History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 43

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 43
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 43

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).

In October, 1803, the society was reorganized. At this meeting, which was held in the court-house, the regular place of worship of the society, deacons Ezekiel Hubbard and Win. Pitt Platt presided, and John Addams, Melancton L. Woolsey, Benj. Mooers, John Howe, Thos. Miller, and Benj. Barber were chosen.

In 1810 the church had increased to 85 members ; in that year, in consequence of some informality in the pro- ceedings, the church was reorganized, with Melancton Smith, John G. Freleigh, Elias Woodruff, Sebe Thompson, Jonathan Griffen, Win. Pitt. Platt, and Benj. Mooers as trustees. During this year, the Rev. Mr. Halsey resigned the pastorate, and for two years the church had no pastor. Feb. 6, 1812, Rev. Wm. Weeks was installed as pastor.

During this year the society purchased a lot of Abraham Brinckerhoff, Jr., fronting on Brinckerhoff Street, and commenced work upon the foundation for a house of worship. In consequence of the war of 1812, it was not completed until 1816. It cost $10,000. It is said that the success of the undertaking was owing to the unwearied labors and self-denial of Elder Wm. Pitt Platt. The pews were sold Dec. 19, 1816, for the sum of $12,000, and on the 25th of the same month the church was dedicated; Rev. Na- thaniel Hewitt, who had succeeded Mr. Weeks in July, 1815, preaching the sermon, and Rev. Dr. Austin, presi- dent of the University of Vermont, offering the dedicatory prayer.

Here the followers of the Presbyterian faith in this vieinity worshiped for half a century. "It was," says Judge Palmer, " the mother of churches in Northern New York, and stood a witness to the liberality and Christian faith of our forefathers until destroyed by fire on the morn- ing of the 21st of August, 1867." In the summer of 1865, the church had been remodeled at a cost of about $10,000. A movement was at once started for the erection of a new church building, and June 17, 1868, the corner-stone was laid, and on the 8th of July, 1873, the building was com- pleted and dedicated at a cost, including furniture, of $56,000. The building is a neat and substantial structure, 120 feet long by 66 feet in width, with a tower 200 feet above street grade, and is built of blue and gray lime- stone. .

Pastors .- From the dismissal of Rev. Mr. Hewitt in October, 1817, the following have been incumbents of the pastoral office, viz. : Rev. S. W. Whelpley, 1818-26 ; Moses Chase, 1826-35 (during his absence, one year in 1833 and 1834, the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Abraham D. Brincker- hoff); B. B. Newton, 1836-40; L. Reed, 1840-43 (de- posed ) ; David Dobie, 1844-55; Edward B. Chamberlain, 1855-58; John B. Young, 1859-63; Edwin A. Bulkley, D.D., 1864 (during a portion of the year 1863-64 the pulpit was temporarily supplied by Francis B. Hall).

The elders and deacons have been as follows: Ezekiel Hubbard, John Stratton, Melancton L. Woolsey, Jona- than Scribner, Seth Rice, John G. Freligh, William P. Platt, Thomas Tredwell, James Trowbridge, Eleazer Miller, Amos Barber, Vespasian Nutting, Chester Balch, Lawrence Myers, John Boynton, M. G. Brown, Jonas Platt, William Weed, Cyrus Waterhouse, Moss K. Platt, Amasa C. Moore, Isaac Smith, Abram Miller (2d ), George M. Beck with, Lewis W. Pierce, Zephaniah C. Platt, Roswell O. Barber, Thomas B. Nichols, George H. Beckwith, Alanson Moore, Hiram W. Cady. Deacons : William P. Platt, Benjamin J. Moocrs, Eli Lewis, Thomas Boak, Joseph Woodruff, Zephaniah C. Platt, Gustavus V. Edwards, George W. Dodds, Hiram W. Cady, Edgar W. Pierce, George E. Barber, Milton G. Brown, George P. Martin.

The pulpit is at present-Aug. 9, 1879-supplied by Rev. A. J. Waugh.

The present organization of the church is as follows :

Elders .- Z. C. P'latt, R. O. Barber, Alanson Moore, G. H. Beckwith, H. W. Cady, M. G. Brown.

Deacons .- E. W. Pieree, G. E. Barber, Geo. P. Martin. Trustees .- 'Z. C. Platt, E. E. M. Edwards, G. H. Beck-

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

with, G. W. Hartwell, W. W. Hartwell, S. F. Vilas, T. B. Nichols, J. H. Myers, R. O. Barber.

THE PERISTROME CHURCH

was organized in 1864 by a portion of the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church of Plattsburgh, and Rev. F. B. Hall was installed as pastor, and has since officiated in that capacity.

THE METHODIST CHURCH.

The first germ of Methodism planted on the western border of the Champlain Valley was in 1796. Thirty years previously to this time, in 1765 or 1766, Capt. Webb, of the British army, who had received a wound in the arm and lost his right eye in the French and Indian war, at the battle of Quebec, under Gen. Wolfe, in 1759, was ap- pointed barrack-master at Albany, and to him belongs the honor of holding the first Methodist meeting in America of which history gives any account, if not of preaching the first Methodist sermon in this country. The latter point is, however, involved in some doubt, as Philip Embury about the same time organized the first regular Methodist socicty in America in the city of New York.

At this time John and Charles Wesley-the pioneers of Methodism, who in 1729 had begun to hold meetings and to be called Methodists-had hardly conceived the bold idea of breaking away from the mother Church of England entirely.

But on the 10th of September, 1784,-a little less than seven months before the organization of the town of Platts- burgh,-the famous letter of John Wesley had been written to Dr. Coke and Francis Asbury, in which, after reciting the difficulties he had encountered in persuading the mother church to look after the interests of the new sect which had sprung up in America as a result of his visit to this country in 1735, he boldly says,-

" Here, therefore, my scruples are at an end, and I con- ceive myself at full liberty, as I violate no order and invade no man's right, by appointing and sending laborers into the harvest. I have accordingly appointed Dr. Coke and Mr. Francis Asbury to be joint superintendents over our brethren in North America."

This action was really the germ of American Methodism, and it will thus be seen that the history of that denomina- tion, as at present constituted, antedates that of the town of Plattsburgh less than seven months. The Southern States constituted the first field of labor of these primitive Meth- odists. Wesley himself had preached first in Georgia in 1735, and in 1773 there was only one Methodist preacher stationed as far north as New York,-Thomas Banker,- and only 180 members of the Methodist society in the same State, while in Philadelphia, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia there were nearly 1000 lay members and 9 preachers.

But at the Conference of 1788, held at Uniontown, Pa., on the 22d of July, Rev. Freeborn Garretson was appointed presiding elder of the district north of the city of New York. At this time there were only six circuits in this large district, but two of which were within the present limits of the Troy Conference. One of these was at Ash- grove, in Washington County, about six miles south of

Cambridge, which was organized by Philip Embury, where the first Methodist church edifice in the Troy Conference limits was erected in 1788. Of the other circuit we have been unable to find any authentic account.

The laborers in this primitive field seem to have been vouchsafed the privilege of dreaming prophetic dreams and seeing prophetic visions. Whether this was owing to the fact that they walked more exactly in their Master's foot- steps than do their successors we will not undertake to say ; be this as it may, the records tell us that Mr. Garretson became greatly exercised in his mind upon receiving his new appointment to this wild and unsettled region, and gave himself up to earnest prayer for Divine guidance, and the same night he saw in a dream, spread out before him, his future field of labor, including the whole country lying on both sides of the Hudson River, with the lovely Champlain Valley-then an almost unbroken wilderness-in the back- ground.

After the Conference adjourned he called his little band of laborers around him, and assigned to them their various stations, or rather routes, for the word itinerant had some significance in those days when preachers were obliged, in some instances, to ride or walk thousands of miles in the course of a few months, in order to meet their widely-sepa- rated appointments.

Included in this faithful little band was a young man by the name of Richard Jacobs, who belonged to one of the wealthy, aristocratic families in Sheffield, Berkshire Co., Mass. He was disinherited and turned out of doors, to- gether with his young wife, by his father on account of having become a Methodist, and in the spring of 1796, under the direction of Elder Garretson, made his way as far north as Clinton and Essex Counties,-or rather what is now Essex County, for it was not until three years later that Essex was formed from Clinton County. How far north he penetrated is not known, but it is hardly probable that he neglected to visit so important a point as Platts- burgh, which at that time contained a population of not less than 1000.

It is certain that he visited other points to the south- ward, including Elizabethtown, where a number of persons were awakened and converted under his preaching. He spent several weeks of the summer in this region, and then left, promising his newly-found friends that a regular preacher should be sent to them as soon as possible.

This field had already been partially occupied by the Presbyterians, but the primitive Methodists looked upon the doctrine of Calvinism, which constituted one of the main pillars of Presbyterianism, with unfeigned aversion, and considered that persons who had espoused such a doctrine had made but a small advance on the road towards the celestial city.

This hardy, bold pioncer, after thus planting the seed of Methodism in the wilderness, started homeward in company with a Mr. Kellogg. The route which they selected lay through the Schroon wilderness to the head of Lake George. But they lost their way, and met with such obstructions in the wilderness that they wandered for seven days before reaching the Schroon River. Their provisions had for some time been nearly exhausted, and they were in a half-starved

Photo. by Howard & Co., Plattsburgh.

ALMON THOMAS dates his ancestry back to Israel Thomas, who was born in Wales May 9, 1741, and came to this country as a captain in the British army. He was wounded at the battle of Fort William Henry. Hle died in Kingsbury, Washington Co., N. Y., Oct. 1, 1805.

Jared Thomas, son of Israel and father of Almon Thomas, was born at Great Nine Partners Sept. 2, 1768, and died in Kingsbury, N. Y., Jan. 2, 1848.

The subject of this sketch is a native of Kingsbury, born April 1, 1820. His boyhood was passed in his native connty, and he subse- quently worked on a farm in Easton, Washington Co., and also in the town of Old Saratoga, Saratoga Co., until he was twenty-one years of age, when he entered the employ of Charles Ilarris, at that time a heavy operator in lumber. He remained in Mr. Harris' employ measuring logs until 1847, when he came to Plattsburgh, and began work for F. J. Barnard & Son, of Albany, who owned large tracts of timber land up the Saranac. The company was carrying on an im- mense business, and Mr. Thomas had so thoroughly shown his ca- pacity in handling timber while in the employ of Mr. Harris, that he was given by this firm the superintendency of the work in the woods, that of driving and measuring logs, etc.

This company owned large tracts of land far up the Saranac River, and the same year, 1846, Mr. Richards, in company with Mr. Thomas, made an exploration of the river up to the Lower Lake. After making their exploration, Mr. Thomas became confirmed in a belief that one year's timo would ho sufficient to make all the improvements needed to render it possible to drive logs through the whole length of the river from the lakes downward.

The company then embarked in this new enterprise, though not without many doubts and misgivings as to its possibility. But time soon demonstrated tho soundness of Mr. Thomas' calculations, and in the year 1847 he had the satisfaction of superintending the drawing of the first raft of logs through the Lower Lake and putting them into the river. Previously to this time the Saranac had not been made a highway by act of the Legislature, and evory man upon the river who owned the opposite banks of it at any given point, could if he chose, throw aluiost insurmountable obstacles in the way of getting logs down the river; but in 1847 an act was passed making the river a highway.

This law was so hedged about with rostrietions, however, that until 1850, whon tho restrictions wero removed, great inconvenienco was experiencod by all parties owning. lumber lands about the Saranac Lakos, and mills at Plattsburgh and other points on the river below.

In 1851, Mr. B. R. Sherman bought one-half of F. J. and S. W. Barnard's interests in this property, and in the following year, 1852, Mr. Thomas bought the other half, going into partnership with Mr. Sherman.

Messrs. Sherman and Thomas prosecuted the business successfully until the fall of 1856, when Hon. C. F. Norton bought them out. The following year, in March, 1857, Mr. Almon Thomas, in company with his brother, Ephraim, bought the brick factory which stood at the west end of the dam, renting part of it to G. W. Hornick and using part themselves in the manufacture of broom-handles and other wooden ware, until 1859, when Ephraim sold out his half to Henry Tefft, who took his place in the copartnership.

The new firm immediately afterwards commenced demolishing the brick-factory, preparatory to erecting a lumber mill upon its site, and about the same time Mr. Thomas sold out to Mr. Ilenry Tefft, who soon afterwards took his brother, O. A. Tefft, into partnership, the new firm going on and completing the mill which now occupies the site.

In 1860, Mr. Thomas purchased a mill property at Elsinore, in com- pany with James Hammond, where he cut lumber for the Albany market until 1865, when he disposed of his interest to his brother, Warren Thomas. In the mean time, however, from 1860 to 1868, he carried on a retail lumber trade in Plattsburgh, on the premises now occupied by the Baker Brothers' lumber yard. In 1870 he purchased the old Keese and Tomlinson mill property, at Keeseville, located on the upper dam, which he rebuilt, and now has valuable mills at that point, consisting of custom- and flouring-mills, and saw-mills. With Thomas Armstrong, Mr. Thomas owns township No. 48 in Essex County, which is a valuable tract of timber land embracing about thirty thousand acres. They also own a tract of five linndred acres at the month of the Ausable River. Mr. Thomas' snecess in the lumber business was the result of no " fortunate cirenmstances," but of a life of carnest toil. Ifc has run about twenty drives of logs down tho river.

In September, 1871, he purchased tho Plattsburgh Gas Works, and soon after sold a half interest to Capt. H. S. Ransom. They erected new buildings, and carried on the business until November, 1878, when Capt. Ransom sold his interest to Mr. Thomas, who has since conducted the works as sole proprietor.

In 1850 he unitod in marriage with Rebecca A. Moon, daughter of Hunting Moon, of Peru, and their family consists of tive children,- two boys and three girls.

Politically ho is a Republican. In religions matters he manifests a lively interest, and has been a member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church nearly a quarter of a century. lle is one of the present trustcos of the Plattsburgh Methodist Episcopal Church.

Mr. Thomas is a self-made man. Early in life he learned that the way leading to success was no royal road, but was open to strong hands and willing hearts. Ilo early established methodical business habits, and his energy and porseveranco, coupled with integrity of eharaetor worthy of emulation, has rendered his life a success.

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TOWN OF PLATTSBURGH.

condition, but weakened as they were, they attempted to ford the Schroon River on horseback, and in this attempt Mr. Jacobs was drowned.

Those who are familiar with the great wilderness, either as tourists or business men, will readily appreciate the dif- ficulties which these pioneers must have encountered in tlieir endeavors to traverse this then pathless region on horseback,-a feat which the most experienced guide would hardly attempt, cven over a well-beaten trail. Thus per- ished the first Methodist preacher who ever visited the wilds of northeastern New York. Who shall deny that to Richard Jacobs, the poor outcast, despised Methodist itin- erant, there was, too, vouchsafed a vision as he went down for the last time beneath the waters of the Schroon in the midst of the wilderness,-a blessed, prophetic vision,-of the abundant harvest that was destined to spring up on the western border of Lake Champlain in fourscore years, from that little seed of his planting, of 30 prosperous churches and over 3400 church members ?

This same year, 1796, the first circuit was formed in Vermont, at Vershire, to which Richard Snethen was ap- pointed as preacher ; but it was not until 1798 that the first circuit was established in Vermont, west of the Green Mountains, at Vergennes, with Joseph Mitchell and Abner Wood as preachers.

No visible results of this early introduction of Method- ism appear, so far as history informs us, until the year 1799, when the name of Alexander M'Lane is given as the first regularly stationed preacher on the Plattsburgh circuit. A modern itinerant would look aghast at the prospect of an appointment to such a circuit, in these degenerate days.

Its limits extended from Ticonderoga on the south to the Canada line on the north, and westward, it is presumed, ad libitum. We have been unable to find any special record of M'Lane, except that he was "admitted on trial" that very year,-1799.

The number of " members in society," or lay members, on the Plattsburgh circuit at this time was 107, but the great extent of territory included in this circuit must be borne in mind to avoid the error of concluding that these 107 Methodist were residents of the town of Plattsburgh, which then included Beekmantown, Saranac, Schuyler Falls, and Dannemora, for it is highly probable that a great pro- portion of them were scattered along to the southward. A number of conversions had, in Elizabethtown, Essex Co., resulted from the visit of Richard Jacobs, and Crown Point, which included Ticonderoga, Moriah, Elizabeth- town, and Schroon, contained at that time nearly 1000 inhabitants.

In 1800, Joseph Crawford was the preacher in charge of the Plattsburgh circuit, and this year the " number in society" returned was 247. The eccentric Lorenzo Dow was also licensed to preach during the same year, and in November he was sent to this circuit, wherein he labored for six weeks with marked success.

In 1801 the preacher in. charge was Elijah Chichester, assisted by Elijah Hedding, and a historian of that period (Rev. Stephen Parks) says, " God was with these modern Elijahs. Plattsburgh circuit then extended from Ticon-

deroga into Canada. There the youthful Hedding and his colleague forded streams, traversed forests, faced the pelting storms of that severe climate, slept in log cabins, and kindled a flame that after the lapse of half a century is not extin- guished."

During the same year (1801) Joseph Mitchell, who was stationed at Pittsfield, Mass., preached in Chazy,-which was included in the Plattsburgh circuit,-how many times we cannot tell. Mitchell was a man of extraordinary ability. It is related of him that upon one quarterly-meeting occa- sion such an impression was made that the usual official business could not be transacted, and " when he began to exhort, a trembling commenced among the unconverted ; one after another fell from their seats, and for eleven hours there was no cessation of the cries of the smitten assembly."

The effect of the united efforts of these devoted men is shown by an increase of the lay membership within a year to 825. In 1802, Daniel Brumly and Laban Clark were the preachers in charge of the Plattsburgh circuit, and Elijah Hedding preached in Chazy, not, however, it is presumed, regularly.

During the same year a regular circuit was organized on Grand Isle as the result of the labors of William Anson. He was sent from the Conference which was held in New York, June, 1802, to this distant and new field, traveling the whole distance on horseback, and entering his field of labor from the Vermont shore, across the Sand Bar. The water was so high that he was obliged to cross on a raft, and twice his rude bark was driven back upon the shore before he succeeded in landing. But at the third trial he was successful, and an inquiry, of the first person he met, if there was a place in the vicinity where he could preach the gospel the next day, drew forth the response that he didn't know, and on asking the way to the tavern he was met with the reply that there was one about two miles farther on, but his informant added that he believed they were out of rum ! But William Anson went on and found the tavern, which was kept by a Congregationalist, Capt. Dixon, with whom arrangements were made for preaching the next day, which was the Sabbath. But judge of An- son's surprise on being awakened in the morning by the firing of cannon by some men who at sunrise had begun to celebrate the Fourth of July, Sunday or no Sunday. William Anson came to the natural conclusion that he had fallen among a race of savages; but, nothing daunted, he proceeded to preach according to appointment, and labored faithfully during the year, as a result of which he re- turned 102 members for the Grand Isle circuit. We have been thus particular to speak of the first beginnings of Methodism on Grand Isle, because for many years it be- longed to the same district as Plattsburgh, to which it was for a period only second in numbers and influence.

Preaching first began liere in 1808 ; so says David Brock, a devout Methodist, who came to Plattsburgh in that year.

From the same source we learn that " a quarterly meet- ing pro tempore" was held in Plattsburgh, at Townsend Addams', June 25, 1809; a quarterly meeting at " Bur-

" Parks' Troy Conf. Miscellany, 1854.

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

dick's," probably at Beekmantown, near the stone church, June 10, 1810 ; a quarterly meeting at Plattsburgh, Aug. 27, 1811 : and no mention is made of meetings having been held in Plattsburgh anywhere except at private houses until 1817, when they began to be held in the court-house fort- nightly.

Before this time services had been held in the ball-room of Sperry's Hotel, where E. C. Baker's house now stands ; at Dr. Whitney's, on the east side of the river; at Mr. McDermott's, who lived in a house near where the foundry stands ; and outside the village at Townsend Addams' and others' dwellings.

Mr. McDermott and his wife were prominent members of the church, and their house was always a welcome and oft-frequented home for the traveling preachers.

During all this time, previous to 1817, meetings were held at Peru and Chazy, and also camp-meetings, as early as 1808, and perhaps earlier.

A " class" had doubtless been organized in Plattsburgh before this time, but if so, it had become extinct; but in 1817 a new class was organized, under the direction of Mr. Byington, the pastor, which has endured to the present time. The number of members of this class was four, all told, viz. : Mrs. Mary McDermott, Villers King, Sheldon Durkee, Ann Durkee.

The comparative weakness of the Plattsburgh society be- comes partially apparent from the record of 1811, when the old Plattsburgh circuit was clipped at both extremities by the separate organization of Malone and Ticonderoga cir- cuits at the time the Champlain district was organized. Ticonderoga started off with a membership of 141 and Malone of 85, and Plattsburgh suffered a proportionate loss, falling from 615 to 496. Townsend Addams was the first pastor on the Malone circuit in 1811, which, however, disappears from the record again after two years.

In 1818, Chazy was set off by itself, with a membership of 70, which steadily increased until 1823, when it had a membership of 468,-more than Plattsburgh, including Peru. .

In 1824 it seems by the record that Plattsburgh had no preacher ; but the same year the Peru circuit was organized, with a membership of 665.

The years 1825 and 1826 also passed without a preacher in Plattsburgh, the organization of Chazy and Peru cir- cuits evidently having drawn away in either direction pretty much all there was remaining of the society in the old Plattsburgh circuit.

But in 1827 the Plattsburgh district was organized, in- cluding Plattsburgh, Ticonderoga, Peru, Grand Isle, and Chazy circuits. And now Plattsburgh had for the first time a resident preacher, James Quinlan, who, as the offi- cial records say, was also this year presiding elder of the new district. Quinlan had a wife and three children, and lived in the " Holt House," on Broad Street, where E. C. Baker's residence now stands. And now Plattsburgh cir- cuit took the foot of the class, having a membership of only 42, while Ticonderoga had 296, Peru 470, Chazy 417, and Grand Isle 190,-whole number in the district 1415. There is no official record of the names of thesc 42 charter members, but, according to the recollection of Mrs. Mc-

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History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 43

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