History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 107

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.)
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 862

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 107

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Up to 1820 there had been no stated minister in charge. Regular meetings were conducted by Deacon Kimball, with exhortation and prayer. Occasionally, Rev. Mr. Dutton would attend, and administer the Lord's Supper. The place of meeting was some time at Ingerson's Corners, but when a frame school-house was built at Evans' Mills the church was removed to this building.

One day while Deaeon Kimball was in the harvest-field, and while his wife was busily engaged with her household

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

duties, a little three-year old boy suddenly disappeared. Search was made for him far and near, without success, till upon approaching an uncovered well, Mr. Kimball discovered the lifeless form of his little boy lying in the water. Not- withstanding the intensity of his grief he descended into the well and brought the body to the surface. Soon after this sad event he began studying for the ministry. He gave as his reason for this step that while in the well, with the body of his child in his arms, "The Spirit" said to him, " Preach the gospel,"-a call almost as startling as that of St. Paul's. In the year 1820 lie became the first pastor or regular minister of the church, and continued in charge for nearly four years, when failing health compelled him to resign.

Since 1820 the church has been presided over by the following-named clergymen : Revs. Ruel Kimball, 1820 to 1824; C. G. Finney, 1824 to 1825 ; J. Sessions, 1831 to 1832; R. Pettibone, 1832 to 1839; T. C. Hill, 1839 to 1840; John Eastman, 1840 to 1844; Thomas Bellamy, 1844 to 1846; M. Smith, 1846 to 1847; J. A. Russell, 1847 to 1854; R. T. Conant, 1855 to 1858; R. G. Keyes, 1860 to 1861; E. Wood, 1861 to 1864 ; J. H. Beckwith, 1865 to 1868; R. G. Keyes, 1868 to 1869; A. Douglass, 1869 to 1871; H. H. Kellogg, 1871 to 1874; N. F. Nickerson, 1875 to 1877. The church is now without a pastor.

During the ministry of Rev. Ruel Kimball the place of worship was changed from the old frame to the new stone school-house, then just completed, on the spot where the school-house at Evans' Mills now stands. Soon after the coming of Mr. Finney a great season of revival commenced, and protracted preachings were held by him for several weeks, after which, upon one occasion, finding that the de- sired result had not been attained, he put a test to his audience in the following words : "You who have made up your minds to become Christians, and will give your pledge to make your peace with God immediately, rise up! but those of you who are resolved you will not become Christians, and who wish me to so understand it, and wish Christ so to understand it, keep your seats!" Certainly the test was not adroitly applied ! Had he commanded the obdurate ones to rise and face his reproving glance, per- mitting the godly-minded to remain inactive and unobserved in their seats, the result would doubtless have been very different ; as it was, none rose to the call, though perhaps there were scores waiting only the example of a bold lcader to do so. The Rev. Charles G. Finncy cast his eye over the abashed congregation for a few moments and said, "Then you are committed ! You have taken your stand, and have rejected Christ and his gospel !" First the people were cowed ; then they grew angry, and rose en masse to leave the school-house. As they passed out, he said, in tones that were audible through the room, " I am sorry for you, I pity you, and I will preach to you yet once more ; to-morrow night, the Lord willing." The wrath of Mr. Finney's auditory was hot against hini, and all through the succeeding day threats of personal violence, of tar embel- lished with feathers, were freely made against the reverend gentleman, who, it is said, was, during those exciting hours, engaged in prayer, in an adjoining grove, with Deacon Ma-

comber, of the Baptist church. In the evening, " at early candle-light," the stone school-house was filled. Soon Mr. Finney appeared, and announced his text : "Say ye to the righteous it shall be well with him, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked ! it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him." The extempore discourse which followed was so vividly, so startlingly drawn, that conversions immediately followed ; the revival continued for months, and many were the souls which were gathered to the fold of Christ.

From the close of Mr. Finney's pastorate until 1831 the church was ministered to by special supplies, and during this interval (in 1826) a handsome and commodious stone house of worship was erected on a lot donated by Judge Evans, the same on which the present church stands. The cost of the edifice was $2600. Elisha Scofield, David Burhaus, Sylvester Kelsey, Samuel C. Kanady, Sylvanus Evans, Mr. Le Ray, and several others were very active and energetic in the erection of this edifice, giving liberally in money and labor to accomplish it. The contribution of Mr. Le Ray was $200. The dedication was conducted by Rev. Dr. Boardman.

The new church on Church street, Evans' Mills, the present place of worship, was erected during the pastorate of Rev. R. G. Keyes, and dedicated in June, 1869. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. J. J. Porter, and the other exercises were conducted by Revs. R. G. Keyes, E. Wood, and E. Pratt. The membership of the church at present (November 1, 1877) is sixty-nine.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH OF LE RAY

was organized by Elder Maltby in 1814, two miles south of Evans' Mills, and was removed to that village in 1818. A corporate society was formed in November, 1823, with Ethni Evans, Asa Hall, Levi Read, John Macomber, Stephen D. Sloan, and Chauncey Morse as trustees. A stone church edifice was commenced and brought near completion, when it was partially destroyed by fire. The walls, however, remained but little injured, and were used in the rebuilding, in which the society was materially as- sisted by donations, the chief of which was from Mr. Le Ray. The building then erected was the present house of worship of the society. It is located in the south part of the village, on Main street, and is now also used by the Episcopalians. The pastors of this Baptist church have been as follows: Revs. Matthew Wilkie, John Blodget, Martin E. Cook, Sardis Lyttle, John F. Bishop, Thomas A. Warner, Sylvester Davis, Lewis T. Ford, Henry Ward, Wm. P. Decker, Jacob Gardner, Daniel D. Reed, Preston K. Sheldon, Loren G. Brown, and Henry Ward, the present pastor.

THE FRIENDS' MEETING.

The Le Ray Monthly Meeting of Friends was organized in 1816. The Pleasant Creek Preparative Meeting had been formed at an earlier date, and, in conjunction with the Preparative Meetings of Indian river, Lee, and Low- ville, formed the Monthly Meeting of Le Ray. Their mceting-house, a solid but plain and unpretending stone structure, was built in 1816, and having since that time received at least one new roof, with a modest projection and

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

cornice, stands, as good as when first completed, about a mile northwest from Le Raysville, on the road to Evans' Mills.

In 1828 the Hicksite schism divided the congregation here, as elsewhere; but both wings worshiped in the old church, and in time afterwards healed their differences. Recently, however, a more serious disagreement has arisen on the question of vocal music at the meetings, and this difference of views seems to have proved irreconcilable, for the Orthodox portion withdrew, and, in 1876, erected a new frame house of worship in the Quaker style at Lc Raysville; while the innovating wing, or Progressive Quakers, as they are styled, mect in the old house of 1816.

In this, as in other Quaker communities, the rising generation show a disinclination to conform to the ancient usages of the sect, and as a result the numerical strength of the peculiar people is slowly but steadily diminishing.

THE M. E. CHURCH AT EVANS' MILLS.

The organization of this church dates back to Nov. 20, 1824, the first trustees being Henry Churchill, Parker Chase, John Y. Stewart, Daniel Smith, P. S. Stuart, James Ward, Wilson Pennock, Elijah Smith, and William Tag- gart.

Their first house of worship was a small stone building, which stood about two miles from Evans' Mills on the road to Le Raysville, and near the present residence of Henry Bryant. Some time after, being superseded by the new edifice, this was sold to the Methodists of Philadelphia. The present edifice at Evans' Mills was erected, at a cost of about $3000, on a lot donated by Judge Evans. It was commenced in 1832, and advanced so that meetings were held in the basement in the fall of that year. It was dedi- cated in the summer of 1833, the services on that occasion being conducted by Rev. John Dempster, assisted by the pastor, Rev. Lewis Whitcomb, of Le Raysville, since whose pastorate the following ministers have served the church, very nearly in the following order : Reverends D. W. Bris- tol, Enoch Barnes, Ross Clark, 1835; James Ervin and Win. D. Moore, 1835-36; Arza J. Phelps, 1837; H. E. Chapin, 1838-39; Nathan R. Peck, 1840-41 ; John Alley, 1842; John W. Armstrong, 1843; Dr. Fenton, 1844; Lorenzo D. Stebbins, 1845-47 ; Isaac S. Binghamn, 1848; O. C. Cole, 1849; Joseph Lamb, 1850; M. D. Gillett, 1851; O. C. Lathrop, 1852; Cyrus Phillips, 1853 -54; W. W. Hunt, 1854-55; Enos Kellogg, 1856; Hiram M. Church, 1857; Darius Simonds, 1858-59; Elisha Wheeler, 1860; H. M. Danforth, 1861-62 (entered the U. S. army as a line officer in the War of the Rebellion). From 1862 to 1877 the following: S. M. Ward, Daniel Fulford, C. Manson, - Trevaler, D. W. Aylsworth, W. S. Nichols, William S. Holbrook ; and Rev. M. M. Rice since April, 1877.

The church has a Sabbath-school, with an average at- tendance of about 60, under George Vanderwalker, super- intendent. A class of about 25 members, belonging to this charge, worship in the school-house at Le Raysville.

THE M. E. CHURCH AT SANFORD'S CORNERS.

A Methodist class has existed at this place for more than half a century ; Sanford's Corners having been one of the

oldest preaching places on Le Ray circuit, and the location of its first parsonage. In 1847 and 1849 efforts were made to remove the location of the parsonage to Black River village ; that place having given name to the circuit and become its geographical centre, but several years clapsed before this object was accomplished. The removal took place in 1876.

The church at Sanford's now numbers 49 full members and 30 probationers. The present minister in charge is Rev. W. M. Holbrook. Their place of worship is the Union church edifice at the Corners. In the early days, be- fore this was erected, the worshipers met in the Jewett school-house. This church has a flourishing Sabbath-school, under the superintendency of Charles Ryder. Its numbers are given in the history of the Black River circuit, with the town of Rutland.

THE UNION CHURCH EDIFICE AT SANFORD'S CORNERS was erected by a union composed of the Universalist, Methodist, and Christian societies, cach owning a quarter interest, and certain liberal-spirited citizens of the vicinity, who furnished the remainder of the necessary funds, and held the other one-fourth interest. The edifice was dedi- cated in 1853, jointly by the three denominations, in order as follows : First, at 10 A.M., sermon by Rev. - Austin, of the Universalists; second, at 1 P.M., sermon by Rev. I. S. Bingham, for the Methodists ; and at 4 P.M., by Rev. Mr. Tucker, of the Christian church. The house has since been used by the above-named congregations as a place of worship.

THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN LE RAY

was organized March 12, 1823. Among its earliest mem- bers are found the names of Elder Eli Denio, Edmund Allen, Elisha Allen, Ebenezer Dunten, Fayette Herrick, James Rogers, and others, well known in this part of the county. The church is now in a prosperous condition. Its place of worship is the Union church at Sanford's Corners, and the present pastor is Rev. H. W. Pierce.

GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH.

A church of this denomination was formed July 13, 1822, with Alexander H. Van Brockelin, Peter Hoover, Richard Hoover, and John C. Walradt as deacons and elders. For many years an aged preacher from the Mo- hawk, familiarly known as " Parson Devoe," came among them semi-annually to administer the rites of the church. They have now no pastor, and have never had a house of worship. Their meetings are held in the school-house near the northern corner of the town.

ST. MICHAEL'S (CATHOLIC) CHURCHI.

Services were held in dwellings at Evans' Mills and vicinity, by Rev. Father Guth and other priests of the Catholic church, soon after 1840. The present church building at Evans' Mills was erected in 1847 on a lot of a quarter of an acre, purchased of Joseph Boyer for $80. It is a stone structure about 40 by 60 feet in dimension, and cost about $2500. The trustees at that time were James Kinney, Francis Bichet, and Augustus Grappot.

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

The worshipers included about thirty families, under charge of Rev. Father McFarland, whose successors have been Fathers Powers, La Pic (who remained iu charge for fourteen years), Turgeon, La Rose, Plunkett, Chappel, and Hogan ; the last named assuming charge October 1, 1877. He officiates also at Watertown.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH, EVANS' MILLS.

The first Episcopal service at Evans' Mills was held in the spring of 1871, in the Presbyterian church, by Rev. Dr. Theodore Babcock, of Watertown. At that time there were but three communicants, namely, Mr. R. E. Granger, Mrs. L. E. Jones, and Mrs. William S. Cooper.

During the following summer services were held fort- nightly by Rev. H. V. Gardner, rector at Antwerp. In the winter of 1871-2, Rev. Leigh Brown, rector of Trinity church, Watertowu, established here a mission, assisted by Rev. Mr. Bonham, an evangelist. Sinee that time, Rev. Hugh Bailey, reetor of St. Paul's church, at Antwerp, has also officiated here as rector. The church now num- bers 45 communicants, and a chapel is soon to be erected. At present they worship in the Baptist church at Evans' Mills.

FREE METHODIST CHURCH OF BLACK RIVER.

This organization was effeeted Dec. 11, 1871, with Josiah Johnson and wife, David Dexter, Martha Taylor, and Lydia Mix as constituent members. The Rev. Charles Southworth, of Fulton, was their first pastor. He was succeeded by Rev. L. H. Robinson, after whom eame Rev. D. Dempsey. After Mr. Dempsey the charge was assumed by Rev. J. C. Kennedy, who continued two years, and in October, 1876, was followed by Rev. Zenas Osborn, the present pastor.

Their first place of worship was the building now occu- pied by D. H. Scott & Son, as a box-factory. Here they held their meetings until 1873, when they erected their present church edifice on land donated by Matthew Poor, at Black River village. It is a good frame structure, of which the cost was $1400, and was dedicated Oct. 25, 1873. Connected with this church is a Sabbath-school, with an average attendance of about 30, under the super- intendency of the pastor.

CEMETERIES.

The old burial-ground at Evans' Mills, which was formerly at the southern end of the village, was given to the publie by Ethini Evans, the founder of the place, and was the iuterment-place of the first settlers in this vicinity, though none now living know the date or names of its first inter- ments. Judge Evans, after long and earnest but vain endeavors to have it substantially inclosed at the publie expense, at last put a fence with strong cedar-posts around his own lots, near the centre of the ground, and this re- mained for many years. The present Main street of the village, when laid out, cut the old grave-yard in two, and the remains from the southeastern part were removed to the opposite side. All have since been transferred to the Evans' Mills Cemetery.

THE QUAKER BURIAL-GROUND.

The first place of interment used by the society of Friends in Le Ray was in the lot adjacent to their meeting-house, and here members of the Child family and others of the earliest Quaker settlers were interred. This, however, has ceased to be used, another cemetery-ground having been established by the society on land taken from the farm of Stephen Roberts, a short distance southwest from Le Rays- ville, on the road to Black River village.

EVANS' MILLS CEMETERY.

On May 19, 1840, Aaron Root and Betsey, his wife, conveyed by deed to S. D. Sloan, William Palmer, Lybeus Hastings, and Elisha Steele, Jr., as trustees, a fraction over two acres of land for use as a public burial-ground. This was a part of his farm on the west side of the village. The price paid was $40 per acre, but Mr. Root allowed $34 for three burial-lots reserved for his own use. The first inter- ment in this ground was that of a child of Philander Miller, who died by drowning; the second was that of Mr. Root himself.

This was the commencement of the present cemetery. The ground was enlarged by the addition of some 60 square rods of land in October, 1866, by Joseph D. Grinnell and others.

On June 29, 1869, a meeting was held at Evans' Mills for the purpose of forming a cemetery association, which was done, and Adolphus M. Cook, Samuel S. Potter, Alexander Kanady, Rezot Tozor, Randall Barnes, and Wayne Stewart were elected its trustees ; and it was at the same time " re- solved that the trustees of the old burying-ground be re- quested to convey their right to the trustees of this associa- tion," in accordance with which resolution Messrs. Sloan, Palmer, Hastings, and Steele, the old trustees, did on the fol- lowing day convey the ground laid out in 1840 to the trustees of the association. On the 13th of July following De Witt C. Grinnell and Joseph D. Grinnell conveyed to the same trustees a piece of land (area not stated) on the northeast end of the cemetery, for the purpose of enlargement, and they also quit-claimed the tract added in 1866. The asso- ciation was incorporated under the general law, and consisted of Anthony Peck, C. P. Granger, S. S. Potter, James A. Pierce, James D. Grinnell, Wolcott Steele, Randall Barnes, Alexander Kanady, and fourteen other original members. The present trustees are the same who were first elected to the office.

THE HOOVER BURIAL-GROUND

is located about two miles north of Evans' Mills, and was originally a part of the farm of Peter Hoover. The first burial was that of J. Adam Walradt, who died February 27, 1831. While living he had expressed a strong desire that he might be interred in that vicinity rather than at Evans' mills, and, after his death, this spot was selected by friends as being the most appropriate. Mr. Hoover's permission was easily obtained, and after a few more burials had been made there he sold the spot-a quarter-acre-to Alfred Vebber, Isaac Walradt, and Alexander H. Van Brockelin, as trustces, for a public burial-place. In this ground there have been about eighty burials; among them being that of Peter

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Hoover's son, Simon P. Hoover, who was cruelly murdered on March 4, 1876, near the house of Alfred Vebber, by Francis Grappot, who, after conviction of the crime, took his own life in the jail at Watertown.

THE CASWELL GRAVE-YARD

is near the extreme north corner of the town, and was taken from the farm of Mr. Caswell, an early settler, who after- wards removed to Felt's mills. Its commencement was at a more recent date than that of the Hoover ground.

THE CATHOLIC CEMETERY,

belonging to the congregation of St. Michael's church at Evans' Mills, is located 12 miles southwest of that village, on the Watertown road. It is a ground of about two acres, pur- chascd by the society from Isaac Keller for $200. It was laid out in 1857, and the first burial within it was that of Mrs. Champaign. It is a good and convenient ground, well inclosed and cared for.

SANFORD'S CORNERS BURIAL-GROUND.

This cemetery site, a plat of about four acres, was do- nated by Le Ray de Chaumont to school district No. 1, about the year 1812. The first interments in it are believed to have been those of Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff, grandparents of the late N. M. Woodruff, of Watertown. Adjoining this another cemetery plat was laid out a few years since by Isaac T. Fuller, on land purchased by him from the farm of Charles Ryder. This was a private enterprise ; but burial- lots were sold by the proprietor to such as desired to be- come purchasers. These two cemeteries are divided by a partition-fence. The location is adjacent to the Union church at Sanford's Corners.

THE PINE PLAINS GRAVE-YARD,

although used by the people of Le Raysville and vicinity, was never deeded to the public by Mr. Le Ray, and still remains a portion of the Payon estate. It was probably the proprietor's intention that it should be and remain a public burial-place, and this intention has been, and will without doubt continue to be, respected. This inclosure, containing 3 acres, is located on the edge of the pine plains, a short mile southeast of Le Raysville, on the road to Great Bend.

SCHOOLS.

No authentic account has been obtained of schools in Le Ray before 1815, though there is no doubt that teaching commenced in the town several years earlier. At that time a school was taught in a small, hip-roofed frame building, which stood on the site of the present residence of C. P. Granger, Esq., on Le Ray street, Evans' Mills. In 1816 or 1817 the teacher of that school was Mrs. Treat, widow of Reuben Treat, one of the early settlers of the town. Another of its teachers, of a little later date, was - Hol- brook, who also taught in the low stone edifice which was built not long after, nearly, if not exactly, on the spot where the fine new school-house of district No. 3 (Evans' Mills) now stands. In that old stone house, too, Jolin J. Elwood taught ; and - White, Lyman Wilson, - Gray (who saw troublous times during his administration), and Hon.

Levi Miller, now a resident of Antwerp, also taught in the Jewett school-house. There are but few of the pupils remaining who attended under those teachers, but among those few may be mentioned Mrs. Eddy, who re- members it distinctly, and C. P. Granger, Esq., who, since those days, has himself wielded the teacher's baton for many a year in Le Ray and Antwerp, at salaries ranging from $15 to $30 per month, and which at the last-named figure were considered large. The books in use in the time of Holbrook, Elwood, and Wilson were of course the English Reader, Webster's spelling-book, Adams' and Daboll's arithmetics, with the Columbian Orator and American Se- lections, from which the pupils "spoke pieces" on the exciting occasion of a school " exhibition." The first school district established was that embracing the Jewett neigh- borhood, first settled by Roswell Woodruff; the second district was at Elder Matthew Wilkie's, in the west part of the town ; the third, Evans' Mills; fourth, Ingerson Cor- ners ; fifth, Le Raysville.

From the statement of the school superintendent of Le Ray for the year which ended Oct. 31, 1850, it is found that the number of children between the ages of 5 and 16 years was 1069; that the whole number of children taught was 1186; that the average length of time taught in the year, by approved teachers, was 7 months and 10 days; that the amount of money received from the State for teachers' wages was $583.54, and for library purposes $162.69; that the total amount raised by the districts for teachers' wages was $1103.81, and for library purposes $171.09; total amount, $2021.13; which was apportioncd among the 26 districts then existing, namely, 15 entire, 2 joint with Philadelphia, 3 with Pamelia, 3 with Thercsa, 1 with Rutland, 1 with Champion, and one with Theresa and Philadelphia.

For the year ending Sept. 30, 1877, the apportionment is based on a total number of 831 children (a deerease of 238 since 1850, notwithstanding that the present figures include all from 5 to 21, while those of the former year embraced only those from 5 to 16 years), and an average daily attendance of 360.871. The State money apportioned to the town is, according to number of children, $538.86 ; according to average attendance, $565.54; district quotas, $965.20 ; library money, $27.40 ; total, $2097. The num- ber of districts is 18; number of schools 19; there being both a primary and a higher school in district No. 3 (Evans' Mills). Male teachers are quite generally employed in winter, and females for the summer term. In district No. 3 a salary of $85 per month was at one time paid to male teachers, but from that figure the remuneration fell to $60, then to $50, and now ranges from $40 to $50. Females in that district receive about $20 per school month of 20 days. In the other districts male teachers receive $25 to $35 per month ; females about $2.50 per week and their board among the various families. The school-house at Evans' Mills, a good and convenient building, was ereeted in 1875, at a total cost of about $2300. The house in district 7, embracing a part of Evans' Mills village, is valued at about $1000. The value of the school buildings in the other districts ranges from these figures downwards to less than $100.

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History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 107

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.) Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 862

Author: Durant, Samuel W; Peirce, H. B. (Henry B.)
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 862