Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 168

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

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DR. ELI WEST was a native of Hampton, Washington county, N. Y., and was born July 26, 1792. He became a resident of Car- thage in 1816, and for many years was a well known and popular physician, a justice of the peace and a leading citizen. He was the first Master of Carthage Lodge, No. 158, F. A. M., upon its first institution in 1850. His son, Eugene West, was postmaster at Car- thage at one time, and DeWitt C., another son, became a prominent merchant at Low- ville, Lewis county, and was president of the Utica & Black River R. R. Dr. West died in Carthage, July 23, 1866, aged 74 years.

JESSE E. WILLIS was born in Berne, Al- bany county, N. Y., in March, 1821, where he resided until 13 years of age, at which time his father came to Carthage, and engaged in the manufacture of axes. At 21 Jesse served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade in Antwerp. In 1844 he married Betsey Seymour, and removed to Somerville, St. Lawrence county. In 1862 he was appointed quartermaster, with the rank of captain, in the volunteer service of the Union army. He was assigned to duty at Keokuk, Iowa, and was mustered out at the close of the war. In 1868 he returned to Carthage. In February, Captain Willis was appointed postmaster at Carthage, which position he held for 17 con- secutive years. He nearly lost his life by falling from the tower of the Presbyterian church. In 1853 he was elected Member of Assembly. His first wife died in 1875, after which he married Miss Mary E. Miller. Mr. Willis died May 13, 1889.

MANLY LOOMIS is one of the earliest settlers of the village of Carthage. He knows of no man who was a resident when he came, in 1841. He was born September 7, 1817, of English descent, and the son of Alvin Loomis, who came to Champion in 1832. In 1857 Manly started the manufacture of carri- ages, in which business he has been interested longer than any other person in the town. Carthage was called "Long Falls," and had no shade trees or sidewalks when he came. Mr. Loomis is an Abolitionist, and in early days the colored man found a shelter with him. He was at one time candidate for Member of Assembly on the Abolition ticket. He is a strong temperance man, and at the age of 77 is still an active business man. He married Rachel Baldwin, of Albany, N. Y., in 1839. Their children are : George (de- ceased), Stoel W., Jay A., Laura and Lucelia,

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wife of Frank G. Willis, who resides in Evansville, Ind. George served three years in the 2nd N. Y. Heavy Artillery, and died in September, 1894. He never entirely re- covered from the hardships endured while in the army. Stoel also served in the 2nd N. Y. Heavy Artillery, and held the office of corporal and sergeant. Stoel is in business with his father, and Jay is also also an enter- prising business man.

JOHN S. EDWARDS was born in Trumbull, Conn., March 23, 1803, coming from the family that produced the celebrated Jona- than Edwards. During the early part of his life he taught school, and afterwards engaged in mercantile business at Stephney, Conn. In the spring of 1828 he removed with his wife (whose maiden name was Climena Nichols) to Black Lake, St. Lawrence county, N. Y., where he carried on a general store and hotel. The postoffice of Edwardsville was established about this time, he being the first postmaster. In 1837 Mr. Edwards pur- chased 62,000 acres of land, being part of the McComb purchase, and soon after re- moved to Antwerp, and thence to Plainfield, N. J., where he resided until 1846, in which year he was appointed agent by Dr. Austin Sherman, of New York, for the sale of cer- tain lands owned by him in Jefferson county. He then removed to Carthage, where he re- sided (with the exception of three years spent in Albany, N. Y.) until the time of his death, May, 1893. Mr. Edwards was much esteemed in the community, where he had repeatedly been elected to local offices on the Democratic ticket. For many years he was a member of the First Baptist Church of Car- thage. His daughter, Mrs. Amanda Mann- ing, died March 9, 1895. She was the eldest of five children, and much respected.

FOSTER PENNIMAN was born in Black River, May 13, 1824. He is the son of Zurial Penniman, who came from Keene, Vt. Fos- ter has been a resident of Wilna for 54 years. He moved to Carthage about 1887. He has been supervisor of the town two terms and held many minor town offices. He married Esther Pierce, of Black River, and their children are: Charles, who occupies the homestead in Wilna, and Nancy, wife of Charles Strickland, of Denmark. Mr. Penni- man is much respected by his neighbors and friends.

REMSEN R. BROWN, for many years a hotel-keeper in Jefferson county, and for the past 35 years a resident of Carthage, was born in Sharon, Schoharie county, N. Y., in 1810. He was the son of Peter and Mary (Loucks) Brown. Rensen R. Brown came into Jefferson county in 1818 with his parents, who settled in the town of Antwerp at what is now known as Bentley's Corners. There his father and mother reared a large family of children, all of whom are now de- ceased except Remsen R., who remained at home with his father until 1821, when he went to Alexandria Bay and entered the em- ploy of Chauncey Westcott, one of the first

inn-keepers upon the great river. In this county he was first known as an hotel-keeper at Felts Mills. He came to Carthage in 1854 and purchased the Horace Henry hotel, then a small hostelry, which Mr. Brown enlarged and kept until 1861, the fire of that year to- tally destroyed it. One month after the fire he began to rebuild, and in a little over three months he put up what is now the Levis House. In 1870 he sold that property, and retired from hotel-keeping. He is now in his 85th year, enjoying good health, and having the appearance of a man of 65. His wife is still spared to share his earthly pil- grimage. She has been faithful to the for- tunes of her husband in all seasons and under all circumstances.

LOUIS FREDERICK BACHMAN, for many years a leading business man of Carthage, was born in Plenschitz, Germany, January 24, 1840. He was the son of John Bachman, and came with his parents when but 10 years of age to Naumburgh, Lewis county. He was in the stores of F. G. Connell and Bones & Frederick until the opening of the war, when he enlisted in Company D, 10th N. Y. Heavy Artillery, receiving promotion from time to time, and discharged in 1864 as quartermaster sergeant. After the war he studied pharmacy in the West, and return- ing to Carthage in 1865, again entered the employ of Bones & Frederick. He pur- chased Mr. Bones' interest on the death of the latter, and entered into business under the firm name of Frederick & Bachman. This firm was dissolved in 1877, when Mr. Bachman opened a drug store across the street, which he occupied until his death, April 9, 1888. He married Miss Vina Schef- fry, of Wilna, January 24, 1872, and they have three children, all of whom survive him. Mr. Bachman was a conscientious Christian gentleman. He was devotedly attached to the M. E. Church, in which he was a consistent member, carrying out the injunction to be "diligent in business, serv- ing the Lord."

JOHN WHALING, the present postmaster at Carthage, was born in the town of Phila- delphia, July 29, 1851, and is the son of John Whaling, who came to this country in 1848, and died in 1872. John was reared on a farm near Philadelphia, and has been a life-long resident of the county. After hav- ing the advantages of the common schools, he attended Ives Seminary, at Antwerp. The efficient and obliging manner in which he filled the position of deputy postmaster, under L. H. Mills, and afterward that of acting postmaster, won the respect of the public, proving him to be a clear-headed, progressive business man. He has been chosen three times to represent the town of Wilna as its supervisor. He is interested in a stock farm near Philadelphia, and is secretary of the Carthage Driving Park Association. He is a member of the firm of Walsh & Whaling, furniture dealers, who carry a large stock of goods.

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LEWIS H. MILLS, a prominent and successful business man of Carthage, was born in Kent county, Conn., the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Webster Mills. Early in life he devel- oped the sterling business qualities of his New England parentage, and at 18 started out for himself. He was married, May 16, 1851, to Fidelia Pitkin, of Hartford, Conn., and came soon after to Sterlingville, this county, and engaged in merchandise with his uncle, Ezra Shipp. After various busi- ness ventures at Harrisville, Lowville and Great Bend, he purchased the Walton House and store at Sterlingville. In April, 1864, his wife died. At Sterlingville he carried on the iron business for several years, coming to Carthage in 1869, and with Mr. Gere, from Syracuse, purchased the old furnace property, and organized the Carthage Iron Company. They carried on the iron busi- ness for many years. In 1865 Mr. Mills mar- ried Julia A. Sterling, daughter of James Sterling, one of the old iron masters of Jefferson county. At the time of his death Mr. Mills was extensively engaged in the lumber business in Carthage. On Christmas day, 1888, he dropped dead in his store. In 1886 he had been appointed postmaster, and held that position at the time of his death. He had two sons by his second wife, Louis and Antoine, the latter a law student with Hon. Mr. Kilby.

HENRY FLINT, long a resident of North Wilna, has resided there for the past 20 years. He is the son of Oliver and Sally (Scofield) Flint. He was born and resided in the town of LeRay. He had the benefit of the com- mon schools, but this privilege was gained only by walking six miles each day, milking 10 cows night and morning, but he utilized his evenings by studying his books by the light of a tallow candle. The Judge is a little proud in relating the obstacles that he over- came in obtaining an education. He has re- mained a farmer all his life, and owns one of the best farms in North Wilna, but he has also been a local politician, and is now, as he has been for several years, a leading Demo- crat of Wilna. The recent landslide that has overtaken his party was a dissappointment to him, but he does not waver in his devotion to Hill and his fortunes. He has been justice of sessions for two terms, and was for three years a justice of the peace, and has held many minor positions in his town. The Judge is now 55 years of age, has reared a family of four children, all daughters, and they are all married and settled in life.

SAMUEL LOOMIS was born in Connecticut, and was an early settler in the town of Cham- pion. He married Sally Sanders, who was born in Halifax, Vt., and came to Champion in 1807, residing near Pleasant Lake. She died near Carthage in 1875. Samantha, the only surviving child, was born in Champion in 1814, and married Abram Smith, taking up their residence in Denmark. In 1852 Mr. Smith went to California, and was killed by a land-slide in 1854. They had two daughters :

Cledectine, who died in 1857, and Sarah M., wife of Nelson Lamphear. Nelson has three childen : Burton, Fanny and Fred. Mrs. Smith has resided in Carthage and vicinity during the past 30 years with her daughter, Mrs. Lamphear. Corinna Loomis, another daughter of Samuel Loomis, was born in 1807, and married, when 19 years of age, Hiram Lamphear, whom she survived a few years, and again married William Bassett, of Den- mark. She died in Carthage, in 1883.

PALMER SCOTT was born in Massachusetts in 1802. He married Betsey Jones, from the State of Maine, and came to Felts Mills. In 1846 they came to Carthage, where they re- sided until their death. Mr. Scott was a tanner by trade, and filled acceptably minor offices in the town, and was overseer of the poor. He died in April, 1880, aged 78 years. His wife died in 1872, aged 72 years. Their children are : William J., Lewis W. and Elbridge G., well-known and respected citi- zens of Carthage and vicinity. Elbridge, who was deputy postmaster for 13 years, died in January, 1888, aged 50 years.

MRS. DANIEL BELLINGER has been a resi- dent of Carthage for 41 years. Her maiden name was Mary S. Hyne. She was married October 2, 1831, and was born in Montreal. After her marriage and a residence in New Jersey and other places, they finally came to Carthage. Mr. Bellinger was a tanner by trade, and died August 29, 1861. Of Mrs. Bellinger's six daughters, five are living. At the age of 88 years, Mrs. Bellinger is a re- markably intelligent lady, spending her de- clining years in the Christian's. hope, sur- rounded by her descendants to the second and third generation.

VICTOR SALTZMAN AND WIFE, an old Swiss couple, came to Carthage in 1829. They lived in a log house, about one and a half miles from Carthage, on the road to the "Checkered House." There were, at that time, but two dwellings between the Ham- mond House, where the Baptist Church now stands, and the Saltzman's, namely, the Guyot house, where the circus ground now is, on State street, and the old Carr house, which stood just above Carr Hill, one mile from the bridge in Carthage. The Checkered House was kept at that time by John Morris, a man who weighed upwards of 300 pounds. He afterwards kept the lower tavern in Car- thage, which stood on the corner of State and Water streets. This same Checkered House was kept by another very fat man, by the name of Reuben Rice, who also came to Car- thage afterwards, and kept the lower hotel. This Mr. Saltzman had two sons, Charles and August N., and two daughters, Mary Ann and Eliza. Charles lived in Carthage until within a few years, and died at an advanced age. Angust was a very active, bright boy, and at 17 was sent to Switzerland to learn the watch making trade. In 1840 he opened a watch repairing shop in Carthage. He mar- ried Miss Minerva Auburn, a very handsome blond, and went to New York city in 1845 or

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1846. There he opened a wholesale watch establishment, under the firm name of A. N. Saltzman & Co. He invented a watch which was well and favorably known all through the country as the "Saltzman Swiss watch." It is now considered the best watch in the market, but too high priced for the present day. He became very wealthy, and resides in Paris. His wife is dead. Mary Ann mar- ried for her first husband a French gentle- man by the name of Vuillaum, by whom she had one son Victor Vuillaum. The latter married the widow of the late Charles T. Hammond, and now resides in Florida. For her second husband she married a Canadian Frenchman, by the name of Julius Marseil, by whom she had a daughter, Elese, and a son Eugene. Eliza Saltzman, who was a very handsome woman, married John Pooler, who was half brother to the late Hiram McCollom. Mr. Pooler also became wealthy, and is now deceased. None of the family live near Car- thage, save August, a son of Charles, and a grandson of the old man, Victor Saltzman.

JAMES H. WILBUR was born in Lowville, N. Y., October 7, 1838, and was educated in the common shhools and in Lowville Acad- emy. He learned the printer's trade and worked for several years in offices of local papers. In 1858 he sailed for Oregon, by way of the Isthmus of Panama. At the city of Portland, in partnership with W. B. Taylor, he commenced publishing the " Port- land Daily Morning News," said to be the first daily morning paper ever published in Oregon. In 1860 his health failed and he was obliged to return East, where he worked on Lowville papers and on the Carthage Re- publican, which paper he purchased in 1868, and later sold an interest in the same to Mr. M. M. Williams. In 1864 he was married to Miss Elvira Edwards, daughter of John S. Edwards. In 1872 the Republican was sold to S. R. Pratt, and Mr. Wilbur, on account of ill-health, was obliged to retire from active life.

VIRGIL BROOKS was among the early settlers of the village of Carthage. He was American born and came in 1820. Mr. Brooks was a sober, industrious and kind- hearted man, and always enjoyed the confi- dence and respect of all who have known him. He was a justice of the peace for many years, and was always called "Squire Brooks." He was president of the village trustees and an exemplary member of the Presbyterian Church. He died February 5, 1865, aged 75 years. For many years he acted as marshal or director of funerals. In those days the dead were placed upon a bier and borne on the shoulders of able-bodied men.

The Brooks house stood on the corner of State and School streets, on the present site of John Norton's house, near which was a well of excellent water, which with another in front of the old Cutler house (where the Hammond homestead now stands), afforded the only good drinking water in that part of

the town. The old "Brooks' well " is sur- rounded by many tender memories of early Carthagenians. Mr. Brooks had two daugh- ters, Salina and Hannah. He had five sons : Alonzo, Lorenzo, Monroe, Virgil and Or- mando. Virgil died at the age of 16; Alonzo joined the Patriots, and was taken prisoner by the Canadians, and banished with many others to Van Dieman's land. After remaining a few years he escaped and returned to Carthage, but was always in great fear of re-capture. Monroe and Ormando both became acceptable Methodist ministers.

JAMES WARD was born in New York city, August 8, 1801. When about two years of age he came to the town of Le- Ray. He was of a retiring disposition and did not seek prominence, refusing all offers of a public or political nature. He bought a farm near Evans Mills, the present home of his son, Buel Ward, and finally became a real-estate broker and a money lender, in which he accumulated a fine competence. He married, in 1825, Lovina Barbour, of Champion. Their wedded life covered a span of 55 years. Mrs. James Ward was a model wife and mother. She was well-read in history, and possessed a fund of general information which rendered her a most agreeable companion and friend. Out of a family of 11 children, but one is deceased, and the youngest has lived to be 48. Mrs. Ward died at the age of 80, and Mr. Ward in his 80th year. The last 17 years of his life were spent in Carthage, where both he and his wife died.

SANFORD LEWIS was born in the town of Wilna, and was the son of Stephen and Sophia Lewis, who were among the first settlers. Stephen built the hotel in North Wilna, and his father built one previously near by. Sanford Lewis had five daugh- ters : Emeline (Mrs. E. H. Olmstead); Ade- laide (Mrs. John Freeman, of Great Bend); Mary (Mrs. Andrew Dickson); Libbie B. (Mrs. Charles Sarvey, of Carthage); Ada, Mrs. W. M. Maine, of North Wilna. Mr. Lewis died in 1891. He was postmaster at North Wilna for many years, and the oldest in the State at the time of his death.

EDGAR B. WILLIS, son of Amos Willis, the daguerrean, served in the 35th Regiment. He was shot through the face and reported killed and his funeral sermon preached in Carthage. Pieces of shell were taken from the wound which weighed 3} oz., which he carried 64 days. He rallied and came home and lived several years.

CHRISTOPHER S. POOR was for many years a respected citizen of Deer River and Car- thage. He came to Carthage about 1870, and there he spent the remainder of his life. Mr. Poor was a builder and contractor, and to that business he gave his best energies. In 1844 he married Miss Maria Clark, of Den- mark. They were burned out in the great fire at Carthage. Mr. Poor died in October, 1887. His widow still survives him, and is a

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very interesting and lovable character. Both her and her husband were nearly all their lives consistent members of the M. E. Church, to which Mr. Poor was an unusually liberal contributor. Mrs. Poor still main- tains her residence in Carthage, but spends her summers in her neat cottage at Thousand Island Park, where she is as well known and as much respected as at her home in Car- thage. Her father was William Clark, of Denmark, Lewis county. N. Y.

FRANKLIN P. EVANS, special surrogate of Jefferson county, has been a citizen of Car- thage for the past 29 years. He was born in Trenton, N. Y., the son of John and Louisa Evans, whose ancestors came into Oneida county early in the century. Frank was educated in the common schools, completing his education in the Union Free School of Carthage. He studied law with Capt. Welch and A. H. Francis, being admitted to the bar in 1876. He is a popular young man. He married, in 1877, Miss Josephine N., the youngest daughter of Dr. Spaulding, of Watertown.

CHARLES P. RYTHER was born at Evans Mills in 1833. His father was Peter H. Ryther, a noted mechanic of Evans. Mills, who removed to Theresa about 1845, and there Chas. P. reached his majority. He came to Carthage in 1868, where he has since resided. Soon after coming to Carthage he purchased an interest in the firm of Brown & Bliss. In 1871 Mr. Pringle was received into partnership, when the firm became Brown, Ryther & Pringle. Subsequently the Brown interest was purchased by the other partners, and the firm became Ryther & Pringle. The business is general machinery. Mr. Ryther has been quite a politician. He has been president of the village. At the time of the Carthage fire he was made chairman and treasurer of the relief committee. His labors were onerous, but he gave general satisfac- tion-a thing hard to accomplish under such trying circumstances. Mr. Ryther has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Mary M. De Groat, and she died in 1889. He mar- ried Mrs. Georgiana Stevens in December, 1890.

DR. FRANKLIN EVANS ROBINSON was born in Waterloo, N. Y., June 26, 1845. His father was Evans Robinson, M. D., who was born in Pennsylvania. He practiced in Rochester, N. Y., and other cities for nearly 40 years, dying in Rochester in 1884. Frank- lin Evans, the subject of this sketch, was educated principally in the common schools, then in Prof. Vroman's school, in West Geneva, N. Y .; then in Lima, Livingston county, where he completed his scholastic education. His medical education he re- ceived partly at the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, afterwards a course in homœ- opathy at Cleveland Homeopathic College. He began practice in Brooklyn, N. Y., where he resided for 15 years, practicing both in New York and Brooklyn. He was married in 1881 to Miss Lillie Ludlam, of Oyster Bay,

Long Island. The delicate health of a favor- ite daughter induced Dr. Robinson to visit the Adirondack region for the benefit of his child, which brought him incidentally to Carthage. He purchased the extensive and valuable property he now occupies in the suburbs of Carthage, comprising 68 acres, and running a full fourth of a mile on the river front, capable of being utilized for manufacturing to that extent. He has built a valuable pulp mill, with five sets of grinders, capable of producing 15 tons of dry pulp per day-equal to 40 tons of wet pulp. He floats his spruce timber down Black river. His expenditure has reached the large sum of $120,000. The principal part of his pulp is marketed in the South and West. In com- pany with all other business occupations, the pulp industries of Black river experienced great depressions during 1894. The Doctor is a very intelligent, progressive gentleman, and has his business well in hand. He ap- pears to have made a success of manufactur- ing, though not educated for that branch of business. On the west end of his property Dr. Robinson has built a beautiful dwelling, where he resides with his family. They have raised three children, who are all at home.

JOHN HEWITT was the second white child born in Carthage, probably in 1805. He was an industrious and respected citizen, dying in 1878, in his 73d year. He married Hepsey Silena Bassett, whose parents came into the county from Connecticut. They raised three children, one of their sons, Gautier, being a resident of Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, a trusted employe of Spreckles, the sugar king." John Hewitt was a brother to Clark Hewitt, who was long a resident and popular inn keeper in Watertown. His daughter married Hon. Pardon C. Williams, and is a most es- timable and respected lady of Watertown.

DANIEL POTTER was born in Connecticut in 1801. His brothers were John and Cicero, and Thankful was his sister. He was mar- ried in Gouverneur, St. Lawrence county, February 1, 1831, to Miss Almira, daughter of Angel and Ruth Potter, and sister of Henry G. and John A. Potter, late of Car thage. Daniel was supervisor of the town of Champion during the war, residing at Great Bend, and a merchant and the first post- master at that place. In 1867 he purchased the brick block on the corner of State and Church streets in Carthage, where he resided until he died, April 9, 1876, aged 75 years. Mrs. Daniel Potter is residing in Carthage with her niece, Mrs. Jay A. Loomis, and is a remarkably smart and intelligent lady for her age. She was born July 24, 1806, and is 88 years of age. She is one of the oldest mem- bers of the Baptist church of Carthage.

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Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 168

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