History of Herkimer county, New York, Part 8

Author: Hardin, George Anson, 1832-1900, ed; Willard, F. H. (Frank Hallett), b. 1852, joint ed
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1028

USA > New York > Herkimer County > History of Herkimer county, New York > Part 8

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In early times, before the Revolution, the road through the valley came into what is now Herkimer county from the west, on the south side of the Mohawk, and continued on to Canajoharie. At a distance of fifteen miles from Fort Herkimer a road crossed the river and continued on eastward on the north bank. The river served for many years as a waterway for the transportation of freight and passengers in large flat boats, called bateaux. But this mode of travel was greatly interfered with by the rapids at Little Falls, a fact that led in 1792 to the incor- poration of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company. After the full organization of this company, about thirty directors pushed ahead the contemplated work, and four years later the canal around the falls was finished, another across the portage at Rome, with various improve- ments in Wood Creek and the Oneida, Seneca and Oswego Rivers. The engraving, " Little Falls in 1892" printed in the history of that town in later pages, shows the course of the canal and the location of the locks at Little Falls. Much of the masonry built at that point a hundred years ago is still in good preservation. This improvement was of immense benefit in opening up the country and it was esti- mated about the year 1812 that three hundred boats with 1, 500 tons of merchand se pa sed through the canal at the Rome portage in a single year. After the enlargement of the locks the boats carried

EARLY TRANSPORTATION ON THE MOHAWK. (FROM AN OLD PRINT.)

HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.

twenty tons or more in high water, and half as much at other times. These craft were known as Durham boats, were low and open, with a walking board along the gunwale. They were propelled by means of long poles thrust into the river bottom and pushed with the shoul- ders of men who walked from end to end of the boat. A Schenec- tady paper of 1803 in describing one of the boats said: "She is sixty-three feet keel, eleven feet wide, and two feet three inches deep. When loaded she draws two feet of water and will carry twenty - four tons. She now brought down 250 bushels of wheat and will next trip bring 800."

Previous to the Revolution, and perhaps after that event, many roads were not fenced and nad gates across them at the crossing of farm lines. The late Samuel Earl said that there was such a road in early times on the south side of the river where the public road now is, and one across the flats between Forts Herkimer and Dayton, called the King's road ; this extended west over " Oak Hill " and thence to Oswego.

Regarding this road an interesting letter has been found among the papers of the late Mr Earl, from which it appears that Sir William Johnson wrote John Jost Herkimer, John Jost Petrie, and John Conrad Frank, on the 22d of July, 1756, in regard to their aiding in opening the road. A reply from Herkimer and Frank is as follows : HON. SIR.

We have the honour of yours of the 22d ulti'o about laying out a road from here to Oswego, throu' the Six Nations, and as for my part, Han Yost Petri, I am old, and lame in one of my hips, and it is not in my power to undertake any such fatigue, and for me, Jost Herkimer, I dare not leave my house upon account of the military for they terrorize over me as they think proper, wether the commander or the common sol- diers, in short they take a prerogative power in their own hands-not only in infesting my house and taking up my rooms at pleasure, but take what they think necessary of my effects for their own nse without asking. And if such doings is allowed to go on, not only I and my family must suffer, but also all my neighbors.

And as for my part, Contad Frank, it is not possible for me to undertake it upon ac- count of soldiers * * for my house is full either of one sort or another, and within this short time have suffered considerable by the soldiers of Capt. Harris command, for they not only use my house as they thought proper, but likewise tock whatever of my live cattle they thought proper fir their use, without either asking liberty or paying me for their valne, and supposing I should undertake such a thing and leave my house, I must I imagine never see either my wife or children again ; and notwithstanding all the en- deavors we and all of us have made we could not find anyone that would undertake

GROWTH AND PROGRESS.

such a piece of work. And although we and all of us would be ready and willing to do anything that would tend to his majesties honor or the good of our country, yet as matters stand we must be excused. We remain with dne regard Hon. Sir,

Your Hum. and obedient serv'ts, JOHN JOST HERKIMER. JOHN CONRAD FRANK.

In April, 1790, the State appropriated £100 "for the purpose of erecting a bridge across the East Canada Creek, not exceeding three miles from the mouth thereof, upon the road from the Mohawk River to the Royal Grant." Three years later the Legislature provided for the erection of a bridge over East Canada Creek, " nearly opposite the Canajoharie Castle, on the public road leading from Tribes Hill to the Little Falls ;" and another over the West Canada Creek " on the public road or highway leading from the Little Falls to Fort Stanwix." A still more important improvement was made through the charter of a com- pany in April, 1800, for the construction of the Mohawk turnpike along the north bank of the river from Schenectady to Utica. The work was done within the next few years, under the direction of Seth Wetmore, a surveyor, who died in Canajoharie in 1836. This road became a part of the great east and west highway from Albany to Buffalo. These means of transportation sufficed for the inhabitants until the construc- tion of the Erie canal in 1825.

Other highways that passed through parts of this county and were of considerable importance to the inhabitants, were the State road, so called because it was constructed by the State through the mediuni of a lottery, authorized in 1803, to raise $41,500. This road ran from Johnstown through the Black River country to Sackett's Harbor, pass- ing through parts of Manheim, Salisbury, and the towns of Norway and Russia. The road was much used in the early years of the present century.

In 1804 the Fall Hill Turnpike and Bridge Company was incorpo- rated and authorized to build a toll bridge over the Mohawk River at Little Falls, and construct a road from the house of Ira Crane in Minden, Montgomery county, to the Mohawk River, thence along the river 'o Henry A. Vrooman's in German Flats, and thence to Samuel Abbott's house and Kassler's Mills. The principal object of this road

HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.

was to avoid climbing the steeps at Fall Hill. The bridge was erected and used many years, but the road was not constructed.

In the year 1806 commissioners were appointed to lay out and straighten the road on the south side of the Mohawk River from Sche- nectady to Utica, wherever it seemed expedient. The towns through which this highway passed were required to work it and keep it in order.

The Great Western Turnpike passed through the southeast corner of the town of Warren, a distance of a few miles, but did not touch the Mohawk valley.

The Minden and Utica Turnpike Company was incorporated in . 1809, the line designated to pass through the present towns of Stark, Warren, Columbia, Litchfield and the southwest corner of Frankfort. Parts of this turnpike were finished and one or more gates erected for collection of tolls, but it was abandoned many years ago.

In 1834 Colonel Jeremiah Drake projected a railroad to connect with the Utica and Schenectady line about two miles east of Little Falls, and running northerly a distance of about fifteen miles in this county. The incorporation act was passed, surveys made, etc., the route to pass through Manheim Center, Wintonville and Salisbury Center to Dever- eaux. Failing to interest capitalists in the project, Colonel Drake was forced to abandon it. (See account of Little Falls and Dolgeville Rail . road.)

It was over these early highways that the great stage business of that period was conducted; and even after the later construction of the canal and railroad, it was several years before those more modern and rapid methods of travel could displace the four horse coaches to which the people had become accustomed. One of the earliest as well as most successful of the old stage managers was Jason Parker, of Utica, with his later partners. He began running a stage between Albany and old Fort Schuyler in August, 1795, and thus announced his undertaking : "The mail leaves Whitestown every Monday and Thursday at 2 o'clock p. m., and proceeds to Old Fort Schuyler the same evening ; next morning starts at 4 o'clock and arrives in Canajoharie in the evening, exchanges passengers with the Albany and Cooperstown stages, and the next day returns to Old Fort Schuyler. Fare for passengers, $2.00;

GROWTH AND PROGRESS.

way passengers, four cents a mile, fourteen pounds of baggage gratis. Seats may be had by applying at the post- office, Whitestown, at the house of the subscriber, Old Fort Schuyler, or at Captain Root's, Cana- joharie." Parker's early experience was not profitable and he had to apply to the Legislature in 1797 for aid. By September, 1810, greater expedition was attained on this route and a daily line of stages passed over the road. In 1810-11 Joshua Ostrom and his partners, also of Utica, came into competition with Parker and announced that a new line of steamboat stages would leave Albany Monday and Friday, and Utica Monday and Thursday. These trips were made more often a little later and the competition between the lines became exceedingly active. Parker & Powell announced in 1811 : " Eight changes of horses. The mail stage now leaves Bagg's, Utica, every morning at 4 o'clock. Passengers will breakfast at Maynard's, Herkimer, dine at Josiah Shep- ard's, Palatine, and sup (on oysters) at Thomas Powell's Tontine Coffee House, Schenectady. The ladies and gentlemen who will favor this line with their patronage may be assured of having good horses, attent- ive drivers, warm carriages, and that there shall not be any running or racing of horses on the line."

Then the rivals, unencumbered by mails, announced themselves ready to "go through in one day, unless the extreme badness of the traveling rendered it utterly impossible." Moreover passengers were to " have the liberty of breakfasting, dining and supping where, when and on what they please. No more than eight passengers unless by unanimous consent."

The year 1825 saw the establishment of the county poor-house in Herkimer. The board of supervisors met on the 5th of May at Her- kimer and appointed Abijah Beckwith, of Columbia, Robert Shoe- maker, of German Flats, and William Griswold, of Fairfield, a com- mittee to examine into the subject. This committee reported before the end of that month, and the supervisors thereupon resolved to purchase for the sum of $2,000 a house and land in the German Flats, near the line of the canal. Samuel Etheridge and Gideon Johnson were appointed to negotiate the purchase, and Rudolph J. Shoemaker, Alfred Putnam, Lauren Ford, John B. Dygert, and Caleb Budlong, superintendents. The clerk was notified that as soon as the proper

IHISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.

officers had taken possession of the house, to publish the fact in the Herkimer paper. On the 16th of November, 1827, the supervisors resolved to abolish the distinction between the town and the county poor Up to that time each town had supported its own poor at the county house ; but the plan was not a successful one. On the 16th of December, 1827, the supervisors resolved to ask the Legislature for authority to sell the poor-house property and purchase a more suitable piece of land and erect buildings thereon for the future reception of paupers. The required law was passed, but no immediate action was taken under it. Although a little out of its chronological order, the later history of the poor-house may as well be given here. In 1837 the matter of disposing of the poor-house was again agitated, although at the annual meeting of that year the superintendents were author- ized to purchase a part of the Steele farm for the use of the county, which was subsequently effected. The discussion of sale and change of location continued through 1839 and 1840, and further laws on the subject were passed by the Legislature. In 1842 the superin- tendents authorized the supervisors to sell the house and land adjoining for $500, and in 1844 the Legislature vested in the board of supervisors full power to sell out the old establishment, purchase a new site and erect suitable buildings. It is clear that it was high time such action was taken. Yet for nearly three years the subject was actively dis- cussed before a majority of the supervisors made a final disposition of it. The difficulty was to reconcile the different factions in the board to a new location, some wanting it on the south side of the river, while others wished it taken from the vicinity of the canal. In January, 1846, the board fixed upon a new site (the present one) by a vote of Io to 9; on the 17th of March 1846, the board sanctioned the con- tract for the new buildings made by the commissioners and George W. Alton, George Burch and Cornelius E. T. Van Horne superintended the erection of the new buildings. They are located in the town of Herkimer, about two miles south of Middleville, on the west side of the West Canada Creek, and are commodious and convenient for their purpose.

The Asiatic cholera visited this country in 1832-34 and in many localities was the cause of great fatality, anxiety and actual panic.

GROWTH AND PROGRESS.

Although the disease found its way westward from New York and Albany, following to some extent the line of the Erie canal, Herkimer county almost entirely escaped its ravages. This fortunate circumstance is doubtless due to there being no large city in the county, the general healthfulness of the locality and the favorable sanitary conditions then existing. The disease gained a foothold in Utica and Syracuse, as well as at other prominent centers; but the smaller places and country districts almost wholly escaped.

During the period between 1830 and 1860, the development of the dairy industry in this country was especially marked. Farmers learned the value of choice stock and the importance of giving their herds the best possible care. Shippers opened the English market about 1832, and extended the distribution of the product to many of the largest cities of this country, laying the foundation of the later important in- dustry. The progress of dairying in the county is further treated in another chapter.

The Herkimer County Education Society and Teachers' Association was organized at Little Falls March 15, 1837, with David Chassell as president ; N. S. Benton, John B. Dygert, Thomas Hawks, John Del- amater and Henry Ellison, vice-presidents ; James Henry, correspond- ing secretary ; E. A. Munson, recording secretary. The organization was effected at a meeting of the county convention of the friends of education. It was arranged that annual meetings should be held, at which addresses should be made and plans laid for the general advance- ment of education in the county. The organization was not very long -lived.

The State of New York, with many others, had its period of what may be termed the plank road mania, beginning in 1847 and continu- ing several years. These roads, built at a time when most country highways were even much worse than they are at the present time, and extending into localities where railroads were not likely to go, were of considerable benefit, especially to farmers A few of them paid reas- onable profits, but more were losing projects and soon were abandoned. The first plank road in Herkimer county extended from Mohawk vil- lage through Herkimer and Middleville to Newport, along the valley of the West Canada Creek. Others were the Little Falls and Middle-

HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.

ville road, connecting those two places; the Manheim and Salisbury, connecting Little Falls with Salisbury Four Corners, and afterwards ex- tended to Graysville in the northern part of Norway; the Little Falls and Salisbury, connecting the former place with Devereaux ; the road from Utica passing through Frankfort, Litchfield and West Winfield to Unadilla ; the Mohawk and Ilion, connecting those villages; the Frank- fort and Utica, extending from Frankfort village to the west line of the county along the line of the canal; the Ilion and Cedarville, connect- ing those two points. And the plank road from Fort Plain to Coopers- town passed through Starkville and Van Hornesville, in the town of Stark; the North Gage and Russia road connected Russia with North Gage in Oneida county. These once useful highways were, however, short-lived, and have now all disappeared.

CHAPTER VI.

THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD.

T HE long reign of prosperous peace in America was rudely closed when citizens of Southern States fired the first hostile gun upon Fort Sumter in 1861. Almost before the sound of that cannonade had died away a tide of patriotic enthusiasm and indignation swept over the entire North, and the call to arms found an echo in every loyal heart, while thousands sprang forward to offer their services and their lives at the altar of their country.

The history of the civil war has been written and rewritten, and al- most every intelligent citizen, young and old, is familiar with the details of the great contest. ' Were this not a fact it would still be manifestly impossible in a work of this character to follow the course of the various campaigns in which Herkimer county soldiers took part, or to trace the careers of those brave officers and privates who fell on the field of bat- tle. Such historical work must be left to the general historian who has unlimited space at his command for the one topic; and already, as we have said, the pages of history are eloquent with records of the battles

THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD.

in which Herkimer county men honorably shared, which all may read ; while the thousands of volumes that have been published by the State and placed in every county clerk's office and elsewhere, contain the ros- ters of all New York State organizations that went out to battle for the right. It therefore remains for us to give such statistics and informa- tion in this connection as bear a local interest, as far as the space at command will permit.

Before the actual outbreak of the rebellion the president issued a proclamation calling forth " the militia of the several States of the Union, to the aggregate number of 75,000, in order to suppress combinations, and to cause the laws to be duly executed." The principal villages of Herkimer county became at once centers of military activity. One of the first steps taken was to place a guard upon the great armory of the Remingtons at Ilion, which was soon filled with a large force of work- men employed day and night.

On Monday, April 15, 1861, the State Legislature passed a bill ap- propriating $3,000,000 and providing for the enrollment of 30,000 men to aid the government. The volunteers were to enlist into the State service for two years, and to be subject at any time to transfer into the Federal service. This measure caused intense excitement and the various villages of the county were soon ablaze with military enthusiasm.

On the 20th of April a great union meeting was held at Little Falls, over which Major Z. C. Priest presided. Patriotic speeches were made by Hon. A. Loomis, Rev. B. F. McLoughlin, Rev. J. D. Adams, Hon. A. H. Laflin, Hon. George A. Hardin, and Arnold Petrie. Resolutions were adopted expressive of the patriotism of the people and the deter- mination to maintain the government against its enemies, and denounc- ing rebellion. Provision was made to raise $5,000 for the relief of families of those who might enlist This meeting was followed by a similar one at Mohawk, at which large delegations were present from Herkimer, Ilion and elsewhere. Dean Burgess, of Herkimer, presided and stirring speeches were made by Hon. J. H. Wooster, of Newport, Judge Ezra Graves, of Herkimer, General Prescott, of Mohawk, and others. An overflow meeting was held outside of the church, for the benefit of those who could not gain admittance, which was addressed by Hon. George A. Hardin, and Hon. A. H. Laflin, of Herkimer.

HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.

Resolutions similar to those mentioned were adopted and $1,500 were subscribed at once for the relief fund. Military enthusiasm and action extended, also, into other parts of the county, and while the last named meeting was being held, about fifty persons had already enlisted in the towns of Ohio, Norway and Russia; and by the 24th of April seventy men had enlisted in Herkimer and more than thirty in Mohawk.

On the evening of May 24 a meeting was held in the court-house to formulate a plan for the relief of the families of those who had enlisted. It was decided to raise $2,000 on a note payable in one year, to receive the signatures of those who were disposed to secure it. A large nun- ber signed the note and the money was advanced by the Mohawk Val- ley Bank. Dean Burgess was made treasurer of the fund, and Ezra Graves and H. G. Crouch, with the treasurer, were made an executive committee to distribute the money. Similar action was taken at other points and together afforded the necessary relief.

By the 8th day of May, 1861, there were six companies of Herkimer county men in rendezvous at Albany. These, with one company from Essex county, two from Steuben, one from Clinton, and one from Albany county, were organized into the Thirty-fourth Regiment of in- fantry, afterwards familiarly known as the " Herkimer County Regi- ment." Of these companies, Company B was raised in Little Falls, Company C at Graysville, Companies F and G at Herkimer, and Company K at Brockett's Bridge (now Dolgeville). The regimental officers were : Colonel, William Ladue ; lieutenant-colonel, James Suiter ; major, Byron Laflin ; quartermaster, Nathan Easterbrook, jr. ; chaplain, J. B. Van Petten ; paymaster, W. H. Wombaugh. The Herkimer county companies were officered as follows :

Company B .- Captain, Wells Sponable ; Ist lieutenant, Jolin Fralick ; ensign, Irving Delos Clark; Ist sergeant, Lewis M. Clark; sergeants, William Orrin Beach, Chauncey Petrie and Wallace Zaper; corporals, Warren Van Allen, Adelbert Perry, Dennis Canaan and Edward Redner; musicians, John Apple and John Schermerhorn.

Company C. Captain, Thomas Corcoran; lieutenant, Samuel P. Butler; ensign, William S. Burt: Ist sergeant, William Wallace ; sergeants. Jacob Ashley, S. S. Walter and Charles B. Barton ; corporals. Simon Loyd, Richard Manning, Harrison L. Banks and Joshua Sherwood ; musicians, William H. Corp and John H. Guy.

Company F .- Captain, Charles Riley ; lieutenant, Joseph R. Shoemaker ; sergeants, William R. Van Valkenburg, Christian Wayman and James B. Crist; corporals, Charles B. Taylor, John T. Booth, Thomas White and Charles Pierce ; musicians, David M. Heath and Edward White.

THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD.

Company G .- Captain, Charles L. Brown; Ist lieutenant, Warren Mack, jr. . ensign, Michael Shaffner ; Ist sergeant, Joy E. Johnson ; 2d sergeant, Albert Arnold; 3d ser- geant, James H. Cory ; 4th sergeant, Richard D. Mosher ; Ist corporal, Jeremiah Far- rell ; corporals, A. S. Rounds, William Manning and John II. Raynor ; musicians, Ezra Dockstater and Nelson Meacham.

Company K .- Captain, John Beverly ; lieutenant, Henry B. Chamberlin ; ensign, Emerson S. Northrup; Ist sergeant, William S. Walton ; sergeants, Charles Lasure, Benjamin J. Loucks and Romeyn Roof; corporals, William Burns, Henry Traver, John Johnson and John Williams; musicians, Hiran Burk and Eugene Kibbie.

On account of ill health, Colonel Ladue resigned March 20, 1862, and Lieutenant- Colonel Suiter was promoted to the office. He resigned January 26, 1863, and was honorably discharged. Lieutenant-Colonel Byron Laflin was his successor. The last three companies of Herkimer county men left for Albany on the 6th of May. A large gathering of people assembled at Herkimer and listened to the patriotic and affect- ing words of Judge Graves to the departing soldiers. In the final organ- ization at Albany the six Herkimer companies were reduced to five, which, with the others named, made ten. On the 25th of May the reg- iment was accepted, and June 15 it was mustered into service. On the 25th of that month a stand of colors was presented to the regiment by the ladies of Little Falls, through Horace Burch. On the 2d of July the regiment left Albany for Washington on the steamboat Western World and two barges; they arrived at Washington on the 5th, and went into camp on Kalorama Heights. On the 28th of July the regiment was assigned to picket duty at Seneca Mills, Md., on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. After doing duty at various stations for short periods, among them being Poolesville, Harper's Ferry, Bolivar Heights, Charles- town, Berryville and Winchester (arriving just after the close of the bat- tle), the regiment reached Yorktown on the 5th of April, 1862. On the 4th of May they embarked for West Point and on the 6th were engaged in the battle at that place, with slight loss. Continuing up the penin- sula they went into camp on the Tyler farm and were detailed to bridge the Chickahominy. In the succeeding battle of Fair Oaks the regiment acted nobly and lost thirty-four killed and sixty-four wounded. On the 30th of June they were engaged at Glendale in a part of the "Seven Days Fight" and lost thirteen killed and wounded. On the 1st of July the regiment reached Malvern Hill and in the battle fought there lost thirty-four in killed, wounded and missing, among the killed being

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History of Herkimer county, New York, Part 8

Author: Hardin, George Anson, 1832-1900, ed; Willard, F. H. (Frank Hallett), b. 1852, joint ed Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co. Number of Pages: 1028

Author: Hardin, George Anson, 1832-1900, ed; Willard, F. H. (Frank Hallett), b. 1852, joint ed
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1028