 660 looms; 16 tanneries, 16 dis- tilleries, two breweries; eight clothiers, five carding machines, and seven or eight large ash- eries, which produce large quantities of pot and pearl ashes, and bring much money into the county."

In the same author's Gazetteer, of 1825, the following for 1820-21 is quoted :--

" Statistics .-* * * Postoffices, 20; persons engaged in agriculture, 8.907; in commerce, 134: in manufactures, 1,603; slaves, 5; free blacks, 135; school districts, 165, in which schools are kept an average of seven months in 12; public money received in 1821, $3,071.77; No. of children between five and 15 years of age, 8,000; No. of persons tanght in the schools, 8,444; electors, 7,196; taxable property, $2,483,671; acres of improved land, 122,209; neat cattle, 34,896; horses, 6,118; sheep, 59,448; yards of full cloth made in the household way in 1821, 54,470; yards of flannel, 77,082; yards of linen, cotton, and other thin cloths, 144, 758=276,310 yards; 55 grist-mills; 98 saw-mills; one oil-mill; 27 fulling-mills; 27 carding machines; font cotton and woolen manufactories; four forges; one furnace; 10 trip-hammers; 33 distilleries; 139 ash- eries; two paper-mills; and two printing offices."

From the census report of 1880 we find that Jefferson County, in that year, had 6,422 farms, representing an area of 594,899 acres of improved land, valued at $26,869,176, including fences, buildings, etc. The value of farming implements and machinery was $1,009,347 ; value of live stock, $3,468,873 ; cost of building and repairing fences (1879), $86,458 ; cost of fertilizers purchased in 1879, $9,214 ; estimated value of all farm produc- tions (sold, consumed, or on hand) for 1879, $5,199,352.

In 1880 the principal vegetable productions of the county were : Barley, 393,024 bushels ; buckwheat, 33,556 bushels ; Indian corn, 357,964 bushels ;

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STAPLE PRODUCTS, ASSESSED VALUATION, ETC.

oats, 1,256,468 bushels ; rye, 57,312 bushels ; wheat, 189,322 bushels ; orchard products valued at $86,105 ; hay, 236,060 tons ; hops, 135,955 pounds ; Irish potatoes, 460,881 bushels ; tobacco, 1,850 pounds. Of live stock in the county there were 17,463 horses, 45 mules and asses, 427 work- ing oxen, 61,900 milch cows, 29,280 other cattle, 15,642 swine, and 18,748 sheep (exclusive of spring lambs), which produced 90,975 pounds of wool. Of dairy products there were 13,261,680 gallons of milk, 4,071,740 pounds of butter, and 283,990 pounds of cheese.

ASSESSED VALUATION-1889.

Real Estate.

Personal. $275,799

Pamelia

Real Estate. $754.169

$22,419

Alexandria

1,216,594

51,750

Philadelphia

895,460

51,810

Antwerp.

1.386,240

93,140

Rodman

813,185

122,800

Brownville.

1.619.970

177.620

Rutland

857,260

82,810

Cape Vincent

1.787,900

122.260

Theresa

945.090

54,630

Champion

907,120

108,150

Watertown (town) ..

715.474

61,100

('layton ..

1,440,230

77.500

City, Ist Ward,

1,098,925

96,720

Ellisburgh

2,054,955

163,910

1,126,475

187,295

Henderson.

868,100

77,000

3đ

1,475,100

602,856

Hounsfield.

1,038,695

70,400

4th

1,398,775

200,751

Le Ray

1,195,220

97,510

Wilna

1,072,090

187,080

Lorraine.

526,580

19,900

Worth

238,090

3,500

Lyme.

1,354,875

71,920

Orleans

1,239,645

39,270

Total

. $29.592,122

$3,119,900

Personal.

Adams

§1,565.905

CHEESEMAKING.

The following account of the first manufacture of cheese for market in Jef- ferson County is extracted from an article written by Mrs. John A. Sherman, and read before the Historical Society in April, 1887 :-

"My husband and myself were the pioneers in that now vast industry, having commenced making cheese for sale in 1834. The causes that led to our starting the business were so in- terwoven with the circumstances of Mr. Sherman's family at that date that a brief history of his early struggles may not be inappropriate, and may be of interest to the people of the pres- ent day.

" Alfred Sherman, the father of my husband, died in 1827. five years before our marriage, leaving a widow and six children to obtain the necessaries of life, on an unproductive farm of 90 acres. My husband, who was then 17 years of age, and was living with Norris M. Woodruff, of Watertown, was called home to care for the widowed mother and her children, five younger than himself. But little change for the better had taken place in the family at the time of our marriage, November 17, 1832. It was arranged that we should take the farm and pay off the heirs as they became of age. To Mr. Sherman, with all his energy, it looked like an endless task, and he was also discouraged by unforeseen and unexpected misfortune. A large flock of sheep had all died. and also a fine colt, and there was a hundred dollars due Adriel Ely that he could see no way of paying. At this point in our severe struggles there came a ray of light. A young man and his wife from Herkimer County purchased a farm adjoining ours, and as soon as convenient F called and made friends of our new neighbors. I found the lady in poor health. She said the farmers of Herkimer County had all got rich from cheese- making, but it had broken down all the wives and daughters with hard work. Caring little for the hardship I immediately resolved that we should have some cows and make cheese. Why could not cheese be made in Jefferson as well as in Herkimer County ? I hastened home

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JEFFERSON COUNTY.

with the inspiration of hope, to mature the plan with my husband, which he readily approved, and before sleeping that night he had resolved to loan the money of Mr. Woodruff, and go to Canada for the cows.

" As spring was upon us there was no time to lose, and in three days he was in Canada buying cows, and one week from that time we were milking many of them. He had driven the cows across the St. Lawrence River, with the snow and water nearly knee-deep, and the ice dangerously thin in many places. Foot-sore and weary he reached home late in the even- ing, to spend a sleepless night of suffering from his blistered feet. We were soon in readiness to make our first cheese, and the Herkimer County lady, as she had promised, was ready to teach me. As the process was simple I was, in about three days, an independent cheese- maker. Our first cheese was a wonderful one, and weighed 40 pounds. We had never seen so large a cheese before. Our little hoop would not hold the curd, and the now Rev. Jededialı Winslow, who was then a member of our family, a tall, handsome youth of 16 years, was sent in great haste to Dr. Kimball's to borrow a hoop. Mr. Sherman told him to run the horse.

"Our admiration knew no bounds. This promise of future prosperity-this first cheese- · was absolutely on the table, and I had made it, and could make any number more. Little did I think then that this was the starting point of a great and important business in Jefferson County. We had improvised rude and inexpensive implements for present use, that would look curious to the dairymen in this day of great inventions and labor-saving machinery. I distinctly remember the press, a rough plank, and probably a ton or more of stones thereon. It was worked by a lever, lifting it off and onto the cheese by main strength. It was a terror to me, when I was sometimes left alone, to use it. But rude as the implements were they served our purpose, but were not labor-saving. The making of the cheese was but a small part of the labor. Order and cleanliness were absolutely necessary, to maintain which required plenty of water, which had to be lifted over the top of a cistern and drawn up from the well in the old oaken bucket. There was much discussion at the time as to the propriety of making cheese on Sunday; but as we must do that, or nearly waste our milk, we continued to make it on Sunday with no compunctions of conscience, and we were as early to church as our neighbors, riding in the farm wagon. Sometimes, on great occasions, Grandmother Sher- man would come and take us in her carriage.

" We had commenced this new industry in the early spring, and, there being no one to purchase the cheese, had continued its manufacture until our temporary rooms and tables were full to overflowing. By the advice of Mr. Crosby, our new friend from Herkimer, Mr. Sherman sent it to New York to be sold. It took 21 days by lake and canal to reach there. It proved to be good, sold readily, and we soon had returns at six cents a pound, sufficient to pay for every cow. But this was not all of our product. At the close of the season we had 15 beautiful calves, one room full of cheese, several tubs of butter, and plenty of everything after the summer's product was sold. We cured the late-made cheese with stove-heat, and kept it for spring market.

"There soon joined us on the dairy business such men as Isaac Munson, C. P. Kimball, Daniel Sherman, Moses Eames, Franklin Hunt. Clift Eames, David Granger, Z. Larned, Henry Hopkins, Gardner Town, Jerod Canfield, and a host of others. But these were our immedi- ate friends and neighbors. We had many visitors to see and many to learn the art of cheese- making, and we all had much to learn from experience, and, as in everything in lite, we never arrived at a state of perfection. Moses Eames, the following year, made a journey to Herki- mer County, to learn the best mode of building for the manufacture and cure of cheese, but not approving of the Herkimer buildings, he constructed a building after a plan of his own, which was every way convenient, with running water and steam. Franklin Hunt's dairy build- ings were the first built in the county. Moses Eames's cheese-house, which but recently sur- vived the destructive fire which swept away the old home, was one of the finest in this county, and recalls recollections of pleasures past. These two buildings were the first, and are stand- ing monuments of enterprise in the great business that spread rapidly over the county, re- sulting in prosperity to all classes.

"The winter was our season of rest and social gatherings, and the few of us who are left well remember the joyous festivities of the farmers of that day. There were no factories for many years to lighten our labors, but the butter and cheese was all made in our own homes, and with our own hands, and the farmers of the present know little of the hardships of our

I31

STAPLE PRODUCTS.

day, and perhaps little of our pleasures. The business was new and exciting, and cemented us in the bonds of friendship and interest for each other's prosperity. In a very few years prosperous results were very perceptible in the farmers of Jefferson County. They could ride in fine carriages, dress in rich clothing, furnish their homes pleasantly, send their children to the High school, have an instrument of music for their daughters, and good teachers to in- struct them. Their daughters were also required to help do the work, and were taught that good housekeeping was an accomplishment essential to their education, and we could trust them to make good bread and coffee, prepare a farmer's boiled dinner, or anything required for the table. The business was very prosperous to us, and Mr. Sherman added farm to farm, until we had nearly 400 acres of land, and had also increased the number of cows to, I think, about 50-20 being our first number. The large farm and dairy required many laborers, who had constant employment, and occupied the different houses belonging to the farm,-three in number, besides our own home,-to one of which our dairy was removed, and ever after the cheese was made by the laborers, until the dear old home passed into other hands, and we to other scenes far less congenial than our quiet rural life."

FROM 1861 TO 1890 .*

The cooperative cheese factory system was first started in Jefferson County in 1861. David Hamlin, of Watertown, was the first in this county to make the milk of other dairies into cheese. He charged from $1.75 to $2.00 for every 100 pounds of milk that he manufactured into cheese. They were not cheddared as now, and not uniform in size, weighing all the way from 100 to 300 pounds each. They were sold at anywhere from 20 to 25 cents per pound. From 1861 to 1879 there was a rapid growth in the number of new factories erected, and a vast change in the method of its manufacture. At present there are 98 factories in Jefferson County, which produce 150,000 cheese annually, equal to 9,000,000 pounds. Manufacturers do not get on an average $1.05 for every 100 pounds of milk manufactured into cheese. Most all of these cheese are cheddared, and the average weight is just 60 pounds each. Three-fourths of the county's cheese is exported to foreign countries. The average price for the past 10 years has been just $0.092343, nearly 9} cents per pound.

Since 1888 very little Limburger cheese has been manufactured in Jeffer- son County. The cheese factories have taken the place of butter factories and creameries, and there are only four in active operation during the sum- mer months.

The cheese of this county are sold principally on the board of trade, which was organized in 1874, and known as the " Watertown Board of Trade and Jefferson County Dairymen's Association." Of the 150,000 cheese manu- factured in this county annually, 50,000 of them are sold directly upon this board, and the balance at the weekly ruling, average or extreme prices paid for the direct purchases. This board holds weekly sales days, beginning the first Saturday in May, and continuing until the season's product is all sold, when it adjourns to the following May. This organization is sustained by the annual dues of factories represented, which was formerly $3 each per

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Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890, Part 15

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