Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890, Part 87

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 87

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LA FARGEVILLE (p. o.), named from John La Farge, the proprietor, was formerly known as " Log Mills." It is situated near the central part of the town. on Chaumont River, 18 miles from Watertown, 197 from Albany, and 339 from New York. It is a station on the U. and B. R. division of the R., W. & O. Railroad, and has telegraph, telephone, and express offices, five churches (Methodist Protestant, Methodist Episcopal, Protestant Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and Baptist, the last named not occupied), a fine graded school, three general stores, a drug and grocery store, one hardware store, two furniture stores, one flour and feed store, a grocery, three physicians, three blacksmith shops, two meat markets, two custom boot and shoe shops,

TOWN OF ORLEANS.

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one harness shop, a photograph gallery, barber shop, art studio, carriage shop, grist mill, a good hotel, livery stable, billiard and pool room, millinery store, several dressmakers, and a number of wholesale dealers in produce, thus affording a first-class market for the farmers in this locality.

STONE MILLS (p. o.) village is located in the southwestern corner of the county, 12 miles from Watertown, 194 from Albany, and 336 from New York. It has telegraph and telephone offices, two churches, two stores, a cheese fac- tory, saw-mill, and a blacksmith shop ..

OMAR (p. o.) village is located about two and a half miles south from Fish- er's Landing, on Mullet Creek, 23 miles from Watertown, 202 from Albany, and 344 from New York. It contains one church, one hotel, a cheese factory, two general stores, two blacksmith shops, one shoe shop, one harness shop, and about 100 inhabitants.

FISHER'S LANDING (p. o.) is situated on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River, six miles below Clayton, and contains one hotel, one general store, a grocery, blacksmith shop, several boat builders, a few summer cottages, and about 150 inhabitants.

ORLEANS FOUR CORNERS is a small post village and station on the U. and B. R. division of the R., W. & O. Railroad, in the eastern part of the town, 16 miles from Watertown, 194 from Albany, and 336 from New York. It has telegraph, telephone, and express offices, one church, a grocery, cheese factory, and about 50 inhabitants.

THOUSAND ISLAND PARK (p. o.) is a summer resort on Wells Island, where is located a large hotel, store, meat market, boat livery, and four or five hun- dred cottages.

GRAND VIEW PARK, one of the newest of the Thousand Island summer resorts, is located in this town, on the northwestern point of Wells Island. A fuller description of these beautiful summer homes has been given in the County Chapter.

Dr. Hough's History of Jefferson County says that improvements com- menced in this town in 1806, by persons who came on without acquiring title, and took up lands ; there being no resident agent, and a partial and imper- fect history of the title having gained currency, the belief became general that there was no legal owner of the tract, which for several years after the war had great numbers, chiefly of the poorer classes, to select land and make locations. In this they were governed by nothing but their own choice, select- ing some spring or stream of water for the vicinity of their dwellings, and ap- propriating such lands to their own use as they might choose to claim. These squatters, who had adopted a kind of regulation among themselves in rela- tion to lands, were accustomed to make " possession lines " by lopping down bushes, and bought and sold " claims," giving quit claim deeds for the same. Few permanent improvements were made, the settlers mostly living in huts, and engaged in getting out oak staves and square timber, making potash, or in cultivating the soil in a most slovenly and careless manner. As a natural

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consequence this unprincipled course invited thither crowds of adventurers from various quarters-many from the Mohawk country; rough, hardy, and enterprising, with nothing to lose and everything to gain, accustomed to rough fare and rude accommodations, yet in many respects just the class to reduce a wilderness. Schools were established and religious societies organized a few years after settlement.

In 1807 John Wilkes, one of the proprietors, visited the tract, and is believed to have been the first of the owners who traversed it. Being unac- customed to the fatigue of traveling in the forest he returned home disgusted with it, and for several years there was no legalized agent in the county. In 1817 (October 17) the following settlers took contracts on lots number 66, 75, 86, 87, and 95, near Stone Mills, in which vicinity A. M. Prevost held lands, and had appointed Elisha Camp, of Sackets Harbor, as his agent: Asa Hall, Richard Taylor, Frederick Avery, Benjamin and John Taylor, William Collins, Samuel Linnel, Solomon Stowell, Lester White, Roderick C. Frazier, William Collins, Jr., Leonard and Blake Baldwin, Isaac Mitchell, John B. Collins, John Smith, Ebenezer Eddy, Shepherd Lee, Thomas Lee, Thomas Lee, Jr., Ebenezer Scoville, William Guile, William Larrabe, Warren Hall, Henry Arnold, Ambrose Adams, and John Page. The contracts ran for seven years, and the lands were rated at $5 per acre.

In 1821 certain of the settlers, not being sure of the validity of Penet's title, petitioned the legislature to authorize the attorney-general to examine the title. Following is the attorney-general's report :-

" The Attorney-General, to whom was referred the petition of a number of the inhabitants of that part of the town of Brownville, in the Connty of Jefferson, called Penet's Square, re- spectfully represents:

"That the petitioners state that the tract of land called Penet's Square is situate in great lot No. IV., of Macomb's Purchase, and contains 64,000 acres. That the title to these lands is 'to the public generally, and to the petitioners in particular, altogether uncertain,' and that there are on the said tract about 320 families, or those ' who have been induced to take contracts of the pretended agents of pretended proprietors'; and that great improvements have been made on the same tract of land, and that the inhabitants of the same tract are very solicitous to ascertain the real title to the same. The petitioners therefore pray, first, that some resolu- tion or law may be passed that shall force those who lay claim to said tract of land to put the evidence of their title on the records of the County of Jefferson, and, second, that the Surveyor- General, or the Commissioners of the Land Office, may be directed to report 'such infor- mation as they may possess relative to the title of the said lands.' As to the first request of the petitioners, it is presumed that it is not expected of the Attorney-General that he should give any opinion as to the propriety or expediency of granting it; but, as to the second, the At- torney-General has no means of ascertaining the true title of the lands in question, any fur- ther than what may be derived from an examination of all records in the office of the Secretary of State. The Attorney-General finds in such examination that the said tract, called Penet's Square, is not, as the petitioners express, a part of Macomb's Purchase, but a separate tract, granted by the State to Peter Penet by letters patent, dated the 19th of November, 1789, and the whole of said tract, except 21,000 acres, appears to have been conveyed by the said Penet to one John Duncan, formerly of Schenectady. How the title to the above lands have been subsequently conveyed, or whether the same remains with the said Duncan, or his heirs, the Attorney-General has no means of ascertaining.

" All of which is respectfully submitted.

"THOMAS C. OAKLEY, Attorney-General."

WYS Biddle

see

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TOWN OF ORLEANS.

A considerable portion of Penet's Square had become the property of John La Farge, who had been engaged in the firm of Russell & La Farge, as a merchant in Havre, and in the course of his business had purchased a por- tion of these lands. He subsequently resided several years in New Orleans, and about 1824 came on to assert his title to this tract, but the settlers had, from the previous confusion of claims, at first but little confidence in his title. In 1824 a meeting was held at Stone Mills, at which a committee was ap- pointed to investigate the question, in order to decide what reliance might be placed in his claims, which resulted in little good. In 1826 two other persons claiming title under Hyppolite Penet, brother of Peter Penet, the original patentee, appeared at La Fargeville, called a meeting of citizens, and stated their claims, but with no further effect than to impair the confidence of some in the pretensions of others. After considerable more litigation the lands again reverted to La Farge, who finally removed to New York, ap- pointing Dr. John Binsse, of Watertown, his agent.

The first settler in the town of Orleans was Roderick C. Frazier, who came on in 1806 and built a log house, about two miles north of Stone Mills, in the garden of the farm now occupied by Roswell W. Gates. The second settler was Peter Pratt, who was born in Saybrook, Conn., in 1775. Mr. Pratt married Mary Scoville, of Hartford, Conn., at Perch River village in this county, in 1805, and in 1807 located a little south of Stone Mills. Soon after this several others came in, among whom were the Collins brothers, the Mitchells, and the Dorrs. North of Stone Mills, at Moulton's Corners, the early settlers were Daniel Niles, Semon Shead, Shep. Lee, Oliver Wright, Peter Rhines, Coleman Dickinson, Charles McGiven, and Seth Warner. Later on came 'Squire McNitt, Daniel Gardner, Archibald Fisher, Robert Jerome, and Col. Martin. All these located in the vicinity of the Corners. The town business was transacted here from 1821 until the records were burned with Moulton's store in 1828.

The first settlement of La Fargeville began in 1816, when Dr. Reuben Andrus, with Benjamin Page, came from Vermont and located here in that year. Dr. Andrus built a log house upon the site of the present Orleans House, and Mr. Page erected a like habitation where Wayland Ford now lives. In the fall of that year (1816) a log mill was built at the upper dam by Dr. Andrus. A few weeks later Moses Darby came on with his family, and built a log house near the site of Byron J. Strough's residence on Clay- ton street. Eli Bergin, then a boy of 16 years, came with him. Mr. Darby was a mighty hunter, and often furnished the pioneers with venison, and not infre- quently with bear's meat. In 1817 Peter Cook came on with his family and built the first frame house in the village. He had four sons, Horace, Hiram, Hial, and Harvey. Major Earl, who acquired his title in the War of 1812, also settled here in 1817, and built a house near thie Clayton line, on the Capt. Snell farm, now occupied by Seth Mathers. The Major had a son, Ly- man, who came with him. Soon after Major Earl, the same year, Charles

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Cummins came in and built the Cushman House, which he opened as a hotel. Dr. Cushman also came in 1817, and was the first practicing physi- cian in the village. The Doctor subsequently bought the hotel, which has since borne his name. It is now the property of Mr. Henry. In 1820 Fred Tyler, of Rutland, opened the first grocery store here. W. C. George, who was employed by Mr. Tyler in the capacity of clerk, subsequently succeeded him in business, and served the town as supervisor and justice of the peace.

As has been previously stated the early settlers had nothing but " brush titles " to the land. After the territory became the property of John La Farge, by purchase from the comptroller for taxes, about 1823, Mr. La Farge came on and compelled the settlers to pay for the improvements made on the lands which they supposed to be their own. This was a severe blow to the pioneers, and many of them, not being able to pay for their claims, left town. Mr. La Farge immediately commenced the erection of a land office, which building is now used as a hotel (the Getman House). He also built a school- house, the La Farge mansion, the stone house opposite the mansion, and the Biddlecom residence at the village. Up to this time (1823) the village had retained the appellation of "Log Mills." At a Fourth of July celebration held in the woods, where the school-house now stands, a vote was taken which resulted in adopting the present name.

On the night between May 29 and 30, 1838, the British steamship Sir Robert Peel was plundered and burned while taking on wood at Moore's Landing, Wells Island, by a party of 22 self styled " patriots," led by one Bill Johnson. Large rewards were offered for the apprehension of any of those engaged in the nefarious undertaking, and although several were arrested none were convicted at the time. One man was subsequently executed in Kingston for the incendiarism. The Rock Island light-house, which shines near the spot where the Peel was burned, was built in 1853, and Bill Johnson was appointed the first keeper.

CHURCHES.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, at La Fargeville, was organized in January, 1868, by Rev. H. R. Lockwood, although services had been held irregularly before that time. At its organization it consisted of 10 members, and Rev. H. R. Lockwood was the first rector. The society first worshiped in the building now held by the Protestant Methodist Society, of which they were then half owners. They subsequently erected their present frame building at a cost of $3,000. It will comfortably seat 200 persons, and is valued, includ- ing grounds and other property, at $3,500. The present membership is 35, and Rev. J. E. Walton, of Clayton, is the rector. The following interesting note is taken from the parish register: " The first Episcopal services known to be held in the Township of Orleans took place November 13, 1856, in the Lutheran Meeting-House at Orleans Corners, the Rev. Robert Harwood,

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a clergyman of the Church of England, officiating. At that visitation he administered the Holy Communion to Margaret P. Hines, and buried her at the above mentioned date."

The Methodist Episcopal Church, located at the village of La Fargeville, was organized before 1832. The exact date of its organization cannot now be ascertained, as the records of the church previous to 1852 have been lost. The pastor of the church in 1852 was Rev. G. W. Elwood, and in that year the society rented the academy building, which it subsequently purchased, and still uses as a church and parsonage. The size of the main building is 50 by 70 feet, to which has been added a prayer room 12 by 30 feet. The original cost of the structure was $3,500. It will comfortably seat 250 per- sons, and is now valued, including grounds, etc., at $5,000. There are at present 8t members, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Webster Ingersoll. The Sunday school has a membership of 120.

The Methodist Protestant Church, located in La Fargeville, was organized in 1869, with 25 members, by Rev. Philip Swift, the first pastor. Their church building was erected as a union church in 1838, and was purchased by the society in 1872. It will comfortably seat 275 persons, cost originally $4,300, and is now valued, including grounds, etc., at $3,500. The church is out of debt and is in a generally flourishing condition. The present num- ber of members is 40, and Rev. W. H. Bentley is the pastor. The Sunday- school has five teachers and 30 scholars.

The Methodist Protestant Church, at Stone Mills, was organized December 25, 1866, by Rev. Philip Swift, the first pastor, and at its organization con- sisted of 21 members. Their first house of worship, the present wooden structure, was erected in 1870 at a cost of $2,000, about its present value. It will comfortably seat 250 persons. The present membership of the church is 43, under the pastoral charge of Rev. W. H. Bentley. Jason D. Timmer- man is superintendent of the Sunday-school, which has a membership of 12 teachers and 48 scholars.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at Orleans Four Corners, was organized May 15, 1840, by Rev. Henry L. Dox, the first pastor, and at its organization consisted of 12 members. The original cost of their house of worship, which will comfortably seat 250 persons, was about $1,250. It is now valued, including grounds, etc., at $3,000. The present membership of the church is 69, under the pastoral care of Rev. Eugene L. Wade. Joseph Rasbach is superintendent of the Sunday-school, which consists of five teach- ·ers and 60 scholars.

St. John's German Evangelical Lutheran Church, located on lot No. 45 of Penet's Square, was organized in 1841, by Henry Haas, V. Balltuff, and N. Lehr, with Rev. Mr. Schmidt as first pastor. Their house of worship, a wooden structure, was erected in 1841, at a cost of $1,500. It will seat 200 persons, and is valued at $1,600. The present membership is 46, under the pastoral charge of Rev. George F. Hartwig.

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TOWN OF ORLEANS.

St. John's Roman Catholic Church, at La Fargeville, is a pretty frame structure 30 by 40 feet, and will comfortably seat about 100 people. The church was recently dedicated, and is a credit to the Catholics of the town, who, though few in numbers, are devout and earnest in their worship.

RUSSELL B. BIDDLECOM.

Hon. Russell B. Biddlecom, son of Charles and Rhoda Biddlecom, was born in Deerfield, Oneida County, March 19, 1822. Upon the death of his father, in 1829, he went to live with an elder brother, and in 1835 he immi- grated to this town, where he has since resided, with the exception of during the years 1857-60, when he held the office of county clerk and resided in Watertown. He received a good common school education, with the addi- tion of three months at Belleville Academy. His school days were alter- nated with work on his brother's farm. Commencing at the age of 18 he taught school for about 12 years. In 1844, in recognition of his qualifications as a teacher, he was elected town superintendent of common schools, which posi- tion he filled acceptably for eight years. In 1849 he was elected justice of the peace and served until 1857. He was appointed colonel by Governor Morgan, and assisted in organizing artillery conipanies in Lewis and Jefferson counties, and during the term of his service nearly 2,400 men were enlisted and sent to the front, comprising 16 companies, which were formed into heavy artillery regiments. He served at the front one year, and was dis- charged for disability. In 1865 he represented the Third Assembly district in the state legislature, and the Second Assembly district in the same body in 1866. In 1865 he was elected supervisor, and continued in office five years. In politics Mr. Biddlecom was a Whig until 1855, when he became a Republican and assisted in organizing the Republican party in Jefferson County, for the success of which party he has since given his best efforts. In 1870 Mr. Biddlecom became interested in a company for building the Theresa & Clayton Railroad, of which he was elected a director, and was ap- pointed superintendent, secretary, and treasurer, which positions he held until the road was consolidated with the Utica & Black River Railroad Co. The towns of Orleans and Clayton were bonded to build the road, the former for $80,000 and the latter for $100,000.

Mr. Biddlecom obtained the consent of the taxpayers of the town of Or- leans to its bonding, although violently opposed by Cornelius Burt, Albion A. Hughes, William B. Irwin, and many others, who afterwards appeared in the County Court and contested the appointment of railroad commissioners. After a hearing before Judge Sawyer he appointed commissioners to issue the bonds. The case was brought by certiorari to the Supreme Court of the state, in which the judgment of the County Court was sustained. On appeal to the Court of Appeals the judgment of the County Court appointing commis- sioners was reversed.

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TOWN OF ORLEANS.

Intermediate the decision of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals Mr. Biddlecom, as treasurer of the railroad company, sold $10,000 worth of the bonds of the town of Orleans, which had been issued by the commission- ers, and soon after the decision of the Court of Appeals he sold the remain- der of the bonds, amounting to $70,000. After the sale of the bonds Isaac Mitchell, as supervisor of the town of Orleans, commenced proceedings in the Supreme Court against Mr. Biddlecom and others to recover damages on account of the sale of the bonds, alleging that he, in bonding the town, building the railroad, and selling the bonds, had conspired with others to de- fraud the town. In 1884, after many years of expensive litigation, the suit was finally decided against the town, and Mr. Biddlecom fully exonerated from all charges of fraud and conspiracy, and his official acts in behalf of the railroad declared valid. The railroad, in its value and usefulness, having surpassed the expectations of its most sanguine friends, all opposition has ceased, and Mr. Biddlecom is now universally acknowledged one of the ben- efactors of the town.

FAMILY SKETCHES.

Peter Pratt was born in Saybrook, Conn., in 1776. In 1805 he was married to Lney Scovel, of Hartford, Conn., the ceremony being performed at Perch River village, in the town of Brownville. He removed from Brownville to Orleans and was the second settler in the town, on a farm on road 67, now occupied by his grandson, Frank Graham. His children were Almira, Asa, Anna, Daniel, Hiram, Lewis, George S., and Luey. The latter married Calvin D. Graham, by whom she has one son, Frank P. Mr. Graham had been previously married to Mary Munson, of Potsdam, by whom he had two children-James E., who died at the age of 19 years, and Ella, who married Moses Petrie. Frank P. Graham married Alice, daughter of Jacob Lehr, of this town. In 1856 Calvin D. Graham bought out the heirs of Peter, first settler on the homestead, and occupied the farm nntil 1887, when he removed to Watertown, where he erected a fine residence on State street.

Charles Sexton came from Lowville in 1818, and settled at Stone Mills. He married Abbey Butler, a relative of Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, and they had four sons and four daughters. Charles, Jr., was a prominent business man at Stone Mills, where he was a farmer and had a store and saw-mill. He subsequently removed to Janesville. Wis., and engaged in manufact- uring. He married Nancy Boon, of Watertown, and their only son, Hanley, is in partnership with his father.

John N. Beardsley, youngest son of E. P. Beardsley, was born in Kent, Litchfield County, Conn., in 1807, and was one of seven children. When he was four years of age Ins parents removed to Winfield, Herkimer Connty, where the family remained abont 10 years. In June, 1822, they located in this town, where the present village of Omar now is. On their way to their new home they stopped one night at La Fargeville, at the log hotel then owned by Dr. Andrews. The present Getman Honse at La Fargeville occupies the site of the old log hostelry. Dr. Andrews also owned a grist-mill of primitive style. It was said by a Watertown lawyer that he called at the mill, which was running at full speed, but he saw no meal coming from the spout. He very solemnly averred that upon examining he found a mouse in the spont eat- ing the meal as fast as it was ground. John N. Beardsley helped to build the first saw-mill and dam on Mullet Creek, about two miles from Fisher's Landing. He remained with his father eight years, after which he lived successively at Little Falls and Frankfort, Herkimer County, Rossie, St. Lawrence County, and Philadelphia, in this county, and May 17, 1842, he came to La Fargeville and engaged in the hardware business for two years. For seven seasons he sold lightning rods for H. H. Babeock & Co., of Watertown. He was also agent for the Agricultural Insurance Co., of Watertown, for 13 years. He married Lucy Bueklin, of Little

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Falls, and they have had seven children. viz .: Martha (Mrs. W. W. Tucker), of Watertown; Sarah, wife of H. W. Bennett, a dental surgeon, of Nantes, France; Sophia J., wife of Dr. C. M. Wilkie, of Paris, France; Mary E., David W., and Homer W., deceased; and Andrew B. The latter married Grace Richard, of Chicago, formerly of Richfield Springs, Otsego Connty, and is one of the prosperous merchants of La Fargeville. The wife of John N. Beardsley is. deceased, and he resides with his son Andrew B., in this town, aged 81 years.

William R. Larabee was born in Virgil, Cortland County, February 24, 1812, and when 12 years of age removed with his parents to this town and located in the village of La Fargeville, where he attended the public schools for a time. Ilis father was a stone mason, which trade the son also learned early in life, and assisted in the building of the La Farge mansion and the stone house opposite, and also the Biddlecom residence in the village. When Mr. Larabee was 18 years old his father died, and the family was dependent upon the young man for sup- port. In 1839 he married Caroline, daughter of Stephen Priest, and they have had 10 children, two of whom died in infancy, and eight survive, namely: Celestia A., Washington W., Sarah E., Lansing T., Daniel R., Almira C., Arvilla E., and Adda L. Sarah E. married John Schultz, of Plessis. Washington W. married Dolly Gillett, of Alexandria. Mr. Larabee resided on road 25 and in that vicinity for 56 years. He died in 1889.

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Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890, Part 87

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