History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 138

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 922

USA > New York > Clinton County > History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 138
USA > New York > Franklin County > History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 138

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Next southward is Mount Morris, township 25, so named from its principal mountain, lying in the southwest eorner of Franklin County. Here also all is wild with the ex- eeption of a few inhabited dwellings, constituting what is known as the upper settlement of Lough Neagh, prominent among which is the sporting-house of Martin Moody. Tup- per's Lake, named after Tupper, who, with Medad Miteh- ell, surveyed Macomb's great purchase about 1800, and one of the largest in the wilderness, lies partly in the north- west portion, and, as usual, a number of ponds lie seattered throughout the township. The streams are several small tributaries of Tupper Lake and Moose Creek, and a branch of the upper Raquette waters passes through or near the southeast eorner.

Coming now to the next eastward of the three long parallelograms originally named Brandon, we find at the southern extremity township No. 26,-named Cove Hill, 'after a natural feature,-which is well watered by the Ra- quette River and its tributaries, Calkins' Creek, Moose Creek, Stony Creek, Ampersand and Palmer's Brooks, and others. The largest pond is Follensby, in the north western portion. Mueh of this township is mountainous, the west- ern outlines of Mount Seward extending a considerable distanee over the border.

Next to the northward is township 23, which bears the historie name of the Irish Killarney, whose romantie lakes find here worthy copies in the Upper Saranae, twelve miles long, about half of which lies within the boundaries of the township, a considerable portion of Round Lake, three miles in diameter, and a large number of smaller ponds, nearly all of which discharge their waters into the south branch of the Saranac and its tributaries. Here is the celebrated " Indian Carry" between the Saranae and Ra- quette Rivers. On this earry and in the vieinity large numbers of Indian stone weapons, implements, ete., have been found at various times, ineluding several vases of pot- tery, nearly perfeet and of great value, affording ample support to the theory that this was onee part of a great Indian thoroughfare, or chain of settlements extending across the Adirondack plateau from the Champlain Valley to that of the Upper St. Lawrence, or the great lakes. In this township but little progress has been made towards permanent and complete settlement. At the foot of Upper Saranae Lake is a small elearing made by Jesse Corey some

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twenty years ago, who also has accommodations for guests, and a mile below, on the " Carry," is another small sport- ing-house kept by Mr. Duquette; on the Sweeny Carry is Covell's house ; between Upper Saranac and Round Lake on an eighty-rod earry is C. V. Bartlett's well-known sport- ing-house ; and on Fish Creek, near where it empties into the Upper Saranae Lake from the west, is the camp of the old half-breed hunter and fisherman " Mose" St. Germain. With the exception of these settlements, the township is yet wild. The most valuable of its timber has been cut off and floated down the Saranac River, and manufactured into lumber. At the foot of the Upper Saranac Lake is a dam, by which the water can be raised several feet above its nat- ural level, and is used by lumbermen for flooding while driving their logs.

Next north is township 20, named Margate, after an English town, containing the northern part of Upper Sar- anac Lake and a vast number of smaller ponds, few of which have yet been named, or even mapped. Most of these waters discharge into Upper Saranac Lake, and in the northern part are St. Regis Pond, Ochre, and Fish Ponds, which constitute the extreme head-waters of the west branch of the St. Regis River. From the head of the Upper Sar- anae Lake a road leads eastward to the settled country, and along this road are a few settlements, with the exception of which there are no roads and no improvements. Here also what is considered the most valuable timber has been taken off,-the pine and spruce ; but, as elsewhere, wherever lum- bering has been carried on, a dense growth of hard-wood remains, which, together with the less valuable evergreens, gives much the appearance of a primitive wilderness; and in the northern part, about the head-waters of the St. Regis, some valuable pine lands remain yet undisturbed.

Next northward is township 17, or Gilchrist, named after Jonathan Gilchrist, a land-owner. This township contains, we believe, only one settler, John Hall, the ex- treme western pioneer of the settlement at Keese's Mill. The principal bodies of water here are Bay Pond, tribu- tary of the west branch of the St. Regis and Follensby Jun., discharging into the middle branch of the St. Regis River, which runs diagonally through the township in a northwesterly direction. Across the southwestern part flows the most wild and romantic portion of the west branch of the St. Regis, which is so little traversed by tourists, or otherwise, that even the beaver still holds possession. Along this stream in this township, as well as in No. 16, the next below, are some of the finest pine lands in the county, which probably owe their preservation to their difficulty of access. The township is destitute of roads, with the excep- tion of such as are used by lumbermen and sportsmen, and a short fragment which gives the one settler already uien- tioned access to the outside world. Preliminary measures, however, are now (December, 1879) in progress for opening a road from Keese's Mill to St. Regis Falls, on the middle branch of the St. Regis, along the valley of that river, the distance between these points being, it is said, by the near- est practicable route, only twenty-one miles.

Next to the north lies No. 14, Ennis, origin of name un- known. In this township there are few ponds, lying, as it docs, well on the western slope of the platean. It is watered

by some portions of the middle St. Regis and its tributa- ries, the principal of which is Quebec Brook, flowing from Quebee and Madawaska Ponds. A large proportion of the timber here is hard-wood. Across the northern part the old Northwest Bay road passes, on which are a few and widely-scattered dwellings,-a fact which admonishcs us that we are intruding too far inside the bounds of eivilization and other departments of this work ; we therefore pass to the third, or Malone, parallelogram.

The southernmost township square in this division is No. 27, or Tipperary, which also marks the southeast corner of Franklin County. This township is celebrated for con- taining the highest elevation in the county,-Mount Seward, four thousand four hundred and eighty-two feet high. The surface is very uneven ; in the northern part lies its largest body of water, Ampersand Pond, which is also the highest in the two counties,-two thousand and seventy-eight feet,- the outlet of which flows westward to the Raquette River. In the southward part a number of small streams find their sources and flow also into the Raquette, and closely ad- joining the eastern spurs of Mount Seward are those of the great central group of the Adirondack Mountains. There are no settlements, no roads, and but few trails, even, in this township.

Next northward is No. 24, or Barrymore, named after a town in Ireland, the principal waters of which are the eastern portion of Round Lake and nearly all of Lower Saranac Lake, seven miles long. The southern part is mountainous, Ampersand Mountain being the highest ele- vation,-three thousand four hundred and thirty-two feet. In this township there are no settlements, with the exception of one or two houses on the four miles of river which con- stitutes the outlet of Round Lake into Lower Saranac Lake.

Next north is township 21, or Harrietstown, named after Harriet Constable, afterwards Mrs. James Duane. This contains the north part of Lower Saranac Lake, Big Clear Pond, two miles in diameter, in the northwestern portion, the southern part of upper St. Regis Lake, and a chain of five small ponds lying within the short interval separating the upper St. Regis Lake, which is the extreme head-waters of the middle St. Regis, and St. Regis Pond, in which the west branch of the St. Regis rises. These fine ponds, to- gether with many others of a similar nature in the imme- diate vicinity, constitute a most remarkable feature of the landscape, lying as they do upon the very erest of the water-shed, and filled with singularly clear and cool water even in the warmest seasons. They contain no fish, and are destitute of any visible inlet or outlet. There are a large number of other ponds which have uever been mapped. The south branch of the Saranae River passes through the south corner of the town, and the township is abundantly watered by this stream and its tributaries, and contains some fine farming lands. This division has a regular town organ- ization and thrifty settlements, and has received due atten- tion, along with other towns, in its proper place.

Next north lies No. 18, which, with a portion of No. 15 adjoining it on the north, also has a regular town organiza- tiou under the name of Brighton, after an English town. The principal bodies of water in this town are upper St. Regis Lake, Spitfire Pond, and Follensby Pond, all of which

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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY, NEW YORK.

really constitute a continuous body of water,-the head- waters of the middle St. Regis,-covering some four thou- sand acres, and usually designated by the general name of St. Regis Lake. At the outlet is a dam at Keese's Mill, which sets all these head-waters back, raising thein several fect, thus making a never-failing water-power. In this township also lies Jones Pond, the head-waters of the east branch of the St. Regis, which flows by a short outlet into Osgood Pond ; thence the river running northerly to Meacham Lake, lying in the next township north, whence it bears to the northwest, and finally flows into the middle branch some eight miles above St. Regis Falls. The town of Brighton also contains a portion of Rainbow Pond, the most remote main feeder of the north branch of the Sara- nac River. Thus it comprises within its limits the head- waters of three important streams,-the north braneh of the Saranac, and the east and middle branches of the St. Regis.

The principal mountain is St. Regis Mount, about two thousand feet high, which occupies the southwestern por- tion.

Adjoining Brighton on the north is the regularly organ- ized town of Duane. There are but few inhabitants here, especially in the southern part. The largest body of water is Meacham Lake, and the principal streams are Deer River, the east branch of the St. Regis, and one of the tributaries of the Salmon River.

Adjoining this third tier of towns to the eastward lics another, extending from the Canada line southward to the south line of Brighton, thus leaving a recess at the south- eastern part of the county, into which comes a corner of Essex County. In this tier lies, at the southern extremity, Franklin, which is covered to a great extent by an unbroken wilderness, and comprises an extension of the great plateau. In the western part of the town lie many ponds, the head- waters of the north branch of the Saranac, among which are Rainbow, Clear, Square, Round, and Mud Ponds, Loon Lake, and others. Elbow and Plumadore Ponds also lie in the northern part of the town, discharging their waters north ward.

Next north lies Belmont, a great portion of which is wil- derness, except along its northern border. Through the northwest corner of this town flows the Chateaugay River, the chief tributaries of which are Upper and Lower Cha- teaugay Lakes, eleven miles long with the stream connect- ing them, which is navigable for large vessels, and really constitutes a portion of the lakes themselves since the erec- tion of a dam at the outlet of the lower lake, by which the water is raised several feet throughout their whole ex- tent, and to the head of the upper lake, which is in the town of Dannemora, Clinton Co. In Belmont are also Ragged Lake, Wolf Pond, Indian Lake, Ingraham Pond, and others, which constitute the head-waters of Salmon and Trout Rivers.

Adjoining Belmont eastward is the great and almost unbroken wilderness, already mentioned, lying about Mount Lyon, and upon its slopes and those of its outliers up to their very summits. At the eastern base of the mountain, which is about four thousand feet high, Chazy River flows from Chazy Lake (three miles long and one mile wide), which has an altitude of about fourteen hundred feet,

while to the eastward of the lake Johnson Mountain riscs two thousand three hundred feet above the sea, and de- clines to the northward into the long and gently descend- ing ridge known as Rand Hill, which constitutes the northernmost spur of the Adirondack plateau; while to the southward Whiteface Mountain, cut completely off from the great central mountain range by the Wilmington Notch, which is worn by the west branch of the Ausable, subsides eastward into gradually decreasing mountainous undulations.

RIVERS.

A separate and continuous consideration of the principal rivers which flow through this region may be proper.

The east branch of the St. Regis has already been noted with sufficient accuracy, as our purpose is only to mark those flowing through unsettled portions.

The middle branch of the St. Regis rises in the St. Regis lakes, and the river proper commences at Keese's Mill. Following the eustom of the country, we take a boat at this point and commence the journey. First comes a carry of eighty rods past the rapids, where the river dashes down over a rocky bed, making navigation impossible. Then the boat is launched, and down we go two miles with the eur- rent, when again the noise of rapids ahead gives warning, and again boat and baggage are taken out and carried past rapids twenty rods; then follows two miles more of still water ; then three-fourths of a mile of rapids, and the boat is put in finally at the head of the sixteen-mile level, and now all is plain sailing ; three miles and a half below, on a burnt knoll on the right bank by a little cold spring is Merrill's Landing, a noted camping-place, from which a trail leads past the rapids above ; half a mile below is River Pond, con- taining some 50 acres, and reached by a short rapid, formed by a portion of the river, while the rest takes a broad curve to the right and again joins us at the outlet of the pond, thus inclosing an island of some 60 acres ; near the outlet of the pond is a comfortable bark camp on the left bank ; now Buck Mountain looms up at the left, and two miles below we pass close to its base at Buck Mountain Camp, on the left. Now the character of the river changes, growing broader and shallower; two miles below, and midway on the sixteen-mile level Indian Rock is reached : a gneiss ledge cropping out on the right bank marks the spot. A landing is made,-evidently a favorite eamping-spot, by the forked poles which stand about like lonely sentinels ; back from the river is a burnt knoll of hundreds of acres ; on a level spot, a few rods from the river, are numerous mysteri- ous mounds which are pointed out as possible Indian burial- places; all aboard again; a few rods below is Merrill's bark shanty on the right bank ; three miles due east, Rice Moun- tain looms up, not very high, but sufficiently so to form a striking feature of the level landscape ; now the country grows more open, and the river winds back and forth between the low banks which mark the crooked ditch, averaging two or three rods wide, down through an immense meadow of thousands of acres covered with marsh-grass of a fair quality for stock when well curcd; about a mile below on the left is the outlet of the Rock Shanty Ponds, sometimes called Twin Ponds, covering 20 acres each, and lying back a few rods from the river. Just above this outlet on the left

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bank is a post which marks the line between townships 14 and 17, and just below is Eastman's log and bark shanty. Down the stream we go; the river winds about more tortuously than ever ; the vast meadow stretches away to the east and west ; Bullock Camp is passed on the left,- another burnt knoll, where a hard-wood ridge comes down the north,-a noted runway for deer ; five miles below In- dian Rock Quebec Brook comes in from the right, dis- charging by two mouths,-a noted stream for trout, as also is the main stream, for the bottom is clean sand nearly throughout, and just adapted for spawning-beds. The course is still very erooked; Blue Mountain looms up to the northward, a handsome dome, now visible over the bow and anon over the stern of the boat, and three miles below we come to the foot of the sixteen-mile level ; a short distanee below which is the State dam, built for flooding purposes, and a lumber shanty. Our boat-ride is over ; we disembark on a high grass-plat ; it is three miles by road to Phelps' sporting-house, where good beds and good food are always found. Below the State dam comes Blue Mountain Rapids, of three miles,-not navigable; next fol- low in suecession a four-mile level, half a mile of rapids, nine-mile level, with a very erooked stream and more hay meadows, half-mile rapids, with another State dam, Hum- phrey's Falls, three-fourths of a milc, Middle Falls, half a mile, Mcacham Rapids, and five miles of still water takes us to St. Regis Falls and the settled country.

The west branch of the St. Regis commences at the out- let of St. Regis Pond, in the northeast corner of township 20. The upper waters of this stream are but little traversed, and what is here sct down, as in the case of the middle branch, is based on personal observations of the writer. St. Regis Pond covers an area of about 1000 acres. Put- ting the boat in here,-after having traversed the chain of five small ponds already mentioned lying between this and upper St. Regis Lake,-we pass down through the crooked, narrow outlet one mile to Ochre Pond, of about 60 acres, which takes its name from deposits of yellow ochre found on its shores; thence onward through an outlet of two miles, which takes us to Fish Pond, of 75 acres, just below which is another small pond of 5 acres, with excellent trout-fish- ing in the ripple at its inlet. And now the obstructions to progress multiply,-logs, scarcity of water, brush, and rocks. We are now speaking of an actual experience in 1869, but the barriers are all there still, and will probably remain for years to come, as neither guides nor tourists enjoy such routes when so many more pleasant ones are open in all directions.

For a mile and a half the boats were dragged over the rocky bottom, logs, and bruslı, and through overhanging alders. Then follows half a mile of still water and a mile and a half of rapids; some distance below which, within a span of three miles, nine beaver-dams are counted ou the river, many of them exhibiting freslt signs of beaver, and we are assured on good authority that within a year or two a beaver-dam has been built on Ochre Poud which sets the water back a mile to St. Regis Pond. One of the dams we saw in 1869 set the water back at least a quarter of a mile, and had a fall of two fect. They were usually eou- structed diagonally across the river, on good engineering

principles, to prevent damage from freshets, and the water thus thrown into ripples actually swarmed with speckled trout to such an extent that the quantity possible to be caught seemed only limited by power of endurance. An abundance of fresh beaver cuttings were found herc. Within half a mile below the last beaver-dam Bay Pond outlet was reached, after which no trouble was experieneed from scarcity of water, but logs across the stream occasion- ally caused delay and inconvenience. Now the river is very crooked, necessitating four miles of rowing and floating to progress one; the banks are trod with deer, and oeea- sionally they are seen for an instant on the shore, and one plunged into the stream and swam aeross in front.

Some five or six miles of still water brings us to Little Falls, " a splendid cascade," our notes say, " falling about fifteen feet in ten rods; capital place for a dam." Here we earry past the falls and aeross a narrow neek of land inside an " ox-bow" in the river, thus saving over a mile of rowing, and put in our boats again at the head of the eight- mile still water. A short distance below we cross the St. Lawrence county-line ; the stream winds back and forth sluggishly ; here and there are large sloughs on either hand. At the left, a short distance below the county-line, is a carry of three miles to Joe Indian Pond on the Raquette River. Six miles below the county-line three miles of rapids are encountered, with no carry, and all hands must disembark and wade, managing the boat as best we can. A short dis- tance below the foot of the rapids-the head of the five- mile still water-a large stream comes in on the right, which heads in Wolf Pond, near Blue Mountain, in township 13 of Franklin County. At the foot of this still water comes a rapid of a mile and a half, down which the empty boats are taken, eargoes being backed over a mountainous earry ; then follow in succession, still water half a mile, falls with a carry of forty rods, a mile of navigable rapids, another fall with twenty rods carry, a short distance of navigable water, another fall with fifteen rods carry ; then the five-mile still water brings us to an old saw-mill, where the boats are taken out and we go by road seven miles to Parishville, which brings us out of the woods, the whole journey on the St. Regis occupying six days.

The Raquette River only passes through the southwest corner of Franklin County, heading in Raquette Lake in the western part of Hamilton County, which it traverses in a northeasterly direction, expanding for some thirty miles into large lakes, of which Long Lake is the principal one, thence passing iuto Franklin County northerly, and finally westward to Tupper's Lake. Traversing one of the princi- pal routes, which was also doubtless a great Indian thorough- fare, boats are taken out at the foot of the Upper Saranac and transported over the Indian Carry, one mile, and launched again at Stony Creek Pond, and from here the way is clear to Tupper's Lake, some twelve miles, or by the Sweeny Carry of three miles from the Upper Saranac you will greatly shorten this distance. The inlet of Tupper's Lake is the Raquette River, which flows out again near where it enters, running directly north, a sluggish stream, to Raquette Pond or Lough Neagh, flowing westward to the State Dam, about a mile below the ontlet, and passing thence into St. Lawrence County, and out of our jurisdiction.

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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY, NEW YORK.

MOUNTAINS.

Most of the highest mountains lie to the southward of Franklin and Clinton Counties. There are, however, sev- eral peaks, which, rising as they do from a comparatively level surface, afford rare attractions to mountain-climbers in the widely-extended views from their summits.

Mount Seward, which is nearly related to the highest group of which Tahawus or Marcy forms the central figure, has an altitude of four thousand three hundred and eighty feet, and is the highest in the two counties. Its location is so remote, however, from all available points of departure that it is seldoni visited, although the view is said to be good.

Ampersand Mountain, near Round Lake, is over three thousand four hundred feet high, and has a good trail from Bartlett's Landing, with a lodge near the top. The sum- mit commands a remarkably fine view of the whole adja- eent country.

St. Regis Mountain, about two miles from Paul Smith's, is supposed to be three thousand fect high, and the view from the summit is pronounced by good judges to be un- equaled in the whole lake region, some thirty or forty lakes and ponds being visible, with a vast extent of the great plateau.

Blue Mountain, in township 13, also commands a fine view, especially of the valley of the St. Regis River, which it overlooks for a long distance.

Lyon Mountain, the highest in Clinton County, lies in the towns of Saranae and Dannemora, the line passing near the summit, on which there is a comfortable lodge, with a good trail of three miles to the Chateaugay Railroad and shore of Chazy Lake. Many of the villages of Clinton County are visible from the summit, Lake Champlain for some forty miles, and the St. Lawrence River for more than one hundred miles. Other peaks are located elsewhere, but these are the most prominent ones.

We have thus sketched, but very imperfectly, some of the most striking natural features of that small portion of the great plateau which extends into Franklin and Clinton Counties, and is covered to a great extent with dense prim- itive forest, interspersed with mountains, and watered by an intricate and thick net-work of lakes, ponds, and streams, which lie at an average height of nearly fifteen hundred feet above the level of the sea. It must be borne in mind, however, that no attempt is here made at anything like a full enumeration of these bodies of water, or of the exact location of those which are mentioned, for nothing short of a full and accurate survey can furnish adequate data for this. Probably not more than one-half the whole number of these ponds and lakes have been mapped, and even the most experienced guides confess their inability to furnish the necessary foundation of faets for such a work. The Adirondack survey, which has now been for several years in progress, will perhaps result in giving the public an ac- curate map, but in that work much yet remains to be done, and at the past rate of progress many years will elapse be- fore its completion.

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History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 138

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 922

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 922