USA > New York > Herkimer County > History of Herkimer county, New York > Part 37
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392
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
Palmer made grain cradles here for a number of years, and until the sale of harvesting machines killed his business. A distillery was oper- ated for some years after 1820.
On the 4th of May, 1863, the village was incorporated, and under the charter the first election was held on the 25th of May, when the following persons were elected trustees : J. W. Bridenbecker, presi- dent ; A. W. Sheldon, Isaac Piper, M. Golden, Samuel Z. Hoard. The population was given in 1870 as 1,083; it is now (1892) about 2,800.
Fire Department .- At the time of the incorporation of the village, the apparatus for extinguishing fires consisted of one hand engine. This soon became nearly worthless, and in 1886 the authorities purchased a second-hand hand engine which was in effective use until 1883, when an Amoskeag steamer was purchased second-hand at a cost of $1, 100. The former Columbian Engine Co. took the steamer in charge, and with it was connected the Niagara Hose Company. This engine and company are now known as Columbian Steamer & Hose Co. No. 2, with the following officers : D. E. Tisdale, president; W. C. Abbott, vice- president ; G. F. Tyne, secretary ; H. S. Ballda, treasurer ; Martin Tucker, jr., foreman ; John Owens, Ist assistant foreman ; L. E. Nipe, 2d assistant foreman.
In 1886, a hook and ladder truck was purchased at a cost of $625, and the H. H. Ingham H. & I .. Co. No. 3 was formed, which now has the following officers : B. E. Durst, president ; W. H. Thomas, vice- president ; C. P. Johnson, secretary; H. C. Loris, treasurer ; J. W. Powers, foreman; Robert Gordon, Ist assistant foreman; Frederick Parshall, 2d assistant foreman.
In 1890 a second steamer was purchased at a cost of $1,200, and HIonahan Steamer & Hose Co. No. I was formed with the following present officers : Y. F. Wells, president ; T. J. Costello, vice-president ; Frank Phillips, secretary ; H. Steele, treasurer ; Thomas Ashby, fore- man ; Edward Manning, Ist assistant foreman ; F. D. Deuel, 2d as- sistant foreman.
The present brick engine-house was built in 1884 at a cost of $3,500, and in it all the modern apparatus is kept. The old hand engine is kept on Main street, and the first steamer on the match factory premises.
393
TOWN OF FRANKFORT.
The following are the department officers in 1892 :
Thomas Honahan, chief; R. J. Peuster, Ist assistant chief ; John Manning, jr., 2d assistant chief ; E. J. Carner, president; Frank Staring, M. D. Eagan, and B. J. Owen, vice-presidents; John Kerivan, jr., secretary ; C. C. Harter, treasurer.
Manufacture of Matches .- The village of Frankfort has been known during many years as the location of a large match- making industry. This was first established by William Gates in 1844. His first building was only twelve feet square, and was situated some fifty rods from the present factory, on the bank of the canal. There the first matches were cut by hand, with a kind of plane, which cut about three at a time in width and a strip about three feet long. These were cut in pieces twice the length of the matches to be made, and dipped at both ends into melted sulphur. After drying in frames they were cut in the mid- dle, put in hand- made boxes and peddled about in near-by places. Mr. Gates made also the block matches, which were split in blocks but not wholly separated, and were dipped a single block at a time. Those early matches brought a price more than ten times as high as the pres- ent price of matches.
Mr. Gates saw the great need of machinery with which to perform the work he had been doing by hand, and set himself about the task of inventing and making it. The result of his efforts, combined to some extent with the aid of others, finally resulted in machinery for making matches and the small boxes in which they are sold, that seems almost human and intelligent in its action. William Gates died July 28, 1877, and was succeeded by his sons, the style of William Gates's Sons being adopted August 1, 1877. Frederick Gates, one of the sons, is now a prominent capitalist of Harriman, Tennessee.
Schools-Bank-Press .- There are now fifteen school districts in the town of Frankfort, of which two are in the village, conducted under the Union Free-school system. The graded school, over which W. F. Moshier is principal, assisted by six teachers, is one of the best in the county. A new school building is being erected at a cost of $20,000, with accommodations for 500 pupils. The building is of brick and will contain ten rooms
In the year 1854 the Frankfort Bank was incorporated under the gen- eral law, with a capital of $100,000. The first officers were : William
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HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
Bridenbecker, president; William Gates, vice-president; R. H. Pome- roy, cashier ; and later Robert Ethridge, cashier. Business was con - tinued until about 1870, when the affairs of the institution were closed up. The village was then without a bank until 1886, when the First National Bank of Frankfort was organized with a capital of $50,000, and Henry Churchill was chosen president. He has held the office un- til the present time. The cashier was and still is A. W. Haslehurst, who is also cashier of the First National Bank of Herkimer ; this leaves the immediate charge of the Frankfort bank in the hands of George H. Watson, as assistant cashier, who has been in the position since the bank was organized. The directors are Henry Churchill, H. G. Mun- ger, George P. Folts, L R. IJunt, W. W. Crosby, George A. Smith, John Loftis, George H. Watson, A. W. Haslehurst. The bank has a surplus of $9,000 and about $88,000 deposits. The old bank building was purchased and is now occupied.
On the Ist of January, 1881, J. G. Hardell started a newspaper in Newport, Herkimer county, called the Newport Advertiser, which he continued until 1883, when he enlarged it to eight pages and changed the name to the Newport Register. In 1885 he removed it to Frank- fort and changed the name to conform to the new location. The paper enjoys a circulation of about 1,000 and is liberally supported.
Churches .- The Baptist church in Frankfort was formed by a few persons who were granted letters of dismission from the church in Schuyler, in December, 1828. The church was organized by a council at Masonic Hall, Frankfort, January 27, 1829. This movement was effected chiefly by Elder Stephen Wilkins, who was the first pastor. In addition to several supplies who served the church at different short periods, the society has had as regular pastors:
Elders N. G. Chase, 1830-32; Lewis Ranstead, 1833-36; Rev. Thomas Houston, 1836-42; Rev. Newell Boughton, 1842-46; and then Rev. R. G. Toles became pastor in 1949; Rev. William B. Curtis in 1853; Rev. M. Mumford in 1854; Rev. G. P. Martin in 1859; Rev. J. C. Ward in 1860; Rev. A. Lindsay in 1869; Rev. A. Le Roy, a part of 1873; Rev. II. M. Perry to 1876; Rev. II. Garlick, who began in 1876; Rev. M. W. IIaynes, 1880-83; Rev. Amos Myers, 1883-85 ; Rev. J. A. Ford, 1885-88; Rev. J. R. Shaw, 1888-92.
Services were held in various places until 1834, when the first build- ing was erected, at a cost of $1,300. It was burned in 1861, and in
395
TOWN OF FRANKFORT.
the same year another and a larger structure was erected at a cost of $2,500. The church membership in 1892 was 153.
There was a Methodist class in Frankfort long before the organiza- tion of the church, which took place about the year 1842. The society grew in numbers, but it was not made a station until 1849, in which year the first church building was erected; it was of brick and cost $1,800. It was dedicated in February, 1850, Rev. B. F. Devendorf preaching the sermon. About twenty years later the site of the old Dutch Reformed church was purchased by the Methodist society, and there the present church edifice was erected. The old Reformed church was moved away to make room for the new one. The Reformed church building was the first church erected in Frankfort, and was built about the year 1825. The new church cost about $6,000, and was dedicated in June, 1869. The pastors of the church have been as fol- low :
1850-51. D. Stone ; 1852-53,fT. D. Mitchell; 1854, R. S. Frasier ; 1855-56, A. M. Smith; 1857, J. V. Ferguson; 1858-59, Orra Squire; 1860-61, C. H. Austin ; 1862-63, F. Zimmerman; 1864-65, Cyrus Phillips ; 1866-68, W. L. Tisdale; 1869-71, B. F. Bar- ker; 1872-74, S. P. Gray; 1875, J. L. Humphrey ; 1876-78, M. R. Webster; 1879-82, William F. Brown; 1882-85, Harlow Skeel; 1885-88, R. J. Smith; 1888-90, J. L. Humphrey ; 1890-92, S. W. Brown.
Other Methodist societies existed at an early day in this town, serv- ices being held in school-houses and elsewhere. These were consoli- dated in 1840, under the pastorate of L. Beach, and in that year a church was built. It was used until 1872, when another was erected in its place at Frankfort Hill, costing $8,000. The society has prospered satisfactorily and still holds services with regularity.
About the year 1820 a class was formed at West Frankfort, with Samuel Barnes as leader. On the 28th of January, 1839, the class was organized into a church, which was called the Third Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Frankfort. A church was built in 1840; was repaired in 1873-4 and rededicated February 18, 1874. The church property is worth about $2,000.
The First Universalist church of Frankfort was organized in 1838, and Rev. Dolphus Skinner, a very able man, was pastor from that time until 1850. From 1838 until 1844 meetings were held in Masonic Hall, but in the last named year the present church was built. The
396
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
present membership is sixty. Mr. Skinner was succeeded in the pas- torate by Richard Eddy, and he by Josiah Bartlett in 1851. D. C. O'Daniels was pastor in 1854; T. D. Cook in 1857; Daniel Ballou in 1865, and again in 1873, and for a number of years thereafter. W. H. Grigsby and C. B. Richardson also served the church between 1868 and 1873. J. J. Brayton preaches at the present time in Frankfort and Utica.
St. Alban's Episcopal church of Frankfort was organized in 1888. A church building had already been erected in 1886 at a cost of about $3,000. The first rector was Rev. Sheldon M. Griswold, of Ilion, who preached to the mission while the church was being provided. The church has since been served by pastors from Herkimer and Ilion, Rev. William Mason Cook, of the latter place, officiating at the present time. There are about forty communicants.
St. Peter's and St. Paul's Catholic church was formed under the ad- ministration of Rev. Father J. H. Halpin, now of Herkimer, Decem- ber 16, 1885. A substantial and commodious brick church belongs to the congregation. When Father Halpin went to Herkimer he was suc- ceeded by Rev. Patrick Wallace.
There are five post- offices in the town of Frankfort, the one at Frank- fort village being under charge of Thomas Honahan as postmaster. At Frankfort Center the postmaster is W. L. Tisdale. At the Gulf Jolin Alvord has the post-office ; at McGowan's, A. W. McGowan is post- master. At Frankfort Hill H. C. Pryne is postmaster. There is no business of consequence at any of these points.
The present (1892) officers of Frankfort village are as follow : Pres- ident, C. C. Harter ; trustees, George Russell, G. F. Tine, A. L. Ash- ley, W. W. Duell ; clerk, Frank Duell.
WVest Frankfort (now known as Harbor Station, on the West Shore Railroad), is a small settlement in the western part of the town, where a hotel is kept by D. C. Penny, and stores by John Near and Frank Van Dyke. Mail is received at Utica, four miles distant.
Frankfort Center was formerly known as Howard's Bush, and there has long been a saw-mill and cheese factory there. McGowansville, or East Frankfort, is on the canal about a mile east of Frankfort. It re- ceived its name from Hon. Archibald C. McGowan, ex-senator, who settled there in 1854, and is still living. He built a dry dock at that point, and has for many years carried on a mercantile business.
397
TOWN OF SCHUYLER.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE TOWN OF SCHUYLER.
T HE town of Schuyler was formed from the town of Herkimer April 10, 1792. Since that date the town of Trenton was taken from it in 1797 ; Deerfield (Oneida county) in 1798, and a part of New- port in 1806. A part of Herkimer was annexed in 1808, and rean- nexed to Herkimer in 1811. (See New York session laws.) Schuyler is bounded on the north by Newport ; east by Herkimer ; south by the Mohawk River, and west by Oneida county. The valley of the Mohawk, with an average width of one and one-half miles, constitutes the southern part of the town, comprising about 6,000 acres, which is a rich productive section ; while the hilly region of the remainder of the town is a slaty, gravelly soil, quite well adapted to tillage. The streams are small and flow into the Mohawk. The whole of Kast's patent and parts of Cosby's manor and Hasenclever's and Walton's patents consti- tute the territory of the town.
Among the white men who penetrated the wilderness in the western part of what is now Herkimer county as early or earlier than the Pala- tine settlements were made at Fort Herkimer (German Flats), was John Jurgh Kass (or Kast, as now written). He was one of the thrifty Germans who saw the possibilities of trade with the Indians, and it is known that he was among them in 1720 trading them ammunition and trinkets for their valuable furs. A tradition exists that he also sold them the coveted rum, and that for a keg of the "fire water " he bought about 11,000 acres of choice land, which he described, and that in 1724 his titled was confirmed to him by Great Britain. This was the earliest date of a patent in this country, although the Burnetsfield grantees (Kast being one) settled on their lands a year earlier. Some of the de- scendants of Kast are still living in this county.
The town of Schuyler probably suffered but little in the French and Indian war, its situation on the west of the frontier saving it, in a large measure, from savage incursions. Permanent settlement began in the
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398
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
eastern part of the town about the year 1764, when Peter Hasenclever, an enterprising and wealthy German from Wurtemberg, came to the colony and erected iron works on the Hudson River near West Point; he also established trading posts farther west, and obtained a site for settlement at what is now East Schuyler. During the period preceding the Revolution this was the extreme western settlement in this State.
While in Wurtemberg on a visit Hasenclever pictured to the German peasants the wonders of the new world in such glowing colors that a number of them consented to emigrate. Hasenclever provided them with means for their passage to his settlement, and agreed to supply them and their families with subsistence for three years in return for their servicc. He built an ashery, probably the first frame building, and the first manufactory of any kind within the present bounds of Schuyler. He also had a store (the first in Herkimer county), which was situated on land now occupied by the widow of D. I. Briden- becker. Potash and other products were shipped by Hasenclever down the Mohawk in flat boats, and merchandise and provisions re- turned in the same manner. He also began to build a saw-mill on a small stream flowing into the Mohawk. This settlement he named " New Petersburg." Over thirty log houses were built for the people employed by Hasenclever, among whom were families named Briden- becker, Staring, Bargy (formerly written Birchi), Clemens, Widrig, Oyer (formerly written Aiyer and Irer), Finster, Keller, Steinway, and others. Descendants of several of these families still occupy land on which their ancesters first settled.
The Revolutionary War was the cause of the destruction and abandon- ment of New Petersburg. The business of the ashery and the trading were broken up and Hasenelever left the country for good. The ash- ery stood on ground now owned by Luther P. Staring.
Early in the struggle for independence the settlers in Schuyler real- izing their exposed situation, adopted measures for protection. A piece of ground, now also owned by Mr. Staring, and on the rising land on which his house now stands, was enclosed by high pickets and was known as the " fort." Within this enclosure three or four log houses were built, into which the families retired at night, while during the day they worked on the near-by lands. The place was much harassed
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TOWN OF SCHUYLER.
by the Indians and tories, and several of the inhabitants were killed or taken prisoners. The attacks at last became so frequent that the people were impelled to flee into Fort Dayton, abandoning their homes until the close of the war. Among the women who petitioned the Legisla- ture after the war for assistance, were several widows of settlers at New Petersburg.
Schuyler, as we have seen, was a part of Herkimer until 1792. Be- fore that year a good many families from the Eastern States had come into this part of the valley, purchased the farms of some of the Germans, and settled permanently on the hill land back from the flats. In early times it was a prevailing theory that the valley would be extremely wealthy as a place for settlement and living, and nearly or quite all of the early emigrants located first on the high ground. The first roads were often on the hill sides. The increase of population following the Revolution led to the division of Herkimer and the creation of Schuyler. The town was named in honor of Gen. Philip Schuyler, who, with his relatives, the Bleeckers, owned a considerable tract in the eastern part of Cosby's Manor. Possession of several extensive lots was obtained, after some difficulty, by surveying five lots of one hundred acres each across the large lots. This tract was nearly midway between the river and the head line adjoining Hasenclever's patent ; it was just half a mile wide and nearly two miles long, and has been known as the " five hun- dred acre tract." The original large lots in the manor were surveyed with the lines running at right angles from the river to the north head line and numbered from east to west; but as Kast's patent was within the manor, those lots that lay between that patent and the head line were much shorter than those east and west of them, and hence have been and are known as " Short Lots."
The " Windfall," so called, is in the northern part of the town. It gained its name from a portion of the original forest that was felled by a tornado. George Whaley and the Barbers were the first settlers in that section.
" The Bush " was thus named by the Germans, it remaining an un- broken forest long after the lower settlements were made. Haywood Minott, and three Johnson brothers, Lyman, Josiah and Rawson, were among the pioneers in this immediate locality. The section has been known as Minott's Corners.
400
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
A little north of East Schuyler (or New Petersburg, or Germantown, by all of which names it has been known) was Stone Arabia, situated on high ground, the neighborhood of which was long known by the Yan- kees as " the Dutch Settlement." In this vicinity Baultis Bridenbecker settled on land that is still in possession of members of the family. His grandsons, D. I. and Amos Bridenbecker, were prominent among the farmers of the town. Luther P. Staring also lived on land that was set- tled by his grandfather, and later was owned by his father. A son of Daniel Oyer still lives on the farm where his great-grandfather settled, who was killed in the battle of Oriskany. He spelled his name " Iver."
The central and western parts of the town were not much settled un- til about the beginning of the present century. Elisha Ladd came in 1804, and Stephen and Elisha Rose came from Connecticut and settled in the " Short Lots " Jonathan Richardson came in early and also the Budlongs. Thomas Wood, Charles Brown, and Charles Christian were among the first settlers at West Schuyler. Descendants of most of these are still residents here. The first brick house in town was built at West Schuyler by Lovel Burch in 1830, and Calvin Wood built one soon afterward ; both are yet standing. Hiram Tanner built the third about a mile north of West Schuyler.
After the failure of Hasenclever to build a saw-mill, no other was built until about 1798, when John Finster erected one at East Schuyler, on the Bridenbecker Creek, opposite his house. Later he built another lower down on the same stream, and both were of great importance to the pioneers, in giving them lumber for houses and barns. Elisha Rose built the second mill in the town on the Staring Creek and a Mr. Augur also built one. These long ago disappeared. A saw-mill was built in 1826 on the Mohawk by Amos Smith, Robert Burch and Mason Barker, on what is known as the Bradstreet farm ; it was not operated very long. Two grist-mills had been built on the Staring Creek, but they long ago succumbed to the ravages of time. One of them was built by Dr. Joseph Carder, on the farm now owned by his grandsons, Homer and Horace. The other was built by Robert Hinchman, and was about half a mile below the Carder mill. A grist-mill was also built by a man named Brown above those mentioned and on a small stream flowing into Star- ing Creek, near where the State road crosses the creek ; he also built a
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TOWN OF SCHUYLER.
saw- mill on the same site, which he operated a short time. All of these have disappeared. About 1845 Vaugn Sweet bought the clothing- mill at West Schuyler and built a grist-mill on the site ; with the failure of water this mill was, like the others, abandoned. A cloth-dressing mill was built at West Schuyler not far from 1812, by Charles Brown, which passed to possession of Lovel Burch, who operated it several years when lack of that class of business in a farming community caused its abandon- ment. Robert Burch carried on an early tannery at West Schuyler, and there was one at East Schuyler, both of which disappeared many years ago. All of these early manufactories have been displaced by the more profitable cheese factories ; of these there are now five in the town.
Among the very early merchants it is said that a man named Thomp- son kept a store during the Revolutionary War, between the turnpike and the river, on land owned in later years by James Staring, near the fording place. Hasenclever had a store near where Nicholas and James Bridenbecker live. Philip Knapp had a store at the end of Richardson lane. A store was also located near where the half-way house was formerly kept, and one has existed many years at East Schuyler, generally in connection with the post-office. Among the merchants there have been David Smith, A. G. Colwell, Jesse Johnson, George H. Elwell, Duane Richardson, Edward Haver (who is also now post- master), and Newell Miller. The latter has also the grist-mill at East Schuyler. Isaac Tallman, Ira Gordon, Warren Budlong, and Dorman Robbins kept stores at West Schuyler. Brayton Wood and William H. Griffith are the present merchants of that place, the latter succeeding L. D. Goodwin & Son.
Adam Staring, it is said, kept the earliest tavern of which there is any knowledge, It a log dwelling where the fort stood at the time of the Revolution. Amos Smith afterwards built a public house near where Staring had been, which was used as a stopping-place for stages and in which the post-office at East Schuyler was kept. Next west- ward from this was the popular half-way house, so called from its being midway between Utica and Herkimer. The construction of the rail- road caused its removal, after which it was used as a farm house. Judge Henri Staring kept a tavern at one period, and nearly two miles
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HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
west William K. Knapp had a public house. At West Schuyler Charles Brown built a commodious tavern in 1811, in which he, Isaac Tallman and Ira Gordon kept a tavern or store, the latter during a period of twenty-two years. It is in this building that Brayton Wood now car- ries on business The heavy stage travel of olden times through this valley gave liberal support to these various public houses; but with the building of the canal and railroads they rapidly fell into disuse. At the present time there is no tavern in the town.
Schuyler was divided into school districts in 1813, but schools had been taught in the town long previous to that date. A German school was taught at East Schuyler under the patronage of Mr. Hasenclever, and another very early in the Stone Arabia section. A receipt is in existence given by " Henry Andrew Cramer, a schoolmaster," dated at " New Petersburg, ISth March, 1791," acknowledging that "Jacob Widrig paid one scheple (three pecks) of wheat, three scheples of maize, and one shilling for church and school bill in the year 1790 to the end of March, 1791, in full of all demands." A small school was taught by Cramer's wife in their dwelling on the farm now owned by Ira P. Bud- long. This was the old Cramer homestead. The first school-house was built on the site of the present one in district No. 4 in 1809, and others followed soon after the division into districts. There are now nine districts in the town.
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