Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 33

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

USA > New York > Jefferson County > Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894 > Part 33

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The St. Lawrence was turned back upon it- self; the waters of Lake Ontario forced to find an outlet into the Hudson, through the channel of the Mohawk; then the channel of the Mohawk was dammed with ice, and the whole watershed reversed and turned west- ward into the Ohio and the Wabash. The old shores of Lake Ontario, 200 feet above their present level, may be seen in many places and upon different levels, as the succes- sive channels were closed and opened. The theory of a molten condition of the earth's centre, obtains some confirmation from these old lake-shores occupying elevations. They

149

GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTY.

suggest that the vast masses of ice temporarily depressed the portions of the earth that they covered.

Local conditions, to some extent, deter- mined the directions of the streams and rivers. The Adirondack Mountains, being a center of local glaciation, forced all outflows of water and ice in southwesterly direction. The glacial scratches, the sculpturing of the hills, and direction of the valleys show this.

The Potsdam sandstone, the strata of the birds eye limestone, and that of the Hudson river group, probably extend further north than at present; but over all the northern and western portions of the county, the edges have been denuded and carried away. An examination of the sands that now lie upon the western slopes of the mountains, shows them to have been made up from the calcif- erous and Potsdam sandstone mainly. These same red sands now fill the bottoms of the channels of the old glacial streams, and they overlie considerable stretches of the surface of the county. The " pine plains," above Great Bend, once densely covered with pine forest, are made up of this sand, so little intermixed with sediment and glacial clays, common over most other portions of the territory, that there is no fertility in the soil, it being almost pure sand.

The southeastern portions of the county seem not to have been so much disturbed by glaciation. The streams are usually old chan- nels of erosion, and the general face of the country, though deeply scored in places, ap- pears more like unglaciated regions. There was undoubtedly the same covering of ice there, but the land being higher, and a little outside of the center of glacial activities, the ice melted more slowly. There is a fine natu- ral exposure of the edge of the Utica slate, where it thins out in the bed of Sandy Creek, a short distance from Whitesville, perhaps the only natural thinning-out exposure left in the county, readily found. It was this natural thinning out of the strata that presented the

opportunity for the great displays of local dynamic energy; the ice, following the harder gneiss and granite, easily displaced the edges of the stratified rocks, until it met the heavy bedded birds-eye limestone in the central portions of the county. Genuine " hogs backs" are seen at Carthage, upon the carved and worn beds of gneiss that form the country rock there.

Perch lake, and nearly all the other small lakes in the county, are what are termed by glacialists, kettle holes. They were formed by glacial detritus, being dropped at the lower ends of depressions, and there has not yet time intervened for their filling up, or the wearing down of their outlets. It is in these respects that the county has been benefitted by glaciation; but taking the county as a whole, there may be doubts of any benefits arising out of former glaciation. In too many places the fine preglacial soils have either been covered up or removed to Central and Southern New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, too little time since intervening for the reform- ation of fertile soils by natural causes. Judging by the data we have in the wearing away of streams, it is scarcely ten thousand years since glaciers were floating to Lake Ontario from the Adriondack region, past the site of the city of Watertown.

The heavy-bedded clays in the central and western part of the county, underlaid by gravel and bowlders, are true glacial clays, deposited while the lake was at a higher level. In some beds there are intermixtures of blue clay. These have been derived from the de- nuded Utice slate and Lorraine shale.

Bowlders of gneiss, hornblende, granite, Labradorite, marble, mica schist and other minerals from the Laurentian rocks of Can- ada, and the highlands of the Adirondack, some of them weighing an hundred tons, are common and indiscriminately distributed upon and below the surface in nearly all parts of the county.

Having thus given a general description of the county, its geographical and geological pecu- liarities, as well as noticed its land titles and its aboriginal traces, not forgetting Castorland and the early French developments there, and their unfortunate endings, we now turn to mat- ters of less general but of more local importance. On page 153 we introduce the Thousand Islands, out of their apparent connection with the several towns which hold taxable sway over them, but in order really to give them the importance their history, their beauty, and their great improvements demand, for they are national in reputation, a blessing and a pride to the thousands who yearly gather there in search of health or enjoyment, and have brought Jeffer - son county into favorable notice from people of many other States.

It is often the case that people who are in daily and hourly contact with scenes of grandeur or beauty, become indifferent to their environenent, and fail to appreciate the glories which are everywhere around them, It is said that dwellers in the Alps are filled with wonder at the ecstacies evinced by travelers when they first look upon those snow-capped mountains. It is not improbable that many who reside all the year amidst the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence fail to adequately appreciate their real beauty and importance,

150

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

Hungerford

THIS distingushed citizen, so well remem- bered by the earlier settlers of Watertown, was born in Farmington, Conn., in 1790, and came into this town in 1804 with his father, who was one of those hardy settlers that came into the Black River country to find a home. Young Orville was regarded like the other boys of those early days, for though his parents were never designated as " poor," yet all the children of that era were taught habits of self-reliance, and they looked upon honest labor as the only true means by which respectability, wealth, and even honor were to be attained. To be an idler in those days would have been a synonym for "loafer " or "tramp " as we now use those terms. Young

Orville early manifested an inclination towards mercantile life, and when quite young he became a clerk in the store of Jabez Foster, then located at Burrville, but removed to Watertown in 1808. In that store he began as sweeper, duster, office-boy and care-taker, for boys in those days cheerfully took humble positions where a chance to work upward was apparent. Long before he was 21, Mr. Hungerford began to display the abilities which were to make him so conspicuous in mercantile and political life, and as soon as he was of age he became a partner in the business, the firm being Foster & Hungerford. The war of 1812 enabled this firm, the most prominent in the county, to enter upon an

151

BIOGRAPHIES.

extended trade in supplying the troops at Sackets with needed provisions and other supplies. They were successful, and respect- ed in all their dealings with the government. In 1815 Mr. Hungerford, then in his 25th year, began mercantile business for himself, and so continued until 1842. His success was assured from the start, for his integrity, his business capacity and his breadth of char- acter had made him the best known and per- haps the most respected man in Jefferson county.

HIS BUSINESS CAREER.

In the promotion of the railroad from Rome to Cape Vincent, Mr. Hungerford en- gaged with great ardor, laboring with zeal and energy that knew no weariness or discour- agement, and the citizens of Jefferson county will have reason to be grateful to his memory for the efficiency of his efforts. He held the first office of president of the company at the time of his death.

Mr. Hungerford was for many years a di- rector and at his death was president of the Jefferson County Bank. where his integrity and promptness in business had perhaps a wider field than in his mercantile pursuits. But wherever placed, and however sur- rounded, he proved himself equal to any emergency, and fully " justified the honors he had gained."

As a man of business he was prompt, decided, active, and correct. His judgment was clear and sound, and he possessed the faculty of obtaining for his plans the entire confidence of his business associates. If in his private affairs he was exact, he was also rigidly honest. No deceit or guile ever found utterance. but manful uprightness character- ized all his transactions. As a politician he was a conservative, a man of but few words, but many thoughts. The Democratic party achieved many victories under his leadership, and were beaten but seldom. His plans were carefully laid and vigorously executed, his influence was exereised with ease, and he con- troled without an effort In his private character he was exemplary, generous, and friendly. In his public bestowments, muni- ficient. Institutions of learning received liberal endowments from his generosity.

As POLITICIAN AND STATESMAN.

During the few weeks he has been engaged at Watertown in preparing some of the details of this History, the writer heard a re- mark made by a very clear-headed and ob- serving gentleman of mature age, in which he declared that Jefferson county had devel- oped several able "politicians," but not one "statesman." He was certainly in error in the last portion of his remark, for in Mr. Hungerford were combined all those excel- lencies which made Silas Wright and William L. Marcy and Thomas H. Benton so conspic- uous in their day, and have caused their memories to be so well perpetuated in history. In suavity, commanding presence, a know- ledge of parliamentary law, in ardent

sympathy with the toilers of the country, in his democratic ways and easiness of approach, in natural gifts, in a solid and enduring education in all the essentials for business or statesmanship, and in legislative experience, Mr. Hungerford was the equal of either of the men we have named. He was not a collegiate, nor were they, but whatever he had acquired from books had been accom- plished by a thorough knowledge of every branch of learning presented to his mind, and his natural aptitude enabled him to recall at any moment any information he had stored away ready for use. He was not a wavering or quibbling politician, so common in these days, but a man whose convictions were honest and honestly maintained on all occasions. He was firm as a rock when he felt that he was right, as was strikingly illus- trated when he introduced into Congress, as Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means, the distinctly protective tariff of 1846. Up to that time there had been no general or substantial opposition to the doctrine of pro- tection to those American industries which were then just emerging from their infancy, and in the Northern States there was but little criticism of such a policy. But the Southern leaders, desiring to market their great cotton product abroad, and to bring back free of duty the goods they consumed, (which they were then obliged to buy in New York and Boston after having paid a duty. and thus they had become enhanced in price by the profits of several middle-men,) had de- termined to break away from the protective plan for collecting the money to carry on the government. Mr. Hungerford had been made chairman of the important committee which had charge of the duty of reporting a tariff, at a time when the question of protec- tion was not particularly prominent, and the Southerners indulged the hope, when their time for opposing protection had come, to be able to control him, as they had previously controlled many prominent Northern repre- sentatives. They brought to bear upon him all the blandishments in their power, but his mind was made up, and he could not be moved. He was even offered the nomination to the Vice-Presidency, afterwards tendered to Silas Wright, if he would modify his tariff bill to suit the views of the Southern leaders -- but their promises and their efforts were in vain, and his bill was passed almost exactly as reported. The Southern leaders, finding they had encountered a man not so easily turned aside from his duty to his constituency, were afterwards less courteous to Mr. Hun- gerford, and, as has been their method always, they ultimately withdrew their confidence from the man they could not control or coerce.

Mr. Hungerford's natural modesty pre- vented him from resenting this attempt to control his action as a representative of the labor and manufacturing interests of his section, as a more pugnacious man would have done, but the treatment he received from leading Southerners at that time doubtless had

152

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

much to do with his subsequent indifference for public honors. He seemed to feel a dis- regard for public life, and clung all the more tenaciously to his home and to his early friends. Certain it is that if he had desired the place, and would have worked for it, he could have been made Governor or a Senator in Congress. When at the very zenith of his fame and popularity, and only in his 61st year he passed on to join the great majority, la- mented by all, idolized by his family, and mourned for as a brother by those who knew him intimately.

The writer has often reflected what would have been the course of Mr. Hungerford had he lived to enter upon the great Civil War. His natural patriotism, the insight he had obtained into the workings of Southern poli- ticians, and the promptings of his own inde- pendent character, all teach us that he would have been prominent in support of the Union cause, and would have given it, not a luke- warm support, as many Democrats did, but unhesitating and substantial sympathy and service.

He was a natural-born gentleman. To know him was to respect him. His manners invited confidence but not familiarity, and

though eminently democratic and easily ap- proached, he always impressed you as one of superior ability, as an able counselor, a man of many excellencies in mind, in attain- ment, and in person, for he was of command- ing presence, with a face that invited confi- dence. In any body of men, in any land, he would have been marked as one worthy of prominence.

He died April 6, 1851, after a short but severe illness of 12 days. His death was felt for many years as a great public calamity, for there were times soon after when his statesmanlike ability would have been avail- able, as indeed it would be acceptable now, nearly forty years after he has passed away.

He married, Oct. 31, 1813, Betsey P., daugh- of George and Hannah (Porter) Stanley. She was born at Wethersfield, Conn., Mar. 27, 1786 ; died Sept. 17, 1861, in the 76th year of her age.

Their first residence as housekeepers was in the house now (1894) owned by E. L. Paddock, on the corner of Washington and Clinton streets. He removed to the large stone house that he built on Washington street in 1825, which is still occupied by a portion of his family. J. A. H.

THE LATE MRS. P. C. CALHOUN.

MRS. Pamelia C. Calhoun, widow of John Calhoun, the first newspaper editor of Chi- cago, and one of Chicago's most widely known old settlers, died at Oak Park, Racine, Wis. She was the daughter of James and Lucinda Hathaway, of Watertown, N. Y., and was married to Mr. Calhoun, May 31, 1832. They lived together at Watertown until September, 1833, when Mr. Calhoun started for Chicago to establish the Democrat, the pioneer news- paper which afterward became the property of the late Hon. John Wentworth. When Mr. Calhoun set out for the new west, he left his wife at Watertown until he had made ready a home here. In the spring of 1834 Mr. Calhoun joined her husband. Their first residence there was on Lake street near Clark. They resided there during the summer of 1834. In the fall of that year they removed to a house which he had built upon a canal lot which he had selected and fenced in dur- ing the spring. This lot was adjoining the one on which the Sherman house now stands. They lived there until the fall of 1836. A lot was then purchased on State street, just north of Madison, at the south corner of Calhoun place. A dwelling was erected there in which they resided until Mr. Calhoun's death, Feb. 20, 1859. As soon as Mrs. Calhoun arrived in Chicago, she became an active assistant of her husband in his newspaper work. She assisted in the proof-reading on the Democrat, and attended to part of the business of the office. Mrs. Calhoun was one of the oldest members of St. Paul's church and always loyally attached to the congrega- tion. A memorial window for Mr. Calhoun

was placed in the new edifice at her expense. The Calhoun school in the city is named in honor of her husband, whom she survived 30 years.

The funeral services were held from St. Paul's church on Sunday morning, August 16th, attended by a large number of the friends of the parish, and the old settlers of the city. Mr. James. H. Swan, by special request, also spoke, paying an affectionate tribute to her memory. The interment was at Rose Hill.

BURNING OF THE SIR ROBERT PEEL.

At about midnight, on the night between May 29th and 30th, 1838, as the British Steamer Sir Robert Peel was taking in wood at McDonnel's Wharf, on the south side of Wells Island, in the town of Clayton, a bold party, consisting of thirteen men, under the lead of William Johnston, painted like Indians, and armed with muskets and bayonets, rushed on board, yelling and shouting "Remember the Caroline !"

There were nineteen passengers on board, mostly asleep in their berths, and, of course, they were exceedingly alarmed. They were hastily driven on shore-some with scarcely more than their night clothes upon them. Some of their baggage was set off, and towards morning the steamer, having been plundered, was cast off into the stream, and set on fire. The burning vessel drifted down and sank. It was afterwards said that the design in this attack was to capture and use the steamer for the purpose of the insurgents.

2.5

الشاك ٨٫٩

KINGSTON

. THE . TOURIST'S . IDEAL.ROUTE. ROME,WATERTOW!

DENSBURG.RAILROAD.

CEDAR L

MILTON I.

THE ONLY ALL-RAIL ROUTE TO THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. THE GREAT HIGHWAY AND FAVORITE ROUTE FOR FASHIONABLE PLEASURE TRAVEL.

GARDER LA

Brown Point L,H

GANANOQUE

Solid Traina with Elegant Sleeping Cara leave Niagara Falls daily 8.10 p. m. for Thousand Islands making immediate connections at Clayton withont transfer. with powerful eteamers of Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Co. for Alexandria Bay, Montreal, Quebec and the River Saguenay, pairing all the Thousand I-lands And running all the Raphs of the River St. Lawrence by daylight, the most attractive trip in the world.

White Mountains and Portland Express leaves Niagara Falls daily except Saturday at 8.10 p. m. with through Sleeping Cars Niagara Falls to Portland, making

connections at Norwood for Massens Springs ; st Moirs for Paul Smith's and Adirondack resorta, and running throngh the heart of the Mountains vis Fabynn's

and famous Crawford Notoh to Portland, with immediate connections for Bar Harbor, Old Orchard, Kennebunkport and all Ses Coast rosorts of Maine, This truin stopa at all principal resorte in the White Mountains.

Sleeping Cars on Night Trains and Drawing-Room Care on Day Trains from Ningars Falls, Rochester, Syracuse and Utica to Clayton [Thousand Islands], white" connection la made by all trains with Palace Steamer "St. Lawrence" for sil Thousand Island Resorta.

≥ CHIMNEY L

Jac Screw L.if.

SCALE OF MILES

CORO L

184.0.

Gananon

CEDAR ISLDA.

HILL

CLUB

LITTLE GRENADIER L

ISLAND

BAY

HALFWAY

POLEWIN.

RUQUE

STEAMER TRORSIDES 1,'

WESTMINSTER

WALTOI

PARK

MURRAY

APARK

PULLMAN'S /18 20

BLUFF

PROKENHAM L

. ..

Utjea Club House

FORT ISLAND

Carlton Inland

13. Bells Viata Lodge 14. Comfort Island.

.A. E. Clark, Chicago. .I. H. Warner, Rochester, N. Y.

16. Cherry Island,

Į A. B. Poliman, Chicago. G. B. March.

5. Isle of Pines ....... Mrs. E. N. Robinson, New York, 17. Wan Winet ..

.. C. E. Hill, Chicago

18. Nobby Inland .. HI. R. Heath, New York

19. Welcome Ieland.

8. G. Pope, Ogdensburg,

MILES

Cape Vincent to Carlton Ieland ..

.....

** Prospect Park .... 13

" Clayton ....

" Round Island .... . 15

Alexandria Bay to Westminster

Prof. A. B. Brown, Carthage, N. Y. N D. Ferguson,

Summerland Group.

9. Jolly Oaka. John Norton,

Park .... ....... 16

Park ***** ****** Rockport .......

** " Central Perk ...

Hon. W. W. Butterfield, Redwood, N. Y.

27. Manhattan Gronp.

24. Sport Island. ...

... Packer Estate

L.H.

National Boundary Line --- Through and Local Steamers, dotted rell Ingy Ratiroads, solid red Wine

E. Anthony, New York

Tibbett's Point

CAPE VINCENT

ROME WATERTOWN

Mra. H. G. Le Conte, Philadelphia

# Genincque ......

( Rev. Goodrich, Lafargeville, N. Y. Arthur Hughes, Stone Mills, N. Y. Frederick Smith, Watertown, N. Y. ( L. 8. Alnsworth, Watertown, N. Y.

1. Boanie Castle ....

........ Holland Estate

Cape Vincent to Alexandria Bay. .. ** Kingston ........ 1 .

8. Waving Branches <

. Jale Imperial ...

Holla

Station

Dock and

STEAME

STEAMER TO

CAPE VINCENT

PROSPECT PARK

Dock &

Station

FISHERS LANDING

. Calumet Island. .. Mr. Chns. G. Emery, New York,

15. Warner Island.

1. Rock Island Light-House, head of American Channel. j Occident and Grient ..... E. R. Washburn, New York,

Frederick Island ...... C. L. Fredericks, Carthage, N. Y. 7. Wellsley House.

LOCAL DISTANCES.

CLEVELANDEN

ALEXANDRIA BAY

GROUP

AMERICAN

CHANNEL ROCK BandL.H

GOVERNOR'S:L

CENTRAL PARK

ROUND ISLAND PARK

POINT!

Names of Points indicated by Figures in Red.

.. F. J. Bosworth, Newport, R. I

GRINDSTONE

AKE OF

HEMLOCK L

WATCH &

Wolf's Isid. L.H.

AMBETTA N

Button Bay

CARLETON

OLD

Names of Points indicated by Figures in Red.

10. Island Royal. .... Royal E. Deane, New York

NOLSONIMI

HALLIDAY'S POINT

C.A.Camp,

Lyndoc L.H .:

WALLALLT

ROCKPORT

ISLAND

"CHERRY

MONTREAL

Choosewa Bay

EEL

LONE GROTH-T

RABATT

Pulsade Park.

TH THOUSAND ISLAND

CESHUER !!

& Sunken Roc

O DEER

GRENADIER

ROUND TOP E.

JACK

K ISLAND

Alexandria Bay to Ogdensburg 32 Miles

Ithaca Club House.

EAGLE WING

BECKWITH L

Goose Bay

11. Seven Ielen . ... .. .. Bradley Winslow, Watertown, N. Y. 11. Point Vivian; Rezot Tozer, J. J. Kinney, Dr. Jones, Geo. Jones, William Cooper, and others, Stone Milla, New York.

Grand View Park

CHA

COOKS POINT

SQUAW I,

UTTILL 6

NARROW &

LEAK I.

CANADIAN

Narrow

Burns I. L,Hi

HO DONALDE

STAVEM

MARVIN LE

HAY 1.

TIDD8 L

BUCKET

Spectacle Shoal,

.L.H.

Halstead's Bay

THE SPECTACLES

Alexandria Bay to Montreal 140 Miles

ACLAYTON

EYinch Crack

20. Linlithgow Ielano. R. A. Livingston, New York

23. Point Marguerite

# Thousand Island

" Fisher's Landing. 90

Governor's Island Ex.Lient .- Gov. T. G. Alvord.

HICKORY I

LATHE ISLES.

WELLESLY

CHOPPEWA POINT

Dead Man's Bay

The Thousand Islands.

THEIR HISTORY.

HE importance of these islands, which form the northwest- ern boundary of Jefferson county, demands historical consideration distinct and separate from the towns in which they are situated. Cape Vincent, Clayton, Or- leans and Alexandria each claim a part of the islands, since they are mapped and described as belonging to the towns which front upon the river opposite. The islands proper really begin at Cape Vincent, and extend to Morristown and Brockville, about thirty-eight miles below, and are about 1,500 in number.

The author has been sometimes puzzled what to believe as he listens to diverse statements of the same general facts as related by different individuals. To understand the errors of many such statements at once demonstrates the un- reliability of oral testimony, and the importance of serious investigation before making a record for the printed page. It was once believed by many that Wells Island was for a time held half-and-half by both Canada and the United States. The inconsistency of such a location of the dividing line between two governments will be apparent to the most casual observer. But under such misinformation there were numerous settlements by Canadians upon that important island, claiming that they were within the limits of their own country. The truth is that in the treaty division of these islands there was no attempt to divide any island. The treaty called for a line running up the "main channel of the St. Lawrence," but when the commissioners came on to locate the line, they found two main chan- nels, both navigable, though the southeast (the American) channel was by far the straightest, and is undoubtedly the main channel of the river at that point ; and so the commissioners "gave and took" islands under the treaty, Wells Island falling to the United States be- cause so near its main shore, and Wolf Island going to the Canadians for a similar reason.

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Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 33

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