USA > New York > Schoharie County > Broome > Historical address, relating to the county of Broome in the state of New York > Part 4
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There is also another fact that may be recorded here. During the process of getting off the lumber, agriculture was sadly neglected, and the country had a most slovenly appearance. The land from which the pine timber had been removed was grown up to brush-no fences, no signs of improvement, and no cultivation. That this had the effect to retard the improve- ment of the County, and to delay its development as an agri- cultural section, which it now eminently is, cannot be denied. There was no attention paid to the cultivation of the land until the last pine tree had fallen.
There was another cause which delayed the settlement of the County, and which diverted the current of emigration that for a time was directed strongly towards it. In a note addressed to me by Virgil Whitney, Esq., with a view to aid me in the preparation of this sketch, he refers to this cause in the follow- ing language : " Before the opening of the Erie Canal, the County of Broome was filling up with inhabitants very rapidly, but the opening was a complete stoppage, and it became a very rare event for a new settler to come into the village or County.
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It then became apparent how isolated this section was. They had plenty to eat, but no exchange or sale, consequently no wealth, no fashions, no distinctions, but strange to say, more real content, more real religion, and more character as a com- munity."
The foregoing sketch brings us down in the history of Broome County to about the year 1836. It was then that the County first received the benefit of what was then termed the system of internal improvements, by the construction of the Chenango Canal. This was the first impetus to further advancement which the County had received.
The building of the Erie Canal had for many years before en- grossed the attention of the people of the State, and when it became a fact accomplished and a water communication was really established between Lake Erie and the Hudson River, the clamor came from on both sides of the main Canal for lateral or side canals which should connect with the Erie. This policy was adopted by the State, and the construction of the Crooked Lake Canal, the Seneca Lake Canal, the Chemung Canal, the Chenango Canal, and the Black River Canal was the result. The people interested in these several measures insisted upon their completion with great pertinacity, while those not partic- ularly affected by these measures began to think that the State was too lavish in its expenditures for work of internal improve- ment. This question became one of the leading elements in every election, and for many years the politics of this County, as well as others, were controlled by the question of the com- pletion of the Chenango Canal. It was this pertinacity and clamor, and uncontrollable determination that vexed the late Mr. Samuel Young, of Saratoga, into the declaration that the people of this section of the State were a set of " sturdy beggars." Notwithstanding all the opposition encountered, the Chenango
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Canal was constructed, and it let the " dark out" of this pre- viously sequestered region. and opened it to the outer world. This was in 1837.
The completion of the Chenango Canal again attracted the attention of emigrants, and once more the tide began to flow towards this part of the State. The value of property was much increased. The lands from which the pine timber had been removed were now sold as farms, and the cultivation of the soil was commenced in earnest. Freights and transportation were low, and a sure market could always be relied upon. This, of course, gave encouragement to the raising of farm products, and the number of farms under cultivation soon began to multiply.
Twelve years later the Erie Railway was completed to Bing- hamton, and two years afterwards was extended to Lake Erie. The construction of the road placed the County of Broome in direct communication with New York City, and on one of the principal through routes from the Atlantic to the great west. The County, now no longer sequestered and remote, became easily accessible, and the increase of its population corresponded to its increased facilities. The further completion of the Del- aware, Lackawana & Western Railroad, the Syracuse & Bing- hamton Railroad, the Albany & Susquehanna Railroad, and the Chenango Valley or Utica Railroad, which followed one after another in a few years, brought the County within the focus of a railroad center. There are but three Towns in the County that have no railroad passing through them. The aggregate assessed valuation of all the railroads in the several Towns upon which taxes are paid is $1,087,353. All these advantages have had their effect-the price of lands has largely increased, the farming interest throughout the entire County is the pre- vailing interest, and the population of the County is to-day still increasing in numbers.
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In 1810 the entire population of what is now the County of Broome was only 6,524; in 1875 its inhabitants numbered 47,913. The increase of population in the County for the last five years is about 4,000. In 1830 the population numbered 12.570 : in 1840, 22,338 ; in 1850, 30,660 ; in 1860, 35,906, and in 1820, 44.103. These figures indicate the steady, uniform growth of our County.
Another fact may be mentioned which illustrates not only the increase of our population, but of business also. In 1811 there were but eight post offices in the County, then including Owego and Berkshire. Ten years after an office was established here, it was kept by Wm. Woodruff in the second story of the toll house, near the Chenango bridge. But for the purposes of de- livery no office was necessary, as all the mail matter of a week might have been carried in the Postmaster's hat. Now, I am informed by Jas. H. Bartlett, Esq .. Assistant Postmaster, that 6.000 letters are daily handled in the office, besides the mass of papers. magazines and pamphlets which are likewise distributed. The revenue of the office to the government annually is over $27,000. The number of post offices now in the County is about sixty.
The first mail route through this section was from Catskill to Newtown. The mail was carried on horseback, and arrived once in two weeks. As the population increased, other facilities became necessary, and in 1810 there was a mail from the east, the west and the north, brought on horseback once a week. In later years, and up to the time of building the Erie Railway, there were three principal stage routes from the central portion of the State to New York City, viz : a route from Ithaca to Catskill, running through the northern part of this County : another from Geneva, via Ithaca, Owego, Binghamton, Great Bend and Monticello to Newburg ; and a third from Owego
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through Montrose to Jersey City. The late Maj. Augustus Mor- gan, Isaac Tompkins and Sidney T. Robinson had extensive interests in these routes, and for many years were engaged in the transportation of the mails, and the carrying of passengers. These several lines constituted the only routes by which travel- ers could take a public conveyance to the City of New York : and then it was a ride of two days and one night to reach that city from Binghamton. The New York papers were received here the third day after publication ; now. the morning's news arrives at 2 P. M., and is read in Binghamton as early in the day as it is by some of the residents of New York. The old Newburg Stage Company, that run that route for many years, was composed of the following gentlemen : Lewis Manning, Augustus Morgan, Sidney T. Robinson, Henry S. Jarvis, Wm. McLaury, Samuel Dimmick, Capt. Hamilton and Halsey Sweet.
In the most active period of staging, the average daily number of passengers out of Binghamton could not have exceeded twenty. I am informed by Mr. Arthur Tileston, the ticket agent at the railway station in this city, that the average number of persons daily purchasing tickets at the several railways, and leaving the city by cars, will exceed four hundred.
The first newspaper attempted to be published in this section was commenced at Union Village in 1800, but who the publish- er was, or how long it remained in existence, I am not informed. In 1812 Chauncey Morgan commenced the publication of the Broome County Patriot at Binghamton. In 1815 it was changed, in its name, at least, to that of the Phoenix, and was conducted by Maj. Augustus Morgan and Dr. Tracy Robinson. In 1819 it was discontinned and the Republican Herald was commenced, and successively published by Morgan & Howard. Abraham Burrell, and Dorehus Abbey.
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The Broome Republican was established at Binghamton in 1822 by Maj. Augustus Morgan. It was afterwards published as a weekly paper by Morgan & Canoll, by Evans & Canoll, by Canoll & Cooke, by Davis & Cooke, by F. B. Penniman and by E. B. Colston, until about 1849, when it was purchased by Wm. Stuart, Esq. Mr. Stuart commenced the publication of a daily paper, and continned it for some years, when the establishment was sold to Malette & Reid. The paper is now owned by an association, and its publication is vigorously and ably sustained.
The Binghamton Democrat is the product of a union of the Broome County Courier, a weekly paper commenced in 1831 by J. R. Orton, and the Broome County Democrat, which was established in 1847. The two papers were purchased by J. R. Dickinson, Esq., the name changed to the Binghamton Demo- crat, and was conducted by Mr. Dickinson for some years, when at length it became the property of the present proprietors. Messrs. W. S. & G. L. Lawyer. They have also for a number of years published the Daily Democrat.
The Binghamton Standard was first issued in 1853. by Jas. Van Valkenburg, and continued under different proprietors until 1870. when it was consolidated with the Republican. The Iris. the Susquehanna Journal, and one or two other papers, were commenced at different times, but their publication was not long continued. At Union, the Union News has been es- tablished for more than twenty years, and is still being pub- lished. At Whitney's Point the Broome Gazette was commenced in 1858, but this has been discontinued and its place supplied by the Nioga Reporter, published by M. B. Eldredge. At
Deposit, although the publication office is just over the line in Delaware County. the Courier is entitled to be regarded as is part belonging to Broome. The Binghamton Times is of a much more recent origin, although a very efficient and well-
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con ducted morning paper. The foregoing will give one an idea of the number and variety of the newspapers that have been published within the County since its organization. But these publications by no means indicate the extent of the reading of daily papers in this community. More than five hundred New York daily newspapers are sold in Binghamton alone each day, besides large numbers of foreign weekly journals, and Bingham- ton now is only a fraction of the reading community of Broome County.
The first telegraph line connecting with Binghamton was put up, I think, in 1849. It connected this place with Oswego by the way of Owego and Ithaca. Not long after, under the di- rection of the late Mr. Ezra Cornell, a line was erected from Ithaca through Owego, Binghamton, Montrose, Carbondale, Honesdale, and on to New York. The Erie Railway Company did not at first enmploy the telegraph in the management of their road, but ran their trains by printed instructions to the conduc- tors for three or four years.
We have now telegraph lines in every direction, along all of the railroads, besides the wires of the Western Union Company. The increase of telegraphic business I have not been able to ob- tain ; but that it corresponds favorably with the increase in the number of letters and other mail matter I have no doubt. No daily paper is now complete without daily dispatches from all sections of the country.
I have already remarked that when the Inmber had all been taken off, the people began to turn their attention to their farms, and that now farming is the leading interest of the County. This has wrought a most decided change in its general appear- ance. Instead of slovenly, neglected lots of land, without fences or comfortable buildings, the County in every direction presents an aspect of the highest cultivation. The farm houses and. 7
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barns within the last thirty years have been almost entirely re- built, and the fields formerly grown up to brush and briars pro- duce to their owners an ample crop of wheat, corn, oats, pota- toes, &c. The most extensive farm product of our County is butter .. Almost every farm produces more or less of this article for sale. I have no means of knowing the quantity of butter shipped to other markets from this County. That it is large I cannot doubt, while our own City consumes no inconsiderable quantity each day.
The assessed valuation of the real estate in Broome County for 1875 was $7,326,303.00.
The manufactured products of the County at the present day form no small or insignificant item. A gentleman well versed in the business has furnished me with an estimate of the ag- gregate amount of leather manufactured, sold and exported from the County every year. He estimates the entire amount as not being less than one million, five hundred thousand dollars ($1, 500,000. )
I am indebted to BENJ. DEVOE, Esq., Collector of United States Revenue for this District, for certain statistics in relation to the single article of tobacco manufactured in this City alone under the various forms in which it is consumed. The statis- tics refer only to the City of Binghamton, and while we have in mind that this City is the central point of the County, it must likewise be remembered that there are other points within the County where this article is manufactured. So that the re- port of Mr. De Voe even may not include all of this article ex- ported from the County of Broome.
The number of cigars manufactured in the City of Bingham- ton during the year 1875 was 10,700,000. The value of these cigars is reported at $500,000.
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The aggregate value of the tobacco otherwise manufactured in this City during the same time was $130,000.
The manufacture of boots and shoes in the City of Bingham- ton amounts to at least $600,000 worth of exports each year.
The Jones Scale Works employs one hundred men, and the annual product of the manufacture of scales at this establish- ment amounts to $500,000.
The manufactory of earthern ware of Wm. Roberts sells about $20,000 worth of pottery every year.
The establishment of Messrs. J. P. NOYES & BROTHER for the manufacture of a single variety of horn combs is quite ex- tensive, and employs a large number of men. The work is per- formed by machinery of a very unique and ingenious character, the invention of one or of both the proprietors. Five thousand gross of combs are shipped from this establishment annually, and their value amounts to $50,000.
A company has recently been organized for the manufacture of children's carriages, sleighs and velocipedes, under the title of the Winton Manufacturing Company. This company sold thirty thousand sleighs and about five thousand carriages during the year 1875. The entire valne of articles manufactured by this company within the year is about $60.000.
There are likewise many private enterprises carried on, not only in Binghamton but in every part of the County, in addi- tion to those already alluded to, which not only employ num- bers of men but add materially to the amount and value of the aggregate of manufactured products. Numerons carriage mak- ing establishments, furniture factories. foundries and ready- made clothing houses are to be found carrying forward business and transforming crude material into useful articles and real
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wealth. One clothing house in Binghamton manufactures and sells ready-made clothing to the amount of $250,000 annually.
There were no banking institutions in this County until 1831, when the Broome County Bank was chartered. It was organ- ized under the old Safety Fund law, and continued its opera- tions until the expiration of its charter, when it reorganized under a later law of the State, and subsequently it came under the National General Banking Law of the United States. Its capital is $100,000. This was the only banking capital in the County for many years.
The Binghamton Bank was organized December, 1838, with an alleged capital of $100,000, and immediately went into operation. It, however, existed but two or three years, when it failed, and its affairs were wound up.
The Bank of Binghamton was organized under the General Banking Law of this State in July, 1852, with a capital of $100,000, which has since been increased to $200,000. After the passage of the National Banking Law, and when it was evident that this was the settled policy of the Government, the Bank of Binghamton organized anew, and is now known as the City National Bank of Binghamton.
The Susquehanna Valley Bank also was organized under the General Banking Law of the State in Jannary, 1855. Its cap- ital is $100,000. This bank retains its original organization, and is one of the few State Banks now in existence.
The First National Bank of Binghamton was organized under the General or National Banking Law in December. 1863. It was the first National Bank chartered here. Its capital orig- inally was $100,000, but has since been increased to $200,000.
The Merchants' National Bank, with a capital of $100,000,
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is the last bank organized in this City. Its organization was effected in January, 1874.
The aggregate amount of bank capital, with the surplus on hand, in the several banks will exceed one million of dollars. There is probably an equal amount held on deposit by the sev- eral banks, and also a large amount by the Savings Banks. On the 1st instant (July Ist, 1876,) the aggregate amount of loans and discounts of all the banks was $1,515,536.
There are no distilleries in the County. There are reetifying establishments in the City, where alcohol is transformed into the various forms in which it is drank by the consumers ; but I do not know of any place within the bounds of the County of Broome where grain of any kind, the product of the earth and the food of man, is subjected to the process of transformation into alcohol. What we drink, therefore. we import, and it may be a satisfaction to many to know that not a dollar of the in- creased wealth of the County is owing to the distillation of grain into ardent spirits, within its boundaries.
The County of Broome has never been wanting in patriotic impulses, nor dilatory in the discharge of patriotic duties. During the war with Great Britain in 1812-3, it sent its citizens to the field to repel an invasion by British troops. In the war with Mexico, the County was represented not only by private soldiers in the ranks of the army, but by the present Gen. John C. Robinson, who, with U. S. Grant and others since distin- guished, was a second lieutenant in the U. S. Army, under Gen. Taylor, at the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, on the 8th and 9th of May, 1846, and who served in Mexico during the entire war.
When the rebellion of 1861 broke out. not a month had
HISTORICAL ADDRESS.
elapsed after the firing upon Fort Sumpter before three full companies. from Binghamton and vicinity, were at the rendez- vous. and were soon after incorporated into the ?ith regiment N. Y. S. Volunteers.
I learn from Capt. E. C. Kattel. late Provost Marshal of this District. that four thousand. four hundred and fifty-four men were sent from the County of Broome during the war, and that in bounties and for other purposes connected with the objects of the war. the County contributed the sum of one million. four hundred and twenty-six thousand dollars. ($1.426.000.)
This -ketch would be incomplete were I to omit to notice a publie institution, located in our vicinity. I refer to the NEW YORK STATE INEBRIATE ASYLUM.
This institution was founded and built. and is now conducted. in the full belief that the condition of the system which calls for the the excessive use of alcoholic simulants. and which so many are unable to resist, is a morbid condition : and that this condition is amenable to treatment. and can be successfully combated. It is the first institution of the kind ever projected. The results have fully met the expectations of its founder .. and returns establish the fact that at least 50 per cent. of the in- mates of the institution are restored to useful pursuits. to soci- etr and to the world. through its instrumentality.
In conclusion, my fellow citizens, I can only remark that our devout acknowledgments are due to the Great Disposer of all event -- to Him who holds the destiny of nations in his hands. for his safe guidance. his watchful protection and his great deliverance of the people during the first century of our existence as a nation.
May the same Providence on which our forefathers placed
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such " firm reliance," continue its protecting care in directing the counsels of succeeding generations ; and may that which " exalteth a nation " ever be the leading characteristic of our people.
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