Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 48

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 48

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

213

CITY OF WATERTOWN.

drawings how a printing press could be made that would print upon a continuous web of paper. Mr. Rice pondered over it, but finally pronounced the scheme impracticable and of little value if practicable. That was probably the first conception of such a machine, the re- sults of which, in hands of men of wealth and requisite mechanical skill, are difficult to even comprehend-for it has been the means of cheapening literature and diffusing knowl- edge beyond man's earliest hopes. This Sam- uel Haddock was the father of that Rev. Dr. Haddock who was murdered by the liquor dealers at Sioux City, Iowa, and the man who learned Latin and Greek at his blacksmith forge. The writer well remembers being called up from his sleep many a time by his father, who insisted upon hearing his son's Latin lesson before he himself slept. Yet he was a mechanic, working at $1.75 per day, and keeping at the Institute four to five chil- dren for several years.

At Factory Square there were two very in- teresting characters, whose memory should not lapse into oblivion, Nathaniel Wiley and John Sigourney. Mr. Wiley came into the Black River country among the early ones, from New Hampshire, in which State he was born in 1796. He was the first worker in iron in Watertown who possessed a shop of his own-his large stone building, with his sign upon it, being a prominent feature, and stood just below where the fine factory building of Nill & Jess now looms up so grandly. Mr. Wiley was an excellent practical mechanic, working at the lathe himself, and aiding his apprentices in learning all the intricacies of that business. With the primitive tools of that period he turned out as good work as is now done, though not as quickly, as the patent shapers, drills and planers now in use take hold of solid iron and handle it as if it were soft wood. Mr. Wiley lived to a good old age, respected by every one. When the writer purchased the cotton factory and began to overhaul the old mill and make eloth, the advice and assistance of Mr. Wiley are grate- fully remembered. He died in 1866 full of years and of honors. One of his daughters is Mrs. Andrew Fairbanks, now living and well. Mrs. Harriet Wiley, wife of Nathaniel Wiley, was born August 24th, 1800, in Western New York, and died at Watertown, July 27, 1866, aged 66 years.

John Sigourney was of New England parentage, and came to Watertown at an early day. His first public recognition was when he was made superintendent of the old Water- town Cotton Factory, long since destroyed, a part of its foundation being overlapped by the eastern wall of Nill & Jess' large building. Mr. Sigourney remained with that mill for many years, and is best remembered in con- nection with it. He was an intense Democrat, despising a Federalist as something entirely unworthy of notice. He reared one son, John M., who is remembered by the writer as a playmate; he was a fine scholar, though very retiring and modest. The elder Sigourney died Feb. 8, 1872, and John departed June 13,

1883. Both father and son were well known to the writer, were much respected and are held in kind remembrance.

The numerous Sigourney family, so promi- nent in Watertown for many years, are all related to Miss Lydia H. Sigourney, the dis- tinguished New England poet and authoress, long since deceased.

Henry D. Sewall, an elegant and educated gentleman of the old school, came to Water- town in the thirties, and became interested in manufacturing various textile fabrics. He was a pushing, progressive man, much beyond his contemporaries in learning. Unfortunaly the remoteness from the leading commercial centers of the country much more than coun- ter-balanced the advantages of Black river water power, and in time the ruinous compe- tition of more favored localities drove all these textile works into bankruptcy. Mr. Sewall's ventures were no exception, and his invest- ment in Watertown proved unremunerative. The late E. Q. Sewall, of Bagley & Sewall, was his youngest son. Their former resi- dence on Sewall's island, now the office of the Remingtons, was well sustained by a liberal hospitality, and the family were popular and beloved. Dr. Charles Goodale married one of Mr. Sewall's daughters, and Mr. T. H. Camp the other. Mr. Sewall and his wife were buried in the old burying ground at foot of Arsenal street.

Stillman Massey thus alludes to the First Presbyterian Church, built in 1821. The reader will mark the honest pride and feeling manifested in the last paragraph of this de- scription:

I cannot remember so much about the services as of the extreme frigid temperature which it seems always prevailed during those terrible long sermons, customary at that time. But for my mother's sheet- iron foot-stove, in which wood was burned, and that in the vestibule into which the outer doors opened, there was no other means of warming or trying to warm the house, and that was a complete failure.

The smoke-pipes passed into and through the body of the church, dropping from the joints a water dark as ink on the heads of those who passed along the aisles. This was remedied by attaching tin vessels so as to catch the falling shower. The pulpit was perched high up against the wall, between the entrance doors, with a flight of stairs on either side leading up to it. The pews were square, and so high that lads of my size could scarcely see over. The seats for the sing- ers in the gallery were my envy on account of the wider range for observation which they afforded. There were in two corners of the gallery, boxes or pews intended for and used by the few colored per- sons who wished to attend. The leader of the choir was Isaac Lee, and, after him, Jabez Foster, both of whom used the old fashioned wooden pitch-pipe. I cannot forget the exciting and almost angry conflict that took place when the question was liscussed of endeavoring to improve the musical part of the ser- vice by the introduction of certain instruments in the choir. The singers were nearly all in favor of it, with whom the younger part of the congrega- tion were in sympathy, while some aesthetic elder people in the church, with New England proclivities, took very decided and ultra views on the question; going so far as to declare if that which was proposed was carried out, they and their families could not at- tend services of that character. On the other hand, among the younger and more progressive members of the choir and congregation there was manifested an equal determination that if no changes were made in respect to the singing services, those who liked the present method could share it all among themselves. To this, as in all great wars, there must in some way and at some time come an end. And as usual, compro-

214

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

mises were offered and accepted, thus ending the conflict and peace reigned again.

The compromise, as I remember, was simply cast- ing out the wicked "fiddle" desired by some, and re- taining its greater prototype, the bass viol. All other things save the introduction of new tune books for the choir remained as before. No other disturbing element entered into this church to prevent its growth and prosperity till a later period in the days of Finney, Burchard and the like, in regard to the forms and methods of conducting religious meetings, when almost as fierce a controversy took place, but thanks to its conservatism, this church passed through with- out its foundations being in any material sense dis- turbed, and so from that day to this the old "First Church" has stood firm as the rock upon which its original walls were founded. It was the church of my parents in the days of my youth, as well as that of nearly all of my kindred, and I believe it to be true that in all the years since the society was first formed in Watertown the name of one of my immedi- ate family has never been absent from the roll of its officers, in the line of their descent.

Frederick W. Eames was an interesting and important character. He was born at Kala- mazoo, Mich., in November, 1843, and was educated under refining influences. He served in the Union army, volunteering among the very first who went from his native town; was commissioned a lieutenant and served until the close of the war. His mechanical capacity found one of its developments in the Eames vacuum brake, a devise for railroad cars, which has been adopted by many roads, and is patented in many European countries and in the United States. He erected a large manufactory upon Beebee's island, in Water- town, and formed a company to manufacture the brake. It is deeply regretted that he met his death while attempting to carry out by force what the law would have given him as a right. He was shot while attempting to enter his own premises, but his murderer was ac- quitted upon the plea of self-defense.

James Potts, familiarly known as " Jimmie" Potts, was a well known and somewhat unique character in Watertown in former times. His first appearance on the arena here was in this wise: In the year 1837 he, with others, was brought and committed to the jail here for complicity in the burning of the steamer Sir Robert Peel. After "Jim- mie's" liberation from jail, he opened a small tailor shop, which, not proving a suc- cess, he took a position as salesman with N. W. Streeter & Son, clothing dealers, which position he filled satisfactorily some nine or ten years. The firm finally established him in the same trade in Sterling, Ill. This was about 1865. He continued the business for the firm for five or six years, when he went into business on his own account, and con- tinued until age compelled his retirement. He died at the ripe old age of 92. When the Streeters set up Potts, at Sterling, they took an insurance on his life for $5,000, as col- lateral security for $1,200, paying the pre- miums until the aggregate was $10,500, "Jimmy" surviving too long to make the investment profitable.

A little joke used to be related, to the effect that a customer coming to the store of Streeter & Son, and finding, the senior partner in, in- quired of him where his father was, having mistaken "Jimmy " for the head of the firm.

The old cotton factory, which stood on the spot now occupied by Nill & Jess' manufac- turing building, was in its day no unimpor- tant institution in training the boys of the neighborhood to habits of industry and appli- cation. And from it graduated several boys who afterwards rose to positions of eminence and honor. Among such boys was one who obtained an army reputation, known as Gen- eral Patrick, who died in 1888. Young Pat- rick, through the agency of influential friends, was admitted to the West Point Military Academy. After graduating and serving with distinction in the Mexican war, he served in the Union army.

The late Joseph Mullin also for a time was as usefully employed in the humble occupa- tion of a factory boy, in the same institution, as he was, in later life, in representing his constituents in Congress, and in deciding legal contests in the courts.

Otis L. Wheelock was another of the fac- tory boys. His contributions to the adorn- ment of the town of his early home was after- wards supplemented in Chicago by far larger triumphs in the same profession. This has been especially conspicuous in many fine ex- amples of church architecture. Dr. A. R. Thomas, for more than forty years an honored resident of Philadelphia, Pa., was [See pp. 13 another of these factory boys. and 93].

Marinus W. Gilbert, who, for many years was associated with John Sigourney in the management of the old cotton factory, is well remembered as a genial and kind-hearted man. On Saturday afternoons, in the fall, when the work of the week was over, it was Gilbert's custom to have the factory boys gather on Factory Square, while he, with a large basket of apples stood on the south side of the square, throwing the apples and watch- ing with lively interest their excited scrambles for possession of the coveted fruit.

WAGES AND COST OF LIVING.

A comparison of the former times with the present, in respect to the above mentioned points, will reveal no slight contrast, and show no little gain to the wage-worker of to- day. Carpenters, painters, etc., received $1.50 per day in 1830. Samuel Haddock, a blacksmith, kept four children in school on $1.75 per day. Other mechanics were paid Servant girls received 75 in proportion.

cents per week. There was, however, one compensation for these low wages. Board for men could be procured at $1.50 per week; for women 75 cents to $1 per week. The cost of most articles of food was correspond- ingly low. Butter, 8 to 12 cents per pound; potatoes, 1834 per bushel; wood, $1.50 per cord, and other articles of household neces- sity, with the exception of clothing, in like proportion. Clothing and boots and shoes were much more expensive in 1832 than now. Necessity compelled the exercise of great economy in living, and people were satisfied with a style of dress and slenderness of wardrobe, which would now be regarded as a

215

CITY OF WATERTOWN.

hardship to submit to. Broadcloth and silks were worn only by the more wealthy; " satinet," a mixture of cotton and wool, for men's wear, and calico for women, being the goods most worn. Nor was this close economy limited to dress, but was of neces- sity generally observable in all that pertained to domestic life or household economy. Car- pets were very rarely seen except in the houses of the wealthy, and the furniture was all severely plain.

The generally low scale of wages was not the only, nor perhaps the chief embarrass- ment that wage-earners had to contend with in that early time. A method of doing busi- ness prevailed, which in its working was quite as inimical to progress as the paltry re- muneration for services. That was paying in "store pay," as it was termed. An order was given on some store, for goods of such kind as were kept by the dealer. The evils of this system were two-fold. It reduced the holder of the order to the necessity of taking such goods as were left, and gave him but a small margin for choice, and he was exposed to the liability of having to pay an extra price.

This poor system of doing business was much aggravated when the Jefferson Cotton Mills Company went into operation, late in the twenties. It was said that when Beebee came to Watertown to inaugurate that enter- prise, the storekeepers of the place went to him and endeavored to get him to commit himself to the system already in vogue with them, and that at first he demurred to their solicitation, but was finally induced to fall into line. He accordingly issued due bills of various denominations, large and small, and having conspicuously upon them a cut of his great cotton mills. All of which tended to render them more acceptable to the holder than the merely written order. The result was that the town was flooded with "Beebee's shin-plasters," as they were derisively termed. By this means business was hampered and enterprise checked, and the wage-earners probably made to suffer.

A somewhat stirring little episode occurred in the early days in Watertown, relating to the title to the bank of Black River lying opposite Beebee's Island. Mr. Beebee had been to Brownville, and looked over the ground there with a view of commencing a building for the manufacture of cotton cloth. He had been attracted to this locality from Otsego county by the magnificent water power of the river, then just beginning to be developed at Watertown. The Brownville people, who had already established a small plant for manufacturing cotton, were very anxious to secure Mr. Beebee; but, after patient investigation, (in which he was aided by William Smith, so long and favorably known as an experienced engineer), he con- cluded to establish himself at Watertown. After this determination was known, the Brownville people comprehended that the land on Beebee's Island would be valueless for a water-power without the right to dam the river, which could only be done by

anchoring the dam to the Pamelia shore, and that land had not up to that time been sold by Mr. LeRay. So they concluded to divert Mr. Beebee from his project by speedily buying that land. But Mr. Beebee was informed of their attempt and prepared himself accord- ingly. Israel Symonds kept the hotel at that time in Watertown, and he had a span of fleet horses. Mr. Smith, acting for Beebee, en- gaged this team to be ready at 3 o'clock in the morning, and Smith and Beebee started thus early to reach LeRaysville, expecting to secure from Mr. LeRay a contract for 125 acres on the Pamelia shore, which would make a neat farm as well as relieve any objec- tion to anchoring one end of the dam there. The papers were duly drawn and executed, and Messrs. Beebee and Smith were about leaving the land office when the Brownville people came up, their horses well blown, but they were too late. Civil exchanges of " good morning" followed, but the Brown- ville people were very much taken aback.

Mr. Beebee made Mr. Smith his superin- tendent, and the renowned Beebee's factory was erected by Mr. Smith from drawings furnished by an architect. The walls were all up and the building fully roofed and en- closed before Mr. Beebee ever saw it-a fit- ting tribute to Mr. Smith's capacity and un- questioned integrity.

Beebee's factory was burned in 1833, and that was the hardest blow the town ever suf- fered, for by it the place lost also Mr. Beebee, a matter of more consequence than the loss of property. It was a wonderfully well built factory, of stone-its waterways blasted through solid rock, guaranteeing a vast power at but trifling expense for further re- pairs. The mill, when fully developed, was expected to employ 400 to 500 hands.

Beebee's Island was once called Cowan's Island, the name being changed when the Beebee's possessions there were so extensive. It is said that Cowan once offered the whole island to Jonathan Baker for $10, but Baker offered $5, with no sale. They little dreamed that the island would eventually be worth more than the appraised value of half the lands then occupied in Jefferson county.

Judge Jabez Foster was here at an early day. His daughter married Adriel Ely. The judge had three sons. Gustavus A., Jabez, jr., and Morris. Jabez married a daughter of Judge TenEyck. Gustavus removed to Cleve- land early in the thirties, the two younger sons followed soon after, and the judge him- self went to Monroe, Mich., and there closed his days.

Among the merchants not otherwise men- tioned, was W. K. Hawkes; he married a daughter of Jared Carroll, who was at one time a piano maker at Boston, and followed the business of cabinet making and house- carpentering here. His wife was a sister of H. Farrington, Sr. Hawkes was in business with A. C. Cady, and afterwards cashier of the Union Bank. He went from here to New York and died there.

The Seligman brothers, William and Jesse,

216

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

were in the mercantile business here soon after the big fire. They went from here to San Francisco, and subsequently turned up in New York, where they became leading bankers of the country and amassed princely fortunes, one of them dying lately, much regretted.

Samuel F. Bates, at one time a partner of Jasan Fairbanks, afterwards sold dry goods and boots and shoes on Court street. He re- sided on the corner of Benedict and Arsenal streets, and later built and occupied the dwel- ling on the corner of Stone street and Massey avenue. His wife was a sister of Mrs. G. W. Knowlton. Mrs. Bates, after the death of her husband, moved to Washington.

One of the early settlers was Joseph Clark, father of the late Charles Clark, and of Dr. Richard Clark, the latter of whom studied and practiced medicine with Dr. Amasa Trow- bridge. About 1833 Dr. Clark was commis- sioned a surgeon in the army. He went to Florida and died there. The Clarks had two sisters, one of whom married Dyer Hunting- ton, and the other became the wife of Alonzo Bradner, once a merchant in New York.

One of the oldest blocks on the Square is that at the east end, north of the Baptist church, originally built by Frederick W. White, and in part occupied by White & VanNamee as a cabinet store. At an early period Harbottle & Howard opened a stove and hardware store, and did business there over thirty years.

The carriage and wagon makers were: O. & C. Colwell, who had a shop on Beebee's Island, and who built stages for Kinniston & Buckey; Harlow Scovill and Levi Palmer, as Scovill & Palmer, carried on the wagon- making business extensively. Scovill & Col- well erected the brick building now occupied by York & Son, and manufactured fine car- riages. Noyes Tuttle came here from Boon- ville and started a carriage shop where the Harris House now is. Jasan Fairbanks was likewise a wagon maker at one time. Benj. F. Berry was engaged in making carpenter's planes with John Ransom.

A. B. Turner and W. H. Sigourney, bro- thers-in-law, were in the watch and jewelry business in 1849 while Hitchcock, the inventor, was their apprentice.

One Wittgenstein, a German Jew, kept a liquor store in the Fairbanks block at the time of the great fire. He lived in the Buck- lin house and afterwards in that of G. C. Sherman.

Andrew Newell was the first brewer in town. He came here at an early day. Loca- ting at the foot of Court street, he built the brewery where the freight-house now stands; likewise the dwelling long occupied by the Haas family. Mr. Haas was the successor of Mr. Newell in his business and residence. Mr. Newell was an eccentric character, formerly a sea captain. Having no children, he adopted one, who became the wife of Gen. A. N. Corss. He also brought up Edson Bacon, a son of Moses Bacon. With many estimable qualities, he was noted for his plainness of speech and his profanity.

One Butler built a public house, corner of Mill and Factory street, in 1827 or 1828, call- ing it "Butler's Tavern." He kept it a few years, and then sold out and moved to Chi- cago. In 1839, it was owned by Geo. W. Tripp, a carpenter, who sold it to Francis R. Lamon. His children were born there. Mr. Buck, one of the parties who built the " Kirby House," succeeded Lamon, and he in turn was succeeded by Mr. Gates, (father of E. M. Gates,) who kept the house until he went into the " Harris House." On the opposite side of Factory street was another hostelry, kept by J. L. Huntington, brother of Dyer Hunting- ton. It was kept as a temperance house, the first in town. Dyer Huntington was a strong temperance man. After Huntington left it, Butler Ranney kept it, and H. D. Sewall and his family boarded there while his house was being erected on Sewall's Island.

Among the early mechanics were Wm. Ellwood, a carpenter, who finished the Wood- ruff House; Levi Comins, a mill-wright ; Benj. Gibbs, also carpenter, residing on Jay street ; Wesley Sage, also a carpenter, who built the Presbyterian church, long since rebuilt, Josiah Huckins, also a carpenter, who lived on the south side of State street, and after- wards removed to Carthage and died there ; James H. Meigs, also a carpenter, who lived on Sterling street; E. Y. Albro, another car- penter who lived on Factory street ; James Ballard, brother of the late undertaker Bal- lard, who married a daughter of Alvin Hunt.

It is quite certain that the first male child born in Jefferson county was William R. Gates, whose parents then resided in Cham- pion. The date is Dec. 25. 1801-Christmas day-certainly a lucky omen. This child re- mained in Champion with his parents until 32 years of age, when he removed to Carthage, but finally settled in Antwerp, where he died.

Dexter Parker built the first dwelling house on the north side of the river between the buildings in Jewettville and the lower bridge.

Dr. John Safford was early in the field as a merchant, a contemporary of Hungerford, Ely, Farwell and Paddock. He came to Watertown from Martinsburgh He adopted a novel manner of advertising, having the front of his building painted in squares of al- ternate colors, hence its designation as the " checkered store." Dr. Safford was rather independent as a merchant, and if any of the farmers' wives intimated that Paddock sold calico cheaper than he did, the Dr. would put the goods back on the shelf, and tell his cus- tomer, " Well, you'd better go to Paddock's and buy,".

A. Newell was a carpenter and had a con- tract for finishing the interior of Hart Massey's dwelling, at that time the only brick dwelling house in Watertown. It is not generally known that almost the first grist and saw- mill erected in Jefferson County was at Burr- ville, under an agreement by Hart Massey with the land agent, Silas Stow. This mill was erected in the summer of 1801, suitable for grinding corn, and thenceforth the old mortar on the Public Square, that had saved

217

CITY OF WATERTOWN.

people from starvation, relapsed into “in- noxuous desuetude." A saw-mill soon fol- lowed, by Cowan, in 1802, and a grist-mill in 1803, both at Watertown.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 48

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