Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 125

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

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In March, 1817, George Camp established a printing office at the village, and became "proprietor, editor and publisher" of the Sackets Harbor Gazette. A copy of the Gazette of October 8, 1818, contains an edi- torial. which fails to substantiate the report so often heard that, although liquor was freely used, drunkenness was entirely un- known among the pioneers 50 or 75 years ago.

The first regular religious meetings in this village were held by Edmund Luff, an Eng- glish settler, who, at his own expense, erect- ed a house for religious services, and preached here many years without fee or reward. There being no other meetings in the place, these were generally attended by those of different religious faith. Mr. Luff was a Restorationist, approaching somewhat the doctrines of Universalists, and was a man very free from any narrow spirit of intoler- erance. His pulpit was opened to clergy- men of other faiths, irrespective of name, and both Catholics and Protestants enjoyed. when occasion demanded, the freedom of his house. During the war the house was given up for public uses.

The first regular physician in Sackets Har- bor was Dr. William Baker, who located here in 1803. Other early physicians were Dr. Benjamin Farley, who came in before, and Dr. James Starkweather, who came soon after the War of 1812. The first number of the Sackets Harbor Gazette (1817) contained the advertisement of Dr. R. B. Hayes, who avowed the intention of making "medicine and surgery his only pursuit." Dr. Samuel Guthrie, subsequently world-re- nowned, located in Sackets Harbor, on Mill Creek, soon after the War of 1812, and here prosecuted his scientific investigations which resulted in the discovery of chloroform (at about the same time with Soubeiran, in France, and Liebig, in Germany), and of the percussion compound for firearms, which superceded the old flint locks. Dr. Guthrie died in this village October 19, 1848.

The first hotel at Sackets Harbor, a small story and a half frame building, located on Main street, was built by Ambrose Pease be- fore 1805, and was conducted by him until the beginning of the War of 1812, when it was purchased by a Mr. Kelsey, who came here from Cape Vincent. The building was afterward burned. In 1806 a Mr. Lanning commenced the erection of a hotel on the site of the present Eveleigh House, which be- came the property of Stephen Simmons be- fore it was completed. Mr. Simmons finished it and conducted the hotel a number of

THE OLD SHIP HOUSE AT SACKETS HARBOR.

THE OLD SHIP AT SACKETS HARBOR,

AFTER REMOVING THE BUILDING,

HOUNDSFIELD.

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years. Ambrose Dodge built the Eveleigh House in 1843-44, aud it was opened by him in 1844. Judge Elijah Field built the Earl House in 1817, and it was opened by him in December of that year. It has been re- modelled and greatly enlarged, and improved to accommodate an increasing patronage. A stone hotel, which is still standing, although not used for the purpose for which it was built, was commenced by Frederick White in 1817, and opened by him the fol- lowing year, with ' the name of "Union Hotel." The Masonic fraternity occupied a room on the top floor, and subsequently re- moved to the floor below. It has been said that Morgan, who published an expose of

passenger for the trip. The steamer Toronto, J. Sinclair, manager, ran in opposition to the Sir J. Kemp between Prescott and the Car- rying Place, and in the Kingston Chronicle, of June 29, 1829, passengers were requested to be on board at the hours advertised, as the boat would leave two minutes after the ad- vertised time. The schooner Woolsey (Capt. Chapman) left Sackets Harbor on New Year's day, 1816, and arrived at Kingston on Janu- ary 4th-a feat that has not often been re- peated.

The first mercantile operations at Sackets Harbor on an extensive scale, were by Samuel F. Hooker, who, in 1868, commenced with a stock of $20.000 worth of goods, and in 50

EEEEE

THE OLD UNION HOTEL.

Masonry, was brought to this lodge room soon after his mysterious disappearance. Mr. White was at one time President of the Jefferson County Bank, when that institution was located in Adams.

A ferry was established across Black River Bay at an early day, and by an act of March 31, 1821, Charles Colburn and Samuel Fol- som were licensed to keep it five years. On the 21st of January, 1826, Ezra C. Folsom was in like manner licensed for five years. The subject is now under the care of the courts.

In 1816 a steamer known as the Kingston packet, was running three times a week from Kingston to Sackets Harbor, charging $2 per

days had sold $17,500 worth. The business that then opened with the brightest pros- pects, was the sale of potash, to Montreal, where Astor and other heavy capitalists had placed money in the hands of agents for its purchase. The embargo of 1808, by with- holding those along the frontier from a career in which they were highly prosperous, natur- ally led to a spirit of evasion of the laws, and the difficulty of exporting this great staple of commerce directly from the Atlan- tic ports to Europe, led to extensive and systematic measures for forwardIng to the lake and river, from the interior and south- ern counties of the State, and even from New York, large quantities of potash. This

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sometimes vanished in the night, or was shipped with due formality to Ogdensburg, where it disappeared, and sometimes an open course of defiance of law was attempted. In whatever way it may have escaped, it was sure of appearing in Montreal, where it com- manded the enormous sums of $200 to $320 per ton, and from whence there was no obstacle to its export to England. To check this contraband trade, two companies of regu- lars were stationed at Ogdensburg, and Capt. Wm. P. Bennett, with part of a company of artillery, and Lieut. Cross with a few in- fantry were stationed here in 1808 and a part of 1809.

About 1840, a union school house, two stories high, besides a basement, was built at Sackets Harbor, on a lot at the corner of Broad and Washington streets, given by Mr. Ogden for the purpose. The cost was about $2,000, and it is intended for three depart- ments. It has been taught by from three to five teachers, is supplied with a set of phil- osophical apparatus, and affords facilities equal to those enjoyed at most academies. Schools are maintained here four terms of eleven weeks each in the year. It is the only public school within the corporation. The head teacher has generally been a graduate from college.

On the declaration of war the United States possessed almost no means whatever for defensive operations on this frontier. The brig Oneida, under Lieutenant Woolsey, with an armament of 16 guns, a heavy 36- pound iron cannon, and a few smaller ones, some of which belonged to the State militia, constituted the sum of our means of defence. The British, it was well known, had been preparing for the event one or two years at Kingston, and when the news of war ar- rived, had the means afloat at that place, not only of commanding the lake, but of landing whatever force they might pos- sess at such points as they might select, without a reasonable prospect of resistance. Col. Christopher P. Bellinger, with a body of drafted militia, had been stationed at this place, and an artillery company, under Capt. Elisha Camp, had been formed, and had offered their services for a short time, which had been accepted by General Brown. As . ordnance and military. stores were of first importance for the defense of the place, a meeting was called to press upon the Gov- ernor the importance of an immediate atten- tion to these wants.

During the war Sackets Harbor became the theatre of military and naval operations on an extensive scale, the details of which will be given in our article on that subject. It was twice attacked by the British, with- out success, and it was the station from which were fitted out the expeditions against Toronto, Fort George, &c., and the unfortu- nate enterprise under General Wilkinson, in the fall of 1813. From its being the centre of the operations so extensive, and the ren- dozvous of great numbers of sailors and

soldiers, many incidents occurred that possess much interest.

President Monroe, soon after his induction into office, undertook a tour through the northern section of the Union, to observe the condition of the frontier and make such arrangements for its military security as might be deemed necessary. Having reached Ogdensburg on the 1st of August, 1817, he was met by Major General Brown, and attended to Rossie and Antwerp, where he was met by Mr. LeRay, and conducted to LeRaysville. On the 3d he was waited upon by the committee of arrangements, and escorted thence by three troops of horse, under Captains Loomis, Fairbanks and White, to the house of Isaac Lee, in Water- town, where he received a concise though flattering address from the citizens. He then proceeded to Brownville, and on the 4th to Sackets Harbor. Upon arriving at the bridge, at the bounds of the village, he was saluted with 19 guns, and an address of welcome was given.

The President received this address with expressions of cordiality and esteem, highly cheering and satisfactory to the veteran soldiers, in several of whom he recognized his former associates in arms in the Revo- lutionary war. Upon passing Fort Pike, a national salute was fired, and at the hotel, to which he was conducted by Captain King, chief marshal of the day, an address was read to him by the chairman of a committe of citizens. Commodore Woolsey then present- ed the officers of the navy attached to his command. The public works were inspect- ed, the troops reviewed, and in the evening the village was tastefully illuminated. The events of the late war had given importance to this place, and it became a subject of interest to determine what works should be erected for its protection. In this the Presi- dent was aided by Major Totten, a military engineer, who had been ordered to join the suite at Burlington.

FIRES AT SACKETS HARBOR.

Sackets Harbor has been singularly un- fortunate with its fires, many of them so seri- ous and unaccountable in their origin as to bring at least a degree of discouragement to its inhabitants. After the destructive fire of 1843 better and more modern buildings rapidly took the place of those destroyed. The same conditions do not now exist. Then an extensive commerce was carried on, being a port of export and import for several counties, and from which sailed a fine fleet of vessels. This source of accumulating wealth has disappeared from the lakes.

In the fall of 1851 the Ontario House barns on Broad street, took fire from some unknown cause. The fire extended to Main street, and five stores and dwelling houses were soon in flames. Before the sixth was reached a very heavy timbered, two-story building (and one in which printing presses of various news- papers had been established for years) was

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torn down by the heroic efforts of the fore- sighted and resolute inhabitants.

Six weeks afterwards Buck & Burt's dry goods and hardware establishment, on Main street, took fire in the same manner, and was consumed with nearly half the square. Each one of these conflagrations brought clouds filled with snow.

June 11, 1883, Clark & Robbins' grain warehouse, filled with grain, was discovered on fire. This valuable and useful storehouse was fired by an incendiary.

January 3, 1886, a disastrous fire was well under way in the unoccupied annex to Gladwin's brick building, on Main street, when discovered. Formerly it faced on Main street, and here Mr. George Camp started the Sackets Harbor Gazette, in March, 1817. Stokes' hardware store and dwelling and Robbins' block, corner of Ogden and Main streets, with Lane's dry goods below, offices and Ontario Hall above were burned, with Gladwin's, Dennison's malt-house, and Mc- Evoy's grocery and provision store.

May 29, 1886, the historic warehouse built by the United States navy during the War of 1812, as a storehouse for its fleet, was burned. It had served many purposes in civil life-a bethel house for seamen, 1828; "Knicker- bocker bowling alley" and sail loft; Hooker & Hopkins, forwarding merchants ; steam flouring-mill; again, warehouse and sail loft, which last was converted into a skating rink. At the date mentioned, Mr. Eveleigh per- mitted an embryo band to practice in it even- ings. During the night it burned, no doubt by carelessness on the part of the band. In March, 1888, Mr. Horace Payne's store and fine dwelling house, on Main street, were de- stroyed. Fire started in the store part, oc- cupied by Mr. Jones, soon after closing busi- ness at night.

The last and most severe fire since 1843 oc- curred August 11, 1889, beginning at the Boulton store adjoining the malt-house walls, where the fire of January, 1886, was stopped. The building was unoccupied, and its burning is considered by the inhabitants as of incendiary origin. That and McEvoy's grocery and provision store, north of Rail- road street, Conlin's grocery and provision store, Hasting's saloon, Clark & Bowe's fish- house and office, railroad passengerand ticket office, telegraph and telephone offices, on Main street, Ira L. Rowlson's clothing store and dwelling, M. Jeffrey's store, dwelling and boat-house, A. J. Drake's feed store and dwelling, Maddigan's saloon and dwelling, Heman's saloon and dwelling, Eveleigh's stone stores, with extensive warehouse, con- taining grain and deposited valuables ; Hooker & Crane's store and warehouse of 1812, cus- tom-house, market house, and town hall-all were burned.

An incendiary effort was made to burn Mr. Eveleigh's hotel some years since. Had it been accomplished the village would have been annilhilated. Fire was seen by the Masons, on leaving their lodge, breaking out

from the attic. By their activity in getting the hose into the building, and a stream directly upon the fire, the calamity was averted.

CAMP'S DITCH.

About 1823, a project was brought up for diverting a portion of the waters of Black river from the lower pond in Watertown, Pleasant and Mill creeks, to supply a water- power to Sackets Harbor. The subject was referred by the Legislature to the Attorney General for his opinion, who decided that private property had often been taken for private purposes ; but from the opposition of H. H. Coffeen, O. Stone, and others, through whose lands the canal would pass, with active influence at Brownville, the measure was then defeated. In 1825 the effort was renewed, and an act passed April 20, 1825, which authorized Joseph Kimball, Amos Catlin and Daniel Hall, Jr., to divert the surplus waters of the river into Pleasant and Stony creeks, in Houndsfield, Adams and Henderson, for hydraulic purposes. Dam- ages to be assessed by Egbert TenEyck, Clark Allen and Joseph Hawkins; and road and farm bridges were to be maintained by the company. The act was coupled with a proviso that the waters should not be taken from any dam then existing, without the written consent of the owners; that effect- ually defeated the purpose, for this was next to impossible. Being still determined to prosecute the matter, a meeting was called at Sackets Harbor, February 13, 1826, at which strong resolutions urging their necessi- ties, and deprecating the proviso of the late law, were passed. The annual loss and in- convenience to farmers for want of the privilege, was estimated at from $10 to $50 each, for those on the lake shore and its vicinity ; and measures were resolved upon to get the obnoxious restriction removed by a new appeal to the Legislature. On the 17th of April, 1826, the act was amended ; but still it was attended with difficulties that could not be surmounted.

The proposition was next discussed of making the proposed canal navigable, which it was estimated could be done at a cost of $200,000 from Carthage to Sackets Harbor, and that an annual' revenue from tolls, amounting to $16,000, could be expected.

An act was accordingly procured, April 15, 1828, incorporating the Jefferson County Canal Company, with a capital of $300,000, in shares of $100, in which Vincent LeRay, Philip Schuyler, Egbert TenEyck, Elisha Camp, Jasan Fairbanks, Levi Beebee, Arthur Bronson, John Felt and Joseph Kimball were named the first parties. Nothing was done under this act. It being understood that Mr. Elisha Camp, of Sackets Harbor, was willing to assume, under certain con- ditions, the stock necessary for the construc- tion of the work, a meeting was held at Watertown, December 30, 1829, at which a committee of three was appointed, to confer

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on the propriety of the course, and learn what encouragement would be afforded in aid of the work.

By the act of April 28, 1839, a tax was im- posed upon real estate within the village of Sackets Harbor, and on the mill sites on Pleasant creek, amounting to $2,000 in two years, to be assessed in proportion to the benefits to be received, and on the 20th of April, 1830, Elisha Camp was appointed a commissioner for this duty in place of Daniel Hall, resigned, and the act was extended till June of that year. A canal 20 feet wide at top and 12 at bottom, 4 feet deep, was made in 1830, from Huntington's Mills, two miles above the village of Watertown, to the Big Swamp, and in 1832 it was finished, supply- ing to the village of Sackets Harbor a valu- able water-power, upon which there were erected a grist-mill, two saw-mills, plaster- mill, paper-mill, furnace, etc.

The law was so framed, however, as to give rise to litigation. The greatest diffi- culty encountered was in maintaining the first half mile of the ditch, which was con- structed along the margin of Black river, where it was liable to be washed away on one side, and filled by slides of clay and sand on the other. These difficulties finally led to the abandonment of the work, after having been in use abont 10 years, to the pecuniary loss of all parties concerned.

EAST HOUNDSFIELD POST-OFFICE

Is a small hamlet in the eastern part of the town, near the Watertown line. It contains a church (Christian), cheese factory, school house, and a small number of dwellings.

About the beginning of the War of 1812, Stephen Blanchard, a man who is remember- ed by many now living, moved to this place from the State of Vermont. About 1820 he built an hotel, which is still standing as the upright part of the present "Half-way House." The locality was long known as " Blanchard's Corners," and the hotel as the " Old Blanchard Stand." The building has been repaired and refitted, and was long under the management of the late William Warren. Blanchard never had any children of his own, and has been dead about 40 years. "Steve Blanchard " is, however, remembered as one of the old-fashioned stamp of country landlords, and the " Cor- ners " have witnessed many a jollification at the old hotel:

In the neighborhood of 1850 a postoffice was established, the first postmaster being Nelson Jones, who held the office until the beginning of Lincoln's administration, when Marvin B. Scovill was appointed. Upon the election of General Grant to the Presidency, William Warren was appointed, and for many years held it. The mail was origin- ally carried over the Watertown & Sackets Harbor plank-road, and delivered at East Houndsfield daily. At present it is trans- ported by rail, and delivered at the station three-fourths of a mile south of the office.

JEWETTSVILLE.

On the Watertown and Sackets Harbor road, about a mile from Sackets, is a locality known as Jewettsville. It is not generally known by the present generation that at one time this place was the scene of a large amount of business, as nothing in its present appearance would suggest anything of the kind.

In the first-half of the present century, when Sackets Harbor was in its prime, and Watertown was "a little place just back of Sackets," Jewettsville was a locality of con- siderable importance, doing a large business in the manufacture of lumber, potash, brick, beer, alcohol, leather, rope, powder, vinegar, etc. But the remarkable fact about it is that hardly anything remains to show where all the business was done.

The first settlement in Jewettsville was made by Silas Godfrey, about 1802. About the same time Benjamin Barnes located here. He built the first frame house in the place, which he afterwards used for a tavern. John McDowell later kept a tavern at the same stand, and later still in Sackets Harbor. There are two facts which render the history of this locality unusually interesting; it was the birth-place of Hon. John Pettit, and here was made the first chloroform, by Dr. Samuel Guthrie, who was a resident of Jewettsville from 1817 until his death in '48.

Herman Pettit and family moved here from Watertown about 1804, first settling on the west side of Mill creek, near what is now called the Military Road. Mr. Pettit was a millwright, and built wharves at Sackets Harbor and a saw-mill on Mill creek for Augustus Sacket ; also a grist and saw-mill near the mouth of the creek, for Samuel Luff. The Pettits moved over to the Water- town road in 1813, near the present farm residence of John Pettit, a grandson of Heman. John was born at Jewettsville, July 24, 1807. In 1831 he moved to In- diana. He held many important positions in political life, serving in the Indiana Legis- lature; was United States district attorney ; a Member of the House of Representatives, 1843-47, and of the United States Senate, 1853-55; a member of the State Constitution- al Convention of Indiana in 1850 ; judge of the Indiana Supreme Court, and chief justice. of Kansas in 1859. In politics he was a strong Democrat, and took a leading part in the exciting scenes in Congress in the days preceding the Rebellion. But few men re- ceived more political honors than he. He stands among the first of Jefferson county's distinguished sons. The Pettits are nearly all related to John Pettit Douglas, president of the Standard Publishing Company, of Watertown.

One of the pioneer families of the town were the Luffs, who came from England and settled near the mouth of Mill Creek in 1805. The family consisted of Samuel Luff and his sons, Joseph, Samuel, Jr., Jesse and Ed- mund ; and daughters, Susan, Sarah and

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Mary. Mr. Luff purchased a large tract on each side of Mill Creek, lying upon the shore of Black River Bay. His land extended westward to about the centre of the present parade ground at Madison Barracks. Soon after his settlement here, Mr. Luff built a dam and erected a grist-mill near the mouth of Mill Creek. This was one of the first grist-mills in the county, and for many years did a large business. A saw-mill was also put up at an early date by the Luffs, just across the stream from the grist-mill, and here was sawed a large part of the lumber used in building up Sackets Harbor. A large amount of lumber was also shipped from here by vessels, there being docks at the mouth of the creek.

Edmund Luff, one of the sons of Samuel, was a Baptist preacher, and built the first place of religious worship in Sackets Harbor. It was located just south of Hon. Theodore Canfield's residence. Here he preached for many years without any remuneration. He also served for a time as chaplain at Madison Barracks. The Dr. Tyler residence in Sack- ets Harbor was built by Mr. Luff. He began the publication of the Sackets Harbor Jour- nal in 1838.

The Jewettsville of to-day shows no indi- cation of its previous prosperity. It is only one of the many now obscure places in Jefferson county whence have sprung many eminent men, who, upon a larger theatre, have " justified the honors they have gained."

Jefferson county captured the first three prizes at the Chicago World's Fair for June cheese. E. A. Ayer, proprietor of the Rice Corner's factory in Houndsfield, was the lucky man to take the first prize. Dwight Goodrich, of Searl factory, Champion, took the second prize, and Anson Miller, of Miller factory, Rodman, obtained the third prize. These gentlemen are all honored members of the Watertown Produce Exchange, and the success noted above is regarded as a great card for that organization, and gives notice to all mankind that Jefferson county makes the best cheese in the world."

THE CHURCHES OF HOUNDSFIELD.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH at Sackets Harbor was organized, in 1886, by Rev. Eugene I. V. Huiginn, the first pastor, with 40 members, and the same year a house of worship was erected at a cost of $500. The parish is under the supervision of a priest at Watertown.

SACKETS HARBOR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH was organized February 12, 1816, and Mel- anchthon T. Woolsey, Samuel Bosworth, Samuel F. Hooker, Elisha Camp and Enoch Ely were the first trustees. Meetings were held in the school-house until their first church edifice was erected, in 1820, at which time the trustees were Josiah Bacon, Amos Catlin, George Camp, L. Dennison, J. V. Bacon, J. G. Parker and S. Johnson. In the great fire of August 23, 1843, their church

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Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 125

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