Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 161

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

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Lieutenant Peck was appointed a cadet at the Mili- tary Academy, from New York, in 1883, and was graduated in June, 1887, and served in the 1st Artil- lery till March, 1891, when he was transferred to the Ordnance Department. He served at the Springfield Armory, Massachusetts, from April, 1891, to July, 1892, since which time he has been continuously on duty at the Proving Ground.

Lieutenant Peck was an officer of fine abilities, great professional zeal, a hard worker and a close student. While on duty at the Proving Ground, in addition to his regular duties, he has performed val- uable investigation work for the Department, and is the author of some valuable reports. His course while in the Ordnance Department had indicated for him a brilliant future. His death is a serious loss to the Department. His fine mind and many engaging qualities endeared him to all the officers of the De- partment with whom he came in contact, and his sad and sudden death casts a gloom on all who knew him.

As a token of respect to his memory, the National flag will be displayed at half-staff at each Ordnance establishment on the day after the receipt of this order, and the officers of the Department will wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty days.

D W. FLAGLER, Brigadier-General, Chief of Ordnance.

The above tributes prove that the young soldier-so suddenly and awfully taken away-gave promise of rare attainments in the life-work he had chosen. It was an hon- orable career he had marked out for himself, and he made his ideal of life high and noble. He was gentle and just-loyal and true- sweet in his love of kindred, and the very soul of honor. A glance at the last letter to his sister proves that his dear ones were ever in his thoughts: "Have you been com- pletely frozen up this winter? Many times, this season, when my feet and hands and ears were numb, my thoughts have turned to the old-time winters when we lived on the farm. I have been out in all the cold we have had, nearly from breakfast until 5 P. M., and sometimes have felt pretty stiff from it." A few hours after this reference to the "old- time winters on the farm" was written, death had sealed the volume of his young life forever, but it must have opened upon a broader theater and amid more beautiful surroundings than those of earth.

The following letter from a class-mate of Lieutenant Peck is a noble picture of the sweet soul so recently gone to its rest. It will fittingly close this sketch of one of the most promising sons of Jefferson county, who died at the post of duty in his early youth :

764

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF DAKOTA, SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, March 26, 1895, * * * I am a thousand times obliged to you for

the sad satisfaction you gave me, through your letter with enclosed clippings about our beloved Peck. I somehow missed the item in the daily papers and was reading my Army and Navy Journal in the accus- tomed way, when my eyes fell upon the announce- ment. You can imagine my feelings and how eagerly and vainly I prayed and hoped for a refutation; alas, it was too true. I did not know where to turn to pour out the flood of sorrow that was surging through me, but my thoughts went to you of course. I presumed the funeral was over and I had been denied the melancholy satisfaction of the tribute of a flower to the manly form of him I loved best of all men-poor, dear old Peck! Why could not some of the many "little" men be taken, instead of the large, generous, noble fellow? I knew him well, and never saw him, under any circumstances, that he wasn't a man; true, frank, courteous and lovable. I

knew he died as he had lived, like a man; and with all he had to live for. I can see calm contempt on his face over the fatal blow, and for the gun that gave it. If I had known that you were with him, I should have telegraphed you; but I thought he had been deliv- ered to his relatives. I knew you loved him, and he loved you, too. I have heard him say as much so many times. I wish I could see you and have a long talk; we may have it some day, and I know how per- fect will be our sympathy. Thanking you again, and hoping to hear when you have time to send a line, believe me, Always most truly yours,

S. D. STURGIS.

Many messages of condolence were re- ceived by his father and sister, lamenting the death of their noble son and brother, among these being a touching one from Hon. Charles R. Skinner, Superintendent of Pub- lic Instruction of the State of New York, and who, as a Member of Congress, appointed Lieutenant Peck to West Point. A. D. S.

EBENEZER GEORGE FERRISS,

CIVIL ENGINEER, is descended from Puritan New England stock. His ancestor, Zebulon Ferriss, was from England, being the first man to plow a furrow in the town of New Milford, Conn. Zebulon Ferriss's sons hav- ing professed the Quaker faith, were obliged to quit New England, and moved to Quaker Hill, in Dutchess county, N. Y., where their descendants are prominent citizens now. Benjamin Ferriss, great-grandfather of E. G., was an engineer and surveyor, and laid out the townships in a large portion of Ver- mont, west of the Green Mountains, and took out the charters for many of those towns from the King of England, the grants being to Benjamin Ferriss and associates. Ethan Allen and many of his associates pro- cured their titles for land through him. One of Benjamin's brothers, John Ferriss, moved to Pennsylvania, and from him have des- cended many prominent engineers-G. W. Ferriss, of the "Ferriss wheel" being one.

E. G. Ferriss was born August, 1828, in Camden, Oneida county, where his father was postmaster for many years. In 1842 his father moved to Mexico, in Oswego county. Here George attended the Mexico Academy for four years Governor Allen C. Beach, of Watertown, and a number of afterwards prominent men, were schoolmates of his. In 1846 his father moved to New York city.

In March, 1847, he began his professional work as rodman, on the survey of the Hud- son River Railroad. In 1848 he was pro- moted to assistant engineer, and had charge of the work from 31st street to Manhattan- ville, until the road was completed with one track, when he was promoted to resident en- gineer, in charge of work for second track on "New York Island." In June, 1850, he came on the Rome & Watertown Railroad, first at Rome and afterwards at Watertown, as assistant to Henry Van Vleck, with a division extending from Adams Centre to Cape Vincent. In September, 1851, he rode into Watertown on the pilot of a locomotive, the first to enter the village, the first man to reach Watertown by rail. In the fall of 1851, he, with George W. Wood, of Camden, took a contract to build the dock and fill the bay at Cape Vincent. In the spring of 1852 he sold his interest in the contract. In the summer of 1852, he located a plank road from Paterson, N. J., to Jersey City. In the fall of 1852 he went to Savannah, Ga., on the Savannah water-works, where was built the first of the iron tanks for water-works put up in America. In 1853 he came to Water- town and took charge of the Potsdam road, from Watertown Junction to Antwerp.

In December, 1854, on the completion of his work on the Potsdam road, he went on the Erie Canal enlargement at Rochester, where he was an assistant to Ely Parker, the Indian chief who was afterwards General Grant's private secretary.

It would require more space than we can spare to detail all of Mr. Ferriss's professional engagements, which cover many of the States as well as Canada. He has been an exceptionally very industrious engineer, both upon railroads and other public works, as well as upon water and electric plants, and has evinced in all his efforts a faithful knowl- edge of his business. He is a safe and con- servative engineer, abundantly able to fully understand the varied requirements of his laborious profession.

He is an expert in all departments of public works. Watertown has been his home many years. His wife is one of the daughters of Mr. Failing, long and favorably remembered as the hotel keeper on the Pamelia side of the river, and whose family, though large, had not one "black sheep" in it-the children all holding honorable positions in society.

In July, 1864, he enlisted in the 18th N. Y. Volunteers at Sackets Harbor, and went with that regiment to Virginia. He was pro- moted to second lieutenant in August, to first lieutenant in February, 1865, and cap- tain in May of the same year. He is a much respected citizen, and good for years of ser- vice in his profession. He was the engineer in constructing the armory on Arsenal street, as well as upon the final construction of the road from Watertown to the Brookside ceme- tery. His work is visible upon many other improvements in Jefferson county, and they all mark his ability as an engineer.

765

WATERTOWN.

ALANSON P. SIGOURNEY.

MR. SIGOURNEY was born in Watertown, December 27, 1809, the eldest of a family of six children of Anthony Sigourney, Jr., and Betsey (Gloyd) Sigourney, the former a native of Bennington, Vermont, and of French extraction ; the latter of Hatfield, Connecticut, of English descent. Two only of the family survive, the subject of this sketch and his brother William Harrison, now 80 years old. They are among the very oldest and most respected of the early settlers of Watertown.

Mr. Sigourney has been married twice- first to Miss Wiley J. Finney, November 6, 1848, who died from cholera at Sackets Har- bor on her return from Toledo, July 13, 1854; second, with Miss Julia C., daughter of the late Dr. Eli Eastman of Adams,

September 27, 1855. Five children were born to them : Alanson P., Jr., Harrison, Julia C., Lucy and Mary. Mary died April 3, 1861, and Lucy, January 28, 1870. Alan- son, Jr., resides with his father on the original Sigourney farm; Harrison in Rod- man, both married, and Julia C .. the wife of Dr. F. M. Shepard, in Denver, Colorado.

Nearly all now upon the active stage of life have heard of or know Mr. Alanson P. Sigourney. He has been distinguished in many ways-as a teacher for many years, as Secretary of the Agricultural Society for over 20 years, and a farmer from his youth. His mind is as clear to-day as it was at 40.

For Mr. Sigourney's business life the reader is referred to page 295 of this volume, in the general record of "The Sigourney Family."

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

WILNA.

[Much of the historical part of the town of Wilna has been prepared by MR. LEONARD G. PECK, of Carthage, a writer of conceded ability, and a historian with just views of men and things. But the author of this His- tory, a part of whose boyhood was spent in Carthage, has contributed much to this nar- rative, and has been further aided by others, who are so modest as not to be willing to have their names mentioned.]

OF the 22 towns, comprising the county of Jefferson, there are 12 which are older than the town of Wilna. Of these Watertown and Champion stand first-organized March 14, 1800 ; Adams, Brownville and Rutland come next, organized in 1802, while the remainder, seven in number, have a precedence in point of time, varying from three to ten years.

At the time the county began to settle, its territory was embraced in two towns of Oneida county ; all north of Black river be- longed to Leyden, now a part of Lewis county. By an act passed April 4, 1806, all that part of Leyden in Jefferson county was annexed to LeRay. By an act passed April 2, 1813, a part of Lewis county was annexed to Jefferson, and the town of Wilna was erected from territory belonging to LeRay and a part of Leyden. The territory thus appropriated comprised 37,768 acres.

The boundaries of the town are as follows : The northwest by LeRay and Philadelphia, on the northeast by Antwerp and a part of Lewis county, the latter also forming its eastern, southeastern and southern bounda- ries, and on the southeast by Champion, from which it is separated by Black river.

Indian river runs through the western and northern part of the town, furnishing several good mill sites. Black creek and its tribu- taries extend through the town in a gener- ally northwesterly direction, and the south branch has one or two good mill sites. The relative limits of Jefferson and Lewis coun- ties have been changed three times. The establishment of the present boundaries, in 1813, gave to Jefferson county considerable accessions from Lewis county in the town of Wilna. The soil is a sandy loam, and is mod- erately fertile. The surface is chiefly under- laid by the primary rock and by calciferous sandstone.

The first town meeting was held at the house of Thomas Brayton, Jr., and the first town officers elected were Thomas Brayton, supervisor; Elihu Stewart, clerk ; John B. Bossout, Caleb Fulton and Enoch Griffin, as- sessors ; Robert C. Hastings, collector ; Henry Lewis and Alfred Freeman, overseers of the poor ; Henry Lewis, Freedom Gates and Thomas Brayton, commissioners of highways.

For many years thereafter the town meet- ings were held at the Checkered House, four miles from Carthage. This inn, opened soon after settlements had begun, was for a great

many years one of the most familiar land- marks in the town, and in the old days was a noted stopping place for travellers on the thoroughfare known as the St. Lawrence turnpike, and it also extended a liberal hos- pitality to generations of residents, whose transient wayfaring brought them toits doors. The historic old pile was destroyed by fire several years ago. The place of holding town meetings was finally transferred to Foster Penniman's hotel in Wilna, and after- wards to one erected by Lewis Fargo, near the site of the Checkered House. They are now divided among three election districts, located at North Wilna, Natural Bridge and Carthage.

SUPERVISORS.

The supervisors from 1814 to 1853 were as follows : 1814-15, Thomas Brayton; 1816, Alfred Freeman ; 1817, Francis Lloyd, T. Brayton to fill vacancy ; 1818-19, Nathan Brown; 1820-22, Thomas Brayton ; 1823-27, Eli West ; 1828-29, Thomas Baker ; 1830-32, Eli West ; 1833, Walter Nimocks ; 1834, William Bones ; 1835-36, Walter Nimocks ; 1837, William Bones; 1838, Oliver Child ; 1839, Walter Nimocks ; 1840-41, Eli West ; 1842, Jonathan Wood ; 1843, Walter Nim- ocks ; 1844, Milton H. Carter ; 1845, Charles Strong ; 1846, Hiram McCollom; 1847-49, Simeon Fulton; 1850-51, William Christian ; 1852-53, Horace Hooker. [For list from 1854 to 1894, see pages 337-344.]

In 1880 Wilna had a population of 4,393, in 1890, 4,522, a gain of 129 in 10 years. The town is located in the second school commis- sioner district, and in 1894 had 20 school dis- tricts, with 18 school houses located in the county. There are four joint districts, two of which have school houses in Lewis county. J. F. LaRue is school commissioner, residing at Carthage.

The first steamboat that navigated the Black river was called "Cornelia," and was built at Carthage in 1832 by Paul Boynton for a stock company. The steamer made several trips during the summers of 1832 and 1833. During the summer of 1834, it re- mained most of the time at the wharf at Car- thage, on account of low water. In the spring of 1835, during high water, it in some way got loose from its fastenings, and was carred over the dam and lodged among the rocks a short distance below. The machinery was taken out by J. H. Hodgkins, and sold and used in the iron mines in St. Lawrence county.

In 1858 George Sweet, Nicholas Wagoner and Christopher Rhiner incorporated and placed in active operation the Carthage, Low- ville and New York Line. The opening of this line made access to New York and inter- mediate points during the season direct, cheap and convenient. The incorporators maintained six boats. Their office and store-

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WILNA.

house with dock attached, was a large build- ing on the river, just at the corner of Canal and West streets. For the first year or two the boats were towed up the river, a distance of about 44 miles, by the steamer L. R. Lyon. The Lyon was a large boat, built after the pat- tern of the Mississippi steamers. She was pro- pelled by a wheel situated at the stern, and was altogether too large and unwieldy to render practical service upon Black river. She burned to the water's edge August 10, 1878. The event was peculiarly distressing, inas- much as it involved the death of George Roberts, only son of Mr. and Mrs. T. S. Roberts, who are still residents of Car- thage. George was sleeping in the boat, having been acting as engineer.

Captain Sweet in 1860 placed in the line a new steamer, which he named after R. Gallagher. This was the first steamboat ever placed upon the river that was adapted to practical use. This boat ran successfully until 1873, when it was disabled by the ice at Carthage. Upon the arrival of the rail- road at Lyons Falls, Captain Sweet was in readiness with another new and handsome craft, built in 1864, which ran between Car- thage and that station, carrying passengers and freight. The name of this boat was the F. G. Connell. Capt. Sweet placed another steamboat on the river in 1868, known as the John L. Norton. In 1869 the Connell was totally destroyed by fire. With the excep- tion of a small amount of freight and pleasure- vachts and skiffs owned by private parties, the extension of the railroad to Carthage put an end to travel upon the river. The line was closed in 1870.

The lumber business sprang into great activity through the facility of shipment. There is still, however, a considerable amount of business done in heavy freights, such as lumber, etc., at points along the upper part of the river.

The history of the Black River Canal can- not be told here. When it at last reached this point it had lost nearly all of the importance which at first belonged to it for this section. But whatever advantages it may possess are yet available. The enormous hydraulic power afforded by the river remains unimpaired. The geographical situation of the village, as considered in connection with the existing railroads, is not only important, but may be said to be unique. To the south it has un- interrupted connection with the metropolis and the sea-board; to the west is a branch connecting with the great lakes; north and northwest, the St. Lawrence, and last but not least, the Carthage & Adirondack Railroad affords access in the east to the inexhaustible mines of the great iron sections and the vast wealth of the forests.

With all her advantages, natural and ac- quired, the future of the village must con- tinue to be one of honorable, progressive and upward movement, needing only capital and enterprise to place her among the most im- portant manufacturing towns in the North.

The first settlers found their way into this section by using the navigable waters of the Black river from the High Falls to the present village of Carthage, then known as the Long Falls, a name well applied.

The struggles and hardships of the early . settlers in this new country have been des- cribed in graphic terms by other writers, who were in loving sympathy with the theme. Their lives were hard and laborious, and subject to what would now be considered extreme privation. The opening of a new country, where means of communication with the outside world are scanty and diffi- cult, involves inconveniences which the present generation can but faintly realize. The dwellings were generally small, the sleeping-rooms seldom being larger than seven feet by nine. The ceilings were made low for the purpose of holding in as much of the warmth as could be made to radiate from the open fire-place, the greater part escaping by way of the chimney or through the crevices, where, as was often the case, the abode was of logs.

The means for education were far below those now furnished freely to every child of school age, and regarded as a matter of course. Religious meetings were usually held at the house of some faithful member- sometimes in the rude school building. The " circuit rider" made his rounds with such punctuality as Providence or impassable roads and unfordable streams would permit. Sometimes the assembled congregation would melt under the fervid exhortations of the then youthful but consecrated Gardner Baker, while at another they might literally drink in the words of life from the lips of Father Isaac Puffer. Rev. Enoch Barnes was for many years the presiding elder. His nephew justified his Methodist training by passing into history as the first martyr to the cause of prohibition.

Settlement was commenced about 1798 by Henry Boutin, who had purchased of Ru- dolph Tillier, agent of the French Company, 1,000 acres on the east side of the river, on the site of the present village. With a com- pany of men he made a considerable clearing in that year and the next, when the enter- prise was abandoned, so far as he was con- cerned. There are conflicting accounts as to the scene of his death. It is claimed by one authority that about two years from the time of his settlement here, he started for France to settle his affairs there, and the vessel on which he took passage being lost at sea, he never returned. Dr. Hough, in his History of Jefferson county, relates that he was drowned below the village a few years after his first arrival here. It is impossible to say at this late day which account is cor- rect, but it is at least reasonable to believe that he met his death by drowning.

James LeRay having been appointed ad- ministrator of Boutin's estate, July 17, 1815, the title passed to Vincent LeRay, he pur- chasing the property at auction. The origi-

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

nal title to all the lands in Carthage has since been derived from Mr. LeRay.

No account of the first settlement of Car- thage could be considered properly intro- duced without the name of Jean Baptist Bos- suot. He was a native of Troyes, France, and came to America with Baron Steuben. After Boutin's death, Bossuot remained for several years the only settler at Long Falls. He maintained a ferry and kept an inn for travellers, but not exactly after the pattern of those familiarly known at the present day. The ferry was kept up until the first bridge was built in 1812-13. No one was refused a passage across the river or a shelter under his roof because they had no money to give

On the erection of a postoffice, the name of Carthage superceded that of Long Falls. Up to that time the mails had been carried by post riders.

About 1835 Mr. LeRay established his land office in Carthage, adding new importance to the place. It had previously been located at LeRaysville.

TOWN OFFICERS.

Cornelius J. Clark, supervisor ; Peter W. Lyman, town clerk ; John Shoemaker, James H. Dawley, Henry Flint, justices of the peace ; Wallace W. Sweet and Zuriel Sarvey, assessors ; Levi Wood, overseer of the poor ; Reuben A. Derby, commissioner of high-

R., W. & O. R. R. BRIDGE CROSSING BLACK RIVER AT CARTHAGE.

in payment. Both himself and wife were well known for their generosity and activity. They had six children, one of whom is said to be the first birth occurring in the town, none of them are now living. The writer well remembers this remarkable old pioneer as he appeared on the street and at his home, on the corner of Dock and Canal streets. He was of medium stature, and for a man of his age quite active, but then quite deaf, very polite in manner, somewhat eccentric, yet bearing the impress of a life of hardy ad- venture, a link between the present and the time when the Black River country was a virgin forest. He lived to the advanced age of 93 years, dying in Champion, July 26, 1847.

ways ; Charles W. Graham, collector ; P. W. Lyman, George Covey, Edgar Simmons, Edgar Mann, Lewis Place, constables.

THE VILLAGE OF CARTHAGE

Is located on Black river, 16 miles east of Watertown, on the main line of the Utica & Black River division of the R. W. & O. R. R. The Clayton & Ogdensburg and the Watertown & Sackets Harbor divisions and the Carthage & Adirondack Railways con- nect at Carthage, affording direct access by rail from all points.

The river here expands into a broad and rapid stream. An iron bridge, 500 feet in length, built by the State, spans the river at

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WILNA.

this point and unites the sister villages, Carthage and West Carthage. The R. W. & O. R. R. bridge crosses the river in a diag- onal direction at a short distance above. These structures, viewed from the shore, present a fine appearance. The location is healthy and pleasant. Natural drainage is afforded over a large portion of the place, and the soil is quite free from malarial ex- halations. Just at the beginning of the falls the State dam has been placed across the stream and reaches from shore to shore, a distance of 900 feet. The falls descend 55 feet in a distance of about a mile from their head. The river's entire fall from Carthage until it reaches the lake, is 480 feet. The channel, in the vicinity of the falls, is studded with islands, 50 in number, presenting in the summer a very picturesque and pleasant ap- pearance. In early days there were a series of bridges, five in number, connecting the islands, by means of which the river was crossed from Carthage to West Carthage. The hydraulic power here afforded is enor- mous, and the regular descent of the river- bed renders these facilities continuous for a long distance on either side. The dam was completed in 1855.

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Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 161

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