USA > New York > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 105
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LE RAY.
THIS township lies nearly in the form of an equilateral triangle, of which the western boundary is a north and south line, against the towns of Orleans and Pamclia ; the northeast side joining Theresa and Philadelphia, and the southeast border being formed partially by Wilna, but prin- cipally by the Black river, which is its main water-course. The next stream in size is Indian river, which enters from Philadelphia, flows in a southwesterly course to within one mile of Evans' Mills, then turns sharply towards the north and returns to Philadelphia, after a meander of nearly five miles in Le Ray. Pleasant creek, rising in the southeast, turns the mill-wheels at Le Rayville, Slocumville, Churchill's, Henry's, and Evans' Mills, then, having received the waters of West creek, passes on towards Indian river, which it joins at the point where the latter turns its course north- ward. Gardner's creek falls into the Indian from the east- ward, above the bend. Several very small streams take their rise in the northwest, and flow thence through Pamelia into Perch lake.
A small part of Le Ray was included in the Chassanis tract, its north line running from Great Bend, N. 87º W., and being also the south line of Le Ray's purchase, which embraced four-fifths of the present town, and gave it its name. The desire of Mr. Le Ray was of course to induce rapid settlements upon these lands. He offered them at prices from $1 to $3 per acre, according to quality and lo- cation, and gave 7 years' time in which to complete the pay- ments. The purchaser was to clear, annually, 4 acres out of every 100 acres purchased, and to erect a log dwelling of a certain size within a specified time.
The proprictor advertised extensively at Albany and other central points, announcing the favorable terms on which he proposed to sell, setting forth the advantages of climate and location, and describing his tract as being of great fertility, requiring only the axe and the plow of the settler to trans- form the wilderness into productive farms.
THE EARLIEST SETTLERS.
Into this wilderness the first comer was Benjamin Brown, brother of General Jacob Brown. He explored the coun-
try in the autumn of 1801, chose a spot on the banks of Pleasant creek, where Le Raysville now is, and commenced to clear the ground and to make preparations for the con- struction of a dam across the stream. The closing in of winter suspended the work, and he and his party of laborers retired to Brownsville to await the opening of spring. In the following April he returned to his purchase, setting out from Brownville on the 17th of that month, under the lead of his brother Jacob, who preceded with compass, to lay their course, Benjamin and his party following, and cutting a track as they went. Short as the journey was, it brought some hardship, for their provision-train, which had been ex- pected to follow them closely, encountered so many obstacles and delays that it did not overtake them until the second day, when they had reached their destination, not a little exhausted from their prolonged season of fasting.
A log house was erected for the workmen, and, although Benjamin was then a bachelor, he made further prepara- tions for the reception of a prospective Mrs. Brown. She arrived in July, a newly-made wife, and the first white woman who set foot in the present town of Le Ray. Mean- while good progress had been made in the construction of a saw-mill upon the creek, an enterprise which had chiefly in- duced Brown's settlement at this place. It is related that at the " raising" of the frame men came from a long dis- tance, not more to help on the work than to participate in the festivities of the occasion, for not only did they feast on a remarkable fine carcass of venison well roasted, but they liberally moistened the viand with deep draughts of spirituous sustenance. In those days they would as soon have thought of constructing a building without a frame as of rearing the frame without ardent spirits ! As it was, all went off propitiously, and before winter came the mill was completed.
Several new settlers came in 1803, and more in 1804. Among those who arrived in the first-named year were Joseph Child, with his three sons, Daniel, Samuel, and Moses, from Pennsylvania, Thomas Ward, Daniel Coffeen, John Petty, and Robert Sixbury. The Childs settled in the neighborhood which still bears their name, southwest from
MRS. MATTHEW POOR
MATTHEW POOR.
RESIDENCE OF MATTHEW POOR. BLACK RIVER, JEFFERSON CO., N Y.
RESIDENCE OF P. V. POOR.
LOCK!
PORT
MILLS
LOCK PORT MIDIS
"LOCKPORT MILLS," WARREN AND INGRAHAM. PROPRE, BLACK RIVER, JEFFERSON CO, N.Y.
RESIDENCE OF H. INGRAHAM, BLACK RIVER, JEFFERSON CO., N. Y.
421
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Le Raysville, and Ward located where Joseph Biehet now lives, between Le Raysville and Evans' Mills. In the fol- lowing year he, with Samuel Child, working in the employ of Cadwallader Child, made the first clearing in the present town of Philadelphia. Coffeen settled where B. Stein- hilber's farm now is, a mile southeast of Evans' Mills, but removed the next year to a place near Sterlingville. Six- bury was one of the surveying party who, in 1804, aecom- panied Cadwallader Child to Alexandria Bay, and thenee back to Great Bend. In the same year he, with John Hoover, from Herkimer county, purchased the improve- ment of D. Coffeen, when the latter moved to Philadelphia. From this place he (Sixbury) afterwards moved to a farm two miles north of Evans' Mills, upon which he spent a good portion of his long life. He became widely known and famed as a skilled and successful hunter, for which his iron constitution and great powers of endurance eminently fitted him. He died in Le Ray in the fall of 1875, having passed the age of 112 years. John Petty removed, in the fall of 1804, to Philadelphia, being one of the first settlers in that town.
Guillaume Coupart, better known in Le Ray as William Cooper, or " French Cooper," was one of the eomers in 1803. He was born in Normandy, France, June 24, 1773, and about twenty years later fled from his native country to escape conseription. He went to Newfoundland, was there taken prisoner, and carried to Halifax, whenee he escaped, went to the State of Connecticut, where he re- mained for some time. He came to the Black River country in 1798, and located in Pamelia. In 1803, as mentioned, he came to Le Ray, and settled west of Le Rays- ville, and south of Ingerson's Corners. He became a very large land-owner in the town, and died here January 19, 1851. His son, Victor Cooper, now resides at Sandford's Corners station.
Roswell Woodruff, father of Norris M. Woodruff, late of Watertown, settled in 1804 at the place later called Jewett's Corners, from Captain Ezekiel Jewett, to whom Mr. Woodruff afterwards sold the property, and removed to New Hartford, Oneida county, where he passed the re- mainder of his life. Benjamin Kirkbride came also in 1804, settling about one mile southeasterly from Evans' Mills, on the traet afterwards owned by Ezekiel Stein- hilber.
Among the earliest pioneers in Le Ray were also Michael Coffeen, Ruel Kimball, James Anthony, Captain Richard- son Avery, William Barber, S. Brownell, Alfred Comins, Eli Davis, Sylvanus Evans, Amos Braughton, David Bur- hans, Perley Fuller, Oliver Fuller, Wm. H. Granger, Peter Hoover, Thomas Huston, John Huston (a weaver), Wm. Huston, Isaac Ingerson, Ezra Ingerson, Silas Ward, Lee Woodward, Francis Trevaller, Joseph Taggart, Reuben Treat, Elisha Steele, Abiel Shurtliff, Elisha Scofield, Alvah Scofield, Amaziah Parker, Solomon Parker, Barnhart Min- ick, Elias Minick, Arnold Miller, Alanson Lyon, Thomas Hurlbut, Joel W. Hurlbut, Lyman Holbrook, and Ivah Holbrook. Others among the list of early settlers in the town were Alvin Clark, David M. Caldwell, Dr. Horatio Orvis (Le Ray's first physician), Willard Barrett, Fred. H. Bellinger, Adam P. Bellinger, Peter Bellinger, Levi
Butterfield, Asa Barnes, David M. Caldwell, Jotham Good- ale, Alfred Vebber, Alvin Herriek, Fayette Herrick, Solo- mon Hawkins, John Ingerson, Ansel Winslow, Gilbert Taylor, Stephen D. Sloan, Edwin Hungerford, Peter Slack, Jesse Smith, Samuel Stewart, John V. and Patrick S. Stew- art, Levi Reed, William Palmer, Isaac Palmer, Jos. J. Petrie, Oliver Pierce, Abraham Jewett, Ezekiel Jewett, James J. Murphy, Heman Millard, John Macomber, Stephen Macomber, Chauncey Morse, Samuel C. Kanady, Sylvester Kelsey, Beni Henry, Elom Henry, Stephen and Nathan Ingerson, Andrew Roberts, and Olsey Roberts.
ERECTION OF THE TOWN-SUCCEEDING OFFICERS.
The town of Le Ray was ereeted Feb. 17, 1806, em- bracing all that part of Brownville lying cast of the east line of Penet Square, prolonged to the Black river. Its limits then ineluded the present towns of Antwerp and Philadel- phia, and a part of Wilna and Alexandria. A further ae- eession of territory was received from the town of Leyden, by an aet bearing date April 4, 1806. Its arca was dimin- ished by the erection of Antwerp, April 5, 1810, of Wilna, April 2, 1813, and of Alexandria and Philadelphia, April 3, 1821, which redueed it to the present limits.
The first town-meeting (March 3, 1807) was held at the house of Abiel Shurtliff, and the following officers were elceted : James Shurtliff, supervisor ; Thomas Ward, town clerk ; Ruel Kimball, John B. Bossuet, and Richardson Avery, assessors ; Daniel Child, Daniel 'Sterling, and Ly- man Holbrook, commissioners of highways; and Thomas Thurston, constable and collector. From that time until the present the office of supervisor has been filled by the following persons, viz. : James Shurtliff, 1807 to 1815, in- clusive; Ruel Kimball, 1816; Ethni Evans, 1817; Alvin Herrick, 1818; Dr. Horatio Orvis, 1819 to 1825, inclusive ; William Palmer, 1826 ; John Macomber, 1827-28-29, and 1831; Stephen D. Sloan, 1830, '32, and 1837; Lybeus Hastings, 1833-34, and 1835, and again in 1843; Ira A. Smith, 1836; Daniel D. Sloan, 1838; Joel Haworth, 1839-40 ; Elisha Potter, 1841-42; Hezekiah L. Granger, 1844-45 ; Alfred Vebber, 1846-47; Joseph Boyer, 1848- 49, and 1851; Wm. G. Comstock, 1850; Alonzo M. Van Ostrand, 1852-53; Joseph Wager, 1854-55; William S. Phelps, 1856-57-58; Oetave Blanc, 1859 (here three years of the record is destroyed) ; Samuel G. Slocum, 1862; Cleanthus P. Granger, 1863-64; Emmor K. Gardner, 1865 to 1868, inclusive; Frederic Waddingham, 1869 to and ineluding 1876; and F. E. Croissant, in 1877. Other town officers for the present year are W. S. Cooper, clerk ; justices, C. P. Granger, G. C. Hazleton, E. Snell, and F. D. Planck ; collector, Elbert Hungerford ; assessor, Curtis Cory ; commissioner of highways, Jeremiah Walrath.
EVANS' MILLS.
This village is situated at the confluence of West and Pleasant creeks, one mile south of the point where their united waters fall into Indian river. It is also a station on the R., W. & O. railroad, distant from Watertown 11 miles. It received its name from Ethni Evans, from IFins- dale, N. H., who came to Jefferson County in 1802, and
422
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
engaged in the employ of Jacob Brown, at Brownville. He became acquainted with the water-power on Pleasant creek at this point, and, being himself a millwright, he pur- chased a tract of land on both sides of the stream for the purpose of erecting mills upon it. For this tract, which contained 192 acres, and embraced the present site of the village, he paid three dollars per acre; the date of the pur- chase being July 9, 1804. No blow of axe had then been struck upon this tract, but he at once made a clearing, built a log house, and commenced the construction of a dam across the creek. Among those whom he employed in this work and in the preparation of timber for the mills were Robert. Sixbury and Solomon Parker, who came to him after their engagement with Cadwallader Child, in surveying the road route from Alexandria Bay to Great Bend. The saw-mill and grist-mill were built and completed during the years 1805 and 1806. The grist-mill stood a little northeast of the present site of Mr. Casse's paint-shop. The saw-mill occupied the spot where its successor stands to-day. In 1807 or 1808 a store and a public-house were opened by Jenison Clark, in a frame building, which stood where the brick hotel now is, at the corner of Main and Noble streets.
Upon the opening of the War of 1812, the inhabitants of the vicinity became alarmed in view of the possibility of Indian incursion and massacre; several of the settlers having come from the valley of the Mohawk, where the remembrance of savage atrocities was still fresh in the minds of the people. In this state of apprehension, a strong block-house was commenced, to serve as a general shelter and defense against the attacks which they thought probable. This strong work was located on the westerly side of West creek, near the present residence of Mr. Madi- son Cooper. It was, however, never used nor even com- pleted, as the intensity of the first alarm soon wore off.
Eighteen years after its first commencement, Evans' Mills had grown to be a place of considerable importance. Its business in the year 1822 was as follows. The mills built by Evans were in successful operation, the saw-mill running night and day, the sawyers in charge being Pierce Macomber and Omrod Evans, son of the proprietor ; and the grist-mill, also constantly at work, with - Stearns (father of Rev. John G. Stearns) as miller. A fulling-mill and clothiery stood adjoining the grist-mill, and was then operated by George Oaks. This was probably built in 1810 or '11. A small tannery, built and carried on by John Macomber, stood on the spot now occupied by the stone house of Edwin Chamberlain. A potashery, owned by John Hoover (started probably about fifteen years be- fore), stood where E. Hungerford's dwelling-house now is, and another establishment of the same kind, owned by William Palmer, was just south of the site of the railroad station. Upon the spot now occupied by W. S. Cooper's store stood Ziba Henry's distillery, built some years carlier by Jesse Smith. Another distillery was located by a little stream at the south end of the village. This had been built, and was then owned and operated, by Wm. H. Gran- ger and Capt. Sanderson. It was afterwards sold to Millard & Palmer. Sackett Comstock had a blacksmith-shop on ground now the yard of the brick hotel. Nearly on the
site of the Railroad House Sewell Hill carried on the business of blacksmithing, and the manufacture of hoes, axes, and other steel tools. Farrington Stiles manufactured spinning-wheels (both small and large), looms, warping-bars, and all equipment for the home manufacture of cloth, but the location of his shop cannot be definitely given. A wagon-shop by Harry Weed and a cabinet-shop by Joseph Pryor (a Quaker) were also among the business enterprises of the village. The store of the place was then kept by William Palmer, in the building which had been the tav- ern of Jenison Clark, on the spot where Capt. Hoover, six years later, built the brick hotel. Another establishment, which perhaps might be called a store, though whisky was the principal article dealt in, was kept by Heman Millard and Hiram Becker where the furniture store now is, at the northwest corner of Noble and Main streets.
Of public-houses, Evans' Mills at that time had two; the older being the stone tavern across West creek, built about 1816, by Adam and Peter Bellinger, and the other was the stone tavern then just completed and occupied by Capt. John Hoover. This was the same building now occupied by the store of A. M. Cook, and the harness- and saddlery- shop of F. Waddingham. Its erection was commenced in 1821, the stone being quarried principally on the farm afterwards owned by H. N. Eddy, but a few being brought from the vicinity of Ox Bow. The stone-mason was Josiah Fuller, and the carpenter and joiner William Delaware. Among the landlords who occupied it after Hoover, during its existence as a public-house, were Daniel Thomas, George Oaks, Parker Rulison, Elisha Root, Alexander Lappon, Nelson Clarke, and Benjamin Jackman. The Bellinger tavern too has ceased to exist as a public-house, though still standing, and as solid and perfect as it was fifty years ago. During its long term of service it was kept by many different landlords after Bellinger, among whom may be mentioned Elias Holbrook, David Kilburn, Oliver Pierce, Edwin Hungerford, Henry Lawton, and Jacob Davis. Of the first public-house at the Mills, opened by Jenison Clark, we are able to give the names of only two other landlords, viz., William H. Granger and John Hoover.
The first physician of the village was Dr. Ira A. Smith. He was here in 1822, and remained here in practice and in great popularity for many years afterwards. At various times during his practice here he had other physicians in partnership with him. Dr. Wm. G. Comstock was the last of these. Dr. Henry Munson, who died in Texas, was a student and partner of Dr. Smith, and another of his students is Dr. Isaac Munson, of Watertown.
From the list which we have given of the business of Evans' Mills in 1822, it would seem that very little pro- gress in that direction has been made from that time until the present.
About 1823, Peter H. Ryther came to the Mills, com- menced blacksmithing, and erected a stone blacksmith- shop on the corner of Church and Le Ray streets, and a dwelling-house where Mr. Clifford now lives. Later (about 1826-27) he started a scythe, axe, and hoe manu- factory, with trip-hammer worked by water-power, in a two-story stone building just below the dam and on the south side of the creek. This was afterwards destroyed by
MRS. THOMAS DUNTEN
THOS. DUNTEN.
MALE
RESIDENCE OF THOS. DUNTEN, SANFORDS CORNERS , NEW YORK .
( HART, PHOTOGRAPHER, WATERTOW ... .
PHINEAS HARDY.
MRS. PHINEAS HARDY.
RESIDENCE OF PHINEAS HARDY, BLACK RIVER, (LE RAY) JEFFERSON CO., N. Y.
423
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
fire. Also, about 1825, Samuel Ryther started a wagon- shop on Church street, nearly opposite the Presbyterian church, and about 1827 removed the business to the shop which he had ereeted on the creek. This being the same building now standing in the rear of W. S. Cooper's store, and occupied by Mr. Zimmerman as a horse-rake manu- factory.
The saw-mill was rebuilt by Judge Evans in 1822-23, and is still in operation, by Charles Holbrook, a grandson of Ivah Holbrook. The present grist-mill was also commenced by Evans, in 1822, and went into operation in 1824. The · plan of locating it on its present site, at a considerable dis- tanee below the dam and road, was the subject of much adverse criticismn at the time, but the owner was confident of the correctness of his plan, and resolutely executed it. The old mill had been equipped with two run of stones, which were manufactured at the Parker ledge, in Antwerp, but the new one was fitted with burrs, of which it has four run. This, as well as the saw-mill, is owned and run by Mr. Holbrook.
The brick hotel, still standing at the corner of Main and Noble streets, was commenced by Capt. John Hoover, in 1827. The bricks were manufactured and laid by Benja- min Barnes, of Theresa, at the price of $5 per thousand in the wall. The place where Barnes established his kiln for the purpose was to the northeast of the village, on the op- posite side of Pleasant ereek. The earpenter and joiner work was done by Alfred Vebber. The house was finished and opened by Reuben Wilmot and John Hoover about Nov. 1, 1827, within a few days of the election which resulted in the elevation of Andrew Jackson to the presi- deney. On the front of the building there were placed, and still remain, the letters " J. H.," very large, and made of iron. These were fashioned by P. H. Ryther, a hot anti- Jackson man. When applied to to forge out these letters, his suspicions were instantly aroused that it was a device of the enemy, and that they were intended to signify " Jack- son Hotel," whereupon he refused point-blank to furnish them ; and it was only after much persuasion, and the posi- tive assurance that they had no more sinister signification than the proprietor's name, John Hoover, that he was in- duced to make them. Since Wilmot & Hoover this house has known many different hosts, a few only of whom ean be reealled to mind. Among these have been R. H. Tozer, Thomas Bones, Henry R. Morey, Thomas Benjamin, John Morris, S. J. Bingham, Benjamin Jackman, Willard Spal- ding, L. Biddlecom, William Brown, Fayette Granger, Roland S. Lawton, Jacob Davis, N. J. Mackey, S. & J. Burtis, J. D. Burtis, E. Vebber, and William Forbes, 1877.
About 1827 a public-house was also opened by Benja- min Collins, at the place where Henry Walradt now resides. The house had been built as a private dwelling, and only continued to be kept as an inn for about two years. The Railroad Hotel was opened by A. Beebe, in the dwelling- house of Sewell Hill. It has been added to and remodeled, and has had several different landlords. Its present pro- prietor is - Parker.
The establishment of the post-office of Evans' Mills was about the year 1824. The first postmaster was William
Palmer, who held the position for many years. He first kept the office at his store in the old tavern building of Jenison Clark. Afterwards he built the store now occupied by E. O. Hungerford, and removed the office thither. In 1846 the name of the office was changed to Evansville, but five years later the original name was restored. The present postmaster is Wesley Rulison. The receipts of the office during the past year have been about $1000 ; money-orders sold, about $5500 ; money-orders paid, about $3000.
The Watertown and Potsdam railroad (now the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburgh ) was completed and opened to Evans' Mills in the autumn of 1854. The first station buildings were the same now used for wood and water, on the south side of the track. Next was built the freight- house portion of the present buildings on the north side, and in 1865 the passenger-rooms and offices were added. The valuation of the railroad property in Le Ray is, in round numbers, $105,000. The following figures show, approximately, the business of the road at this station for the past financial year : Freight received, $3600. Freight forwarded, $9500. Tickets sold, $4000. The first agent of the company at Evans' Mills was Lewis W. Sanderfurth, who was succeeded in September, 1863, by George Ivers, who has held the agency until the present time.
On Pleasant ercek, a short distance above Evans' Mills, but near enough to be considered a part of the village, are the saw-mill and elleese-box factory of James M. Henry. The commencement at this place was the erection of a saw- mill by Asa Hall, about 1821, upon a site purchased by him of Sylvanus Evans. Hall's successor was George Oaks, who about 1830 rebuilt the dam farther up the creek, bringing the water down by canal ; also rebuilt the saw-mill, and added clothiery works. He was succeeded by Albert Granger and Stutley Miller, under whom the works were destroyed by fire. Miller withdrew, and Granger rebuilt the saw-mill, after which the property came to the hands of the present owner, by whom the cheese-box factory was added.
Clifford's brewery, on Le Ray street, at the eastern side of the village, was commenced many years since by Martin Boos. It is now carried on by Carleton Clifford.
Evans' Mills became an incorporated village in 1874, the incorporation being ratified by a vote of 54 to 49, at a legal meeting held September 7 in that year. The territory em- braced in the surveyed boundaries was 720 44% acres. A. M. Cook was elected president of the corporation, and Geo. Ivers, B. M. Strong, and Bowen Root, trustees. The last named declined to serve, and William M. Reese was ap- pointed in this place. But notwithstanding that the incor- poration was legally accomplished, and the officers properly elected and qualified, the organization never went into effect. An adverse feeling sprung up, a new meeting was called at which the vote of ratification was rescinded, the village was shorn of the dignity of incorporation, and still remains in statu quo. Its population is now 450, and it contains, besides the mills and manufactories above men- tioned, 4 church edifices, 2 school-houses, the post-office, 2 hotels, 4 general stores, 5 groceries, 3 drug-stores, 1 har- ness- and saddlery-shop, 4 blacksmith-shops, 2 wagon-shops, and 1 cheese-factory.
424
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
LE RAYSVILLE.
When Benjamin Brown selected the site for his mill and dwelling, he probably had an eye to utility alone ; but if he had been seeking expressly for a location of natural beauty, he could hardly have found it elsewhere in greater degree than at the spot which he chose, on the banks of Pleasant creek. And although Le Raysville is now but an obscure hamlet, with its former importance only a memory, its grand manor-house in decay, and the hospitable owner and his distinguished guests in their graves, yet the attractions which nature lavished on the place are still there, and will remain.
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