Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 104

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

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Five hundred acres of the head of the island was a military class-right or grant, be- longing to a Revolutionary soldier, William Richardson. Matthew Watson and William Guilland purchased the right, and Guilland sold to Watson, who died, leaving it to his three children, John, Margaret and Jane ; John and Jane died, leaving Margaret sole heir; she married Jacob Ten Broeck, and they sold to Charles Smyth, who purchased the remainder of the island from the State. In 1823, Mr. Fred Hassler, who for many years had charge of the United States coast survey, was appointed to survey the island, and he reported the total area to be 1,274 acres, mostly appraised at $4 per acre. To- day there are several fine farms on the island. Captain Wyckoff, of the well known firm of Wyckoff, Seamans & Benedict, which handles the Remington typewriter, himself a gallant soldier of the late rebellion, now owns the military grant of 500 acres earned by the sol- dier Richardson in the War of the Revolution.

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CAPE VINCENT.

That it should have been owned by a soldier who fought in the rebellion of the colonies, and is now owned by one who fought in the rebellion of States, is eminently proper. On the head of the island (the Government Point of 1778,) Mr. Wyckoff has at this writing, well toward completion one of the finest cottages on the St. Lawrence river. Other elegant cottages and the Utica Club grounds and houses make up the present occupation of the Point.

During the war of 1812-15, residents along the St. Lawrence river, near the eastern boundary of the town, were not wholly free from British visitation. At this time the great Black River State road, which touched the St. Lawrence at Port Putnam, extended down the river to Ogdensburg ; and, instead of taking a comparatively direct course, it followed more or less closely along the shore, touching the river at a point opposite Linda's Island, and also at a point below, on which a fortified block-house was erected and a small garrison stationed. This point is one of the most picturesque spots on the river, and is now the property of Mr. Alfred D. Percy, whose father, David F. Percy, purchased and settled on the same farm more than 60 years ago. Near the Point stands a thin marble slab, bearing the inscription : "Ebenezer Sexton. Died Oct. 1, 1828, aged 51 years, 7 months and 23 days." Deceased was a sut- ler for the garrison, as well as a general store- keeper. On the Point above, and opposite Linda's Island, Samuel Britton built a dwel- ling house, which finally became a tavern, and a very convenient stopping place for people passing to and fro between Cape Vin- cent and Gananoque, between which places there was considerable trade at that time. He also planted an orchard and had begun to make extensive improvements before the breaking out of the war. His tract embraced all of that lot of land now owned by Alfred D. Percy, and up the river, including the James Linda farm. Mr. Britton had been a Revolutionary soldier, entering the service at the age of 14, with the Vermont troops, and serving throughout the war. He was at the battle of Bennington, and participated in the engagements which finally resulted in the de- feat and surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga in 1777. Like thousands of others, at the close of the war he found himself homeless. paid off in Continental scrip, a thousand dol- lars of which would not purchase a meal of victuals nor a night's lodging; and like thousands of others, he became somewhat embittered toward the government which he had served for seven long years. True, it had promised him a " class-right" or grant of 500 acres of land, but even that was not forthcoming, and the young soldier was left entirely to his own resources. On his first arrival in this vicinity, his home for a time was with Major John B. Esselstyn, who was ever ready to extend a helping hand to new comers, until he finally made his home as already stated. He was a man who looked

carefully to his own interests, and in conse- quence tried to maintain a strict neutrality during the War of 1812, treating both sides with the utmost impartiality. But the plan worked disastrously. As is always the case, a neutral is looked upon with sus- picion by both sides, and Mr. Britton was no exception to the rule. The Americans were inclined to regard him as a Tory, although they had no positive proof of the fact, while the British, at first regarding him as a friend, finally came to doubt his loyalty to their cause, and treated him accordingly. For this belief they appear to have had some grounds. The arrival at his house of deserters from Canada was of frequent occurrence, and they were sheltered, fed and sent safely on their way. Often they reached Britton's in the night, with feet badly frozen from travelling on the ice, and many times has Mrs. Britton acted in the capacity of a surgeon, and ampu- tated a frozen toe with a skill that some young surgeons might envy, and finally send- ing her patients on their way rejoicing. De- serters from the American army were cared for in like manner. But there was to be an end to all this. One night at midnight, a British gun-boat landed, robbed Sexton's store, burned Britton's tavern and dwelling, cut down and burned his orchard, getting away unharmed. The little garrison, half a mile away, dare not leave their fortifications lest the enemy should take possession ; and so the work of destruction went on un- checked.

Linda's Island took its name from a daugh- ter of Britton's, who, in a log hut on the island, nursed and cared for a sick officer who had deserted, either from Sackets Har- bor or from the troops stationed at Cape Vin- cent, it is not positively known which. At all events, the episode, with all its conse- quences, gave the young lady's name to the island, which it still retains. At first it was thought best to fortify the island, and with that end in view a block-house was begun, but wiser counsels prevailed and the work on Cedar Point was erected.

Another island possessing much historical interest, is Grenadier Island, lying at the foot of Lake Ontario, to the left of the course from the head of the St. Lawrence river to the mouth of the Welland canal. This island was visited by Charlevoix in 1621, and prob- ably by Champlain in 1615, although this is not certain. In 1760 the great expedition under General Jeffrey Lord Amherst, which set out from Oswego with 10,000 soldiers and a large Indian contingent, for the capture of Fort Levi, a French fort below Ogdensburg, made this island its general rendezvous pre- vious to the final start. The next important expedition, which included Grenadier Island as its rendezvous, was that ill-managed affair, the result of folly, incapacity and drunkenness on the part of its commander, General Wilkinson, late in the fall of 1813 ; so that Grenadier Island has an actual history, fully supported by documentary evidence,

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

reaching back 273 years, with a fair presump- tion of 30 years more, which connects Jeffer- son county with the earliest history of America. The island is about the same in ex- tent as Carleton Island, and is occupied by ex- cellent farms. The first settler was John Mitchell, and at the time of the War of 1812 the island had several inhabitants. Fox Island lies near Grenadier, and consists of a single farm, which is owned by Wm. Grant, Esq., of Cape Vincent.

The conscientious historian is often re- quired to give reasons for certain results, or, in other words, having described certain con- ditions, it devolves upon him to explain the causes which led to them. Thus far it has been shown that the village of Cape Vincent was not only prosperous, even in early times, when the whole country had been impover- ished by a war; but was a village which bid fair to become a place of no little importance in the near future. So certain did this seem to be, and so large and increasing was the trade from the central portions of the State, that as early as 1832 the building of a rail- road from Rome to Cape Vincent was agi- tated, and, in fact, a company was formed to construct the road. Again, in 1846, another trial was made, but it also failed. Finally, in 1848, work was actually begun, and early in the spring of 1852 the last rail was laid to the St. Lawrence river, and in April the first train appeared, amid the most enthusiastic rejoicings. Would Cape Vincent have fared better without the road? Let us see. As a matter of fact, up to and some time after the opening of the Rome & Cape Vincent Rail- road, the village promised to become, next to Watertown, the most important place in the county. This was the general opinion of the people, irrespective of locality. The railroad company constructed 3,000 feet of wharfage, a freight house 600 feet long and a passenger station, including a fine hotel 200 feet long by 50 feet wide. A fleet of fine propellers connected the road with the Michigan Central at Detroit ; the magnificent line of steamers, Bay State, Northerner, Cataract, Niagara, Ontario and New York, touched at Cape Vin- cent every day, the Bay State and New York running between Lewiston and Ogdensburg, while a ferry line between here and Kings- ton brought us into direct communication with other steamboat lines on the Canadian side, and a large fleet of sailing vessels found ample employment in conveying freights. As a furthur stimulus to the trade with Kingston, a canal was cut across Wolfe Island, and so lively was trade and so great the amount of business done, that there is no wonder that the general opinion of the people took the direction it did.

But a change was to come, which was to seriously affect the future interests of the growing town. The real owners of the rail- road, having other interests demanding their attention, left its affairs in the control of a committee of its directors, but one of whom is now living, who, fearing that Cape Vin-

cent might rival Watertown in growth and importance, proceeded to check its growth at once. At all events, the checking process was begun and effectually carried out. The view these gentlemen took of the situation appears now to have been narrow, and their policy short-sighted. They should have considered that Watertown, with its im- mense water power, could easily hold first place ; and they might have seen, also, that with a prosperous port within so short a dis- tance and so easy of access, so well situated for the reception and delivery of the raw ma- terial, however rapid its growth and great its prosperity might have been, was but an entrepot to Watertown, the manufacturing center. Cape Vincent had no manufacturing advantages, and whatever importance it gained could only have been secondary to the point where the traffic centered and the machinery was located. In a less degree, perhaps, but equally disastrous in its effects, was this policy upon the villages of Three Mile Bay, Chaumont, Dexter and Sackets Harbor, all of which were tributary to Watertown, increasing its prosperity in di- rect proportion to their own. Cape Vincent was but a gateway to the coming city of the county. She received the raw material and sent it to Watertown to be manufactured, and, receiving back the manufactured article, she shipped it to a market. Had the policy of these directors been governed by broader views and by a more comprehensive fore- sight, they would have seen that they were damaging the interests of Watertown as well as those of the railroad itself. Had the growth of Cape Vincent been promoted in- stead of checked, it is fair to presume that now we could boast of the best harbor on either lake or river ; and instead of a single track between Cape Vincent and Watertown, perhaps four would have been needed, while along the banks of Black river, from Carthage to Dexter, there would have been many more factories than now. The larger Cape Vincent became and the more its traffic increased, the greater Watertown would have become; and instead of being a small city to- day, it would have rivaled Utica, Syracuse or Rochester, and the holdings of those men would have been worth thousands where to- day they are worth but hundreds. [The editor of this history gives these remarks as the views of Cape Vincent people. As to his own opinion of Watertown and its jealousies, the reader is referred to page 360.]

NEWSPAPERS.

The first newspaper published in Cape Vincent was the Cape Vincent Gazette, Paul A. Leach, editor and proprietor. In one of the issues before us, the "Breakwater" is alluded to, showing that the subject is no new thing to the people of Cape Vincent. What is still more interesting, however, is the number of arrivals at this port, on the day of the issue of the first number of the Gazette. They were: Schooner Royal

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CAPE VINCENT.

Oak, Whitby, 9,116 bushels of wheat ; schooner Jem Milford, 9,018 bushels of wheat, nine barrels of pork; steamer High- lander, Kingston, 52 head of cattle, 11 casks of ale ; propeller Mink, and barges Kingston, 350,000 feet of lumber for F. A. Cross ; schooner Anne Maud, Port Hope, 3,600 bush- els of wheat ; schooner Greyhound, Kings- ton, 1,551 pounds of flour ; sloop Greyhound, Kingston, 2,429 bushels of rye. A vast difference between then and now.

The Gazette was succeeded by the Frontier Patriot, May 10, 1862, P. H. Keenan, editor and proprietor. Mr. Keenan became patri- otic, and entered the army the same year, and the name of Robert Mitchell appeared as editor, though Keenan was yet proprietor. Some time in the fall, Mitchell deemed it necessary to lay in a stock of paper, and went after it; but he forgot to return.

On the whole, Editor Keenan's paper was a well-edited, newsy sheet. Ten years later, on the 18th of April, 1872, the Cape Vincent Eagle appeared, with Ames & Hunt, editors and proprietors. Hunt shortly sold out to his partner, who continued to publish the paper until 1877, when he sold out to Charles B. Wood. Mr. Ames published a good village paper, under many difficulties, and it is gratifying to know that he has since be- come a prosperous newspaper editor. Mr. Ames had always conducted the Eagle along a neutral line, politically, but the new editor, Mr. Wood, chose to make it a strong partisan sheet, and changed its title to the Demo- cratic Eagle, but in a few years he again changed to the name Cape Vincent Eagle, which the paper still retains. Mr. Wood has been once burned out, but the Eagle, like the Phoenix, whatever that may have been, arose from its ashes, better than ever before. It is in excellent quarters, has a fine power- press and steam, and a good, all-around out- fit. In short, it is in better shape by far than the average country office ever gets to be. Mr. Wood edits a very readable local page, and having too much sense to attempt to run a nine-column paper in a six-column town, has been fairly successful financially.

MASONIC SOCIETIES.

The first Masonic lodge, of which there is any record, ever opened within the present limits of Cape Vincent, or indeed of Jeffer- son county, was held on Carleton Island as early as January, 1783; at which date, on the evening of the 7th or 8th of that month, no less than five candidates were initiated; so that it is highly probable that the lodge was instituted the previous year.

The first lodge established in the village of Cape Vincent, was chartered March 8, 1822, as Cape Vincent Lodge No. 344. The officers were installed on the 10th of July, by Isaac Lee. The following were the charter mem- bers: John B. and R. M. Esselstyn, El- nathan Judd, Zebulon Converse, Elisha Johnson, Henry Ainsworth, James Buckley, Andrew Estes, William Palmer, John Nash,

Count Pierre Francois Real, Joseph Cross, S. P. Sheldon, Samuel Doxsee, William Mer- ritt and D. Slocum. The officers were : John B. Esselstyn, W. M .; Elnathan Judd, S. W .; Zebulon Converse, J. W .; Henry Ainsworth, Treasurer; Richard M. Esselstyn, Secretary ; Philip D. Eage, S. D .; James Buckley, J. D ; Joseph Cross and William Palmer, Stewards, and Elihu Johnson, Tyler.

The records of the lodge end abruptly with the last entry in the minutes of a meeting held May 26, 1831; and whether the charter was surrendered, or in what way the organi- zation was broken up, can only be solved by referring to the records of the Grand Lodge. A reference to the Masonic history of the county at this time, shows that nearly every lodge had surrendered its charter; the cause being the prevailing Anti-Masonic excite- ment, which, in 1831, was at its height. To show to what extent anti-Masonry had become a political factor in Jefferson county, it is only necessary to state that in 1830 there were 13 Masonic, and only five anti-Masonic supervisors elected, and that in 1831 the board was equally divided; so that it is fair to presume that Cape Vincent Lodge No. 344 went down in the great anti-Masonic on- slaught of that time. The present lodge of Cape Vincent is the fortunate possessor of the jewels and records, so far as they went, of the old lodge.

The officers present at the last recorded meeting of the lodge were: Calvin Wright, W. M .; William Estes, S. W .; James Cum- mings, J. W .; Ward E. Ingalls, Treasurer ; Samuel Forsyth, Secretary ; Simon Howard, S. D .; J. W. Forsyth, J. D .; and Ira Had- ley, Tyler.

From lack of space many interesting mat- ters concerning the old lodge are omitted.

Cape Vincent Lodge F. & A. M., was chartered June 11, 1853. Its charter mem- bers were; Zebulon Converse, Otis P. Starkey, Jacob Berringer, Roswell T. Lee, Charles Smith, Robert C. Bartlett, Ward E. Ingalls, Ira Hadley, Sidney W. Ainsworth Willard Ainsworth, Walter Collins, Frederick Orton and James Forsyth. The first officers elected, and which were installed by Hon. Lysander H. Brown, of Watertown, July 28, 1853, were: Zebulon Converse, W. M .; Otis P. Starkey, S. W .; Jacob Berringer, J. W .; Ward E. Ingalls, Treasurer; Robert C. Bart- lett, Secretary ; Roswell T. Lee, S. D .; Charles Smith, J. D .; Sidney W. Ainsworth and D. B. Kellogg, Stewards, and Ira Had- ley, Tyler.

The present officers (1895), are as follows : Lloyd Woodruff, W. M .; Charles B. Wood, S. W .; Wayne B. Brewster, J. W .; Erastus K. Burnham, Treasurer; Will A. Casler, Secretary ; Roy Allen, S. D .; Joseph C. Gregor, J. D .; Charles A. Jerome, S. M. C .; Fred Johnson, J. M. C .; Laban Barrett. Tyler.

Rising Virtue Chapter No. 96, R. A. M., was chartered February 3, 1825, and the offi- cers were installed February 15, by M. E.

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

H. P. Isaac Lee. The officers installed were: Stockwell Osgood, H. P .; H. H. Smith, K .; R. T. Lee, Scribe; Rev. Jedediah Burchard, Captain of the Host; Zebulon Converse, Principal S .; D. W. Slocum, R. A. C .; P. P. Gaige, M. 3d V .; James Buck- ley, M. 2d V .; Elnathan Judd, M. 1st V .; Daniel Smith, Treasurer; and E. Johnson, Tyler. This Chapter continued to work until 1830, when its charter was surrendered. The same cause that broke up the first Blue Lodge, no doubt operated in this case, as it did with most of the Chapters throughout the county. In 1851, however, on the 3d of July, the charter was returned and re- newed, and the following Companions were installed : R. T. Lee, H. P .; Frank Rell, K .; Z. Converse, S .; J. Berringer, Captain of the Host; O. P. Starkey, P. S .; James Homan, R. A. C .; P. P. Gaige, M. 3d V .;

In 1847 a small steamer, the Farmer, ran from Kingston to Cape Vincent, as business seemed to warrant, and in 1852 the Lady of the Lake became a regular ferry boat be- tween the two places, while in the meantime the steamer John Counter was building, es- pecially for the route through the new canal then constructing across Wolfe Island. She was found to be too large for the purpose, however, and after making a few trips ' around the head of the island, she was sold to parties in Montreal, and her place was taken by the Star. Next came the Sir Charles Napier, when Kinghorn & Hinckley organized a company, putting the Pierrepont on the line, and later the Watertown.

In 1873 Folger Brothers purchased these steamers; Capt. Hinckley still retaining an interest. Then the steamers Maud and Geneva were put on the Kingston-Cape

ST LAWRENCE

THE ST. LAWRENCE, One of Folger Bros. Popular Excursion Boats.

James Buckley, M. 2d V .; Truman Blodgett, M. 1st V .; P. P. Gaige, Treasurer ; James Cross, Tyler. L. Gaige was elected Secre- tary in December of the same year.

The Chapter has now an active member- ship of 35, and is in a good condition. The principal officers are: Companions L. R. Dezengremel, H. P .; J. B. Grapotte, K; and William Carnes, S.

For much of the foregoing Masonic infor- mation, and for extracts from old-time records, the author is indebted to Companion L. O. Woodruff, who has been of material aid in getting at some very interesting and historical information.

SHIPBUILDING.

It has already been intimated that the ship- ping and shipbuilding interests of Cape Vin- cent were at one time quite largely developed.

Vincent route, and from then until now, the Maud has been on the line; and so carefully and skilfully has she been handled, that she is known as the "Reliable." She is now being transformed into one of the finest steamers on the river. The first boat to run regularly between Cape Vincent and Clayton, was the Wren, which commenced her daily trips in 1868. In 1870 the Midge took her place, adding a daily trip from Clayton to Gananoque. In 1873 the J. H. Kelley took the route from Cape Vincent to Alexandria Bay, making two round trips daily; and in 1875 she was succeeded by the propellor T. S. Faxton. Since her time several different -and several indifferent-boats have been on the route. One of them, the St. Lawrence, is one of the finest-if not the finest-boat in the whole river fleet, with the Islander a close second.

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CAPE VINCENT.

The ship-yard was where the late Alfred Burnham's grist-mill now stands, and at one time a large business in the way of ship- building was done, beginning about the year 1819; but time and space forbids a list of the vessels there constructed, the entire num- ber being about 30.

The great need of Cape Vincent to-day is a breakwater, the cost of which to the government would be but a tithe of the benefits it would confer upon the shipping interests of the lakes and river. There is no space in a book of this kind to set forth the many forcible reasons for a work of so much importance to the interests of naviga- tion ; but it is hoped that in the near future Congress will take a favorable vicw of the question.

FISHING AND FISHERIES.

In 1859, Brown & May, of Port Ontario, N. Y., established the first fishery business in Cape Vincent. They continued the busi- ness until 1868, when they were succeeded by A. J. Dewey and Alonzo McPherson; the business finally came into possession of the firm of Ainsworth, Horton & Co., in 1875, about which time they built the tug Camp. The firm dissolved in 1878, the business being carried on by Mr. Ainsworth. In 1864, L. D. Ackerman, of Three Mile Bay, began the same business here, and in 1869 sold out to Henry Peo, who carricd it on until the formation of the present company, which consolidated the whole business under the name and style of the "Lake Ontario Fish Company, Limited." The officers of the company are: President, C. M. Clark ; Vice-President and Treasurer, A. H. Bowc; Secretary, John Kilborn; Directors, Henry Peo, C. M. Clark, John Kilborn, A. H. Bowe, and others. The company owns the steam-tug Thistle, and a vast array of fishing boats, nets and apparatus necessary to the carrying on of a successful business. Their apparatus for freezing fish on a large scale, is of the best class, and all their buildings, from their well-appointed offices throughout the sorting and packing departments, down to the box-making shops, are well arranged and admirably calculated for the business. They receive large quantities of fish from the upper lakes, especially from Georgian Bay, and their trade extends over several States. Their shipments average not far from 40,000 pounds per week, of fresh, salt and frozen fish, giving constant employment to a large number of men, outside the force employed in and around the packing house itself. The business, as now carried on, is one of the largest and most successful in Cape Vincent, and indeed in Northern New York. The company has a capital of $100,- 000, and a branch house in Kingston, Ont.

OLD TIME POLITICS.

At one time in its history, the town of Cape Vincent was as strongly Whig, propor- tionately, as it is now Democratic. The resi- dents of the French Settlement were all

Whigs, but, as happened in other localities, the Knownothing tornado came, and, with but few exceptions, they were swept away into that party and cast their votes for Myron Clark for Governor. When the reaction came, they went to the other extreme and affiliated with the Democrats.

SUPERVISORS.

The first supervisor elected in the town was Frederick A. Folger, in 1849. Robert C. Bartlett held the office in 1850-51, Charles Smith in 1852, and Otis P. Starkey in 1853. For a list of supervisors from 1854 to the present time (1894), see pages 337-344.

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Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 104

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