Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 102

Author: Haddock, John A. 1823-
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Sherman
Number of Pages: 1094

USA > New York > Jefferson County > Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894 > Part 102

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Mr. Spicer was an active and persistent Abolitionist for many years. Indeed, Perch

River has been for the past 50 years noted for its firm stand upon temperance and re- sistence to slavery. These principles found a prompt and determined advocate in Mr. Spicer, for the very atmosphere he breathed in his youth was permeated with the true spirit of civil and religious freedom. Those who had then lately passed through the Revolutionary War, felt a personal interest in the perpetuation of liberty upon this con- tinent. They instilled into their children just ideas of the great triumph for liberal thought for which the Revolution stood, and Mr. Spicer brought into his adopted county the feelings and aspirations which were a part of his youth. He was for several years the predecessor of Hugh Smith, the man from Pennsylvania who had Quaker ideas ; and these two, with the one named below, formed a coterie which was hard to with- stand when they pulled together at the polls upon political questions.

HENRY SPICER, the most prominently known of any of Silas Spicer's children, he having held several honorable and important offices, was born in Brownville in 1820. He had the advantages of a good English educa- tion, and, as a young man, gave promise of the ability he has since manifested for so many years. He married Delia E., daughter of Beriah and Diana (Prior) Allen. They reared four children, Fremont W., residing in Dexter, manager of the Frontenac Paper Company ; Carrie E., who married Frank J. Watson, of Rome, N. Y .; Henrietta, who married Fred E. Wood, a merchant of Dexter, and George E., the president of the village of Carthage, whose portrait is shown in the composite plate of the official board of that village. Mr. Spicer's wife died in 1879, aged 52 years.

He was elected a member of the Legisla- ture in 1876, and was the Presidential Elector from this Congressional district when Grant was elected for his second term. Mr. Spicer was supervisor of Brownville from 1859 to 1863, and again in 1869. In connec- tion with Hugh Smith he was for many years a merchant at Perch River, and the name of the firm of Smith & Spicer was known throughout the northern part of the county, being ever a synonym for honesty and fair dealing. Their trade was not as ex- tensive as some other merchants, but they had the satisfaction of dealing with people all of whom they knew personally. Mr. Spicer has always maintained a high position as a citizen, and his influence has ever been upon the side of moral and social progress. His family have all added to his well-earned reputation by becoming useful members of society. He bears his 74 years like a man of 60-erect, and with his mind bright and clear.

As mentioned on the preceding page, Perch River was a regular depot upon the underground railroad which conveyed es- caping slaves to Canada. Hugh Smith, the partner of Mr. Spicer, was a Pennsylvania Quaker, a society celebrated for more than

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

200 years as the stern opponents of slavery and every form of oppression. His extended acquaintance in Bucks county, Pa., among that sect, made him the natural agent for furthering their philanthropic work, and he readily responded. J. A. H.

HUGH SMITH.

THIS distinguished and really able man, so well known for his decided stand for the abolition of slavery, for temperance and for morality, was born in Bucks county, Pa., January 27, 1811. He came of good old Quaker stock, and manifested, in a long and useful life, the philanthropic and peculiar characteristics of that remarkable sect. His

HUGH SMITH.

father's family came into Brownville in 1820, it being then the home of General Jacob Brown. In September, of the ensuing year, his father died, leaving a family of seven children, ranging in age from four to 16 years, in the hands of his mother, to be reared amid strangers, with the added dis- couragements of sickness and debt, and upon a farm but partially improved. Hugh was the fourth of the family. He put in all his time upon the farm, attending school a part of each winter until he was 25, except- ing such winters as he was teaching.

He moved to Perch River in the spring of 1836, and, in company with others, purchas- ed landed and store property, and began the life of a country merchant, which included handling almost every description of farm produce.

In September, 1836, the same year he began merchandizing, he married Miss Char- lotte Spicer, the daughter of Silas F. and Charlotte Spicer, of Perch River. By this devoted wife he had five children. Levi Smith, formerly postmaster at Watertown, was his brother ; he had also for a brother-in- law, Hon. James A. Bell, once State Senator from the Jefferson and Lewis district. Hon. Henry Spicer was his brother-in-law, and long-time business partner, the firm being Smith & Spicer, and they were successful. Mr. Smith was appointed postmaster at Perch River, in 1836, which office he held for 21 years, until his election to the Assem- bly in 1873. Up to that time, and long before, he had never sought office, nor would he accept it without much persuasion, but he had always been a politician; that is, a man who took an active and healthy inter- est in all the political questions of the day. His Quaker origin made him naturally an Abolitionist, for they hated slavery; and his astute mind made him a temperance man, the friend of law and order and good morals. For these things he stood "like a stone wall" and the influence of his high example is yet apparent in Brownville, which is now, and has been for many years, a town where liquor selling is not licensed. His early stand as an Abolitionist probably carried more weight with it than could have been imparted by any other man in Jefferson county, for all who knew Mr. Smith knew him as a man of fixed principles, one not to be turned aside by any selfish or trivial cause or argument. At one time he accepted the Abolition nomination for Congress, bearing all the weight of that campaign without even a dream of being chosen.

Since 1864, up to his death, he was an earnest and consistent Republican, and wielded a large and an entirely pure influ- ence upon politics in Jefferson county.

After a long and painful sickness, Mr. Smith died at Perch River, June 15, 1887, at the ripe age of 76. His beloved companion is yet spared to the society she has so long adorned. It is probable that Mr. Smith owed much to the pious teachings of his

devoted mother. From beginnings that were somewhat forbidding, so far as prop- erty was concerned, he grew up to be a man of peculiarly symmetrical character. With- out any peculiarly predominating trait, ex- cepting, perhaps, an enthusiastic support of any cause he advocated, he possessed an un- usually happy combination of characteristics that inspired the confidence and esteem of his fellow-men. He was a man of fine mind, judgment being happily blended with a love of literature and all good things. He was not one who saw much austerity in religion, re- garding it rather as a joyful possession. He was a very forgiving man, for he could not find in his heart to treasure up a wrong. Although not classed as a great man by the community at large, it is not too much to say that his influence was great in the

THE FRONTENAC PULP AND PAPER MILL, DEXTER, N. Y. See Page 104

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BROWNVILLE.

county where he resided, and his death was felt as a public calamity. J. A. H.

COL. NEWTON B. LORD

WAS the son of Colonel William Lord, whose biographical sketch and likeness will be found on page 467. His mother's maiden name was Miss Charlotte Thomas, and New- ton B. was born January 1, 1832.

By nature he was of an adventurous, very independent and of somewhat erratic dis- position ; traits that were traceable, perhaps, to the fact that he was a rich man's son, and not dependent upon daily labor for his sup- port, nor subject to discipline in his youth. He was once a partner with his father in the foundry business, and was always an un- usually prompt and decided business man,

COL. NEWTON B. LORD.

backed by a distinctly original, if not a matured mind. His father had been a soldier in the War of 1812, and was a trusted friend of Gen. John A. Dix, who had then risen to be captain of a company, and was earning the fame he afterwards achieved-a sincere patriot. 'Twas he who gave the order to " shoot upon the spot any man who attempt- ed to haul down the United States flag."

Newton B. had heard much about the profession of arms from his father, and when the news came that Sumter had been fired upon, he aided in raising a company, and it was mustered in at Elmira, becoming Company K, 35th N. Y. Volunteer Infantry. Captain Lord, when he first came to Elmira, saw that the colonel who was afterwards

chosen to command the 35th, was a man un- able to lead that grand body of men into action, or to subject them to the proper dis- cipline that should mould them into efficient soldiers ; and so he decided to try his best to gain the command, and become colonel. In this he was finally successful, but he was never safe from the same spirit of intrigue which he had helped to inaugurate, and was at last himself a victim to the spirit of dis- content that always characterized the line and staff officers of that excellent body of men. After his regiment had participated under his leadership in all of its important battles, his resignation was accepted. This, how- ever, was not done until several of his friends among the officers of the 35th (a two- year regiment), had promised him their sup- port in organizing a cavalry command when the 35th should be mustered out and the men ready in all likelihood to return to the field as veterans, and with a large bounty as an inducement for further service. Accord- ingly the 20th N. Y. Volunteer Cavalry was formed, and Colonel Lord was made its colonel; Colonel David M. Evans (see p. 34), was made lieutenant colonel. This was a large and very able regiment, nearly every person in it having seen hard service at Fredericksburg, Antietam and at Second Bull Run. It was unfortunate for Colonel Lord that he always manifested an unwilling- ness to obey promptly the order of a super- ior. This brought him in contact with the good and amiable General Wadsworth be- fore the 35th had ever been under fire, and was a decided detriment when he came in conflict with General B. F. Butler while the 20th Cavalry was doing duty on the coast, within that General's command. He' was deprived of his commission by Butler, and Colonel Evans 'thenceforth led the 20th Cavalry to the end of its service, sharing in the final winding up of the Confederacy in Virginia.

Colonel Lord became afterwards a railroad contractor, operating in that capacity finally in Chile, S. A., where he had important and valuable concessions from the government. But he was not destined again to see his native land, dying July 14, 1890, in his 59th year. Thus terminated an eventful and stirring life. He married Miss Cornelia Stone, who died in 1882. They reared four chil- dren : Robert, Richard, Kate and Maggie.

He was a man of some excellent traits of character. He was bold and enterprising, but his impatience under restraint detracted from his ability as a soldier, where implicit and unquestioning obedience is demanded at all times. His lineage was first-class, his education fair, but it seems that his success was less than it might have been had he held a stricter and closer rein upon his own will. He had the bearing of a soldier, but his will was scarcely ever in accord with his superior in rank. Had he held a roving commission, like Marion in the Revolution, he might have achieved an enduring success. J. A. H.

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

CAPE VINCENT. PREPARED BY MAJOR JAMES H. DURHAM.

R. W. & O. R. R. DOCK, CAPE VINCENT.

CAPE VINCENT was erected from Lyme, April 10, 1849, being the youngest of the towns composing Jefferson county. It was named in honor of Vincent LeRay, son of James Donatien LeRay de Chaumont, a dis- tinguished and early proprietor. It embraces the northwest corner of the county, and in- cludes Fox, Grenadier, Carleton and Linda islands. It covers all that territory lying west of a line running from the mouth of Little Fox creek N. 4834º E., 646 chains ; thence N. 57º E., 235.56 chains to the town of Clayton, its boundaries being the St. Lawrence river on the west, north and north- west, Clayton on the northeast and east, Lyme and Lake Ontario on the south and southwest.

The surface of the town is generally level, or slightly undulating until the lake is ap- proached, when the surface is broken into. valleys and terraced ridges, showing the out- lines of the lake-shore during an early period, indicating that the summits of the present ridges were islands at a time long past. There are now but few streams in the town, the principal one being Kent's creek, which, rising in the eastern part of the town, flows in a southwesterly direction and empties into Lake Ontario. There are numerous sulphur springs, some of which have been analyzed and found to contain ingredients of great cu- rative power. It is also believed that a flow of natural gas could be reached by boring to a moderate depth, so as to penetrate the same deposit in which the gas supply of Sandy Creek is found, and which underlies the surface-rock . of birds-eye limestone. This belief is strengthened by the fact that no less than two wells in the town, one of them on the principal street of the village, were formerly so impregnated with hydrogen that the water was unfit for use; and from

one of them a current of gas sufficient to ig- nite was known to flow.

The earliest settlement within the present limits of Cape Vincent was made on Carleton Island, which became a British trading post of no small importance 119 years ago. In 1778 a strong fortification was begun, and named Fort Haldimand, in honor of Gen. Sir Frederick Haldimand, who succeeded Sir Guy Carleton in command in the Canadas, and by whose orders the fort was built. The island was known to the French as " Isle aux Chevereaux," or Goat Island, but was by the English mistaken for "Isle aux Chev- reuils," (Roebuck, now Grenadier,) and hence for many years it was called Deer Is- land; but on its selection as a place to fortify, the name was changed to Carleton Island, A more detailed account of Fort Haldimand will appear further on.

Originally Cape Vincent was a part of the Alexander Macomb purchase, which em- braced the greater part of Franklin county, the whole of St. Lawrence, excepting Mas- sena and the "ten towns," and the whole of Jefferson excepting Penet Square and 600 acres on Tibbett's Point, which latter was patented to Captain John Tibbett, of Troy, and surveyed in 1799. In the cession to Ma- comb, the State also reserved Carleton Is- land.

The earliest settlement on the main land was made by Abijah Putnam, who came from Rome in 1801, and settled at a point about two miles below the present depot, where he projected a village, and established a ferry to Wolf Island. The place was named "Port Putnam," but can hardly be said to have had an existence, except in the mind of the projector, until the next year, when Mr. Putnam sold his interest in the vil- lage to John Macombs and Peter Sternberg, of Little Falls, who laid out the village and proceeded to sell lots. The Great Black River State road was extended from Brown- ville to this point, and, by 1803, had been partially. cut out. In May, 1803, Mr. John B. Esselstyn, of Montgomery, settled a mile be- low Port Putnam, and in 1804, Daniel Spin- ning came from Western. and shortly after him came two families by the name of Smith, a Mr. Sheldon, Jonathan Cummings, and several others, whose names cannot now be ascertained, all of whom located at Port Put- nam or near by. In 1806, Richard M. Essel- styn settled near his brother, below the vil- lage.

Port Putnam, as originally laid out by Ma- combs and Sternberg, was intended for a place of some importance. According to one of their maps, yet in existence, it was laid out in the form of a parallelogram, with a public square of about six acres in extent in the center, at the upper end of which, facing

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the river, a space was reserved for public buildings. Parallel with the river was Water street; then First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh streets, and intersecting these at right angles were Green, Montgomery, Herkimer, Washington, Jeffer- son, Clinton and Hancock streets. Pleasant street occupied both sides of the square. In their prospectus, which was attached to and formed a part of their map, Messrs. Macombs and Sternberg set forth some of the ad- vantages of their village as follows : "Lum- ber of all kinds is rafted from this village to Montreal and Quebec on a large scale, taking from nine to 13 days only to make a trip. Besides this, the great Black River State Road from Johnstown, Montgomery county, re- ceiving in its course the roads from Little Falls, Herkimer, Utica and Rome, runs through the middle of this village, and con- nects with Kingston and Upper Canada by ferry."

The attempt, however, to boom Port Put- nam into a place of importance was a failure. Through the influence of LeRay, the site was abandoned for that of " Gravelly Point," where there were already five or six houses, and where, in 1811, he caused a village plot to be surveyed, which was named after one of his sons, as already noted. At this time, other points were designated as "Hubbard's Bay," now Riverside ; "French Creek," now Clayton; "Catfish Falls," Depauville; "Fish Island," Dexter; and "Long Falls," now Carthage. At this time the families at Port Putnam and below, had been increased by Elnathan Judd, Norman Wadsworth, E. Cole, Caleb Lobdell, Mr. Phelps, William Hollen- beck, Charles Gillett, Orison Butterfield, Zimri Butterfield, Daniel Nicol, Samuel Brit- ton, Abner Hubbard and a Mr. Dodd, several of whom removed to the new village at Gravelly Point.

Eber Kelsey was the first settler on the present site of the village, having come here from Turin in 1809, and cleared for LeRay a tract of 50 acres along the river, built a small wharf, erected a block house, a dwell- ing house, a barn, and also a tavern where the Rathbun House stands; the block-house being further toward the river. The wharf was at the foot of Market street, and some of its remains are yet visible. Mr. Kelsey came originally from the town of Lyme, Con- necticut, and it is thought that his influence gave our town of Lyme its name. Mr. Kelsey was shortly followed by Dr. Avery Ainsworth, who came from Vermont. He was the first physician here, and built a house and store the same year. About this time Richard M. Esselstyn built a house and store, and began business under the firm name of J. B. & R. M. Esselstyn. Their store was at the foot of James street, where Mr. Richard Davis' coal house now is, and Dr. Ainsworth's store was near where the stone shop now stands, facing James street. That LeRay had early designed Gravelly Point for the site of a village of some size,

there is no doubt; principally because of its close proximity to Wolfe Island and the comparative ease with which Kingston could be reached, but it was not until 1811 that he directed Mr. Musgrove Evans, one of his surveyors, to survey and plat a mile square for the proposed village, which, as after events proved, was amply sufficient, as the present corporate limits, established April 14, 1853, occupy scarcely one-half of the original plat. A ferry was early estab- lished by Eber Kelsey, while as early as 1807 Peter Sternberg secured the exclusive right of ferrying from Carleton to Wolfe Island, which was, of course, discontinued during the war which followed. The busi- ness of lumbering was begun in 1809 by Richard M. Esselstyn and a man from Augusta, Canada, by the name of Murray; they bought their timber from LeRay, manufactured it into staves and hewn timber, and exported it to Montreal. This

traffic gave employment to many men, and increased the growth of the village rapidly. The business extended in a short time to the Genesee and Niagara regions, so that in 1810 about 200,000 staves were brought here by water and then rafted to Montreal. At the end of the season 80,000 or 90,000 staves were detained here by the embargo; and when that was taken off, the business of building arks for the Montreal trade became very brisk, and was followed as late as 1811 by the Esselstyns alone, though not as largely as before; and though whisperings of war had begun to make themselves heard, the opportunities for money-making were so great and so attractive, that they passed almost unnoticed; and though the embargo was again laid in 1812, preparations went steadily forward to raft the staves which re- mained of the trade of 1810-11. But the war came; the rafting was not done, and the staves were mostly used for fuel by the sol- diers. An extract given below from a letter written by Eber Kelsey to his wife, then in Leyden, Lewis county, will bring the stave trade clearer to view. After acknowledging the receipt of a letter from Mrs. Kelsey, in which she expresses fears for his safety, Mr. Kelsey says : " If you enjoy as much peace as we do, you have no reason to complain, as we have not seen nor heard of any movement of the enemy on the river, but I understand there has been a British spy boat to Sacket's Harbor, and took a boy from there who was hunting ducks, and carried him to Kingston ; and they have stopped twice at Grenadier Island and tarried some time, but never offered to molest any of the inhabitants. You write that there is no prospect of peace, but Mr. Esselstyn tells me that there is a pros- pect of an armistice taking place soon, to continue during the negotiations ; and if it does, he has no doubt of trade being resumed on the river soon ; and he is so far induced to believe it, that he is now out to get his staves rafted that lie along this shore, and wants my assistance with team and otherwise ; and

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

I do not know but I shall undertake to raft two cribs, so as to save those cribs I made for Taylor, which are yet lying along this shore ; but it will be extremely difficult to get help. He offers me $100 to repair those cribs and fill them with his staves, and also to pay for collecting what staves are scattered." Mr. Kelsey speaks of purchasing the "Kindrick lot," which adjoins one which he has already bought, and on which there is as "good a sugar place as I ever saw ; on which Captain Rogers and Hans Van Housen have made about 800 weight of sugar this season."

Just at this time there were but six or seven families remaining here, the others having removed to escape the probable dangers attending a state of war, the news of which had spread terror throughout the settlement. At the laying of the embargo, Captain Farrer, with part of a company of militia, was sent here to enforce it, and on the breaking out of the war, Major John B. Esselstyn was directed to assemble a body of militia, and three companies were placed here under his command. A company of militia, from the Mohawk valley, under Captain Getman, were stationed here for a time, and also a battalion under the command of Major Allen, with a detachment of rifle- men under Captain Forsyth, a section of light artillery and a detachment of dragoons.

During the winter of 1812-13, a line of sentries was established along the bank of the river, from Tibbett's Point to Hubbard's Bay (now Riverview), which gave rise to a laughable incident, and served to greatly re- lieve the monotony of sentry duty. A corporal by the name of Dean had crossed over to Wolfe Island and made the acquaint- ance of a fair one by the name of Button, after whose father Button Bay is named- and taking her heart by storm, the gallant corporal brought her away with him, a prisoner for life. One night a waggish sentry, whose love of fun overcame his fear of military discipline, sang out: "Button ! Button ! Who's got the Button?" "Corporal Dean!" was the answer; which, clear as a bugle note, rang out upon the still air of the night, until forest and stream fairly echoed to the cry of "Corporals," "Deans " and " Buttons."

The soldiers' barracks stood, one building on the corner of James street and Broadway, and another at the foot of James street ; while a building standing on Murray street was used as an hospital. These buildings, together with a store belonging to Henry Ainsworth, and one belonging to the Essel- styns, two or three small vessels, Major Esselstyn's house, which stood below Port Putnam, several barns and a large quantity of lumber, were burned by the British at different times during the war. They also burned a tavern and store, and destroyed an orchard belonging to Samuel Britton, which stood on the farm now owned by Robert Percy, Esq., opposite Linda's Island. In -. dians destroyed the house and barns belong-

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Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 102

Author: Haddock, John A. 1823- Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Sherman Number of Pages: 1094

Author: Haddock, John A. 1823-
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Sherman
Number of Pages: 1094