Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 45

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 45

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SOME SMALLER SCRAPS OF HISTORY.

It would be an easy matter for the histori- cal student to prepare his work truthfully and chronologically if he could encounter in each locality so industrious and able a chronicler as was the late Dyer Huntington, father of the present Mr. R. H. Huntington. Through the courtesy of this gentleman we have been per- mitted to examine his father's diary, commenc- ing in 1834 and continuing up to his last ill- ness. Some ruthless iconoclast, we regret to say, has sadly mutilated this journal, tearing out many leaves to save the time of copying them, and neglecting to return the precious records, covering probably the most inter- esting portions of the history. We are able to give only a few interesting items :

May 13, 1834. - Wind northwest, and snowing. It is now freezing fast. Apple trees in full bloom. This afternoon attended funeral of Judge P. G. Keyes. The day closes in a blustering January snow storm. [The author well remembers that day. He was carrying papers.]

May 15, 1834 .- A cold, wintry morning.

May 23, 1834 .- Warm. In the sun the mercury at 3 p. m. showed 106°. Half an hour after sundown it was 79º.

June 11, 1834. - A cloudy morning. Between 1 and 3

o'clock this morning was present at the burning of Tuttle & Sill's distillery. [The author was also present at that fire.]

June 13, 1834 .- This day received news of the death of Gen. Lafayette.

July 4, 1834 .-- As perfect a day as ever shone in Amer- ica. No celebration. Hundreds have gone to Sackets Har - bor. Lucas, at Burrville, hands blown off. [This un- fortunate man will be recalled by many of our older people, from the facility with which he was able to transact his business with iron hooks fixed to the stumps of both wrists.]

July 17. 1834 .- Mr. Gilbert returned home last night from Canada, and reports that cholera has appeared on the St. Lawrence, and that many have died at Quebec, Montreal, Prescott and Brockville.

Aug. 18, 1834 .- Mrs. Dr. Wright died this afternoon. Sept 7, 1834 .- Coldest morning since May last.

Oct. 2. 1834. - A man from Salina, the only fatal case ever known here, died last night from cholera.

Nov. 26, 1834 .- Sleighing good from Watertown to Utica.

Jan. 23. 1835. - Tuttle and Sill with their families and household effects, left yesterday, on wagons, for Ohio.

March 3, 1835 .- Town meeting. Mercury 7º below 0. 3 inches of snow.

March 15, 1835. - Esquire Saml. C. Canady buried on the 13th at LeRaysville.

April 7, 1835 .- Rutland Hill looks like winter. Hooker Dorchester, of Hounsfield, accidently killed yesterday by a shot from his own gun.

March 17. 1835. - Snow about a foot deep.

April 17, 1835 .- Mr. Huntington had evidently become impatient at the long. cold spring, for he underscores these words: "Am of opinion that the Black River country was created for such inhabitants only as wood- chucks, hedgehogs and skunks !"

April 10, 1835 .- Thomas Delano buried this p. m. Another Revolutionary patriot and pensioner stricken from the rolls.

April 17, 1835 .- Burk, the black man, found dead in the street this morning. Supposed to have frozen to death while intoxicated.

Jan. 28, 1836 .-- Two feet of snow on a level. Utica stage 24 hours late.

Jan. 25, 1837 .- The sky lit up with a very remarkable display of aurora borealis, a red belt extended across the heavens from east to west ; unusually fine display. [This nocturnal exhibition has been noticed in many histories.]

Feb. 16, 1837 .- Considerable snow, and more bluster- ing [probably a blizzard] than has been known here for 30 years past.

April 7, 1837 .- Fire last night, Creed's chair shop and house and Ford's dwelling entirely consumed. Furniture principally saved. Insured.

April 12, 1837 .- Have had 3 days of pleasant weather. Extraordinary.

May 28, 1837 .-- A good summer like day.

May 3, 1837 .- A most powerful rain. Streets com- pletely flooded.

July 4, 1837 .- Have an agreeable celebration.

August 4, 1837 .-- Frost throughout the Black River country.

August 10, 1837 .- Farmers report a fatal rust on their wheat, resulting from warm, cloudy weather. Much hay ruined.

August 13, 1837 -Green corn yesterday from the gar- den.

Nov. 3, 1837 .- Ground frozen for past week.

Nov. 14, 1837 .- A peculiar red light appeared over al- most the entire heavens, both last evening and to-night. This color was displaced this evening by the usual aurora borealis display. The rising moon dispelled the whole illusion.

Jan. 4, 1838 .- News reached us of the attack by a British force upon the steamer Caroline, at Schlosser, on the Niagara river.

Feb. 24, 1838 .- Van Rensselaer and other straggling renegades from Canada are about our village since these rediculous affairs at Clayton two days since. Several companies of militia are en route to protect our frontier.

March 28, 1838 .- Three days since the Governor of Upper Canada passed through our town on his way to England. To all appearances a small governor.

June 5, 1838 .- The steamer Robert Peel was boarded last Wednesday morning while at a wharf on Wells Island, below French Creek (Clayton), plundered and burned. Some 12 or 15 of the perpetrators are here in jail awaiting the action of the grand jury. The gover- nor is with us, and has issued a proclamation offering a reward for apprehensions. This is a result of the patriot attempt upon Canada last season.

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CITY OF WATERTOWN.

June 28, 1838 .- Trial of the prisoners charged with burning the Peel, resulted in their acquital.

June 30, 1838 .- Some rioting in the streets. Cannon fired by the patriots (or vagabonds) in honor of the liberation of their commander.

July 4, 1838 .- A hot day 90° in the shade.

July 16, 1838 .- Have in my garden corn fit to roast.

April 25, 1838 .- Received news of death of Levi Bee- bee.

Nov. 2. 1838 .- Protracted meeting at Baptist church closed to-day, having continued 30 days, night and day.

Nov 16, 1838 .- Received news of the battle at the windmill opposite Ogdensburg. Fears are entertained that the whole body of the patriots will be captured.

Nov. 19, 1838 .- We now learn that the windmill battle proved disastrous to the patriots, 90 of whom surren- dered, and were taken to Kingston.

Dec. 4, 1838 .- We learned that old Mr. Wheelock's son, wounded at the Windmill, has died of his wounds in the Kingston Hospital.

Dec. 13, 1838 .- We have news that Dorephus Abbey and Daniel George were hanged in the fort yesterday at Kingston. [See chapter on the Patriot War.]

April 24, 1839 .- Good wheeling, roads dry, weather pleasant, dry and cool. [Almost an exact description of the weather at the same date in 1894.]

May 10, 1839 .- Had radishes yesterday from hot bed. June 6, 1839 .- Marinus W. Gilbert died to-day.

June 12, 1839 .- George Benedict's wedding; only the aristocracy present (!)

Aug. 14, 1839 .- The Governor here yesterday. Was escorted to Carthage and back by citizens, led by John F. Hutchinson.

Aug. 29, 1839 .- Our president, Martin VanBuren, in town. Spent the night with Mr. Sterling.

Nov. 18, 1839 .- Hon. O. Hungerford's son-in-law, Rev. R. Z. Ely, buried yesterday.

Jan. 7, 1840 .- We learn from the paper that there is sleighing from Maine to Georgia.

Jan. 19, 1840 .- Themometor 28º below zero. Tre- mendous cold.

April 25, 1840 .- Mrs. John Clark died this morning.

May 17, 1840 .- Have had plenty of lettuce and radishes from our hot house.

Jan. 23, 1833 .- Report from protracted meeting says that A. P. Brayton and wife have experienced religion. Calvin Guiteau expressed a wish to be prayed for. [This was undoubledly the father of that Guiteau who assas- sinated President Garfield].

Sept. 22, 1840 .- We are now in the midst of the greatest political demonstration ever held in the county. The Whigs have turned out 10,000 to 15,000 strong, and are being addressed by Senator Talmadge.

Nov. 16, 1840 .- Drowned at Sackets Harbor, this day, Col. John Gotham and Alex. McDonald.

Jan. 3, 1841 .- Attended the funeral of Mrs. Sewall yesterday in a most violent snow storm.

April 7, 1841 .- Southern mail brings us news of the death of President Harrison, after one month's service,

May 20, 1841 .- Forest trees begin to show a little green, a very backward spring, [at least a month late, as com- pared with 1894.]

June 2, 1841 .- Dr Amasa Trowbridge killed almost instantly yesterday on Factory St., just above Knowlton & Rice's paper mill. [The author of this History witnessed that tragedy.]

Dec 20, 1841 .- An extensive fire destroyed Holcomb & Lee's woolen factory ; mercury, during the fire, at 28 below 0.

Jan. 9, 1842, Mrs M. W. Symonds and Dr. John Saf- ford both died to-day.

March 15, 1843 .- Snowed all day, mail 3 days late. Worst storm in 40 years.

March 16, 1843 .- The snow storm has continued 6 days and 6 nights.

March 25, 1843. - In the woods the snow is 4 feet deep, and there are drifts 25 feet high.

April 1, 1843-"The most dismal 1st of April I ever witnessed."

April 11, 1843 .- Planted seeds in hot beds, with snow banks all around from 2 to 3 feet high.

April 29, 1843 .- Part of the mill dam at Knowlton & Rice's paper mill, with the bridge and part of the Union mill, all swept off this morning by the great flood result- ing from the melting snow.

April 11, 1844 .- Hon. Micah Sterling and Hon. Egbert Ten Eyck died to-day.

Sept. 18, 1844 .- Great Whig mass meeting, 15,000 to 20,000 in attendance.'

May 13, 1849, Sunday -Greatest fire ever known in Watertown. Losses about half a million dollars. [See full account in history of the city of Watertown.]

Sept. 22, 1850 .- Universalist church burned-no in- surance

Oct. 16, 1852 .- The entire block of stores from Stone street to Paddock's block burnt this morning. Losses heavy.

From this date back to 1838 Mr. Hunting- ton confined himself almost entirely to mere entries of the thermometric changes and comments upon the weather. His records evidence great industry and much intelligent observation.

WATER POWER OF BLACK RIVER.

For several miles above the city the river flows rapidly over a solid bed of Trenton and birds-eye limestone, making the water pure and healthy and well aerated for supplying the city; but coming as it does from a granite region, the water is almost as soft as the purest rain-water, which renders it especially well adapted for use in the manufacture of cotton and woolen fabrics. The rocky nature of the bed and banks of the river in the vicinity of Watertown is the fullest guar- anty against all disasters arising from the washing away of banks, or the undermining of dams.

Upon the organization of the Manufactu- rers' Aid Association, it was decided that a scientific survey be made of the river upon whose power is based in so large a measure the distinctive attractions of the city, with a view of ascertaining, in a definite manner, the measure of the power derived from the river in its passage through the corporate limits of Watertown. To this end a systematic survey was made by Frank A. Hinds, civil engineer, assisted by Fred W. Eames, two gentlemen well calculated and abundantly qualified to do the work assigned them. We quote the following from Mr. Hinds' report:

"I have made a survey of Black river throughout the extent of the city of Watertown, and herewith submit a report of that survey, together with a map and profile. A level was carefully taken of the water from the point where the river enters the city at its eastern limit to the point where it leaves it at its westerly boundary, a distance of less than two miles, including in detail all the numerous falls and rapids, both improved and unimproved. The whole amount of fall within the distance, I have found to be 111.75 feet. Eighty-three feet of this noticeable fall is included between the upper and lower railroad bridges.

"There are five distinct falls between the points named The river was gauged at a point about two miles above the city, where its course is straight and level for a considerable distance, and it was found to deliver 596,728 cubic of water per minute. The measurement was taken on the 22d of March, and although the water was very little, if any higher than the ordinary winter flow, and the ice still un- broken, a deduction equal to one-third was made, to insure a safe estimate of the fair working average of the year. This allowance gives an average delivery of 397,819 cubic feet per minute. This, multiplied by 61.3 and 111.75, and divided by 33,000 gives 83,928 as the average actual horse-power for the whole river in its passage through the entire citv. If a still further allowance is made of two-thirds of this amount for leakage, clearance, friction and unavoid- able waste, we still have 27,926 horse-power, which may be regarded as effectual and available to run machinery."

TEXTILE MANUFACTURING.

The basis of the prosperity of Watertown as a manufacturing city, is her excellent

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

water power. At an early day the utilization and improvement of the natural advantages thus presented, was commenced by the erec- tion, first, of a grist-mill, and subsequently of more extensive manufacturing enterprises, some of which still remain in operation. It may be well here to give a brief summary of some of the early textile manufactories, so far as existing records and personal research have enabled us to procure the necessary data.

The manufacture of cotton and woolen goods once held quite a conspicuous position in the industries of the place. The extraor- dinary prices to which cotton fabrics had arisen, led to the formation of the "Black River Cotton and Woolen Manufacturing Co." December 28, 1813, with a capital of $100,- 000. The promoters of this scheme were Hart Massey, William Smith, Jabez Foster, M. W. Gilbert, John Paddock, Egbert Ten- Eyck, Amos Benedict, William Tanner, Jasan Fairbanks and Perley Keyes. The

Samuel F. Bates, John Sigourney and Joseph Kimball as trustees. This associa- tion continued several years, and was replaced by the " Watertown Cotton Company," with a capital of $12,000, formed January 7, 1846, with E. T. Throop Martin, Daniel Lee, S. Newton Dexter, H. Holcomb and John Col- lins, trustees. The company occupied the building already mentioned, constructed in 1814, and ran fifty looms with proportionate machinery. Major John A. Haddock went into the army from that mill, and it passed into other hands, subsequently being des- troyed by fire.

The "Hamilton Woolen-Mills Company," was formed February 10, 1835, with a capital of $50,000, by Henry D. Sewall, Geo. Gould- ing, John C. Lashar, Simeon Boynton and John Goulding, On the 10th of March follow - ing, the capital of the company was increased to $100,000, under the name of the Hamilton Manufacturing Company. Mr. Sewall built a

FIFTY

CENTS

Will be paid to the beaver on demand at the Store of the JEFFERSON Cotton Mills in Goods at our retail Cash prices Watertown N.Y. 18

Rawdon. Clark & Co .. 1155

building was erected in 1814, at a cost of $72,000. This mill was carried on by the company for three years; was a few years subsequently sold for $7,000, passed into other hands, and was destroyed by fire in 1869.

In 1827 the "Jefferson Cotton Mills " were erected on Beebee's Island by Levi Beebee, who came here from Cooperstown, N. Y. They were constructed of stone, 250x65 feet, and three stories high, with basement and wings. It was intended for ten thousand spindles, and its value was estimated at $200,000. On July 7, 1833, the building was entirely destroyed by fire. The site of this factory was one of the most eligible in the State for hydraulic purposes.

We insert above a copy of one of the due- bills issued by that company.

The "Watertown Cotton-Mills Company," with $100,000 capital, was formed January 10, 1834, Isaac H. Bronson, Jasan Fairbanks,

dam and factory, and the latter went into operation in the spring of 1836. It was designed for five sets of cards, with the neces- sary machinery. In May, 1842, this mill was bought by the "Black River Woolen Com- pany," which had been formed November 7, 1836, with a capital of $50,000, the trustees being I. H. Bronson, S. N. Dexter, O. Hungerford, John Williams, Hiram Holcomb and Daniel Lee. This company also erected a factory, which, after several years' success- ful operation, was destroyed in 1841. The mill was afterwards repaired and put in operation by Loomis & Co., employing seventy hands.

The " Watertown Woolen Company" was formed February 4, 1834, with $100,000 capital, with I. H. Bronson, John A. Rodgers, John Williams, S. Newton Dexter and H. Holcomb, as trustees.

The " Watertown Woolen Manufacturing Company " was formed December 24, 1835,

THE TAGGART BLOCK.

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CITY OF WATERTOWN.

with J. Williams, I. H. Bronson, H. Hol- comb, D. Lee and Silas Clark as trustees, and a capital of $25,000. The two last-named companies existed a few years, but no record exists of what was accomplished.

The "Williams Woolen Company" was formed November 7, 1836, with a capital of $10,000, and was in operation many years. I. H. Bronson, S. N. Dexter, J. Williams, H. Holcomb and Charles Webber were the pro- moters of the organization.

THE OLD COTTON MILL ON FACTORY SQUARE.

There has been considerable speculation be- tween Mr. A. J. Fairbanks and myself, (he being a native, to the manor born, and a veritable historian), and the writer (who came here in 1833), as to the individual from whom the Black River Cotton and Woolen Manu- facturing Company purchased the lands, upon a part of which they erected the old stone cotton factory in 1814, which was so long a prominent landmark at Factory Square. That speculation has been set at rest by refer- ence to one of Solon Massey's able articles, preserved by Mr. Geo. B. Massey, himself quite an antiquarian, and a near relative of Solon Massey, that patriotic and able gentle- man, who, under the nom de plume of "A Link in the Chain," threw such an instructive light upon every subject his pen touched. Writ- ing for one of the village papers early in the forties, he says :

THE OLD "EMERSON HOUSE."

Who is there among us that did not know that long- established and well known land mark, the Emerson House, which, amidst all the mutations of time for almost half a century, has stood there unscathed by the numerous and destructive fires which have swept over other portions of our village, blotting out one by one the memorials of other days ? And who is there, among the descendants of the old families, who has not shed his tear of regret over the ashes of that old time-worn memorial of the past, now that it has been swept from our sight by the destroying element?

It has been from our childhood up, a point of observation to reckon from,-in getting our latitude and longitude. East or West. North or South of the old Emerson house conveyed ideas that were per- fectly intelligbly to the community; and like a mile stone on the highway, it was always reliable for its giving distance to or from the center of the village.

Captain Ezekiel Jewett became the proprietor of a large tract of land, consisting of 400 acres, at a period (it it believed) as early as 1803, and in 1807 erected the house we are writing about, and which for many years was appropriately called the "Jewett House." and so known until long after it passed into the hands of. Harlow Emerson.

In 1813 a company was formed for manufacturing purposes, which purchased for $10,000 the entire farm of Capt. Jewett, with all the vast water power on the river, and the next season they erected the old cotton factory, and proceeded to manufacture cotton goods, under the corporate title of the (B. R. C. & W. M. Co.) Black River Cotton and Woolen Manufacturing Company.

They purchased the whole for the sake of getting the water front, expecting to parcel out the balance into small tracts, and sell it at such an advantage as would leave their hydraulic privileges nearly or quite free.

Mr. Emerson became the purchaser of 50 acres of the land facing on the State road, including the old Jewett house, and in process of time his name was applied to the house, whenever it was spoken of as a distinctive land mark, instead of the original proprie- tor, who had in the mean time removed to the town of Whitestown in Oneida county.

After Capt. Jewett left the premises, and before they were purchased and occupied by Mr. Emerson,

the house had been used as a tavern, more or less by different individuals, among whom were Gardiner Caswell and Harrison Morels, not as a "village tavern" but with a view to the travelling public, on the great stage route to and from Utica and the capital of the State on the one hand, and the great lakes on the other.

It is no evidence of a want of forethought in Capt. Jewett that he sold his 400 acres of land, including the vast water power of his river front for $10,000, but rather conclusive of the shrewdness of his character as a financier, that he was found in posses- sion of a property that was wanted, so soon, to accommodate the rapid growth of Watertown. It could not be keep together as a farm and at the same time be occupied as streets and lanes of a teeming village population. It must either be sold out and occupied by the public, or kept as a farm, at the ex- pense of driving the village a mile or two further down stream, and Capt. Jewett accepted such terms as made him rich. with comparitively trifling effort -- simply by the rapidly increased value of property.

The road now and for nearly an hundred years known as "Factory street," was pur- chased from the original proprietors by this same B. R. C. & W. M. Co., as a highway from the Public Square or mall to their lands at Factory Square, that being the easiest way of reaching their possessions. Having bought from Jewett, the first owner after Low, the lands beyond the north branch of the river were long known as Jewettville, being really in the town of Pamelia, though now an im- portant part of the city of Watertown, and there is located one of the most important papers mills of the Remington Paper Com- pany.

WATERTOWN'S ACADEMIES.

The earliest movement towards the estab- lishment of a public seminary in the county, was made in 1810. In that year a subscrip- tion was drawn up, $2,500 signed, a lot bought of Judge Keyes for the site of an academy, on the ground occupied by the First Presbyterian Church, in Watertown, and a plain two-story brick building, about 30x30, erected thereon for academical purposes. The war which soon occurred, defeated this movement, and the building was taken and occupied by the United States government as a hospital during that period, the sum of $400 being allowed to Mr. Keyes for its use. A large debt having accrued, it was appraised at about $1,000, sold on a mortgage, and bought by the trustees of the First Presby- terian Church, who erected on the lot, a little in front of the former building, the stone church which has recently been replaced by the present elegant church on Washington street.

On the 2d of May, 1835, the Watertown Academy was incorporated, by which Micah Sterling, Henry D. Sewall, Thomas Baker, Reuben Goodale, Orville Hungerford, Alpheus S. Greene, Egbert TenEyck, Justin Butterfield, William Smith, Jasan Fairbanks, Joseph Goodale, Loveland Paddock, Joseph Kimbal, George S. Boardman and John Saf- ford, and their successors, were incorporated as trustees of an academy, with power to hold real estate not exceeding an annual income of $6,000, and possessing the usual corporate powers of similar bodies. This

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

academy was never received under the visita- tion of the Regents.

A large stone building was erected in a grove, a little south of the village, which was first opened for the reception of students in September, 1832.

In their first circular, the trustees said: " It has too long been a subject of reproach to our community, that, while other interests were flourishing, the interests of education were neglected. Among us there has been no seminary for the education of boys, above the ordinary district school, and the consequence has been that parents have sent their children abroad, at a very heavy expense, or brought them up in comparative ignorance at home. But this reproach, so far at least as regards a provision for the means of acquiring knowl- edge, is about to be done away. An elegant and commodious building has been erected and prepared, and measures, we trust, will soon be taken to furnish a suitable philosophi- cal apparatus. *

* The building stands in a pleasant grove near the village and yet * retired from its bustle, on elevated ground, commanding an agreeable prospect. The subscribers are happy to announce that Mr. La Rue P. Thompson has been induced to take charge of this institution as principal, and well-qualified assistants will be employed as soon as the number of students offering shall render it expedient."

Mr. Thompson was succeeded by Samuel Belding, and the latter by Joseph Mullin.

In 1836, a joint effort was made by the Watertown Presbytery and the Black River Association, towards the establishment of a literary institution, which, while it should avoid a sectarian discipline, would be sur- rounded by a salutary religious and moral in- fluence. At the meeting of the Presbytery held at Brownville, February 8, 1836, the following resolution was unanimously passed, after discussion :

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Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 45

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