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 39
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THE CROWNER HOUSE, on Court street, was built in 1853, by J. D. Crowner. Its main part is 87 by 50 feet; wing, 60 by 30 feet. It is built of brick, three stories high, and is conveniently.and pleasantly located, and offers excellent ac- commodations. Messrs. Solon and George H. Wilder are its proprietors, and are deservedly popular with the public.
THE AMERICAN HOTEL was erccted soon after the fire of 1849, by T. W. Wheeler, on the corner of Arsenal street and Public Square, fronting about one hundred feet on the former and fifty feet on the latter, conforming to the Paddock build- ing adjoining. It makes an imposing architectural display. It is of brick, four stories high, and is admirably arranged for a hotel building. It is at present conducted by Messrs. Buck & Sanger, of the Woodruff House, and enjoys a wide reputation as an excellent hotel.
THE HANCHETT HOUSE, on Court and Arsenal streets,
# See general history of the county.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
enjoys a fair share of publie patronage. It is now known as the Globe Hotel.
THE KIRBY HOUSE, located on Court street, is a three- story briek building, eondueted by Messrs. A. M. Harris & Son, and is a most popular caravansary.
THE CITY HOTEL, on Court street, recently enlarged by its proprietor, Wm. M. Roach, and the HARRIS HOUSE, on Public Square, Helmer and Parish, proprietors, are also among others worthy of mention.
OLD LANDMARKS.
The following notices of two venerable institutions we elip from the correspondenee of Solon Massey :
THE "OLD COFFEEN HOUSE."
" The recent fire of Saturday night (October 4, 1856), which burned tho old Coffeen House, has removed from our midst another of those time-honored landmarks which for a half-century had served to designate its particular locality in the western portion of our village.
" The old white house that for so many long years stood conspic- uously in the very centre of the wide street called Madison street, and which was the pioneer house in all that portion of the village, serving as a point to reekon from in calculating tho latitude and longitude for nearly two generations of men, has disappeared forever from the map of our village. In its day it was the prido of the village, displaying more of architectural and mechanical beauty in its proportions and workmanship than was usual in the very best class of pioneer houses, and was certainly the admiration of all the youths of the village and its vicinity.
" Its site was one of rare beauty,-in the imucdiate neighborhood of the plaec selected for the court-house and jail, and overlooking a large extent of country, as well as the course of the river.
" Judge Coffeen had succeeded in getting tho county-seat at Water- town, and the stake for the court-house and jail on the site now (1856) occupied by them ; aud he flattered himself with the hope and expec- tation that he could draw off a fair proportion of the future popula- tion of the village to the high and commanding grouud surrounding the court-house. Ile might have succeeded, possibly, had it not heen for the hold which the ' old spring in the mall' had on the choice and affections of tho people.
" No expenso was spared, however, in the erection and embellish - ment of his own mansion, and in tho plans which he devised for beau- tifying that part of the village.
" His house was to be the common centre around which, he confi- dently believed, would eluster a fair proportion of the business- stores, shops, and offices-as well as the private residences of a future eity, and it was therefore adapted to micet the necessities of such a population as well as the traveling public, as a first-class hotel.
"For many years it was used for such purposes, and rented to various individuals, who tried their skill in an effort to divide the patrouage of the people with the two public-houses on the mall or square. But it was all in vain. Mr. Coffeen hecame embarrassed in his pecuniary matters, aud other things combined to chill his ardor and disappoint his expectations, and in 1819 he abandoned this field of his carly ambition for a residence in the uew and promising State of Illi- nois, whore he died within the first year.
" The old mansiou has been for many years the property of Jason Fairbanks, Esq., and been occupied by an averago of five or six families most of the time for the last twenty years, and though it may have been a poeuniary loss to its proprietor, yet it had become one of those old houses which could be well spared but for its carly associations."
THE OLD FAILING HOTEL.
" When an old and venerable building, which for nearly sixty years had been a ' landmark,' and which had been known to the public at large as a ' Traveler's Home,' is for any cause either taken down to make room for ' progress,' or is destroyed by the elements, it seems fittiug and appropriate that a passing notiec should he made, and its long history passed iu review. So it seemed to us when we made a note of the passing away and the destruction by fire of the old ' Emerson House,' on State street, a few years ago, aud afterwards of
the old ' Judge Coffeen House,' which stood in the centre of the street now known as Massey street, but then as Madison Square; and also of the old ' Potter House,' on Lepper street, in the western part of the village. So it seems peculiarly appropriate at this juncture that a brief farewell notice should be taken of the ' Failing House,' which, longer than either of the others just mentioned, had stood out in bold relief, occupying its place on the hill,-' the observed of all ob- servers ;' but which in an evil hour has succumbed to the devouring element, having been burned to the ground on the night of the 7th of February, 1865.
"We propose saying some things about it which may possibly in- terest some of your readers.
"Soon after the organization of our county of Jefferson, and the sticking of the stakes for the site of the court-house and jail on Court- house hill ( which last act was done in a spirit of compromise between the rival villages of Watertown and Brownville), the people on the north side of the river began in earnest to build up the little village of Pamelia, with the view of rivaling Watertown in those business facilities which are supposed to promote the prosperity of the com- munity, as well as to induce aceessions to the population.
"With this view a dam was thrown across the river, and mills and elothing- aud carding-works were erected and put into sueeessful operation. Somewhat prominent among the inhabitants on the Pa- melia or Brownville side of the river was a man of the name of Samu- uel Mack, a skillful mechanic, who thought he saw an eligible site for a public-house, or house of entertainment for people attending court, as well as the traveling public, just on the hill at the north end of the bridge, in that town, and he set about erceting a building of large proportions and of somewhat imposing architecture, which he designed to make a kind of headquarters for court people, and the nucleus about which a village might grow up to be a formidable rival to Watertown.
" The house was of two stories, with a piazza projeeting at oach of the two stories, from either of which the view of the river and of the court-house grounds opposite was good.
"It was kept hut a short time by Colonel Mack, and then was leased, and passed through the hands of Johu W. Collins, who was also a prominent pioneer of the town of Brownville, and who died in that house, to David Haven, who occupied it at the time of the com- meneement of the War of 1812; then of a Mr. Asa Harris, through the latter part of that brief war and for some years afterwards, during which it was military headquarters for any troops who happened to he stationed in this immediate vicinity.
" It was afterwards owned and ocenpied hy Jacob Cramer, who sold it to Warner Failing in 1831. Mr. Failing, as is well known, was for many years a popular landlord, familiar with all that class of persons who hailed from the Mohawk river, and who spoke the Dutch as their vernacular. He it was who in 1849 renovated and greatly improved the buildings, adding a complete basement story to them, and painting them brown. Since Mr. Failing hecame super- annuated it had been purchased by Mr. Alfred Loek, who in his turn made some valuable improvements, particularly in the rear attach- ments,-kitchen, family rooms, sheds, ete.,-by which the premises appeared very much rejuvenated, cularged, and improved.
" Ile had made arrangements to rent the premises to Orrin Pearce, and to vaeate them for awhile, and had made up a farewell dance on that night. They were in the midst of the hop, and the table was all set preparatory to the supper, when at abont ten o'clock a fire was discovered in the peak of the roof, supposed to have originated from a stove-pipe in one of the chambers. The fire companies were on hand in good time, but as there was but one stream of water available the fire was not subdued until the main upright part of the house was demolished ; though the outbuildings were saved, together with most of the furniture.
"So far as tavern accommodations for the publie are concerned, it is a matter of small moment to Watertown or Pamelia whether that particular house is taken away or not, but, as a landmark of the olden times, the inhabitants will regret the absence of their old-time ae- quaintance."
CITY OFFICERS.
The following is a list of city officers to the present time :
Mayor, 1869-71, G. W. Flower; 1872, Gilderoy Lord ; 1873-74, W. F. Porter; 1875, Bradley Winslow ; 1876,
11
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Levi H. Brown; 1877, W. F. Porter; Recorder, 1869- 77, Laban H. Ainsworth ; City Clerk, 1869-70, Edward M. Gates; 1871, A. D. Seaver; Treasurer, 1869-70, Louis C. Greenleaf; 1871, J. A. Quencer ; Chamberlain,* 1872, George Smith ; 1873-75, Byron D. Adsit; 1876, Charles A. Settle; 1877, John L. Phelps; Street Commissioner, 1869-70, Jacob Hermes; 1871-72, Stephen Clark; 1873- 74, J. Quencer, Jr. ; 1875, Joseph Miser; 1876, Egbert T. Butterfield; 1877, Joseph Miser ; Overseer of the Poor, 1869-71, Clark Wetherby; 1872-75, Solon B. Hart; 1876, Daniel McCormick ; 1877, James H. Wood; Justice of the Peace, 1869, '70, '71, '72, '75, '76, Lysander H. Brown ; 1873-74, Thomas Baker; 1877, H. H. Wilbur.
The city government for 1877 is as follows: Mayor, W. F. Porter; Chamberlain, John L. Phelps; Recorder, Laban H. Ainsworth; Overseer of the Poor, James H. Wood ; Street Commissioner, Joseph Miser ; Aldermen, 1st ward, N. Whiting, Thomas Barber ; 2d ward, George Smith, C. A. Waterman ; 3d ward, T. A. Smith, W. W. Sherman ; 4th ward, R. B. Richardson, E. A. Green ; Justices, Ly- sander H. Brown, Hiram H. Wilbur; City Attorney, C. H. Walts; City Surveyor, F. A. Hines; Commissioners of Deeds, Jason Fairbanks, L. A. Winn ; Policemen, Chief, Miles Guest; Wm. MeCutcheon, Charles G. Champlin, Thomas Millington ; Pound-Master, Stephen A. Tyler ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, C. Partello; Board of Health, N. Whiting, president ; George Smith, secretary ; T. A. Smith, R. B. Richardson; Health Officer, Dr. J. M. Crawe; Assessors, S. O. Gale, H. B. Cooke, C. W. Acker, N. Burdiek ; Supervisors, 1st ward, J. C. Streeter; 2d ward, J. C. Knowlton ; 3d ward, T. C. Chittenden ; 4th ward, C. W. Sloat; Water Commissioners, R. Van Namee, president ; C. A. Sherman, secretary ; J. F. Moffett, J. C. Knowlton, C. A. Holden, Parson T. Hines, superintendent ; N. P. Wardwell, clerk.
BLACK RIVER-ITS SOURCE AND ITS TRIBUTARIES.}
Black river has its souree almost in the very heart of the Adirondack wilderness,-a region abounding in forests, and containing hundreds of lakes. The actual source of the river is a small lake in Hamilton county, situated in a direct line about one hundred miles from Watertown. In its winding course the river must traverse a much greater distance. Within its first twenty-five miles it receives the outflow of numerous lakes of various sizes, most prominent of which are the South Branch, North Braneh, Chubb, Bisby, and Gull lakes. The latter is 2018.88 feet above tide-water. These lakes, with their outletting streams, drain a large portion of Herkimer county, and the north- eastern portions of Oneida county.
About thirty miles from its source Black river receives the contents of Moose river, a formidable rival, which has its source in Lake Fonda, in the northwestern part of Ham- ilton county. It flows across Hamilton county, and unites with Black river at Port Leyden, Lewis county. Moose river is not far from fifty miles in length, and among a seore of others receives the contents of Moose lake (2239.21
feet above tide-water), Lime Kiln lake, the Fulton chain, comprising the 4th, 7th, and 8th lakes, so called, Shallow lake, etc.
A few miles farther on Black river reccives Fish creek, which latter is the outlet of Brantingham lake. Besides other smaller inlets, near the last mentioned, its next con- tribution is reecived within a few miles, when Independence river empties into it the contents of a lake of the same name, situated near the eastern boundary of Herkimer county.
Ten miles farther on, at Croghan, Lewis county, Black river receives the contents of Beaver river, which has its source in Smith's lake, in the extreme northern part of Herkimer eounty. This river is the outlet of almost innu- merable smaller lakes, among the more prominent being Albany, Rock, Burnt, and Salmon lakes, and the Red River chain.
There are other considerable streams entering Black river from the south, and it is hardly more than a fair estimate to say that the river, with its numerous branches, drains a territory of 2000 square miles, or 1,280,000 square acres.
It must thus be seen that the river at Watertown must be of formidable proportions, and possess all the power and importance claimed for it.
The action already taken by the legislature of the State to preserve the region of the Adirondacks as a "State Park" is very important in securing for all time to come an ample supply of water, not only for the Black river, but for the sources of the Hudson river on the south, and the numer- ous tributaries of the St. Lawrence river on the north. The measure is one which deserves the attention and encourage- ment of all who can realize the importance of the immense advantages to be realized from its suecessful accomplish- ment. The protection and preservation of the forests and wilds of this region will not only preserve and perpetuate to the northern rivers the advantages they now possess, but will secure to genuine sportsmen a boundless field for their enjoyment.
It is a well-known fact that streams which have their sources in the wilderness are more even in their flow throughout the year, and less subject to freshets and droughts, than are those whose water-sheds are smooth or cultivated land. Nature seems to have provided the bogs and rooty jingles of the northern forests to hold like a sponge the superabundance of water from the melting snows of spring, and to let them out for us, little by little, as our needs require, instead of sending the whole volume down upon us at once, the result of which would be as serious as recent instances in the New England States, where civilization has encroached so boldly upon the moun- tainous districts of their river sources.
Black river, rising as it does in the midst of almost eternal springs, stretching out its arms and fingers in every direction into the mountain defiles, draining from each a constant and steady supply of water from mountain lakes and springs and meadows, gives abundant assurance of a never-ending power, which gathers its force from a thousand sources, and in its fullness hurls it past our city, over rocks and ledges, and which temptingly invites the water-wheel, and the varied industries of the nation, to come and avail themselves of its strength and majesty.
# The office of chamberlain has, since 1872, combined the offices of clerk and treasurer.
+ Hon. Charles R. Skinner, in " Watertown, New Yorl ."
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
For several miles above the eity the river flows rapidly over a solid bed of Trenton and bird's-eye limestone, mak- ing the water pure and healthy and well acrated for sup- plying the eity ; but eoming as it does from a granite region, the water is almost as soft as the purest rain-water, which renders it especially well adapted for use in the manufacture of cotton and woolen fabries. The rocky nature of the bed and banks of the river in the vicinity of Watertown is the fullest guaranty against all disasters arising from the wash- ing away of banks, or the undermining of dams.
THE WATER-POWER OF BLACK RIVER .*
Upon the organization of the Manufacturers' Aid Asso- eiation, it was decided that a careful and seientifie survey be made of the river upon whose power we base in so large a measure the distinetive attraetions of our eity, with a view of aseertaining, in a definite and unmistakable manner, the exaet measure of the power derived from the river in its passage through the corporate limits of Watertown. To this end a systematie survey was made by Frank A. Hinds, eivil engineer, assisted by Fred. W. Eames, two gentlemen well ealeulated and abundantly qualified to do the work assigned them. We quote the following from Mr. Hinds' report :
"I have made a survey of Black river throughout the extent of the city of Watertown, and, in accordance with your wishes, here- with submit a report of that survey, together with a map and profile. A level was carefully taken of the water from the point where the river enters the eity at its castern limit to the point where it leaves it at its westerly boundary, a distance of less than two miles, inelud- ing in detail all the numerous falls and rapids, both improved and unimproved. The whole amount of fall within this distance I have found to be 111.75 feet. Eighty-three feet of this noticeable fall is included between the upper and lower railroad bridges, as seen by the accompanying map.
" There are five distinct falls between the points named. The river was gauged at a point about two miles above the city, where its course ie straight and level for a considerable distance, and it was found to doliver 596,728 cubic feet of water per minute. This measurement was taken on the 22d of March, and although the water was very little if any higher than the ordinary winter flow, and the ice still un- broken, a dednetion equal to one-third was made, to insure a safe es- timate of the fair working average of the year. This allowance gives an average delivery of 397,819 cubie feet per minute. This, multi- plied by 62.3 and 111.75, and divided by 33,000, gives 83,928 as tho average actual horse-power for the whole river in its passage through the entiro eity. If a still further allowance is made of two-thirds of this amount for leakage, clearance, friction, and unavoidable waste, we still have 27,976 horse-power, which may bo regarded as effectual, and available to turn machinery."
MANUFACTURING INTERESTS.
The basis of the prosperity of Watertown as a mannfae- turing eity is her exeellent water-power. At an early day the utilization and improvement of the natural advantages thus presented was eommeneed by the erection, first, of a grist-mill, and subsequently of more extensive manufae- turing enterprises, some of which still remain in operation. It may be well here to give a brief summary of the carly manufactories, as far as existing records and personal re- search have enabled us to proeure the necessary data.
In 1808 a paper-mill was built above Cowan's grist-mill, by Gurden Caswell, who came in from Oneida eounty a few
years before. Other paper-mills were eonstrueted by him, and he was undoubtedly the most extensive of the pioneer manufacturers. In 1824, Knowlton & Rice commenced the business which is still continued by Knowlton Brothers, whose establishment will receive further notice under the proper elassification.
The manufacture of eotton and woolen goods has held quite a conspicuous position in the industries of the place. The extraordinary prices to which cotton fabrics had arisen led to the formation of the " Black River Cotton and Woolen Manufacturing Company," which was formed De- eember 28, 1813, with a capital of $100,000. The pro- moters of this scheme were Hart Massey, William Smith, Jabez Foster, M. W. Gilbert, John Paddock, Egbert Ten Eyck, Amos Benedict, William Tanner, Jason Fairbanks, and Perley Keyes. The building (of stone) was ereeted in 1814, at a eost of $72,000. Loeal history relates that there was at this time considerable prejudiee against the use of machinery in place of hand-labor. Spafford, in his Ga- zetteer of New York, said : "The automaton habits and the moral tendencies of these establishments will be better understood fifty years hence." It may be said that the fifty years have elapsed, and that the more the world sees of " automaton habits" in manufacturing enterprises the better it likes them. This mill was earried on by the eom- pany for three years ; was a few years subsequently sold for $7000, and passed into other hands, and was destroyed by fire in 1869.
In 1827 the "Jefferson Cotton Mills" were ereeted on Beebee's island by Levi Beebee, who came here from Coop- erstown, New York. They were constructed of stone, 250 by 65 feet, and three stories high, with basement and wings. It was intended for ten thousand spindles, and its value was estimated at $200,000. On July 7, 1833, the building was entirely destroyed by fire. The site of this factory is one of the most eligible in the State for hydraulie purposes.
The " Watertown Cotton-Mills Company," with $100,000 eapital, was formed January 10, 1834, Isaae H. Bronson, Jason Fairbanks, Samuel F. Bates, John Sigourney, and Joseph Kimball as trustees. This association continued sev- eral years, and was replaced by the " Watertown Cotton Company," with a capital of $12,000, formed January 7, 1846, with E. P. Throop Martin, Daniel Lee, S. Newton Dexter, H. Holeomb, and John Collins trustees. The company occupied the building already mentioned, eon- structed in 1814, and ran fifty looms with proportionate machinery.
The " Hamilton Woolen-Mills Company" was formed February 10, 1835, with a capital of $50,000, by Henry D. Sewall, George Goulding, John C. Lashar, Simeon Boynton, and John Goulding. On the 10th of March following the capital of the company was increased to $100,000, under the name of the Hamilton Manufacturing Company. Mr. Sewall built a dam and factory, and the latter went into operation in the spring of 1836. It was designed for five sets of eards, with the neeessary ma- chinery. In May, 1842, this mill was bought by the " Black River Woolen Company," which had been formed November 7, 1836, with a capital of $50,000, the trustees
# IIon. Chas. R. Skinner, in " Watertown, N. Y."
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
being I. H. Bronson, S. N. Dexter, O. Hungerford, John Williams, Hiram Holeomb, and Daniel Lee. This eom- pany also erected a factory, which, after several years' sue- eessful operation, was destroyed in 1841. The mill was afterwards repaired and put in operation by Loomis & Co., employing seventy hands.
The " Watertown Woolen Company" was formed Feb- ruary 4, 1834, with $100,000 capital, with I. H. Bronson, John A. Rodgers, John Williams, S. Newton Dexter, and H. Holeomb as trustees.
The " Watertown Woolen Manufacturing Company" was formed December 24, 1835, with J. Williams, I. H. Bron- son, H. Holeomb, D. Lee, and Silas Clark as trustees, and a capital of $25,000. The two last-named companies existed a few years, but no record exists of what was accomplished.
The " Williams Woolen Company" was formed November 7, 1836, with a capital of $10,000, and was in operation many years. I. H. Bronson, S. N. Dexter, J. Williams, H. Holeomb, and Charles Weber were the promoters of the organization. The premises werc changed to a tannery.
The first tannery on an extensive seale was built by Jason Fairbanks, in 1823. It was afterwards burned, and rebuilt in 1833. Two other large tanneries were built before the year 1827.
The first machine-shop for the manufacture of iron into eastings and machinery was built by N. Wiley, in 1820, and the first foundry by R. Bingham.
In 1823, George Goulding commeneed the manufacture of iron, and in 1825 William Smith engaged in the same pursuit. The former was engaged on Norton's (now Sew- all's) island in making mill-gearings, factory machinery, and to a less extent steam-engines. Afterwards, for many years, the firm existed as Goulding, Bagley & Sewall, and the business is now continued by the last two gentlemen. Their flourishing foundry is described elsewhere. Mr. Smith was heavily engaged in manufacturing mill-gearings and east- ings, stoves, hollow-ware, and agricultural implements, on Beebee's island. The site of his first foundry is now oeeu- pied by Gilderoy Lord for a similar purpose, and does a large business. Smith's second foundry is still standing at the western end of the island.
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