History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 45

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 45


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144 | Part 145 | Part 146 | Part 147 | Part 148 | Part 149 | Part 150 | Part 151 | Part 152 | Part 153 | Part 154 | Part 155 | Part 156 | Part 157 | Part 158 | Part 159


Rev. Mr. Lepic, during his pastorate, which continued satisfaetorily and successfully until October, 1866 (when he was transferred to a charge involving less labor, on ae- count of advancing age, and infirmities), officiated twice a month in Watertown, once a month at Evans' Mills, and the remainder of the time at Cape Vincent and Rossie. He was succeeded by Rev. Charles F. Turgeon, who con- tinued from October, 1866, until May, 1873, when Rev. P. Clerc succeeded him, and remained about one year. After him came Rev. P. Larose, who remained until the accession of the present pastor, Rev. John Baptiste Chap- pel, in December, 1875. The present trustees are Moses Morcille and John E. Bergevin.


CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART.


This institution is of recent date. The parish priest, Rev. Father J. B. Chappel, is a member of the society of the " Missionaries of the Sacred Heart," whose principal establishment is at Issoudan, France. Ilis appointment to St. Mary's church in Watertown determined this religious society to establish a branch of their order in the city. With a view to the accomplishment of this design, Rev. Father Joseph F. Deerin was appointed to take charge of the work, and in May, 1876, he purchased a house and lot on Thompson street, in the north part of the city, under thie sanction of the sovereign Pontiff, and his Lordship E. P. Wadhams, bishop of Ogdensburgh, and proceeded to establish a novitiate and course of study for young men who may be desirous of joining the order. As soon as possible the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart intend to open schools for the young Catholics of the city and neighboring places. Father J. B. Chappel will devote himself exclusively to St. Mary's parish duties, and Father Joseph, with the as- sistance of the priests belonging to the society, will direct the missions of Brownville, Chaumont, Rosiere, and Cape Vincent, which have been confided by Bishop Wadhams to the care of the society.


October, 1877.


168


HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.


It is the intention of the missionaries eventually to erect a fine, substantial church upon their grounds in Watertown, fronting upon Lynde strect, in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The site is a beautiful one, and the plan of the proposed edifice grand and imposing. Its completion will mark an epoch in the history of Catholicism in Jefferson County, and the hope is indulged by those in charge that every proper encouragement will be given by the people of the city and surrounding country.


The school is in a flourishing condition, with every indi- cation that the expectations of the projectors will at no distant day be fully realized .*


THE PERIODICAL PRESS.


The American Eagle was begun at Watertown, by Henry Coffeen (Abram Taylor, printer), about 1809; Republican in politics, as the name then signified ; but an acrostic, that was published inadvertently, brought ridicule upon the name, and it was soon changed. It was purchased in Jan- uary, 1812, by Jairus Rich; its name was changed to the American Advocate, and by him it was issued several years.


In 1817, Seth A. and Dorephus Abbey, owners of a job office in Albany, concluded to start a paper somewhere west. D. Abbey and John H. Lord, Jr., a journeyman in the office, accordingly removed to Watertown. The press of Mr. Rich, being at the time of their arrival under a sheriff's levy, was bought, and soon after the Jefferson and Lewis Gazette appeared, in the spring of 1817. It was of the royal size (20 by 26 inches), Republican in politics, according to the light then had, and issued at two dollars per annum, until April, 1819, when it was stopped. Scth A. Abbey then commenced the Independent Republican, which was issued weekly until February, 1825, when the house and office of the publisher were burned. It was, however, revived in May, 1828, as the Independent Repub- lican und Anti-Masonic Recorder, of five columns, two dollars per annum, and continued till 1830.


THE DAILY DESPATCH AND WEEKLY RE-UNION.


These are the only Democratic papers in Jefferson County. They are published by the Watertown Printing Company, Charles J. Hynes, manager, George Moss, editor.


The Re-Union is one of the oldest papers in the State, having been established as the Watertown Freeman, on Jan. 29, 1824, by Mr. Perley Keyes, the then leader of the Democracy in the county. The Freeman was a folio, five columns, the shect 20 by 24 inches; little more than half its present size. Its price then was $2.50 per an- num, " delivered by carrier." Dr. Hough, in his history of Jefferson County, thus refers to the Freeman :


"A. L. Smith was afterwards editor, and during the campaign of 1832 it supported Jackson. Early in October, 1833, the name was changed to the Democratic Standard. It continued to be publisbed by Smith until July 29, 1835, when it was united with the Water- town Eagle, and became the Eagle and Standard, edited by Alvin Hunt and Asahel L. Smith." The Eagle was founded by J. Calhoun, September 11, 1832, and was a folio, weekly, six columns to the page,


at $2.50 per annum, delivered to village subseribers, and Democratic in politics. On the 28th March, 1833, Alvin Hunt beeame associate editor, and in August following purchased the interest of Calhoun, and continued the publication until the consolidation with the Stand- ard above mentioned. "In October, 1836, Mr. Smith withdrew from tho Eagle and Standard, and on the 30th of November, 1837, the name was changed to the Jeffersonian, under which name, or that of the Watertown Jeffersonian, it has continued without change of poli- tics until the present time." (1854).


On the 15th of December, 1851, Mr. Hunt became as- sociated with John W. Tamblin (now deceased) ; March 15, 1853, Mr. J. C. Hatch took the place of the latter, and in September Tamblin succeeded Hatch. In 1854, the paper was published by Hunt and Tamblin, at $1.50 per annum. The Daily Jeffersonian was begun at this office May 10, 1851, and continued two and a half years. There was also published at this office, by Mr. Hunt, during the campaign of 1840, a small sheet at 25 cents, edited by a committee of young men, and devoted to the support of the Democratic party. It was called the Aurora. On the 29th of August, 1846, the Democratic Union was founded, and in the April following it was owned by Stephen Martin and Lysander H. Brown. In September Martin was suc- ceeded by John A. Haddock, and June 29, 1848, Mr. Brown retired from the editorial charge, which had been continuous from the commencement of the Union. Mr. Haddock continued the publication until November 19, 1851, when he sold his interest in the paper to Mr. Brown, who was again its editor (and publisher) until the latter part of 1854, when Mr. Haddock again became the pro- prietor for a short time, and was succeeded by Mr. Elam Comstock, who united it to the Jeffersonian, calling the combined papers the Jefferson Union. Messrs. Tamblin and Chamberlain were the next proprietors, and in Decem- ber, 1856, E. J. Clark and Royal Chamberlain bought out Mr. Tamblin, Chamberlain retiring also at the end of three years. The paper remained under Mr. Clark's management until 1st January, 1865. In that year the paper passed through several changes, and was purchased by Mr. A. H. Hall, who changed the name to the Watertown Re- Union. Mr. Hall conducted the paper until September 12, 1870, when he sold it to George Moss and Walter A. Boon. These two gentlemen, on June 24, 1872, started the Daily Morning Despatch, and continued its publication, and that of the Re- Union, until March 31, 1874, when their interest was purchased by W. C. Haven & Co., George Moss con- tinuing as editor. In July, 1876, Mr. Charles J. Hynes purchased the entire establishment, and in August following disposed of it to a stock company, which now publislies the daily and weckly, with Mr. Hynes as manager and Mr. Moss as editor.


The office is located on Arcade street, in a fine brick block (three stories and basement), and is abundantly sup- plied with all the necessary machinery, steam-engine, presses, type, etc., to constitute it a model printing-establishment in newspaper, book, and job work.


The size of the daily is 28 by 40 inches, and of the weekly, 32 by 46 inches. They are modern newspapers in every respect, fully abreast with the times, lively, enter- taining, and reliable. The daily Despatch is the only morning newspaper published north of the Central Railroad


# We are under obligations to Mr. Lebarge, Mr. J. B. Primcau, and those in charge of the institution for the above items.


(PHOTOS. BY GENDRON, WATERTOWN.)


ELAM BROWN.


MRS. ELAM BROWN.


RESIDENCE OF ELAM @ CHAS. E. BROWN, WATERTOVIN, N. Y.


REV. GARDNER BAKER


MRS. GARDNER BAKER


REV. GARDNER BAKER.


The subject of this sketch was born in Minden, Montgomery county, N. Y. September 11, 1802. He was a son of Thomas Baker and Mary Hall, who had a family of nine children, and were themselves natives of Rhode Island. Until he was eigh- teen years of age he worked on the farm of his father summers, and attended school winters. At the age of eighteen he became the subject of that wonderful change which gave a new direc- tion to his whole being, and for the two following summers attended a select school at. Trenton. In the spring of 1823 he entered Lowville academy, having about the same time been licensed to exhort by the Methodist church. Through the counsel of the presiding elder of the Black River district (which then included nearly all of the present Black River conference), he accepted a circuit (Indian River) which ex- tended from Carthage to within six miles of Ogdensburgh. Left school, and through the kindness of his brother, an attor- ney, at Springfield, New York, obtained an outfit consisting of a horse, saddle, bridle, saddle-bags, two valises, and a whip. His colleague on this great circuit was William Joncs. There were thirty appointments, to meet which each had to travel some three hundred miles every four weeks. There was no church edifice in the circuit, and their meetings were held in log houses, shanties, barns, and in the open air. His home was in the saddle, and his inn wherever night overtook him. The year's compensation for each, inchiding gifts, orders on stores, etc., was sixty dollars. Like the pioneer farmer the pioneer minister endured privations of every sort, but felt it an honor to be employed in any way to advance the cause of the Master. Using his own language, "I never have been happier in my whole life than when preaching the gospel to the poor in their log school-houses, aud enjoying the hearty Christian hospitality of their log cabins." During the half- century of his public life lie has enjoyed the esteem and con- fidence of his brethren, both in the ministry and in the laity, to a remarkable degree. He has held the office of presiding elder for thirty-one years, has spent five years in circuits, twelve years on stations, and six years at "Pilgrim's home" (a term used by him to designate his home in Watertown).


Twice, on account of the absence of the bishop, he has been appointed president of the Black River conference. During a quadrennium (1860-1864) he served as a member of the New York book committee of the Methodist Episcopal church. By the general conference of 1860 he was appointed fraternal del- egate to the general conference of the Methodist Episcopal church in Canada. At the late general conference at Baltimore, he was the eldest delegate present, and was the recipient of many marked attentions, being honored with a seat upon the platform with the bishops during the entire session.


In the year 1827 he married Miss Esther, daughter of Enos and Puella Scott, of Perch River. Her father was well known throughout the county, and lived to the advanced age of nearly one hundred and one years.


Mrs. Baker has endured the hardships and toils of an itin- erant's life with Christian zeal and patience, and is justly beloved by a wide circle of friends.


To Mr. and Mrs. Baker were born five children, viz .: Mary A., Kate C., Gardner C., Esther A., and William B. Baker. Of these, Mary A. died in Chicago, Illinois, 1875. Kate C. married Mr. George H. Tallett, resides in Watertown, and has two children, William H. and Nellie B. An engraving of their residence and their portraits will be found on the opposite page of this work. Gardner is married and resides in Des Moines, Iowa. Esther A. married Professor J. Dorman Steele, of Elmira, New York.


Rev. Gardner Baker had been spending his summer at his cottage at the Thousand Island park. He arose Sunday morn- ing, August 12, 1877, as usual, went out, and not returning, his family became anxious, and, upon search, found him near by, but life was extinct.


At the completion of the fiftieth year of his ministry he was presented with a gold-headed cane, bearing this inscription: "Presented to Rev. G. Baker, by the Northern New York Conference, 1824-1874," which he carried to the close of his life.


His beloved and devoted wife and widow resides with her daughter, Mrs. Tallett, and is now in her seventieth year of age.


G. H. TALLETT.


MRS. G. H. TALLETT.


RESIDENCE AND GARDEN OF G. H. TALLETT, NEAR FAIR GROUND, WATERTOWN, JEFFERSON CO., N. Y.


GENDRON, PHOTOGRAPHER WATERTOWN, N.Y.


:


EGBERT D. WHITNEY


MRS. EGBERT D. WHITNEY.


RESIDENCE & BRICK YARD of EGBERT D. WHITNEY, WATERTOWN, N. Y. .


169


HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.


in the State, and the only one receiving the dispatches of the National Associated Press.


The weekly is made up from the cream of the daily editions, and has a wide influence and extensive circulation throughout northern New York. It is the largest paper in the county, and contains by far the largest amount of reading matter, and its influence is believed to be unequaled. Speaking of the two papers, " Pettingill's Newspaper Direc- tory" says,-


"The daily has a circulation of 1900, the weekly 3500. The Watertown Morning Despatch is a live daily, containing all tho im- portant news from abroad and throughout the county, latest telegrams, and corrected markets every morning. It is brighter and better than ever. Terms $6 per year, in advance. The Weekly Re-Union is a first-class weckly Democratic journal, devoted to the interest of the masses. It is filled to the brim with the most interesting news of the day, and has complete correspondence from every part of the county. It is tho best advertising medium in northern New York. Price, $1.50 per year. These are the only Democratic papers in Jefferson County, the population of which is 65,000."


The establishment publishing these papers gives employ- ment in its editorial, reportorial, and other departments to twenty-one people, several of whom are married men with families more or less numerous.


Thursday's Post was commenced October 19, 1826, at Watertown, by Theron Parsons & Co., five columns, weekly ; politics, Clintonian ; sixty-six numbers were published, the last being January 17, 1828. The press was then sold to Henry L. Harvey, who (January 24) commenced The Register, with the same size and politics. Mr. Harvey had commenced a temperance paper, called The Genius of Phil- anthropy, previously, which afterwards united with the Watertown Register, both names being retained. On May 1, 1830, Benjamin Cory became a partner in the paper, and May 15 the name became The Watertown Register and General Advertiser. In. May, 1831, Cory became sole proprieter and publisher. In the fall of that year, from being neutral in politics it became the organ of the Whig party in the county. September 19, the latter part of the name was dropped, and on March 25, 1835, its name was changed to The North American, with John Haxton editor. It was continued under this name till September, 1839, . when its name was restored to the Watertown Register, under the direction of H. S. Noble; the size, terms, and politics remaining unchanged. Joel Greene was afterwards taken into the partnership, and he subsequently became the proprietor. In March, 1842, the editor and publisher was William H. Hough. Mr. Greene continued the paper as the Black River Journal from the spring of 1843 till Au- gust, 1846, and by him it was considerably enlarged. In the spring of 1846, Mr. Greene commenced publishing the Daily Journal, which failed to meet the expectations of the publisher, who changed it to the Watertown Journal, a tri-weekly folio of four columns to the page. This was continued until the press was sold and the name changed to The Northern State Journal, by Ambrose W. Clark, which was begun August 26, 1846, and, like its predecessors, ยท was considered the organ of the Whig party in the county. In August, 1848, G. W. Smith and H. S. Noble (the lat- ter formerly engaged on the Watertown Register) bceame the publishers. John Fayel subsequently became a part-


ner, and September 18, Mr. Clark again became one of the publishers, since which time the paper was conducted by Clark & Fayel and others up to the year 1868-69, when the office and publication were purchased by Hon. Lotus Ingalls, and merged in the office of


THE WATERTOWN REFORMER.


This is a weekly newspaper, published at the office of the Watertown Daily Times, of which establishment the Re- former was the original plant, and has become the trunk in the Times-Reformer offiec. It was commenced August 29, 1850, under the title of the New York Reformer, its founders being Lotus Ingalls, A. H. Burdick, and L. M. Stowell. The late Solon Massey, author of a series of articles of local biography and history, under the signature of " A Link in the Chain," giving reminiscenees of Water- town and its pioncers, was one of the editors, as was also Wm. Oland Bourne, for a time. John A. Haddock, Isaac M. Beebee, and L. J. Bigelow were also subsequently con- nected with the paper, both as proprietors and editors. Like the Times, since its first appearance the Reformer has been a discriminating champion of the principles and meas- ures of the Republican party since its organization in 1855, having previously been independent in polities, and devoted to temperance and general reform. Its present proprietor, Beman Brockway, became associated in its ownership and editorial management March 1, 1860, and has been con- nected with it, to a greater or less extent, ever since. Mr. Brockway is a native of Hampshire county, Mass., where he was born in 1815. He served a regular apprenticeship at the printing business, and entered on the first experiences in his long and successful career in journalism at Mayville, the capital of Chautauque county, N. Y., at the close of the year 1834, when only nineteen years of age. He remained in that establishment most of the time, as proprietor and editor, until the spring of 1845, when he removed to the city of Oswego, to take charge of the Oswego Palladium, which he had purchased. The publication of the Daily Oswego Palladium was begun under his auspices, and con- tinued through his ownership, which ceased by sale in 1853, when he removed to New York, and took a position on the editorial staff of the Tribune. This he resigned from choice after two years of arduous but acceptable service, and returned to Oswego to engage in other pursuits. In the fall of 1858 he was chosen member of assembly from the third district of Oswego county, and took a prominent part in the deliberations and actions of that body. Ile removed to Watertown in 1860, to re-enter the field of journalism. While thus engaged as associate editor he was, on January 1, 1865, selected by Governor Fenton as his private secretary ; but he had discharged the duties of the office but a few months when he was appointed a canal appraiser. This responsible position he filled with unqnes- tioned fidelity and credit until the close of his term in January, 1870.


In June, 1870, Mr. Brockway returned to Watertown, and, in connection with Lotus Ingalls and Charles R. Skin- ner, again devoted himself to the cares and toils of daily newspaper life, by engaging in the editorial management and control of the Daily Times and Weekly Reformer.


170


HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.


Having successively purchased the interests of Messrs. In- galls and Skinner, he finally became the sole owner and manager in 1874, and has sinee continued as sole proprietor and editor-in-chief to the present time.


THE WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES,


which is now the peculiarly representative issue of the es- tablishment, and the offshoot of the Reformer, was eom- menced in 1861. It was founded in response to the grow- ing wants of the eity and its vieinity, and in its infancy was a small sheet, and indifferently eondueted. Under better auspices and a more enterprising spirit, as well as greater diligenee and ability in its management, it has be- eome one of the most respectable and influential dailies in the interior of the State, and refleets eredit on the beautiful town in which it is published.


THE TIMES AND REFORMER PRINTING-HOUSE,


which is a complete newspaper briek building of four stories, situated on Areade street, belongs with the establishment, the institution representing a capital of forty thousand dol- lars, employing a manual foree of from thirty-five to forty hands. Its machinery, which is ample in the news and jobbing departments for all elasses of printing work and binding, is driven by steam, the several apartments of the building, together with the eounting-room, situated in the Paddock Areade, being warmed by the same agent. The establishment does a business of some forty thousand dol- lars per annum, the circulation of the daily Times being fifteen hundred, and of the Reformer three thousand. The advertising in each journal is very large, and the job work very extensive. The heads of the different departments and operative parts of the establishment are as follows : B. Brockway, editor-in-chief; L. L. Pratt, news editor; B. D. Adsit, eity editor; J. W. Broekway, general superin- tendent of operative departments ; H. A. Broekway, eashier, presiding in the counting-room.


The Censor, an anti-Masonie paper, was eommeneed by Theron Parsons, at Adams, July 1, 1828, and continued until Jan. 13, 1829, when it was removed to Watertown. It was a small weekly folio of five columns to the page. In June, 1830, Enoch Ely Camp was announeed as the editor. The bitterness of party spirit was at the time excessive, and its enemies having christened it The Cancer, its name was changed by Camp to the Antimasonic Sun. It was afterwards published thirty-nine weeks by Dr. R. Goodale, eommeneing Dee. 13, 1830, as The Constellation, and sub- sequently it passed into the hands of Abner Morton, now of Monroe, Michigan, who enlarged it to six columns, ealled it the Jefferson Reporter, and published it till Jan. 21, 1834, when he removed west, taking his press. Elder Joel Greene, after selling the Journal, in January, 1847, began the Watertown Spectator, a paper devoted to the temper- ance reform. At the end of the second year it was stopped, with the view of enlargement, when it was prevented by the great fire of 1849, which destroyed the form on the press.


THIE WATERTOWN POST


was founded in July, 1870, as an independent literary family paper, in connection with the job printing-office and bindery


of Hanford & Wood, and was edited by George C. Bragdon, an aecomplished writer and a partner in the newspaper ven- ture of the offiec. In November, 1871, Mr. Bragdon sold his interest to Wm. C. Plumb, who became the editor. He eondueted its editorial columns for a year or so, when he sold his interest to his partners, Hanford & Wood, and re- tired from the eoneern. For a year or thereabouts the paper was edited by N. A. Oaks, late a crockery dealer of the eity. In August, 1874, the entire establishment was bought by the present proprietor, Lotus Ingalls, who ehanged the form of the paper from a small eight-page paper, with a literary supplement published in New York, and folded into the issue at the office of publication in Watertown, to a large four-page paper as it at present appears. Mr. Ingalls also changed its character from a strietly neutral paper in polities to an independent Republiean journal, which diseusses all questions of publie and politieal interest on the basis of the " greatest good to the greatest number," thus taking the paper out of the category of merely literary papers, and plaeing it on the side of journals alive to publie interests, yet losing nothing in its literary merit and domes- tie features, and wielding an influenee for good in the eom- munity. Another positive feature was given to the paper at this time, which still continues to mark its issues : it discussed the agricultural interests of the country, in which it is having a salutary influenee by indueing better husbandry outdoors and better living indoors. The eireulation of the Post, at the time of its purchase by Mr. Ingalls, was about 1500 eopies, and this, too, among the influential classes, who took but little interest in the questions that agitated society. It soon, however, under its new management, gathered force, and ran up its eirculation till it had over 4500 sub- seribers, adding to its list the active politieal and social elasses ; more particularly among the farming population of northern New York, so many of whom had in years past made the aequaintanee of Mr. Ingalls as editor-in-chief of the Watertown Daily Times and weekly Reformer, papers which he was chiefly instrumental in founding,-the Re- former in 1850, as a temporanee advocate, and the Daily Times in 1861, at the breaking out of the war, when a daily paper became almost a necessity in this part of the State. During the first years of Mr. Ingall's editorial career the Reformer attained a eirculation of 5500 eopies weekly. As the agitation of the slavery question beeame fierce and threatening, the paper took the Republican side of the issue, and carried on at the same time a persistent advoeaey for a reform in the assessment laws, Mr. Ingalls being the first man in the State to recommend the ereation of a State board of assessors to equalize the assessments between counties; and he first urged the importance of a bill for the same, which was earricd through the legisla- ture two or three years afterwards. Mr. Ingalls, too, was an uneeasing advocate of a free-school system, and was the first to urge, editorially, the distribution of the publie-seliool money on the basis of attendanee at school. In 1869, Mr. Ingalls took a trip to Colorado, corresponding with the papers of the county, which correspondenee, delineations of Rocky Mountain scenery and ineidents, inereased his repu- tation as a descriptive writer, and lent an additional interest to the publieations in which the same appeared. His re-




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.