History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 125

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 125

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BLACK RIVER APPOINTMENT.

In 1833 a division of the circuit was made, and Water- town was separated and became a station ; after whielt reg- ular preaching was established at " Lockport," now Black River village. In 1837 a committee of three-Francis Porter, Samuel Middleton, and Bildad Woodward-was ap- pointed to make an estimate of the expense of building "a meeting-honse at Lockport ;" but it does not appear that

# Each year from 1821 to 1877, inclusive.

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

anything was done towards building till January, 1844, when a subscription was circulated by S. Orvis and I. S. Bingham, the preachers of the circuit, and funds were raised sufficient to build and inclose a church edifice. It was finished and dedicated to the worship of God in the spring of 1848. I. S. Bingham, then stationed at Evans' Mills, preached the dedicatory sermon. The building was reconstructed and rededicated in 1876, with preaching by the same reverend gentleman after an interval of 28 years. The first trustees of the church were Thomas H. Scott, Bildad Woodward, Henry Scott, William P. Treadway, and David Dexter, who were elected April 9, 1845. This house of worship is built of wood, with a spire, and will comfort- ably seat about 300. It, including the parsonage, is valued at $4000. The present membership of the church is 64 probationers and 62 full members ; of the former 58 have been added during the pastorate of Rev. W. M. Holbrook.

RUTLAND HOLLOW APPOINTMENT.

The history of this appointment is already given. Suf- fice it, therefore, to say that the venerable structure erected there in 1821 still does good service as a house of worship. It is of wood, about 45 by 65 feet, with a seating capacity for 300 persons, and is valued at $2500. The present membership of the appointment is 24 full members and 13 probationers, of which 7 have been recently added.

FELT'S MILLS APPOINTMENT.

There exists no mention of preaching at Felt's Mills until 1842, when N. R. Peck and W. W. Wood were the preachers. That village, then the largest within the charge, was favored with a great revival that year, some of the fruits of which still remain. The church edifice was commenced in 1844, and built as a Union church ; but in 1871 the property was found to be illegally conveyed, when it was reconveyed to a board of trustees of the M. E. church, and it thus became a Methodist church, with only a con- ditional lien upon a limited use of it by other societies. The present membership of the appointment is 92 full members and 40 probationers, of which 5 have been added during the ministration of the present pastor. The present officiary of the circuit is as follows : W. M. Holbrook, pas- tor; Geo. W. Fairman, local deacon ; John D. Randall, local preacher; Cyrus Huntington, Curtis Cory, William Roberts, and David Bentley, Icaders; Alexander Dunn, Wn. Middleton, Peter Terpinning, Robt. Davis, Gardner B. Scott, Simeon Dexter, Joseph S. Graves, Charles G. Ryder, and Wendall Hiel, stewards ; J. D. Randall, Lewis Dunn, and David Bentley, Sunday-school superintendents. The num- ber of teachers in the Sunday-schools of the circuit is 38; scholars, 234; number of volumes in the library, 100 .*

A Sunday-school is regularly kept at the Union church at Felt's Mills, of which Charles Roberts is the superin- tendent. The number of teachers and scholars is 65.

THE CONGREGATION OF DISCIPLES OF CHRIST.

This religious denomination first held meetings at Felt's Mills, in 1857, Rev. Mr. Benedict officiating. A society

was formed, including Black River, in 1871, and a comfort- able church building was erccted the same year. The suc- cessors in the pastorate since Rev. Benedict have been Revs. Belden, Hughes, Hamilton, Gooderich, and John H. Bogg, the present pastor. The first church officers were Charles Roberts, Vincent Slater, Stephen Cooper, and D. N. Middlekauff, elders ; Thompson Carter, Andrew Z. Drake, and Vincent Smith, deacons. The present trustees are Vincent Smith, Charles Roberts, Chandler Clark, Chris- topher Poor, and Wellington J. Horton. The present membership of the church is 75.

UNIVERSALIST SOCIETIES

have been organized at Felt's Mills, Tylerville, and Black River; the precise dates of which organizations are not known. The Reverends C. G. Parsons, Pitt Morse, H. S. Haywood, J. P. Averill, O. Wilcox, J. H. Stewart, and others officiating. The society at Tylerville is the only one in the town retaining its organization. This society owns a half-interest in the Union church at that village.

EDUCATIONAL.

The people of Rutland evinced a commendable interest in the subject of education at an early day. It was the practice, when a sufficient number settled in a neighborhood to sustain a school, to erect a log school-house and engage a teacher, almost without exception a female in summer, and a male in winter. The first of these houses in town, according to the recollection of the oldest authority,-Eze- kiel Andrus,-was built in 1800 or 1801. Its location was about 60 rods north of the cheese-factory now owned by William Fuller. He does not recollect who was the first teacher. Dr. Hough, in his " History of Jefferson County," gives the name of Miss A. Porter. Soon after a school- house was built on the Hollow road, a short distance west of the Four Corners. Miss Naomi Blackmer was the first, or one of the first, teachers. This house was used but a short time, as many of the settlers lived at too great a dis- tance from it. In its place a house was erected farther west in the Hollow, and another near the site of M. L. Graves' residence. As the requirements of the people in- creased, other houses were built. In these rude structures the children of the pioneers of Rutland received the rudi- ments of education. These children, or those of them who survive, are the silver-haired men and women of to-day.

In those days no aid was received from the State in sup- port of schools, but in the winter of 1812-13 a law was passed establishing a school fund, and appropriating the in- terest thereof to the support of common schools. At the annual town-meeting, March 2, 1813, the following resolu- tions were passed :

" Resolved, That the supervisor be authorized to levy a school-tax, according to the law in regard to the school-fund.

" Resolved, That Ethel Bronson, Judah Williams, and Amos Steh- bins be a committee to superintend moneys for the use of schools, and transact the business as the law requires."

At a special meeting, held July 5, 1813, Commissioners and Inspectors of Common schools were elected. Districts were established by the commissioners, and their boundaries fixed. The original districts, except some slight alterations,

# For historical sketch of Sanford's Corners appointment, see his- tory proper of the town of Le Ray.

"OLD HOMESTEAD", RESIDENCE OF HENRY C. EAMES, RUTLAND, JEFFERSON CO., N.Y.

MRS.ARNOLD WEBB

ARNOLD WEBB .

JOEL WEBB .

RESIDENCE OF ARNOLD WEBB, SOUTH RUTLAND, N. Y.

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

remain, with the following changes : No. 3, dissolved ; No. 4, changed to 10; No. 8, recorded in Champion ; 10, re- changed to 4; 13, changed to 3; and 14 to 8. There are at present 12 districts .*

Among the early teachers were Curtis Mallory, Jacob Fuller, Zelotus Harvey, Hon. Charles Dayan, and Hon. Jason Clark ; and at a later date, Horatio Sherman, Gard- ner Towne, A. P. Sigourney, John M. Dunlap, John Felt, the Misses Cornelia Johnson and Adeline M. Brown, and Elijah Graves. The latter has probably taught longer than any other person in Jefferson County, and is therefore en- titled to a more extended notice.

ELIJAH GRAVES,

son of Jonathan Graves, one of the carly settlers of the town of Rutland, was born in that town July 16, 1813. At the usual age he commenced attending the district school, and continued to attend winters until the twentieth year of his age. In the fall of 1827 he attended a course of lectures on grammar and arithmetic, given by Wm. Ruger, in an adjoining district. At the close of the term he was selected as one of the number who had made the greatest advancement in grammar; and he ranked either first or second in arithmetic, although many of the students were over twenty-one years of age. The first school taught by him was in the winter of 1833 and 1834, since which he has taught a portion of each year. The summer of 1837 and 1838 he spent in the service of A. Copley, Esq., at Chaumont, as clerk in his store, teaching the Chaumont school during the winter. He was married in Champion, July 4, 1840. Having taught in Champion during the winters of 1840 and 1841, he moved to Chaumont in the fall of 1841, and taught the school three years. In answer to a " call" he next located at Three-Mile Bay, where he taught six years. His health was such during the winter of 1839 and 1840 that his physician advised him to leave off teach- ing. On closing his engagement for the year he moved to the east part of the county, finally settling at Felt's Mills. In the mean time, his health improving, he continued to teach. In the spring of 1853 he entered into the mer- cantile business at Smithville, still teaching winters.

In June, 1856, pursuant to the act ercating the office of school commissioner, he received the appointment for the second district of Jefferson County. He had previously served as town superintendent of common schools in the towns of Lyme and Rutland. In 1858 he failed of an election, but ran ahead of his ticket in the towns then under his supervision (the district was altered in 1858), against Mr. L. Lyttle, one of the most popular men in the distriet. In Dec., 1858, he opened a select school at Evans' Mills, teaching there eight terms. Since 1860 he has spent most of his time in Champion and Felt's Mills, teaching a large portion of his time at the latter place. He is still engaged in teaching at Felt's Mills, from the most influen- tial citizens of which place he recently received the follow- ing testimonial: " We, the citizens of Felt's Mills, respect- fully represent that we are well acquainted with Elijah Graves, and consider him a faithful and a competent teacher

in imparting instruction. He is well posted in all modern improvements in teaching. Age has not dimmed his zeal or made him rusty."

In closing this brief sketch on the educational history of the town, it may be well to quote the subjoined extracts from a recent school commissioner's report: "The town of Rutland has taken the lead in school improvements. . . . There seems to be a noble emulation among the inhabitants of the several districts in relation to school affairs ; higher wages are paid, better teachers are secured, and, as a result, they have more advanced schools than their less enterprising neighbors." All of which is apparent even to the casual visitor in the town.

We are especially indebted to the following gentlemen for valuable assistance in the compilation of the history of Rutland : Elijah Graves, Ezekiel Andrus, L. D. Olney, O. A. Felt, Edmund McOmber, A. Conklin, Rev. I. S. Bingham, Daniel J. Eames, Arnold Webb, Sylvester Kel- logg, Charles C. Hardy, the Middletons, Asa Clark, J. M. Augsbury, B. J. Smith, C. C. Veber, D. Dexter, G. W. Smith, the Parkinson Brothers, Christopher Poor, and others.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

HARLAN P. DUNLAP.

William Dunlap, whose ancestry were Irish, emigrated from Schoharie Co., N. Y., to Jefferson County in 1815. He here settled on a farm in Rutland, about eight miles east of Watertown. He reared a large family of children, of which Wm. M. was the second son, and who became the owner of the old home farm. He was reared and educated as a farmer. He was united in marriage with a daughter of Reuben Scott, an old settler of Rutland. The fruits of this marriage were five children, named as follows : Har- lan P., Cornelia, Cecilia, Arthur S., and Martha J. Of these, all are living except Cecilia and Arthur. Cornelia is the wife of Geo. A. Moore, of Rutland, and Martha is the wife of Robert M. Francis, of Carthage.

Harlan P. was born Jan. 30, 1838, and received a good common-school and academie education. He became a teacher and taught for a number of terms. At the age of twenty-five, on the 24th of Dee., 1862, he was married to Miss Martha Hopkins, of Rutland. By this union he is the father of one child,-Mary E. He lost his wife by death on the 9th day of Dec., 1866. His present wife was Miss Mary C. Dutton, of Rutland, by whom he has one child,-Charles J. Mr. Dunlap has, by purchase, become the owner of the old home farm, which now consists of 265 acres of beautiful grazing land, to which it is chiefly de- voted. By reference to another page, a beautiful view of his residence may be seen. His father and mother are both living in the city of Watertown, the former seventy and the latter sixty-five years of age, in the enjoyment of good health and the retirement of a green old age. Mr. Dunlap is held in high esteem and respect by all his ac- quaintances, who at various times have manifested their confidence in him by electing him to the highest offices in the town.

# See tabulated statistics in general history of county, ante.

506

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

DANIEL EAMES.

CLIFT EAMES.

LUCY A. EAMES.

THE EAMES FAMILY

were of English origin. They emigrated to the New World as early as 1618. Daniel Eames, one of the early pioneers of Jefferson County, was born at Hopkinton, Mass., in 1767 ; was married in 1787 to Mollie K. Wright. In 1794 he removed with his family to what was then Steuben Co., N. Y., where he remained six years ; he then removed to Jefferson County. He selected a spot for his future home in the town of Rutland, where he settled with his family, and where he ever afterwards resided until his death, which oeeurred Sept. 15, 1855, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. His wife's death occurred on the 4th day of February, 1842, at the age of seventy-three. These hardy old pioneers were the parents of the following-named children : Kittredge, Daniel, Mima, Jesse, Daniel, Jun., Daniel W., Aaron, Harriet, Doreas, Clift, Aaron (2d), Moses, and Lovett. Of this numerous family of children, Daniel W., Dorcas, and Moses are all that survive.

Clift became the owner of the old homestead, on which he lived all his life. He received a good English education, and before he reached his majority was engaged in teaching in the common sehools, and for a short time was engaged in lumbering down the St. Lawrence. But on coming of

age he settled down to the life-long oeeupation of a farmer. On the 5th day of October, 1826, he was married to Miss Harriet Webb, who died Jan. 29, 1831. In the year following he was united in marriage with Luey A. Tyler. He had no children by his first marriage, but his seeond marriage was more fruitful, resulting in the births of cight children, named as follows : Harriet A., Harriet C., Byron W., Daniel J., Polly W., Henry C., Charles T., Luey E. Of these all are deceased except Harriet C., Daniel, and Henry, who are married and have families.

Mr. Clift Eames died March 19, 1873, at the age of sixty-nine years. His widow, Mrs. Luey A. Eames, still survives, and, although seventy years of age, is in the en- joyment of all her faculties. Henry Eames has become the owner of the old home. He is the father of two children. Daniel, the other, owns a farm in the same neighborhood, and has a family of three children. The sister, Harriet, also owns a farm near the old home, and has one ehild.

We are pleased to be able to present to the people of Jefferson County the portraits of the old pioneer, Daniel Eames, with that of Clift and Luey A. Eames, and also a fine view of the old home of the family.

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

507

SAMUEL MIDDLETON.

HON. ANDREW C. MIDDLETON.

His ancestors emigrated to the United States about the year 1790, and settled in New Jersey ; they afterwards removed to Schoharie Co., N. Y., and in 1807 removed to Jefferson Co., N. Y., which has ever since been the home of the family.

Andrew, the grandfather of our subject, was born in 1749, and at the time of his settlement in Jefferson County his family consisted of his wife and seven children,-four sons and three daughters, all of whom settled in the town of Rutland, except one daughter, who settled in Otsego county. Andrew Middleton lived to the advanced age of eighty-four years, dying in 1834.

Samuel, the youngest child, was born at Charleston, Montgomery Co., in 1796. He became a resident of Rut- land in 1807, and in the fall of the same year settled on the farm where he continued to reside until his death, a period of sixty-six years. He was married April 26, 1821, and his widow, Seraph Middleton, still survives. She is now seventy-five years of age, and is the honored member of the family of the Hon. Andrew C. Middleton.

Mr. Samuel Middleton was seventy-seven years of age at his death, which occurred in 1873; he was the father of six children-three sons and three daughters. Reuben and John are in business in the eity of New York ; Mar- garet is deceased, and Sarah A. and Harriet are married, and live in Carthage, N. Y.

Andrew C., the second son, was born April 5, 1824. He was brought up on a farm, and has always made farming his business. He received a common school and academie education, and after eeasing to be taught continued in school as a teacher for a number of winters.

In 1849 he became town superintendent of schools, a position which he filled satisfactorily for two years. In 1858 he was elected supervisor, and served two years ; and again in 1868 he occupied the same position. During the war he was deputy collector of internal revenue. For the years 1872 and 1873, he was president of the Jefferson County Farmers' Club.

Mr. Middleton is prominently identified with the Grange organization of this State, having been honored by being elected president of the State council.

At a convention of farmers, Oct. 20, 1873, Mr. Middleton was nominated to represent the 18th senatorial district ; he was elected by a large majority over his competitor. During his term he served at the head of the Committee on Agri- culture, and also as a member on the Committees on Public Expenditures and Grievances. Mr. Middleton cast his first vote in 1845 for the Whig tieket, and a Whig he remained until the organization of the Republican party, since which time he has voted for Fremont, Lineolu, Grant, and Hayes. In the year 1847, at the age of twenty-three, Mr. Middleton was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Butterfield, of Rut- land. Three children have been born to them. One dicd in infancy. Dewitt C., the son, is in business in the city of Watertown, and is unmarried; Gertrude I., the daughter, is the wife of Henry T. Gipson, who is in the legal profes- sion in Watertown.

We present our readers on this page the portrait of the old pioncer, Mr. Samuel Middleton, and with it. this brief sketch of the family, as a monument to his memory and a tribute of respeet to the character and worth of his dc- seendants.

508

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

CHRISTOPHER AND WILLIAM MIDDLETON.

John and Samuel Middleton came into the wilds of Jef- ferson at the same time, and were among the other early settlers of that day engaged in clearing lands and fitting them for cultivation.

John was married before he reached his majority to Miss Susannah Parkinson, of Rutland. The fruits of this mar- riage were five children, named as follows: Andrew, Wil- liam and Robert (twins), Betsey, and Christopher, all of whom are living, married, and have families, except Betsey, who was married to Thomas Scott, and died at the age of thirty years, leaving two children, and Robert, who was married to Emily Francis, of Champion, and who died in 1869, aged fifty-eight. Andrew, the eldest son, resides at Carthage, has been married three times, and has two chil- dren.

Christopher, who was born in 1809, was reared a farmer and had but very few advantages to get an education ; but under the guardianship of his mother and stepfather acquired a very practical knowledge of farming and hard work. He remained with them until he was of age. John Middleton died in 1813, at thirty years of age. His widow was married the second time to Reuben Scott, of Rutland. Christopher, on coming of age, went to work by the month, and at the expiration of five years he bought a farm of 100 acres in the town of Champion, which, after five years, he sold and then purchased a farm of 143 acres in Rutland, on which he has resided ever since. In 1845 he was united in marriage with Miss Dorcas H. Jones, of Champion, the daughter of Gardiner Jones, an old settler of the town of Orleans. The issue of this union is one child, a bright, intelligent lad of fifteen years, who is at this time a student at the Ives Seminary, at Antwerp. He is named Fred. C. Mid- dleton. By reference to another page may be found a fine view of the beautiful farm home of Christopher Mid- dleton.

William Middleton was born in Rutland in 1806, and, after his father's death, he and his twin brother Robert were taken by their uncle Samuel, and brought up in his family. The brothers remained with their uncle until they reached their majority, and William continued to work for him for some years after. The two brothers bought the old homestead, and remained in partnership for a number of years, when William bought his brother's interest in the farm. In 1832 William was married to Almira, a daugh- ter of Thomas Scott, an old settler of Rutland. Their union has never been blessed by children, but they have adopted and reared a young lady, who remained with them until her marriage with William Sherman, of Minnesota ; they now reside in Iowa.

It is with pleasure we are able to present our readers with portraits of this worthy couple, with a view of the old home of the family.

L. D. OLNEY.

The ancestors of Mr. Olney were of English and Scottish origin, and cmigrated from England about 1670, and settled in Rhode Island.

Nedebiah, the paternal grandfather of our subject, in the year 1725, at the age of seventeen, in company with forty- two others, was captured by the Indians and taken to the border of the Ohio river, where they were subjected to vari- ous tortures, running the gauntlet, etc., from which they all perished except young Olney and one companion, who were saved and adopted by the chief's wife. They remained with the Indians seven long years before they made their escape, when, after inconceivable hardships, they made their way back through the wilderness to their friends. While with the Indians Mr. Olney acquired what was then called the Black Art, which is identical with what is now known as psychology. In after-years he would occasionally give speci- mens of the art, to the great wonder and amusement of his friends. He reared a family of five children, and lived to the extreme old age of ninety years. Davis, the second son, was born at Smithfield, R. I., in 1777 ; he was educated for, and became, a teacher, but after a few years he engaged in mercantile business, in which he invested his all, and in about a year he was burned out and lost everything. In 1806, in company with his brother, he started for the Black river country. Arriving in Rutland, Jefferson County, he located 160 acres of land, which was his home until 1850, when he retired from active business and moved into the village of Tylerville, where he resided until his death, which occurred Oct. 17, 1868. He was married, in 1807, to Miss Olive Rowe, of Connecticut. They became the parents of thirteen children,-seven sons and six daughters. Luman D., the youngest son, was born at the old home in Rutland, Feb. 19, 1825 ; he was reared a farmer, and until seventeen years of age attended the common schools. He then attended the Jefferson County Institute, and was in- tending to pursue a collegiate course; but, after advancing two years in the same, pecuniary considerations on his father's part prevented. At the age of twenty he commenced teach- ing, which he followed for several years. At the age of twenty-eight, on Sept. 28, 1853, he was united in marriage with Miss Adeline E., daughter of Chauncey D. Hunting- ton, and great-granddaughter of William Huntington, who came from New Hampshire, and settled in Jefferson County in 1804. She was born in Watertown in 1831; has one sister, who is the wife of Thomas C. Parker, of Water- town.

Mr. Olney and his wife are the parents of three children, all daughters, named as follows : Carrie E., Adeline C., and Channez I. Carrie is married to Mr. Chas. E. Hadcock, and resides on a farm adjoining the old home. Adeline C. is the wife of Clark D. Eddy, of Watertown. Mr. Olney is held in high esteem by a large circle of friends and acquaintances, and is a man far above the average in scientific knowledge, which he puts to a practical use in the management of his farm, which is one of the finest in the county. In his religious faith he is not fettered by the contracted and narrow views of the sectarian, but cherishes liberal and enlarged ideas of the great Creator of the universe and his characteristics, as he sees them demon- strated in all the works of nature.

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History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 125

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