Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 95

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 95

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seemed to stay, while $5,000 was desired. Finally, in 1892, the contract was awarded to Carrick Brothers, of St. Johnsbury, Vt., at $3,000.

The lot cost $600, and was purchased by subscriptions. The grading of the grounds, under the supervision of Myron H. Bent, cost about $1,000 more. Many farmers con- tributed generously toward the improve- ments, in labor with teams.

The monument was dedicated August 24, 1894, in the presence of 7,000 or 8,000 people from all parts of Northern New York, including 1,000 veterans from the G. A. R. posts at Carthage, Lowville, and other points. The dedicatory address was deliver- ed by . Secretary of State John Palmer, and was an eloquent tribute to the heroes of 1861-65, and to the patriotism of Antwerp. Col. Albert D. Shaw, of Watertown, Hon. Isaac L. Hunt, of Adams, Judge Henry E. Turner, of Lowville, and others, delivered stirring addresses. Hon. John D. Ellis pre- sided. The occasion was a memorable one in the history of Antwerp.

IN preachers, physicians and lawyers, Antwerp has been favored by the presence of very many able and conscientious men, " their names remembered or forgotten." It has been the fashion among writers of history during these later years, to single out pro- fessional men for more extended notice than the equally able men who occupy less public positions in society. The writer has not been able, after mature thought and careful consideration, to find any valid reason for singling out the professions for special men- tion. To do so seems to us invidious, and, excepting the soldiers, we have not given lists of such except as they become identified with discussions of local history. To say that a man demands a place in history from the bare fact that he gets his living by a pro- fession instead of a trade, appears to us a foolish assertion, But the names of the soldiers who went from all the communities of Jefferson county to help preserve the union of these United States, they should be printed in letters of gold, and blazoned upon imperishable granite. Those who are now living in the town of Antwerp, as near as we.can now learn, are as follows :

Ahi Mosher, James S. Dwyre, Peter Shampine, Fletcher N. Odbert, Peter Wer- ney, George E. Fuller, Luke Marsh, Brayton F. Kinne, Thomas T. Ballard, Charles Hunt, Ethan Allen Wait, William Yerden, Charles E. Wright, Thomas Scurrah, Martin L. Willard, Ezra Hicks, J. D. Snell, John C. Trolan, James N. Simmonds, Albert A. Porter, Ira C. Hinsdale, Robert A. Hall, James Render, Stephen L. Hall, John Stan- ley, E. J. Burchell, Calvin J. Ripley, John B. Hall, John M. Butler, William Rattican, William S. Risdale, Eugene Miller, Philan- der Burton, Taylor Smith, George Rattican, James Risdale, William Hogan, Morton T. Bacon, John I. Bacon, Reuben C. Wright,

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ANTWERP.

David Backus, Richard Render, Levi North, Wilbur Goodnough, J. Spencer Woodward, John C, Gates, Jacob S. Cole, Lorenzo D. Burtis, Benjamin F. Butler, Amos Streeter, John G. Bethel, Horace Tooley, William Wythe, John Stanley.

ANTWERP LODGE, No. 226, F. & A. M .- April 25, 1850, the lodge had its meeting for organization, when the following officers officiated : William Skinner, W. M .; Ezra Skipp, S. W .; J. B. Carpenter, J. W .; Clewly Copeland, Treasurer ; William Strong, Secretary ; Levi Miller, S. D .; S. D. Whit- ing, J. D .; Levi Miller, Tyler. The follow- ing have been Masters of the lodge since its organization : William Skinner, Levi Miller, H. H. Miller, A. Hoyt, T. S. Jackson, Joseph Newton, S. H. Kirkland, A. Mc- Gregor, James A. Aldrich, George N. Cros- by, S. D. Hunt, A. G. Wait, H. D. Hatha- way, W. E. A. Faichney, G. H. Wood, John G. Bethel, Elmer G. Burtis.

THE BUSINESS HOUSES

Of the village are briefly as follows : Bau- mert fancy cheese factory, employing from 25 to 30 hands; mentioned elsewhere.

The Jefferson Iron Company, Edward B. Bulkley, President; office, corner Main and Depot streets. At present not working their mines.

The Antwerp Chair Manufacturing Com- pany, building now practically completed; mentioned under a separate head.

The Antwerp Mills of Morgan Augsbury, with a daily capacity of 80 barrels.

The Proctor House and the Foster House, and a boarding house kept by Laton Bentley, opposite the former.

Hayne & Whitaker's sugar-of-milk factory, next to the Baumert factory ; established by this firm, who came from Unionville, Dela- ware county.

J. T. Bethel's sash, door and blind factory ; established by present owner. Employing from two to five men.

Hogan Bros.' foundry, purchased in 1873 from J. L. Newton, who established it about 1857.

William Munro's saw-mill, doing princi- pally custom sawing.

Ira C. Hinsdale, dry goods, who came from Ox-Bow to Antwerp in 1885, and located in the Johnson block. The same business was previously conducted here, first by William N. Johnson, H. W. Ellis, James H. Lounsbery, Chapin & Banister, Sisson & Fox.

William T. Bentley, dry goods, (adminis- trators), in the south end of the Syndicate block. Established in the present location 1889 ; first located in store now occupied by A. Beaman, in 1887.

F. S. Howe & Co., dry goods, in the King store, built by A. M. King in 1865, and conducted by him with the post office until 1891.

Miss A. Beaman, dry goods and millinery, in the White block, opposite Congregational

Church; established in present location in 1889. For many years previous, this firm name was Miss A. Wight & Co., originally established in 1857 by Mrs. S. W. Somes, becoming A. Wight in 1866, who occupied the store where Perley's store now stands.

Alonzo Chapin, clothing, in Chapin block, established in 1848. This is the oldest business block in town, and was built in 1844 by Lester Fowler and Lansing Drake.

E. B. Perley, drugs, in Perley block. Mr. Perley came from Vermont in 1868, and commenced business under the firm name of Williams & Perley, in 1871, one door above present location.

Fred Y. Spears, Arthur L. Lynde-Spears & Lynde ; drugs and general merchandise, in Syndicate block.

Wait & Moore, hardware, established in 1862 in present store.

C. P. McAllaster, hardware, in Bailey block; established in 1886. Firm was Mc- Allaster Brothers until about a year ago.

R. A. Hogan, gents' furnishing goods, established 1894.

W. R. Smith, groceries ; established 1861.

Jacob Winkler, boots and shoes, in White block, established in 1879.

E. C. Burchell, groceries, Miller block, erected by Josis Miller and John H. Conk- lin in 1867.

C. Marsh, boots and shoes, established in present location, opposite Foster House, in 1889.

John B. Marsh, jeweler, first established in Burtis block in 1873; moved to Coolidge block in 1874.

A. M. Parlow, tailor, established 1893.

D. J. Alton, groceries and meats, Syndi- cate block ; first established as Alton Bros. C. L. Dillenbeck, dry goods, Syndicate block.

Gates & Alton, groceries and meats, in basement south end Chapin block; estab- lished in 1891.

C. W. Hall & Co., furniture, next to W. R. Smith's, established in 1871.

Geo. Snell, bottling works, opened in 1894,

J. R. Richner, steam laundry, rear of Proctor House.

Mrs. A. E. Marsh, telegraph and telephone office, Chapin block.

C. W. Moffett & Co., boots, shoes and harness store, established in Chapin block in 1884.

R. M. Flaherty, ten cent store, south end Chapin block, established in 1893.

John Pogue, tailor, basement of Foster House.

E. E. Proctor, news room, Chapin block. Mrs. George Snell, millinery, at residence, Main street.

Dr. G. H. Wood, office over Marsh's.

Dr. William Hay, office over Flaherty's.

Dr. F. F. Hutchins, office in P. O. block.

M. H. Donald, insurance, office in P. O. block.

F. N. Odbert, wagon making ; at Deven- dorf's blacksmith shop.

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

J. R. Welch, wagon making.

O. G. Devendorf, blacksmith, south of bridge.

Robert Cochran, blacksmith, Williams building ; opened 1894.

J. D. Burtis, restaurant and saloon, next to Bank.

Dr. G. H. Lathan, dentist, established here 1877. Office over Perley's.

John C. Trolan, attorney, established in 1872; office over McAllaster's store.

H. J. Foote, attorney, office at residence, Madison avenue.

J. A. Faichney, photographer established as Faichney & Bent in 1887; Williams building. John D. Radigan, livery.

Spears & Richner, livery ; established 1890 by Spears & Lynde.

Bank of Antwerp, a private bank, estab- lished in 1872 by Cassius M. Coolidge, John D. Ellis, president ; Albert Hoyt, cashier; capital and surplus, $200,000. The business was resumed by them in 1874. The old bank building was erected by Coolidge, and was destroyed by the fire of 1889, and an elegant new one of brick and stone, on same location, opposite post office, took its place.

The Antwerp Gazette, a weekly news- paper, was founded September 1, 1873, by J. M. Beaman, and was continued by him until February 1, 1875, being then bought by J. W. Van Slyke. It passed into the hands of Myron H. Bent on December 12, 1888, and on February 15, 1892, into the pos- session of Duane W. Fuller. Circulation, 2,500 copies. At first the outfit consisted of

a hand-press and an old Ruggles job press and but few fonts of type; it is now heated and run by steam, with three presses and a full complement of type.

The Antwerp News was started in the summer of 1870 by Miss M. M. Smith, but was discontinued January 1, 1873.

Van Buren street was extended from the cemetery around to Depot street in 1886, and Hoyt avenue was laid out in 1884. New streets are at present contemplated.

The present dam in Antwerp village was built by Mr. Munro in 1861-33 years ago. It must have been well built to have stood so long, and passed over its breast so many million feet of lumber.

THE 75th anniversary of the organization of the First Congregational Church of Ant- werp, was celebrated December 28, 1894, in an appropriate manner. It was a most in- teresting and important event in the history of the church, and for the village of Ant- werp. The church was beautifully and ar- tistically decorated for the occasion. After the opening exercises, the Rev. Duncan Mc- Gregor offered a fervent prayer and Mr. Morgan Augsbury made an address of wel- come. Then followed a most interesting paper prepared and read by Albert Hoyt, for many years its clerk, on the history of the church, which was most judicious and elicited the closest attention. Then followed letters of regret and congratulation from former pastors. The happy occasion ended with an informal reception.

THE BENTONS.

MRS. CAROLINE C. BENTON, wife of Colonel Z. H. Benton, formerly of Antwerp, who died at Richfield Springs some years ago, was a natural-born niece of Napoleon I., she being the daughter of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain. Though so near a descend- ant of a family that helped so greatly to make history, she seldom made any allusion, save to her intimate friends, to the fact that she was the only descendant in America of that distinguished house. It may not be altogether unbecoming for an historian to make mention of some well-known facts con- cerning people who have passed away, for sometimes such allusions may help to "point a moral or adorn a tale." In such a light we present a few remarks :

When Joseph Bonaparte, who had been King of Spain when his great brother had thrones and crowns to give away, took up his residence in Bordentown, N. J., he met and loved a beautiful Quaker girl. Her family were eminently respectable, and it was a great blow to their just pride to see their daughter contract a mesalliance with an acknowledged French roue like Joseph Bonaparte, then an old, corpulent man. Outside of her own friends and acquaint-

ances, no one knew the family name of this fair Quakeress, nor do we here give it, although well known to the author of this History. This union resulted in the birth of two children, both daughters. The younger died in infancy, and the other was she who married Colonel Benton. Her mother came to Watertown in the thirties, under the name of Madam de la Folie, and resided for a long time on Arsenal street, in the brick double-house later owned by the DeLongs, and demolished to make room for the Opera House. There Mrs. Benton grew to woman- hood, and there she was married to Col. Benton early in the thirties, the ceremony being per- formed early in the old Trinity Church on Court street, destroyed in the great fire of 1849.

Shortly before the year of this marriage, Joseph Bonaparte spent a large part of his time in this northern country, having 240, - 000 acres of land in Northern Jefferson and Southern St. Lawrence, the Natural Bridge being his headquarters, and there he erected quite a pretentious dwelling, a picture of which is shown on page 108c of this History. He also built a hunting lodge on the high rocky hill that forms the eastern shore of

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ANTWERP.

Bonaparte Lake, but only the foundation walls are now traceable. It is a lonely, bleak place, the trees all cut down, and the naked rocks adding to the desolation.

During his residence in this northern section, he chose to be called the Count de Survilliers. He finally disposed of his lands to the Antwerp Company, we believe, though not positive. In the fall of 1830, having heard of the French Revolution of the previous July, he departed for France.

Mrs. Benton received a pension of $1,200 a year from France up to the time of the Franco-Prussian war. After that she taught French for a living. She was a beautiful and accomplished lady, and in no way ever violated the rules of conventionalism. She left several children; one of her sons is a summer resident upon the shore of Bona- parte Lake, where he has a fine cottage. In 1879 Mrs. Benton wrote an interesting book about France and the French people. She visited Paris, and is said to have been re-

ceived by Napoleon III., but we have no authority for the statement that she was acknowledged as a legitimate Bonaparte. She is represented as having been a splendid girl, with beautiful eyes, and a manner that was charming. Her residence in this remote section is not so remarkable when we con- sider that the very first efforts at a settle- ment of the Black River country were made by emigres from France, driven out by the Revolution of 1793, as the Bonapartes were in turn driven out by the returning Bour- bons, after Waterloo-they, too, seeking this northern section for a home. At Cape Vin- cent there were Frenchmen who entered Moscow with Napoleon I., and survived the awful horrors of that campaign. They even hoped to see "L'Emprere " himself among them at Cape Vincent, after he should have escaped from St. Helena. Vain hope! His restless ambition left him, as it should have done, to die a prisoner upon a lonely island in a distant sea.

JOHN D. ELLIS.

AMONG the best known and most respected business men of Jefferson county is Hon. John D. Ellis, of Antwerp. John Davis Ellis was born in 1834, in the town of LeRay, being the youngest and now the only sur- viving son of Joseph Phinney and Almira (Steele) Ellis. His education was acquired in the Academy at Carthage, and at a private school in Evans Mills ; but at an early age he was obliged to leave his books to enter the store of his father at Antwerp, where Mr. Ellis senior added the duties of post- master to the demands of a large general country trade, making his son's services great- ly needed. At the age of 21 he was admitted to full partnership, and upon his father's re- tirement a few years later, reorganized the business under the firm name of John D. Ellis & Co., the other partners being Her- cules Weston Ellis (his brother, now de- ceased), and Albert Hoyt, his brother-in-law. Under this firm's management, a steady, growing and thriving trade was established, it being a well known fact that very few country stores of the present day cover any- thing like so large a range of territory in their customers. It was here, indeed, that the foundation of Mr. Ellis' fortune was made-a fortune which he owes almost wholly to his own untiring industry and business ability. The retail sales of J. D. Ellis & Co. reached $100,000 in a single year, and in addition they handled farm pro- ducts to the amount of $250,000 per annum. It was at this time, also, that Mr. Ellis began to deal in real estate, a line of activity which has broadened until to-day he pays one of the largest realty taxes in this section.

The Bank of Antwerp, a private banking institution owned by Mr. Ellis, with Albert Hoyt as cashier, was established under its

present ownership in December, 1872. The Bank of Antwerp has been a successful institution, enjoying the confidence of the community, by reason of conservative busi- ness methods and sound financial practices. The great fire of 1889 destroyed the old bank building, a frame structure, and it was re- placed by the present one, of brick and stone, with modern vault and time-lock pro- tection, which is one of the finest banking offices in the county. Mr. Ellis was active in the establishment of the Antwerp Liberal Literary Institute (now Ives Seminary), an institution which has incalculably contribu- ted to the educational interests of the town ; and was a trustee, and for several years president of the board of trustees thereof.

All his life an earnest and consistent Democrat, in foul weather and in fair, Mr. Ellis has nevertheless enjoyed the respect and support of his strongly Republican town, and has held many public offices, both elective and appointive. His first election was as supervisor, the only Democrat chosen to that office from the town of Antwerp since the organization of the Republican party-a period of nearly 40 years; he has also filled many other local offices. In 1879, a year almost paralleling 1894, as one of Democratic dissension and defeat, Mr. Ellis was never- theless elected member of the Assembly from the second Jefferson district, a Republi- can district, and was thus one of the very few Democrats who have represented this county at Albany since the war. Mr. Ellis carried the district by the substantial majority of 268. His own town, ordinarily Republican by 300, gave him for the Assem- bly 169 majority. While a member, he in- introduced and secured the passage of several local measures of great importance,

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THE GROWTHI OF A CENTURY.

JOHN D. ELLIS.

But the most important public office ever held by Mr. Ellis was that of State Assessor, to which Governor Cleveland appointed him in 1883. The Board of State Assessors, of which he was for nine years a leading mem- ber, was always regarded by authorities as an exceptionally able one, and its decisions in equalization contests have invariably been sustained by the Court of Appeals. Mr. Ellis was especially known as a repre- sentative on the Board of the great farming interests of the State, which had not, until his appointment, been similarly recognized since the creation of the office in 1859.

During the war Mr. Ellis was a " War Democrat" was active with his influence and his means in aiding the Union cause, and, as treasurer of the funds for raising troops, became personally holden for large sums of money. During recent years he

has been active in the movement which has culminated in the erection of the Soldiers' Monument at Antwerp, and is vice-president of the Association that has reared this beautiful tribute to the soldier-dead.

He is a member of the First Congregational Church of Antwerp, and a liberal contribu- tor always to the cause of religion and to worthy charitable objects. Still in the prime of life, he is an excellent type of the successful American business man, the archi- tect of his own fortune.

In 1861 he married Mary J. Buell, daughter of the late Almon Buell, one of the pioneers of the town of Antwerp, and a man of upright and respected Christian char- acter. Their children are: Mary (wife of Willard S. Augsbury, of Antwerp), and Marion Josephine (wife of Ira M. Beaman, of Westboro, Mass).

H.J. M. ENG. 10. SY R. A.Y.

MR. AND MRS, LE ROY S. ROGERS, ANTWERP, N. Y.

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ANTWERP.

LEROY S. ROGERS.

LEROY S. ROGERS was born in Hebron, Washington county, N. Y., in 1819. His parents were John and Polly (Eggleston) Rogers, who were married in 1816, a season remembered as extremely cold. Polly Eggles- ton was the daughter of Asa Eggleston, of Washington county. John Rogers bought a farm near Antwerp in 1828, where he resided until his death, in 1870, aged 77 years.

LeRoy S. is the eldest of five children. He married Pamelia M. Burtch in 1846, and their family is as follows : Emogene P., wife of E. B. Perley, a leading druggist of Antwerp; Allen L., who married Mattie, daughter of Giles Bannister, of Watertown, where they reside and have one daughter, Bertha; Will J. Rogers, who resides on the

homestead, near Antwerp, and married Maud L., daughter of Hiram A. Mix, of Richville, St. Lawrence county ; George P., a druggist at Canton, St. Lawrence county, who mar- ried Jennie McLaren, of Heuvelton, St. Law- rence county; they have one daughter, Marga- ret G. LeRoy Rogers retired from the farm in 1876, and built the house in Antwerp village where he still resides. He has always been a Republican, and for 13 years the assessor of the town. He is a substan- tial, honored citizen, enjoying the respect of his neighbors and friends. On another page are the faces of this good man and his estimable companion, and we are sure they will be appreciated and remembered by their neighbors and townspeople.

WILLIAM McALLASTER.

WILLIAM MCALLASTER was born in Ant- rim, N. H., March 6, 1792. The family was respected in that community, and, until William was 13 years of age, in easy circum- stances. Then misfortune came and swept away the results of years of industry and frugality. At the age of 18, finding himself at liberty and on the world, with only a small amount of money in his pocket, Wil- liam packed his scanty wardrobe in a bundle, and taking it on his back, set out upon a march through the wilderness. Of the length of time consumed upon this journey we can say nothing ; but we know that upon reaching Antwerp he found little or nothing to do, and so continued his journey to Ogdensburg. He obtained employment for one season with Mr. Ford, the builder of the State road. Returning to New Hampshire, he again came to Antwerp, bringing with him his parents and one brother and five sisters. The journey was performed with a yoke of cattle and a two-wheeled cart. On arriving at Antwerp, Richard, the father, im- mediately set about the erection of a house, on a site now within the limits of Hoyt street, just in the rear of the Congregational Church. Richard and Susan died in 1813, their graves being among the first dug in the old burying-ground on the hill. In the meantime, William was laboring hard at small wages on the turnpike, which was then being built from Antwerp village to the Ox- Bow. Subsequently he was elected constable and collector. As collector he compelled Parish to pay his taxes in Antwerp instead of Albany, somewhat against that gentle- man's inclination, but William's energy and promptness in the matter pleased the wealthy land-owner, and he subsequently made the young man his agent.

In 1828 he married Nancy Stowell, a lady who came to Antwerp in 1809 from New Hampshire, and who was born January 6,

1804. Of this marriage were born four chil- dren, William P., George D., Oliver R. and Major. Of these only George D. is now living. Major died while young, and Wil- liam P. and Oliver while serving in the Union army in the Civil War. The Grand Army post at Antwerp bears the name of " Oliver McAllaster.' Hon. George D. Mc- Allaster has served one term in the Legis- lature, and has been several times supervisor of his town.

William McAllaster continued as Parish's agent until his land was all sold, and he ceased to do business in the town. He was elected to the Assembly in 1840, and for one year was supervisor of his town. He died May 5, 1870, probably the best known and respected of any man in that northern section.

The peculiar hardships endured by these early settlers are well described in a number of places in this History. But their lives were not all hardship. They raised families, founded homes, and what more do we ac- complish now ? On page 435 will be found the reminiscences written by Mrs. McAlaster, and they are particularly interesting and in- structive. She is certainly a remarkably well preserved and intelligent lady.

The life and labors of Mr. McAllaster are fitting Illustrations of the benefits progressive and active men are able to receive from being connected with a new country. It is prob- able. that were he living to-day, under the greatly changed conditions which now pre- vail, he would scarcely have done better than his descendants have done, who, left with large possessions, have no more than kept the patrimony they inherited. Such is often the case where men of considerable ability and prominence achieve success upon a small theater, when, if compelled to grapple with the conditions of a later era, they would scarcely have been successful, or risen above mediocrity.

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Growth of a Century : as illustrated in the history of Jefferson County, New York, from 1793 to 1894, Part 95

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