History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 24

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 24


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3,647


3,677


20 "


30


4,376


4,152


5,083


5,231


40


3,042


2,440


3,687


3,462


6


Married females under 45


5,490


6,918


8,399


Unmarried females 16 to 45


2,743


4,063


5,485


Married year previous.


332


395


749


Births-males,


969


1,068


1,265


females,


900


1,017


1,025


Deaths-males,


281


355


354


females,


215


378


430


Aeres improved land


173,147


258,348


386,789


Neat cattle


44,730


70,737


85,934


Horses.


8,072


15,813


16,397


Sheep


96,408


114,371


184,536


logs.


38,290


57,695


53,068


Yards fulled eloth year previous.


76,814


77,043


80,135


flannel, ete ..


101,122


99,438


113,104


" linen, eotton, ete.


129,239


98,055


70,304


Grist-mills.


54


47


54


Saw-mills.


107


134


168


Oil-mills


4


2


2


Fulling-mills


34


28


26


Carding-machines


39


27


25


Cotton-factories.


3


2


2


Woolen-factories.


2


6


10


Iron-works


18


10


21


Trip-haminers


7


12


11


Distilleries.


30


13


6


Asheries


149


43


..


Tanneries


36


48


Glass-factories


1


1


Rope-factories.


1


2


Breweries


3


4


The census of 1830 and 1840 gave the following returns from Jefferson County.


1830.


1840.


Malt-s.


4,361


Females. 4,074


Males. 4,855


Females.


Wh'tes under


1,039 107


Electors with freeholds worth from £20 to £100.


Electors, not freeholdlers, renting tenements worth 40s. per annum


1,641 5.367


" = of the age of 18 and under 45.


3,376


716


Free white females under 18 years ...


5,204


of the age of 18 and under 45.


2,954


All other free persons.


217


Slaves (Brownville 1, Hounsfield 18, Le Ray 4, Watertown 5, Wilna 2 ;...


30


No statisties but those of population were taken at this time.


The national census of 1820 gave the following returns :


White males under 10.


5,592


from 10 to 16 ..


2,459


=


16 to 18. 700


16 to 26, including heads of families. 3,831


4,143


White males, 45 and upwards,


1,574


White females under 10 ..


5,521


=


from 10 to 16.


2,397


46


from' 16 to 26, including heads of families ..


3,005


= " 26 to 45,


3.040


White females of 45 and upwards, including heads of families. Foreigners not naturalized


134


1,603


Slaves (Antwerp 4, Le Ray 1) ..


5


Colored males, free.


79


females, free.


63


Statistics of agriculture and manufactures were taken in 1820, but we are not aware that they were printed in de- tail by separate counties.


The several State censuses, taken in 1825, 1835, and 1845, give the following numbers of the different classes of population and statistics of agriculture and manufactures in this county :


1825.


1835,


1845.


Males.


21,832


27,140


64,999


Females.


19,818


25,898


33,324


Subject to military duty.


5,060


4,666


5,893


Voters


8.153


10,498


13,772


Aliens.


1,030


1,712


2,049


Paupers


157


89


147


Colored persons not taxed.


152


125


168


taxed


12


12


9


voters.


2


under 16.


9,657


11,992


13,495


787 Persons engaged in agriculture. in manufacture ..


1,250


26 to 45,


of 45 years and upwards


700


Colored persons.


Free white males under 18 years of age.


of 45 years and upwards


4,638


5 to


Electors with freeholds of value of £100 ..


90


HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.


467,230 bushels; barley 11,007 acres, 159,872 bushels; peas 10,079 acres, 153,374 bushels; oats 26,462 acres, 709,232 bushels; rye 9989 aeres, 55,457 bushels ; buckwheat 2882 acres, 42,128 bushels ; potatoes 8628 acres, 1,235,139 bushels; beans 660 acres, 6974 bushels ; turnips 159 acres, 18,538 bushels; fiax 1106 acres, 208,545 pounds. Cows milked, 41,360. Butter, 3,080,767 pounds. Checse, 2,802,314 pounds.


The census of 1850 furnishes the following statistics :


Total population, 68,153; males, 34,748 ; females, 33,223; colored (males 90, females 92), 182; United States born, 60,281; foreign born, 7872; deaths year previous to June 1, 572; marriages year previous to June 1, 773; persons over 20 who cannot read, 1577 ; do. foreigners, 899.


Dwelling-houses, 11,926; families, 12,235; farms, 5500; number of churches, 89; children attending school, 18,605.


Manufacturing capital, $1,443,002; raw material used, $1,452,345 ; value of product, $2,657,983; males employed, 2094; females em- ployed, 391.


Acres of improved land, 418,540; acres of unimproved land, 179,799; cost value of farms, $13,986,823 ; cost value of farming im- plements aud machinery, $679,293. Live-stock-number of horses, 15,406; mules, 1; milch cows, 45,186; working oxen, 3436; other cattle, 29,370; sheep, 60,330; swine, 27,873; value of live-stock, $2,515,100; value of slaughtered animals, $323,360.


Agricultural Products .- Bushels of wheat, 276,137: rye, 71,370; corn, 367,731; oats, 430,363; barley, 227,416; buckwheat, 15,182; peas and beans, 76,244; potatoes, 77,417; pounds wool; 192,168; butter, 3,584,376; cheese, 4,192,719 ; hay, 131,949 tons; clover-seed, 31 bushels; other grass-seeds, 6127 bushels; flax, pounds, 2954; flax-secd, bushels, 644 ; maple-sugar, pounds, 818,394 ; molasses, gal- Ions, 1705; wine, 54 gallons; beeswax and honey, 26,186 pounds ; value of home-made products, $80,110; value of orchard products, $43,227 ; value of products of market-gardens, $2056.


Of the place of nativity of the citizens of the county the census of 1850 gives the following: New York, 53,199 ; Maine, 88; New Hampshire, 816; Vermont, 2055; Mas- sachusetts, 1877 ; Rhode Island, 338; Connecticut, 1369 ; New Jersey, 169; Pennsylvania, 163; Delaware, 8; Mary- land, 14; District of Columbia, 8; Virginia, 11; North Carolina, 1 ; South Carolina, 1; Georgia, 1; Louisiana, 3; Ohio, 60 ; Michigan, 42; Illinois, 27; other States, 31; England, 1047 ; Ireland, 2546; Scotland, 284 ; Wales, 55; Germany, 585 ; France, 401 ; Holland, 2; Italy, 6; Swit- zerland, 65; Prussia, 1; British America, 2830; West Indies, 1 ; other countries, 17; unknown, 52.


From the census of 1860 we gather the following infor- mation : White population, 34,898 males, 34,713 females ; total white, 69,611. Colored, 102 males, 107 females .; total colored, 209. Total population, 69,820.


Of the above-enumerated inhabitants 30,096 white males and 30,270 white females were native-born ; and 4804 males and 4446 females were foreign-born. Of the colored people 189 were natives of the States, and 20 were foreign-born, making the aggregate native population 60,555, and the foreign-born 9270.


The agricultural statistics are as follows :


Improved acres, in farms. 510,920


Unimproved lands ... 293,490


Cash value of farms $25,542,788


Value of farming implements and machinery. 866,040


Value of live-stock , 3,441,925


Value of orchard products


45,860


Value of products of market-gardens 8,034


Value of home-made manufactures. 34,072


Value of animals slaughtered 398,299


Live-Stock .-- Horses, 16,343 ; mules, 6; milch cows, 59,512 ; working oxen, 2114; other cattle, 23,554; sheep, 34,665 ; swine, 18,071.


Productions. -- Wheat, 574,368 bushels; rye, 47,134


bushels ; corn, 435,645 bushels; oats, 571,813 bushels ; barley, 375,464 bushels ; buckwheat, 7777 bushels ; peas and beans, 79,238 bushels ; potatoes, 555,325 bushels ; tobacco, 750 pounds; wool, 122,049 pounds; wine, 1399 gallons; but- ter, 4,890,980 pounds ; cheese, 4,773,109 pounds; hay, 133,- 400 tons; clover-seed, 29 bushels ; grass-seed, 9523 bushels ; hops, 23,913 pounds; flax, 72 pounds; flax-secd, 73 bushels ; maple-sugar, 857,790 pounds ; maple-molasses, 4136 gal- lons ; beeswax, 1416 pounds ; honcy, 22,933 pounds.


There were 84 farms containing from 3 to 10 acres ; 235 from 10 to 20 acres ; 1542 from 20 to 50 acres ; 2320 from 50 to 100 acres; 1907 from 100 to 500 acres; and 9 from 500 to 1000 acres; 6097 farms all told, of all sizes.


The census of 1870 revealed the following exhibit of the population of Jefferson County : total number of inhabi- tants, 65,414, 236 being colored ; 55,379 were natives of the United States, and 10,036 were foreign-born. Of the natives 51,704 were born in the State of New York, 782 in Massachusetts, 497 in Connecticut, 1158 in Vermont, 138 in Pennsylvania, and 70 in New Jersey. Of the foreign- born, 4883 were born in British America, 1021 in England and Wales, 2540 in Ireland, 250 in Scotland, 912 in Ger- many, 299 in France, 1 in Sweden, 84 in Switzerland, 3 in Holland, 7 in Poland, and 7 in Austria. There were 8893 males of the school age, from five to eighteen years ; 12,644 males of the military age, eighteen to forty-five years ; 17,779 males of the voting age, twenty-one years and upwards, and 15,973 were male citizens. The males of all ages numbered 32,434, and the females, 32,980 ; 15,617 children attended the schools the year previous to June 1, 1870; 14,768 being natives, and 849 foreign- born ; 4355 males and 3918 females over ten years of age could not read among the white population, and 17 males and 20 females of the colored people were in the like illiterate condition ; 2986 natives and 1179 foreign-born, over fifteen years, could not write.


The industrial statisties were as follows :


Acres improved .. 554,155


woodland. 129,867


other improved lands. 13,490


Cash value of farms. .$33,432,152


Value of farm implements and machinery ..


1,266,729


Total wages paid during year, including value of board ...


811,311


Value (estimated) of all farm products, including better- ments and additions to stock


8,276,348


Value orchard products ..


116,622


Value of market garden products.


14,715


Value of forest products.


119,266


Value of home manufactures


36,050


Value of animals slaughtered ..


660,376


Value of live-stock


5,809,161


True value of real estate and personal property.


40,019,235


Assessed value of same .. 15,127,745


Live-Stock .- Horses, 15,564 ; mules, 16; milch cows, 72,980 ; working oxen, 557; other cattle, 22,968; sheep, 26,300 ; swine, 13,930. Productions .- Wheat, spring, 181,956 bushels, winter, 46,816 bushels; rye, 36,809 bushels ; corn, 221,551 bushels ; oats, 1,058,227 bushels ; barley, 415,704 bushels; buckwheat, 23,837 bushels ; pcas and beans, 86,602 bushels ; potatoes, 507,349 bushels ; tobacco, 1350 pounds ; wool, 104,459 pounds ; butter, 4,883,508 pounds ; cheese, 2,545,654 pounds ; milk sold, 8,560,481 gallons ; hay, 223,343 tons ; clover-seed, 387 bushels; grass-seed, 10,033 bushels; hops, 262,738 bushels ;


91


HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.


flax, 35,850 pounds ; flax-seed, 148 bushels ; maple-sugar, 529,109 pounds ; maple-molasses, 1883 gallons ; beeswax, 1198 pounds ; honey, 10,504 pounds. There were 5788 farms of all sizes, the larger ones increasing over 1860, there being 2290 containing from 100 to 500 aeres, and 12 containing from 500 to 1000 acres.


The manufacturing interests made the following exhibit : there were 737 establishments, 41 of which were operated by steam, requiring 801 horse-power, and 364 were ope- rated by water-power of 9223 horse-power. Of 3455 operatives employed, 2776 were males above the age of six- teen years, 555 were females above fifteen years, and 124 were youth. The capital invested amounted to $3,813,092; the total amount of wages paid, $941,944; cost of materials used, $4,753,521, and value of the products of the same, $7,241,000. These industries were classified as follows :


Establishments.


Hands Employed.


Capital.


Dollars.


Wages.


Dollars.


Materials.


Dollars.


Products.


Dollars.


Agricultural implements.


6


36


59,000


16,000


40,950


72,030


Bags other than paper


1


24


6,000


6,000


135,000


152,500


Bookbinding.


2


17


16,000


5,100


10,910


22,600


Boots and shoes.


3


20


8,000


5,730


9,520


20,980


Boxes, cheese


9


36


16,050


12,180


41,568


75,740


5


15


12,900


5,081


17,965


29,750


6


46


10,800


6,630


3,411


17,300


35


136


109,176 47,433


45,160


142,856


1


30


5,000 15,000


3,500


28,000


Cheese ..


21


239


117,150


48,475


154,675


249,300


4


16


12,500


4,313


58,521


78,290


Cooperage


58


22,240


6,886


13,388


35,833


Cotton goods


67


35,000


21,600


89,635


121,380


1


4


6,000


3,000


10,000


22,500


41


130


560,500 32,089 1,077,884 1,259,324


19


81


61,150


27,420


24,179


84,178


2


20


20,400


8,500


4,600


18,800


1


12


20,000


4,000


12,000


23,559


1


60


35,000 30,000


38,000


75,000


8


49


66,635


26,300


80,473


163,290


8


15,000


3,850


4.770


11,175


125


587,743


47,696


496,328


685,921


Linie.


9


24


4,750


1,901


6,537


11,670


Liquors, malt.


5


13


46,000


5,650


40,619


64,400


36


269| 195,575


60,064


159,057


299,004


9


45


48,965


22,500


38,821


87,466


4


24


51,200


5,940


44,150


68,649


5


23


32,200


13,620


72,810


97,000


1


18


5,000


1,800


4,175


11,000


Millinery


12


37


11,630


2,525


7,599


16,599


Musical instruments


1


1


31


40,000


12,000


10,100


35,000


2


46


119,000


13,894


158,487


202,000


2


36


100,000


11,000


90,500


141,475


1


65


50,000


2,000


10,475


16,000


Saddlery and harness.


34


128


71,500 32,245


86,976


170,959


8


7:2


68,100


25,539


45,289


98,605


1


100


300,000


75,000


25,416


140,000


5


18


4,950


6,000


9,291


30,125


1


30


65,000


18,000


57,075


100,000


Tin, copper, and sheet-iron ware ..


24


81


68,000


18,666


73,237


132,213


Tobacco, cigars.


6


44


22,600


14,430


23,800


58,100


Wool-carding and cloth-dressing. 3


11


5,700


775


9,962


14,390


Woolen goods


6


184


83,300


45,400


165,930


234,287


The census of 1875 being at the time of this compilation unpublished, no statistics of agriculture or industry are obtainable. The population of the county was 65,362, the voters numbering 17,143, of which 14,570 were natives, and 2573 were naturalized aliens.


THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.


The following history of the Jefferson County Agricul- tural Society is clipped from Dr. Hough's History of Jef- ferson County :


" As the tillage of the soil has been and must necessarily


continue to be the principal source of wealth in the county, overy measure tending to the promotion of this object is especially deserving of notice. Such was the feeling that in 1817 prompted to the formation of an agricultural soci- ety, which has ever since continued in active and efficient operation, surviving every other county society in the State that originated at an early period, and at present exerting a beneficial influence comparable with the most flourishing.


"The first act for the encouragement of agriculture or manufactures that operated in the county was passed April 8, 1808, giving eighty dollars premium to the one who should produce the best specimen of woolen eloth of uni- form texture and quality not less than thirty yards long. The award was to be made by the judges of the court of common pleas, and paid by the comptroller. Mr. Le Ray, having imported some fine wool sheep, thus afforded the material, and specimens were produced by Hart Massey and Noadiah Hubbard, which were so nearly alike in qual- ity that the premium was divided between them. Some irregularity in application made a special act necessary, which was passed March 19, 1810.


"The Jefferson County Agricultural Society was formed at the house of Isaac Lee, in Watertown, October 25, 1817, at which J. D. Le Ray was chosen president; Jacob Brown, first vice-president; Ethel Bronson, second vice-president; Egbert Ten Eyck, secretary; Oren Stone, treasurer, and one in each town as a local committee, viz. : William M. Lord, Hounsfield; Hart Massey, Watertown ; George White, Rutland; Noadiah Hubbard, Champion; Ahiza Smith, Henderson ; Eliphalet Edmonds, Adams; Nathau Strong, Rodman; Ebenezer Wood, Ellisburg; Clark Allen, Lor- raine; John B. Esselstyn, Lyme; Walter B. Cole, Brown- ville; Roswell Woodruff, Le Ray; Silvius Hoard, Antwerp; Thomas Brayton, Wilna.


"This was the second county society in the State, that of Otsego county being the first. The first in the Union is said to have been that of Berkshire county, Massachu- setts, after which the most of those that followed have been modeled. Mr. Elkanah Watson, who may be said to have been its founder, gives the following account of its origin :*


"In the fall of 1807, having procured the first pair of merino sheep that had appeared in that county, if not in the State, which, although defective in grade, were far su- perior to any that had been before seen, he was iuduced to notify an exhibition under the great elm-tree, in the public square, in Pittsfield, of these two sheep, on a certain day. Many farmers, and even women, were excited by curiosity to attend this first, novel, and humble exhibition, and its projector, giving to his reasoning the rule-of-three form, thus argued to himself: If two animals are capable of ex- citing so much attention, what would be the effect on a larger scale, with larger animals? This little incident sub- sequently led to other and more extensive operations in the line of exhibitions, until the sphere of their influence has come to embrace the entire range of domestic industry, ex- citing emulation in the lowly cottage and among the humble classes as well as with the more opulent, and diffusing the


# History of Agricultural Societies on the Modern Berkshire System, p. 116.


2


Leather, tanned curried


16


60,705


6,299


59,580


75,444


Lumber, sawed ....


Machinery (not specified ).


engines and boilers ....


2


86


85,000 40,000


63,000


111,500


Malt ...


Marble work, tombstones.


Matches


3,000


4,500


3,210


15,000


Paper (not specified)


printing.


wrapping


writing.


Pumps.


3


32


27,700 12,200


30,700


99,500


Sash, doors, and blinds.


Sewing machines


31


1


Flax, dressed.


Flouring-mill products.


Furniture (not specified)


Furniture, chairs.


Gas ...


Iron blooms ..


castings (not specified). stoves, heaters, etc.


74


232


135,570 29,070


750,977


939,906


Clothing, men's


Confectionery


Bread and other bakery products. Bricks.


Carriages and wagons.


Charcoal


19


Shipbuilding and repairing.


Steel springs.


92


IIISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.


republican principle of equality by elevating and dignify- ing the pursuits of the laboring classes.


"The following is a copy of the first articles of associa- tion of our county society :


"'1. The objects of this society are the promotion and improvement of agricultural and rural economy.


"'2. Every member of this society shall subscribe these articles, or a copy thereof, and pay, at the time of subscribing, one dollar to the treasury for the use of the society ; he shall also pay in like manner, on or before the second Tuesday of October, one dollar, annually, so long as he continues a member; and whenever a member chooses to withdraw, he shall have liberty so to do on giving notice in writing to the seeretary and paying all arrears and dues, ineluding the eur- rent year.


"'3. The offieers of the society shall consist of a president, two vice-presidents, a secretary, and a treasurer, to be chosen by ballot, and such other officers as the by-laws shall direct.


"'4. The next meeting of the society shall be on the last Monday of December next, at the house of Isaac Lee; at which meeting, and at any future stated meeting of the society, the members present shall have power to make such laws and regulations as they shall deem expedient for earrying into effect the objects of this society.


"' 5. No salary or pecuniary reward shall be allowed to any offieer or committee of this society for discharging their official duties.'


"The by-laws provided for two stated meetings annually, on the first Mondays of March and October, at the first of which the officers were to be elected, and at the latter a fair was to be held. The general affairs of the society were vested in a committee, consisting of the president, secretary, and five members; and a committee of three members was to be appointed in each town to distribute secds, plants, scions, books, etc., and to receive and transmit meritorious communications to the central body. Honorary members were to be admitted on a two-third vote. A 'viewing committec,' of five, to judge on the improve- ments and cultivation of lands; a 'committee of produce,' nine in number, to judge on the quantity and quality of produce; and an 'inspecting committee,' of nine, for do- mestic animals, were to be annually appointed by the exec- utive committee.


"The first address before the society was delivered by Le Ray de Chaumont. After alluding to the interest he had felt on this subject, and the part he had taken in the first settlement of Otsego county, in 1785, he adds:


"' It has now the houor to take the lead in establishing in this great State the first agricultural society. I mention this example more particularly as being, by a greater analogy with us, more easy to fol- low, and to exeite a noble and profitable emulation. . . . The object of our society, and its more direct business, is to encourage cvery branch of agriculture and rural economy best adapted to our soil and climate, by a well-digested combination of science and practice; to promote inquiries and receive information the most useful to ag- riculture ; to suggest experiments and improvements which may tend to the amelioration and prosperity of agriculture, and, of course, our manufactures, of which they are the aliment and support. By pre- miums we excite a spirit of generous pride and emulation ; a desire to gain a knowledge of the most profitable and practical husbandry ; to get the best breeds of domestic animals ; to more neatly cultivate our farms; to raise the cleanest and best erops; in a word, to make agri- culture more systematic, lucrative, and respectable,'


" From this quotation it was evident that at that period the advantages to be derived from association were fully appreciated, and the experience of nearly forty years has done little more than to confirm the views of these pioneer founders of the society. The venerable John Adams, ex-


president of the United States, received, with others, a copy of the proceedings of the first meeting, and he thus wrote:


"' QUINCY, February 12, 1818.


"'SIR,-I have received and read with pleasure an address to the Agricultural Society of Jefferson County, in the State of New York, and as I know not from whom it came, who should I thank for it but its author ? I rejoice in every new society which has agriculture for its objeet, and see with delight that the spirit is spreading through the United States. If I could worship any of the heathen gods, it would be old Saturn, because I believe him to be only an allegorical personification of Agriculture, and the children he devoured to be only his own grapes and figs, apples and pears, wheat and barley. I agree with you in the main in every sentiment, particularly rela- tive to grapes aud corn ; yet we cannot have perfect roast beef, nor perfeet roast spare-rib, nor perfect poultry, without maize. We must therefore saerifiee a little luxury to a great deal of public good. From the style of this address I should not have suspceted it to have been written by any other than a native of this country. Thirty- nine years ago I little thought I should live to sec the heir-apparent to the princely palaces and garden of Passy, my fellow-citizen in the


. republican wilderness of America, laying the foundation for more ample domains and perhaps more splendid palaces. I observed the motto of the IIotel de Valenciennes, which I had then the honor to inhabit, " se sta bene, non se move,"-If you stand well, stand still. But you have proved the maxim uot to be infallible, and I rejoiee in it.


"' Your sincere well wisher and humble servant,


"' JOHN ADAMS. "' Le Ray de Chaumont.'


" At the first meeting, upon motion of Ethel Bronson, a committee of nine persons, styled a 'committee of man- ufactures,' was added to those previously existing.


"The first cattle-show and fair of the society was held on the 28th and 29th of September, 1818. The first day was devoted to the exhibition of stock and domestie manu- facture, and in receiving communications on various sub- jects presented by the occasion. Governor Clinton, Gen- eral Stephen Van Rensselaer, Colonel Jenkins, G. Parish, and other distinguished strangers were present on the stand with the officers of the society. The pens for cattle were arranged in a circle, the platform in the centre, and the do- mestic manufactures were displayed in the court-house. In the course of the afternoon Roswell Woodruff exhibited a cart drawn by seventeen yoke of oxen and steers, the product of his own farm. Judge Hubbard and Colonel Harris, of Champion, exhibited a cart drawn by fifteen yoke of very fine fat cattle, and the officers of the society dined at the house of Butler Ranney, where extensive prepara- tions had been made for the occasion. On the 29th a plowing-match came off with horse- and ox-teams, after which a procession was formed, which, preceded by a band of music attached to the Second Regiment United States Infantry, marched to the court-house, while a salute was fired at the arsenal, under the direction of Major Masters. An address was delivered by J. D. Le Ray de Chaumont, the president of the society, which was followed by one by De Witt Clinton, then Governor of the State. Believing that the latter will be read with peculiar interest, we here insert it:


"'Independent of the very flattering references which have been made in the very able address just delivered, and which demand my sincere acknowledgments, it would be difficult for me to refrain from expressing the high gratifieatiou which I have derived from the first exhibition of this respectable association.


"' When we recollect that scarcely twenty years have passed away sinee the first inhabitant ereeted his hut in this county, and when we


93


HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.




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