Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890, Part 98

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 98

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).

George L. Butterfield, son of Jehiel and Elsie M. (Wyman) Butterfield, was born in Wat- ertown in 1834, came to Rodman in 1859, and bought the Ora Cooley farm, on which he now resides. He married Anna R. North, June 17, 1874. Mr. Butterfield has been justice of the peace, and a member of the town board, for 20 years; was reelected for another term, but de- clined to serve. He was one of the drafted men in the late war, but owing to circumstances could not go, and paid $300 to the government. His grandfather, Zachariah Butterfield, was one of the first settlers of Watertown, and took up 100 acres of land where Washington hall now stands. He was also a captain of militia. Mr. Butterfield's mother was one of the earliest white chil- dren born in town, her birth occurring December 22, 1805. She is now 83 years of age, and has had six children, five of whom lived to maturity. The eldest, Robert Wyman Butterfield, prepared for college, but in 1851, two years after gold was discovered in California, he re- moved to that state. He took an active part in the political canvass for John C. Fremont in 1856, and was the choice of the Republican leaders in his district for member of Congress, but died before the election.

John Scidmore, Sr., located in Saratoga County, N. Y., at an early day. John Scidmore, Jr., located in Pinckney, N.Y., before the War of 1812, and participated in the battle of Sackets Harbor. He married Abigail Colomore, and in 1823 located in this county, dying in Rutland. Anthony Scidmore, son of John, Jr., was born in 1816. In 1844 he married Sarah Wilcox, of Rutland, and located in the southeastern part of that town. He had three children, namely: Franklin, who served in the 10th N. Y. H. A., and died on Staten Island; Solomon, who lives at Whitesville village, in this town; and James H., of Brownville. Upon the death of his wife, in 1859, he married Sarah Gardner, of Rodman, in 1860, and in 1871 removed to Whitesville, where he now resides.

George W. Smith, a resident of South Rutland, married Jennette A., danghter of William Oakes. Their son, Herbert L. Smith, born in Rutland, in 1863, was educated at Antwerp Academy. He studied medicine with Dr. J. H. Tamblin, of Copenhagen, attended the Medi- cal University at New York, and graduated from the Medical University of Buffalo, in the class of 1888. He married Florence Isabel, daughter of Nathaniel and Juliette (Schuyler) Lewis, April 14, 1886, and practiced his profession in Lorraine until he removed to Rodman, where he now lives.

RUTLAND.

R UTLAND, embracing its present limits, or township No. 3 (" Milan ") of the "eleven towns," was taken from Watertown, April 1, 1802. The name of the town was selected at a meeting held for that pur- pose and suggested by settlers from Rutland in Vermont. It lies upon the

NOTE .- In 1876 Elijah Graves, Luman D. Olney, and Henry T. Hopkins prepared an excellent historical sketch of the town of Rutland, which has since remained in manuscript in 1794, and came to this town in 1817, where he purchased of Elder Johnson a farm in the form. That sketch has been freely used in preparation of this article .- EDITOR.

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south bank of Black River, east of the center of the county, and is bounded on the north by Le Ray, east by Champion, south by Lewis County and a part of Rodman, and west by Watertown. The surface of the town consists of a narrow river valley on the north, a terraced plateau in the center, and a hilly region in the south. The central plateau, embracing the greater part of the town, is 300 or 400 feet above the flat country farther north, and it descends by a succession of steep declivities to the level of the river It is underlaid by Trenton limestone. Upon the south the surface gradually rises to the summits of the slate hills which occupy the south part of the county. A remarkable valley, known as " Rutland Hollow," extends through the town upon the lower terrace of the plateau, parallel to the river. It is deeply excavated in the limestone, and appears like the bed of an ancient river. Another smaller and deeper valley extends in the same direction across the summit of the plateau, and forms the bed of a deep, narrow lake. Pleasant Lake, Champion, is situated in the continuation of this valley. These valleys and terraces seem the result of abrasion rather than upheaval. Upon the edge of the terrace, 100 feet below the summit, may be seen the ancient lake ridge before mentioned. The soil is a very fertile loam upon the plateau, and a sandy loam upon the river. The town has an area of 27,2382 acres.

The first town meeting held within the limits of Jefferson County was organized at the house of Asher Miller, near Rutland Center, March 14, 1800. The records of the town of Watertown previous to 1805 having been burned, we have no list of the officers elected at that meeting. The first town meeting for Rutland was organized at the house of David Coffeen and adjourned to the house of Levi Butterfield, on Tuesday, March 7, 1803. The following officers were chosen, viz .: Henry Coffeen, supervisor ; Jacob A. Williams, town clerk; Levi Heath, Solomon Thompson, and Gershom Tuttle, assessors; Benjamin Edde, constable and collector; Levi Butterfield and Daniel Evans, poundmasters; Clift French, Doctor Phillips, and Peter Cook, fence viewers; Levi Heath, Thomas Duntin, Frederick Tyler, Stephen Commins, John E. Howard, Stephen Ellice, Richmond Howland, Isaiah Bab- cock, Nathaniel Welch, Wolcott Hubbel, Thomas Lee, and Chandler Maltby, pathmasters; Joseph Underwood, Mathias Howk, and Thomas Lee, deer reeves; John Smith, Clift French, David Coffeen, Perley Keyes, Chauncey Rawson, Zelotus Harvey, and Asher Ward, hog reeves.

Previous to 1830 justices of the peace were appointed by the Governor and Council. We have not been able to ascertain who first received appoint- ments, but among those who served as justices were Zelotus Harvey, Daniel Eames, Perley Keyes, Ethel Bronson, Archibald Clark, Joseph Graves, Levi Hale, and Merril Coburn. At a special town meeting held for the purpose at the house of Jonathan Porter, July 5, 1813, William Brown, Jonathan Smiley, and Abel Doolittle were elected commissioners of common schools in place of Ethel Bronson, Amos Stebbins, and Judah Williams ; and Josiah Massey, Timothy Tamblin, Obed Weeks, Ethel Bronson, and Robert Mid-

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dleton, inspectors of common schools. In 1806, at the annual town meeting, Ethel Bronson was elected supervisor, but at his request was excused, and Perley Keyes was elected to fill his place. In Hough's History of Jefferson County Mr. Keyes's name does not appear as a supervisor of Rutland.

From Spafford's Gazetteer of 1813 we quote :--

"In 1810 the population was 1,712. There were four saw-mills, two grist-mills, a distil - lery, and several mills, etc. There are about 60 framed dwelling houses, 85 framed barns, four framed school-houses, and four merchants."

The same author's Gazetteer of 1824 says of this town in 1821 :-

"There are three houses of worship, and 10 school-houses in which schools are kept eight months in 12. The population is 1,946; taxable property, $153,296; acres of improved land. 10,063; 2,946 cattle, 551 horses, 6,461 sheep; yards of cloth made in families, 23,895. There were three grist-mills, six saw-mills, three fulling-mills, two carding machines, five distilleries, and four asheries."

In 1880 Rutland had a population of 1,796. The town is located in the second school district of Jefferson County, and in 1888 had 13 school dis- tricts, in which the same number of teachers were employed 28 weeks or more. There were 329 scholars attending school, and the aggregate days attendance during the year was 26,989. The total value of school buildings and sites was $6,425, while the assessed valuation of all the districts was $811,755. The whole amount raised for school purposes was $2,857.67, of which $1,389. 10 was received by local tax. Truman C. Gray was school commissioner.

BLACK RIVER (p. o.) is situated on the river from which it derives its name, and is a thriving little village, containing about 40 dwellings on the Rutland side and a larger number in the town of Le Ray. It has quite extensive manufacturing interests already, with a prospect of more being added. The Dexter chair manufacturing establishments are located here, whose reputation is not confined to this country, but extends to Europe and countries of the East. The Watertown Paper Company has erected a large paper and pulp- mill on the south bank of the river, and another firm is contemplating put- ting up similar works on the "island." It also contains a grist-mill, cabinet shop, bending shops, planing-mill, blacksmith shop, three stores, and two churches. It is a station on the Utica division of the R., W. & O., six miles from Watertown, 181 from Albany, and 323 from New York, has express, tel- ephone and telegraph offices, and a population, on both sides of the river, of about 700.

RUTLAND CENTER (Rutland p. o.), situated on the old State road in the central part of the town, is a little hamlet of a half dozen houses, and con- tains a blacksmith shop, blacksmith and wagon shop combined, and a hotel, the latter of which was the first built in the town.

TYLERVILLE (South Rutland p. o.), situated in the south part of the town, contains one hotel, two stores, two churches, two wagon shops, two black- smith shops, and about 25 dwellings. The first woolen-mill north of the city

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of Utica was erected here in 1814, by a stock company, of which Daniel Eames was president and Eber Ingalsby, secretary. The building now stands unoccupied, and is in a dilapidated condition. The first frame building built in the village is now the kitchen of Mr. Scott's hotel.

FELT'S MILLS (p. o.), so named from a grist-mill owned by Mr. Felt in early times, is a small village containing about 15 dwellings, one church, one hotel, three stores, one blacksmith shop, a wagon shop, grist-mill, saw-mill, and cheese-box factory. The building occupied as a pump and axehelve factory was built by Jason Francis in 1845, and is used by two companies, Roberts & Slack, who manufacture axehelves, and Hiram Howland, who manu- factures pumps.

On October 24, 1889, the village of Felt's Mills was visited by a disastrous fire which destroyed the business part of the village. The buildings burned were : the glove factory, axehelve factory and pump shop, grist-mill, furniture and repair shop, Good Templars hall, Mary Lamark's dwelling, W. S. Cooper's store, Charles Tifft's dwelling and confectionery store, Hiram Allen's grocery, M. M. Parker's general store, in which was kept the post- office, S. W. Foster's general store, and a blacksmith shop. The loss was about $10,000. Since the fire several new houses have been erected, E. M. Marshall has built a new store, and Henry Marshall & Son a glove factory building. The Felt's Mills Paper Co. is now engaged in the erection of buildings for its extensive business. The buildings already up and inclosed are the engine house, dimensions 43x163 feet ; two machine rooms, each 36x152 feet ; boiler house, 34x45 feet ; pump house, 31x59 feet ; finishing room, 33x102 feet ; storehouse, 40x97 feet ; rag room, 40x73 feet ; and chloride room, 20x23 feet. The buildings are all of brick, one story high, and cover considerable ground. During the past season over 150 men have found employment and 50 are now at work. A huge pulp-mill, 65x200 feet, will be erected this spring. The new paper company practically controls all the water privileges on the river at Felt's Mills.

Dexter & Co .- In 1880 Christopher Poor and D. E. Dexter, who were engaged in the manufacture of bent chair stock, with works located on the " island," in the village of Black River, in the building now occupied by Wolcott Brothers, as a planing-mill, commenced in a small way the manufacture of the " Dexter rocker," under the firm name of Poor & Dexter. Their operations began in the spring, and in the following fall D. E. Dexter dis- posed of his interest in the concern to Charles Woulf and Charles P. Dexter, and the business was continued under the firm name of Poor, Dexter & Co. With them the business began rapidly to increase, and their chairs found a ready market it all parts of the United States and Canada. In the spring of 1884, on account of the failing health of Charles P. Dexter, his brother, Henry C. Dexter, was admitted into the firm, the name of which remained the same, and in the spring of 1885 Poor and Woulf retired from the com- pany and were immediately succeeded by D. H. and R. Byron Scott, when

42*

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the firm was known as Dexter & Scott. February 10, 1886, the Scotts retired by selling their interests to Charles P. and Henry C. Dexter, since which time the firm name has been Dexter & Co.

In the summer of 1884 Charles P. Dexter's health failing, he went to Dansville, N. Y., and thence to Texas, where he remained for about a year, but experiencing no beneficial results from that climate he went to Southern California in the hopes that there might be found a panacea for his weakened constitution. Here, also, he was disappointed, and on May 3, 1886, nearly two years after leaving home, at San Gorgonia, the highest point on the Southern Pacific Railroad, he died. As a member of the firm he developed a tact for doing business very rarely found in one of his age, and the firm's success is largely due to his management of the office work and general de- tails of the business. Since the death of Charles P. the business has been conducted by Henry C. Dexter, retaining the same name. Soon after the business was started the company occupied the ball-room of the old McOm- ber hotel, at the four corners south of the river, for finishing, upholstering, and packing, and as it increased the whole building was appropriated for their use. In 1884 the main building was doubled and the barns were taken in, making a floor space of 14,000 square feet. The whole buildings as they now stand, including the woodworking shop on the north side of the river, occupy a floor space of about 25,000 square feet. The main building of the finishing shop is 30x120 feet, and that of the woodworking shop 30X110, both of which are three stories high. The company gives employment to about 50 men, and turns out nearly 30,000 chairs annually. Their goods find a market in all parts of the world, and their business is still rapidly on the increase.

D. Dexter's Sons .- David Dexter, a carpenter and joiner by trade, came to the village of Black River in the year 1837, from Athol, Mass., and per- fected arrangements for the erection of a building in which to manufacture chairs, on a site very near the present location of D. Dexter's Sons. He then returned to Massachusetts and, with his family, in July, 1839, came again, bringing with him A. N. Brittan, a practical chairmaker. He found his shop in readiness on his arrival, and he immediately set about preparing stock, kilning, and drying, but not until the spring of 1840 did articles of his handi- work appear upon the market. At this time about six hands were employed, with Mr. Brittan as foreman, and only a limited number of chairs were made, principally of wood seat. In 1842 Mr. Brittan sought other employment, and the care and management of the business devolved solely on Mr. Dexter. The demand for his goods began to increase, and in 1847 he took into part- nership his brother, Simeon Dexter, and the firm was known as D. & S. Dex- ter. By them the business was continued till 1856, when David again assumed control, his brother retiring from the business to engage in farming. A year or two later Mr. Dexter's business had grown to such proportions that he found it necessary to enlarge his buildings and add new facilities in order to

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TOWN OF RUTLAND.

supply the demand of his increasing patronage. Thus he continued till 1864, when he took in his son, E. A. Dexter, and the partnership was known as D. Dexter & Son. In December of the following year, 1865, the entire prop- erty, the accumulation of 25 years of toil, was destroyed by fire, the origin of which was incendiary and said to be caused by Southern sympathizers. The buildings were immediately rebuilt, the size of which being very nearly double the original dimensions, and in the summer of 1866 the business again as- sumed its former proportions. In 1880 the death of David Dexter occurred, when the partnership which now exists was formed, the individual members of which are E. A. and D. E. Dexter. Their works, located on the south bank of the river, are at the present time equipped for the performance of all parts of the business, and the chair is started from the log and passed through all of its varied changes till it comes from the upholstering depart- ment completed and perfect in all its parts. Their woodworking shop is 40x80 feet and four stories high ; their paint shop and storeroom 40x72 feet, three stories high ; and their lumber sheds are 230 feet long. They manufact- ure all kinds of chairs, and give employment to from 35 to 50 men. Their reputation is second to none in the country for good work, and their chairs find a market in all parts of the United States and Canada, and in Europe.

Black River Pulp Co's mill, located on road 6, on Black River, was built in 1888 by H. Remington & Son, of Watertown. The size of the building is 150 by 51 feet, and has the capacity for grinding eight tons of dry pulp per day, giving employment to 11 hands. It is the intention of the proprietors to greatly enlarge the building.

Empire Wood Pulp Co's mill, located at Black River village, in the town of Rutland, was started in 1888. It furnishes employment to seven men, and manufactures from three to four tons of dry pulp per day.

The Jefferson Paper Co., located at Black River village, in this town, was incorporated in 1887 by Frank H. Munson and William P. Herring, and their mill was erected in 1888. It has the capacity for manufacturing six tons of dry pulp per day and employs 13 men. Frank H. Munson is president of the company, and F. W. Herring, secretary and treasurer.

The Benefit Glove and Mitten Co , located at Felt's Mills, was organized as a stock company in March, 1888. The concern employs 13 hands, and does a business of about $ 10,000 annually.

P. M. Paige & Co's machine shop, at Black River village, gives employ- ment to four men and does a general business in repairing machinery. The company also does blacksmithing.

Felt's saw mill and cheese-box factory, located at Felt's Mills, employ seven men in the manufacture of 5,000 feet of lumber per day and 30,000 cheese boxes annually.

Henry Marshall's saw-mill and cheese-box factory, located on Black River at Felt's Mills, was built by George C. Kidder in 1866, and purchased by

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Mr. Marshall in 1872. He manufactures about 500,coo feet of lumber and 50,000 cheese boxes annually, employing about 10 hands.

Rutland Valley creamery, Azro T. Frink, proprietor, was built by him in the spring of 1887, and is supplied with the Danish Western separators. It has the patronage of 300 cows, receives about 850,000 pounds of milk annually, from which is manufactured 36,956 pounds of butter, valued at $8,130.

Tylerville cheese factory, Byron Dickinson, proprietor, was built by his grandfather, T. Bailey, in 1871. It has the patronage of 275 cows, receives about 825,000 pounds of milk annually, from which is manufactured 82,500 pounds of Cheddar cheese, valued at $7,425.

South Champion creamery, owned by Jay W. Waldo, is situated two miles east of South Rutland. It has the patronage of about 500 cows, and receives nearly 1,500,000 pounds of milk through the season, from which is manufact- ured 63,000 pounds of butter, the estimated value of which is $15,120. The creamery was built in 1878, is fitted up with the Danish Western sepa- rators, and has all modern improvements for the manufacture of first-class butter.

Edward J. Williams's cheese factory, located about a mile east of Rutland Center, was built in 1877 by C. C. Hardy. It has the patronage of 400 cows, receives about 1,500,000 pounds of milk annually, and makes 157,000 pounds of cheese, valued at $18,750.

B. P. Smith cheese factory, G. B. Scott, proprietor, was built in 1875 by B. P. Smith. It has the patronage of 300 cows, receives about 800,000 pounds of milk during the season, from which is made 80,000 pounds of cheese, valued at $8,000.

The Cascade cheese factory, Bailey R. Mearns, proprietor, located on the west end of the South road, was built about the year 1860, by J. C. Hardy. It receives the milk of 600 cows, taking in 2, 100,000 pounds of milk during the season, making therefrom 210,000 pounds of cheese, valued at $18,900.

Henry C. Eames's cheese factory, located in the east part of the town, has the patronage of 200 cows, receives 600,000 pounds of milk through the season, from which is made 60,000 pounds of cheese, valued at $5,400.

Parkinson Brothers' cheese factory, located on the Hollow road, was built by Asa Parkinson in 1870. It has the patronage of 300 cows, receives about 900,000 pounds of milk during the season, and makes about 90,000 pounds of cheese, valued at $9,000.

Hon. Moses Eames furnishes the following, which was read before the Jefferson Historical Society. In the early days of Rutland the keeping of sheep and raising of wool was one of the most important of home industries, as nearly every family manufactured the clothing used in the household. So important had this home industry become that the legislature of the state passed a law the 22d day of March, 1811, entitled an act relative to incorpo-

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ration for manufacturing purposes, under which law the following company was formed :--

" We whose names are hereunto subscribed being desirous of forming a company for the purpose of manufacturing Woolen goods in conformity to a law passed the 22d day of March, 1811, entitled ' An act relative to incorporations for manufacturing purposes,' Do hereby Certify that we have associated ourselves together by the name and style of the 'Rutland Woolen Manufacturing Company' for the purpose of manufacturing woolen goods in the Town of Rutland, county of Jefferson and State of New York with a capital stock of twenty- five thousand dollars consisting of two hundred shares of one hundred and twenty-five dollars each, and that there are three Trustees viz, Ethel Bronson, Daniel Eames, and Josiah Tyler, who are to manage the concerns of the said company for the first year. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals at Rutland, September 25th, 1811. Thomas Hill (L.S.), Abel Doolittle (L.S.), Eber Ingalsbe (L.s.), John Oaks (L.S.), Ethel Bronson (L.s.), Josiah Tyler (L.s.), Daniel Eames (L.S.).

"SS. JEFFERSON COUNTY-SS. Be it remembered that on the eighth October, 1811, before me came Etliel Bronson, Josiah Tyler, Daniel Eames, Thomas Hill, Abel Doolittle, Eber In- galsby, and John Oaks, known to me to be the persons herein described and who severally acknowledged they executed this instrument in writing I allow it to be recorded.

"JOSEPH CLARK, Judge State."

Two of the stockholders, Ethel Bronson and Daniel Eames, took each one- fourth of the stock, which was $25,000. Of this stock only about $17,000 was ever paid in. As I now look back I am surprised at the spirit and energy these men put forth and the difficulties they had to encounter. The country was not only new, but not one of them was acquainted with the manufact- ure of cloths. The company in the fall of 1811 made preparations for building, and in 1812 put up most of the buildings and commenced work. This was a very busy year. War with England was declared June 18, 1812, and the price of things went up, as well as the cost of labor. Common wool was 50 cents and fine wool 75 cents per pound, and all dye-woods and cot- ton, which was used in the satinets, were high. Log-wood and all other dye-woods in the log were cut by hand, and the machinery was not of the improved kind. This was the first and only factory of the kind in all North- ern or Western New York, and the company was doing a very fair amount of work in the years 1813-14-15, but at the close of he war, there being no duty on woolen goods, the importation of British cloths soon put an end to this as well as many other factories in the states. In the years 1816-17 this company had accumulated manufactured goods beyond the sale, and there were some debts against the company for dye-stuffs, machinery, and other things, and it was thought best to sell and close out the company. In September, 1817, it was sold to Daniel Eames for $400, he making the only bid. The debts of the company were to be paid by those that bought the company. All the stock- holders in the company lost about all they had paid in. After the sale of the company's interest in the property the buildings and machinery were rented for some years and used for cloth-dressing and wool-carding for customers till about 1844.

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Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890, Part 98

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