History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 69

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 69

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).

On the Long Falls (Carthage) road Lemuel Hubbard settled as early as 1805, and Henry C. Baldwin, Dexter Gibbs, Sherebiah Gibbs, Amasa Sartwell, Almon Bcecher, and William Fletcher had located there as early as 1809. Other early settlers in the town, and the dates of their purchases, werc as follows: John Jenison, James Parker, Benajah Randall, John Robinson, 1806; David Coffeen, Zebulon Rockwell, and Samuel Griswold, 1807; Alfred Walker and David Gill, 1808; Richard McAllaster, Jona- than Marbles, Isaac L. Hitchcock, John Peasc, Jesse Jack- son, Daniel Heald, and Timothy Ruggles, 1809 ; Harrison Moselcy, Jeduthan Kingsbury, 1810; John White, Anson Cummings, Levi Wheelock, William McAllaster, 1811; Elkanah Pattridge, William Harris, Asher Seymour, Ira Ward, Roswell Wilder, Benjamin Goodwin, Elliott Lynde, Ezra Church, Silas Brooks, S. Bekwith, James Briggs, 1812; Matthew Brooks, Samuel Hendrix, Oliver Stowell, James Chase, Silvius Hoard, and Sylvanus Hall had settled before 1810.

Of all who came to Antwerp prior to the war of 1812 one alone remains. This is Mr. Benjamin Cook, who came here from Schoharie in 1811, but it was not until the fol- lowing year that he purchased the land upon which he is now living. There was no road to the place at that time, though the old Cambray road lay less than a half-mile from him to the southeast. He married after he came, but has now been a widower for many years, and is living alone within a few rods of the spot where he first reared his pole cabin. He, however, has sons living in the west. He was, in point of time, the third school-teacher in Antwerp. The lot on which he settled was No. 690, and his farm is dis- tant from Antwerp village some three miles on the road to Kcene's Station. In the month of May, 1830, he brought a number of young pincs from the Eggleston swamp and planted them in a row along the roadside, opposite his house. The land on which they stood he afterwards sold to Otis Foster, and it is at present owned by Ansel Clarke. The saplings lived, and are now great trees of half a con- tury's growth,-objects of no little pride to the aged man who planted them. Mr. Cook has secn great changes in the town : his old neighbors are all gone; the mill which he built on his farm long after his arrival has for years been a decaycd ruin ; yet he still is here, and, though ciglity-six years of age, is yet vigorous, and his wonderful memory is scarcely impaired. In the preparation of this historical narrative we have drawn freely from his store of early recol- lections, obtaining from him facts which no other person living is able to furnish, and which, as he truly says, it was well to gather now, for in a very short time at farthest they would have become forever inaccessible.

ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN.

Antwerp was erccted a town on the 5th of April, 1810.

# Evidently Vrooman's.

Samuel G. Sterling, son of Daniel Sterling, now of Philadelphia, was the first white child born in the town.

( PHOTOS BY L. S. WELLER )

E. A. CARPENTER.

MRS. E. A. CARPENTER.

A. G.S DEL.

RESIDENCE OF E. A. CARPENTER, ANTWERP, N. Y.

FARM AND RESIDENCE OF HIRAM B. KEENE,

WE STATION, JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK .

( A.G.SNELL, DEL. )

( PHOTOS. BY L. S. WELLER.

Elych Houghton Afterriet Houghton

A.G. S.DEL.

RESIDENCE OF ELIJAH HOUGHTON, ANTWERP, N. Y.

277

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Its territory-the same which is ineluded in its present boundaries-was partitioned off from Le Ray. Its name was given in honor of the Antwerp company, who owned large traets of land in this and in the neighboring town- ships.

The organization went into effect on the 1st of January, 1811, and the first annual meeting of the new town was held on the 5th of the following March, " at the house of Francis McAllaster, occupied by William Fleteher, inn- keeper, in said Town." Daniel Sterling was ehosen mod- erator, and the following persons were elected to the town offices, viz. : Daniel Heald, supervisor ; Samuel Randall, clerk; John Jenison, Zopher Holden, and Silas Ward, assessors ; Francis McAllaster, Oliver Stowell, and Elkanalı Pattridge, commissioners of highways; William Fletcher and John C. Foster, overseers of the poor ; Danicl Sterling, Jeduthan Kingsbury, Salmon White, Matthew Brooks, and Samuel Hendrix, overseers of highways; Elkanalı Pattridge, constable and collector.

Among the other business transacted at that meeting the following is found recorded :

" Resolved by a majority of the meeting, that Daniel Sterling's barn-yard be made use of as a pound for the ensuing year," and " that Hopestill Foster officiate as pound-keeper."

" Resolved, That there be Five Dollars raised for the purpose of destroying the animal Woolf by a majority of said meeting, and payed for each full-grown woolf caught and killed in said Town the ensuing year."

" Resolre 4, That no Horn Cattle nor Sheep shall be admitted to run upon the highways within fifty rods of an inn from the 15th day of November to the first Tuesday in March in said Town the ensuing year."

And it was resolved that the next annual meeting " be held at the house of Daniel Sterling, now occupied by Hope- still Foster."

During the past sixty-six years the following-named persons have been elceted to the office of supervisor in Ant- werp: Daniel Heald, 1811 to 1817, inclusive; Silvius Hoard, 1818-19 and 1823-24; John Howe, 1820, '21, '22, '25, and '26; Joseph H. Bagg, 1827 ; Ralph Rogers, 1828; William Skinner, 1829; Rufus H. King, 1830, '32, '35, '39 ; David McAllaster, 1833-34 ; Edward Fow- ler, 1836; Tilley R. Pratt, 1837-38 ; William MeAllaster, 1840; James White, 1841-42; Alanson Drake, 1843; Alden Adams, 1844-49, inelusive; Joseph H. White, 1850-51; Josiah S. Conkey, 1852; John H. Conklin, 1853, and 1855-64, inclusive; Robert Ormston, 1854; Levi Miller, 1865, '66, and 'GS; Elijah Fulton, 1867, '73, and '74; Hiram B. Keen, 1869, '71, and '72; Jolin D. Ellis, 1870 ; Alonzo Chapin, 1875-76; and George D. McAllaster, 1877.

The population of the town in 1814, four years after its ereetion, was 303; in 1820, it was 1319; in 1825, 2557; in 1830, 2412; in 1835, 2614; in 1840, 3109; in 1845, 3380; in 1850, 3665; in 1855, 3763; in 1860, 3318; in 1865, 3132; in 1870, 3310 ; and in 1875, 3363.

THE VILLAGE OF ANTWERP.

The first settlement and improvements upon the site of the present village of Antwerp were made under the direc- tion of General Lewis R. Morris. On the 23d of December,

1804, he had purchased a tract of forty-nine thousand two hundred and eighty acres of land within the present bound- aries of the town, comprising more than two-thirds of its entire arca, and including the location on which the village stands. It was not until the year 1808 that David Parrish became proprietor of a part of these lands, by purchase from Morris.

In the year following his purchase (1805) General Morris decided on the establishment of a settlement and the eree- tion of mills at this point, where the road leading to Long Falls (Carthage) crossed the Indian river ; and accordingly he at once commeneed the erection of a dam across the river, the work upon this being done by and under the supervision of Lemuel IIubbard. In the following spring (1806) the erection of a saw-mill upon this dam was com- meneed by Silas Ward for Morris, and a small frame house was built and opened as an inn at the place where the Proctor House now stands. Its first landlord was Gershom Matoon. After him and during the first few years of its existence the house was kept by Jeduthan Kingsbury, William Fletcher, and Francis McAllaster.

The settlement herc was first and for many years known as Indian River ; and, as having reference to the commence- ment of its settlement, we again quote from the diary of James Constable an entry made during his annual tour of the counties, made in the year 1806 : " August 8 .- Passed from the Long Falls to the bridge at Indian River, where we spent the night. The country generally remains as last year, except at this place, where they are building a saw- mill for General Lewis R. Morris, who has gone to Ver- mont, his family not having yet moved to this town."

"At the commencement of the year 1807, John Jeuison was appointed local agent for General Morris, and he was continued in-that position by David Parrish, after that gen- tleman became proprietor in 1808. The land-office, estab- lished under Jenison for the sale of the Parrish lands, was located at the southerly end of the village, nearly opposite the present site of the residence of George D. McAllaster, Esq., where it remained until its removal from the town. Jenison's successor in the agency was Silvius Hoard, who in turn was succeeded by William McAllaster, Esq., who held until the close of Parrish's business in Antwerp.

Dr. Samuel Randall came to Indian River in 1808, and was the first physician not only of the village, but also of the town of Antwerp. In 1809 the first post-office in the town was established herc, and Dr. Randall received the first ap- pointment as postmaster. He located the office in his dwelling, which was nearly opposite where the stone church of the Congregationalists now stands. IIe continued to hold the appointment for many years.

The first grist-mill at Indian River was built in 1810, by Ezra Church, on the spot where the flour-mill now stands. The old mill was equipped with a single run of stones, which had been quarried from Parker's ledge. Church was a pro- fessional bridge-builder and millwright, and a man of great enterprise. It is said that he built the mill with the ex- pectation of purchasing it from Parrish, and with a contract to that effect ; it is certain, however, that it never became his property, but that the title remained with Mr. Parrish until 1839.

278

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

About 1812, Chureh also built a clothing-mill on the same dam, but on the south side of the river, where Bethel's planing-mill now stands. This he carried on until 1828, when Thomas and Ezra Wait became proprietors. After a time they demolished it and built a new mill upon the same site, and this was used in the same business until 1856, when its machinery was taken out and removed to Wegatehie. During this time it had been operated by various proprietors, viz. : Milo Shattuck and Reuben Wil- miot, from 1832 to 1834; by Wilmot alone from 1834 to 1840 ; by Elijah Fulton, 1840 to 1852; and by Church Brothers from that time until its diseontinuanee as a eloth- ing-mill.

About 1812, Isaae L. Hitehbock built a tannery in the village, on the westerly side of the road, on land now owned by Stephen Conklin, and nearly opposite the head of Rail- road street. This he sold in 1815 to Luther Conklin, who removed here in 1816. He afterwards demolished the old tannery and built another upon its site. This was destroyed by fire, many years after. The first distillery in the town* was built by Emmons & Bissell, not far from the Hiteheoek tannery, about 1820. The first wagon-shop was started at nearly the same time, by Henry Weleh. This was on the south side of the river, and the old building is still standing, adjoining the present wagon-shop of Mr. Weleh.

The first merehant in the village, and in the town of Antwerp, was Zebulon H. Cooper, who, about 1810, opened the "yellow store," on the ground now oeeupied by Chapin's block. A small store was opened as early as 1812 by Dr. Randall (who ineluded an assortment of drugs with his stoek ), and a third by Orrin E. Bush.

The only buildings in the village on the north side of the river, in the spring of 1811, were the grist-mill built by Church, the publie-house where Proetor's now is, a build- ing which stood just above the present post-office, and kept as a boarding-house by a Frenchman named Bordeau, the yellow store of Cooper, the post-office and dwelling of Dr. Randall, and farther north, the dwelling of Major John Howe.

Upon the opening of the War of 1812 considerable alarm was felt in view of the probability of an invasion, and on the 2d of July in that year a special meeting of the in- habitants of the town was held, "for the purpose of making fortifieation against an expected enemy." At this meeting it was-

" Resolved, That there be built a fort 36 by 20 in the lower story, and upper 40 by 22, for the security of the inhabitants of said town," and " that it be set north of Indian River 30 rods, in front of Sylvius Hoard's house."

The committee appointed to proseeute the work were John Howe, Oliver Hoard, and Silas Ward. Fifteen days later (July 17, 1812) another meeting was held at Franeis MeAllaster's inn, to devise a " proper method of our defense through a tragedy of war which is now beginning aetion between the United States and Great Britain," and it was then-

" Resolved, That there be a block-house built for the defense of the inbabitants of said town," and "that the building standing north

from Indian River bridge, in front of S. Hoard's bouse, formerly owned by Asher Seymour, shall be finished and appropriated for the benefit and use of said town."

" Resolved, That there sball be fifty cents per day payed for each day's work, and each one finde himself during the space of time in which the block-bouse shall be a building which is for the Town Defense."

A tax was also voted to furnish arms and ammunition for the defenders.

The block-house was eompleted, and stood in the road, nearly in front of where Foster's hotel now is; but no enemy came to besiege it, and so after a time the fears of invasion being allayed, the "fortifieation" was demolished.

About 1813 a school was eommeneed in a small building which was erected on the east side of Main street, north of the present site of Foster's hotel. This was not only the first educational institution in the village but also the first in the town. This was superseded about 1816 by a new school-house upon the hill, which building is still standing on the premises of Welcome Payne.

In 1816-17 the old briek church, now owned and oeeu- pied by the Catholics, was built by Mr. Parrish at an expense of nearly $10,000 ; all borne by himself, and by him made free to all Christian denominations. A committee, eonsist- ing of Major John Howe, Silvius Hoard, and Dr. Randall, were appointed by the town to take charge of it when it was completed. This was the second church edifiee in the eounty of Jefferson ; it was also the first brick building ereeted in the village and town of Antwerp, the brieks being manufactured in the immediate vieinity. It was but a few years later that the brick sehool-house (still in use) was built on the hill, within a few rods of the Parrish ehureh.

The second public-house was erected upon the westerly side of Main street, and was first kept by Reuben Nott, then by John P. Hind, afterwards by John C. Foster, who was also its last landlord. It was destroyed by fire, and not rebuilt.

Foster's hotel, on the easterly side of Main street, was built and opened by General T. R. Pratt, now of Water- town. The town elections and special meetings have often been held at this house. John C. Foster was its proprietor for many years. It is now kept by T. M. Foster. The hotel, which stands where Matoon opened his inn seventy years ago, was kept for many years by Smith Copeland and by his son Clewley Copeland, who realized a handsome eompetenee from it, and is still living, almost an oeto- genarian, in the village. After him the house was kept by several different persons, among them being John N. Green and Edward L. Proetor. It is at present kept by J. B. Proetor. The town-meetings have been held here more frequently than at any other plaee.

INCORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE.

Antwerp was incorporated a village, by order of the court of sessions, under the general act, in the year 1853, and the incorporation was ratified, by a vote of fifty-three to three, at a special meeting, held at Stowell & Taylor's hotel, on the 30th of July in that year. The boundaries are recorded as embracing a rectangular traet of 660 aeres, being SO chains in width from north to south, and 82

# A second was built soon after, by Abraham Cooper, near where La Fave's cheese-factory now stands.

279

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

ehains and 50 links in length from east to west; but a re- survey, made by Henry L. Seott in 1875, gives an area of 661.15 aeres.

The first ineeting for the election of officers was held August 27, 1853, and resulted in the election of Publius D. Foster as elerk, and Jonas S. Conkey, Solomon J. Childs, and Edward L. Proetor trustees ; and at a special meeting, held on the 4th of October following, two additional trustees were elected to fill the board, viz., William D. Car- penter and George W. Brown. Jonas S. Conkey was ehosen president of the board.

In 1871, Antwerp was re-incorporated, under the aet of 1870, by which its municipal powers and privileges were increased. The officers for 1877 are : Trustees, Edward L. Proetor (president), William N. Johnson, De Witt Cofley, George P. Coolidge ; Clerk, John C. Trolan.

It is now a village of about 1000 inhabitants, and eon- tains 5 churches, 1 publie school-house, 1 seminary, the Antwerp post-office, a weekly newspaper, the station build- ings of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburgh railroad, 2 hotels, the office of the Jefferson iron company, a Masonie lodge, 4 physicians, 3 lawyers, 5 general stores, 4 groceries, 2 hardware and agricultural implement stores, 3 boot and shoe stores, 2 drug-stores, 1 jewelry, and 2 millinery-stores, 2 furniture-stores, 1 harness and saddlery store, 1 flour and feed store, 3 blacksmith-shops, 4 wagon-shops, 1 foundry and machine-shop, 1 tannery, 1 grist-mill, 1 saw-mill, 2 planing-mills, and 1 eheese-box factory.

The grist-mill of Martin Augsbury was built by Isaiah Bailey in 1841-42, upon the site of the old mill built by Ezra Church in 1810. Mr. Bailey had purchased this old mill from Messrs. Pratt & Taylor in 1839, but received the title direet from Parrish. It was destroyed by fire in 1841, and the present one built in its place, as above mentioned. Its eost was $8000. Bailey & Sons sold it about 1850 to Stebbins & Tomlinson, since which it has passed through other hands to the present owner.

The saw-mill of A. H. Monroe is the successor of that built for Morris, by Silas Ward, in 1806. The old mill was demolished and the present one built in 1816-17, by Ezra Church. Mr. Henry Welch, who is still living in the vil- lage, was one of the workmen employed in its erection. Some years afterwards it was run for a long period by Asher Seymour.

Bethel's planing-mill and Hogan Brothers' foundry stand on the site of the fulling- and earding-mill built by Ezra Church fifty-five years ago. After that business was dis- continued by Church Brothers, in 1856, the property was sold to Joseph Newton and B. R. Bemis, and from them, through various changes, to the present proprietorship.

The tannery of G. N. Crosby & Co. was built about 1834 by Josiah Drake and David MeAllaster, who after- wards sold to Lewis and James Hamblin. Several changes of ownership have followed, among which were those of Fuller & Martin, Jantes White, - Snell, and others.

Metealf's planing-mill stands upon a dam thrown aeross the river below Augsbury's mill. It is of comparatively recent date. Owned and operated by Edward Metealf. Upon the same dam is the cheese-box factory of Isaae Westeott & Son, a reeent establishment.

The Jefferson Iron Company, Edwin B. Bulkley, presi- dent. Office on Main street, Antwerp village. This eon- pany owns the iron-works at Sterlingville and at Louisburg ; also the Sterling, White, Ward, and Dixon ore-beds.

The Bank of Antwerp is a private banking-house, estab- lished in 1872 by C. M. Coolidge, Esq., now of Rochester, New York. It is now owned by John D. Ellis. The cashier is Albert Hoyt. Banking-rooms on Main street.

The Antwerp post-office is located on the west side of Main street. A. M. King, postmaster.

The Antwerp Gazette, a weekly newspaper, was first issued September 1, 1873, by J. M. Beaman, Esq., and continued under his proprietorship until February 1, 1875, when it was purchased by J. W. Van Slyke, the present editor and publisher. The office is on Main street.

In the summer of 1870, a journal ealled the Antwerp News was started in the village, by Miss M. M. Smith. It was discontinued about January 1, 1873.

"Antwerp Lodge," No. 226, F. and A. M., meets on second and fourth Tuesdays, at the Masonie Hall, Main street. Number of members eighty-five. The present offi- eers are : J. A. Aldrieh, W. M. ; Harlow Hathaway, S.W .; Daniel Sprague, J. W .; Thomas Ryder, S. D .; James Thompson, J. D .; Andrew Woodward, Secretary ; Eugene Copley, Treasurer ; Eli Maek, Tyler. The lodge was in- stituted in 1847.

The " Queen of Sheba Lodge," Major John Howe, Master, was organized in Antwerp probably before 1825, and went out of existenee during the period of the anti- Masonie excitement.

" Tuscarora Lodge," No. 250, I. O. O. F., was formed here about the year 1846, but is now defunet.

Town-meetings are held at the Proetor House in Ant- werp, no town hall having ever been ereeted. In earlier days, they were for many years held alternately at Antwerp and at Ox Bow.

The railway station of the R., W. and O. railroad is on the northeast side of the village, the traek erossing Main street by the old Congregationalist church, and passing near the Ives Seminary. The railroad (mentioned else- where) was first opened into the town of Antwerp on the 4th of July, 1855, the train running as far north as the unfinished Holden bridge over Indian river. It was opened to Antwerp village in the fall of the same year. The company's agent here is Mr. E. G. Taylor. The dis- tanee of this station from Watertown is twenty-three miles ; from Gouverneur thirteen miles.

IVES SEMINARY.

This institution, located in Antwerp village, is an out- growth of two previously-existing educational enterprises, -- the Antwerp Liberal Literary Institute and the Gouverneur Wesleyan Seminary. The last-named institution was ineor- porated April 5, 1828, and was successfully eondueted as a grammar-sehool until 1837, when it was placed under the patronage of the Black River conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, and becaine their conference seminary, with Rev. Jesse 'T. Peck as prineipal. It remained under the patronage of the Methodist Episcopal church until 1869, when, as the buildings and facilities had become in-

280

IIISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

adequate to the needs of the institution, it was transferred to Antwerp.

Of the Antwerp Liberal Literary Institute a more dc- tailed account should be given, as it furnished the begin- nings of the educational facilities, buildings, etc., which are now in use by the Ives Seminary.

In order to provide for students not accommodated in the district schools of the vicinity, select schools were held at Antwerp for several years during nearly every fall and winter, usually in the lecture-room of the Congregational church. Rev. C. B. Pond, at that time the only resident elergyman, was among the first, if not the first, to suggest that measures be taken for the erection of an academy build- ing. A subscription was commenced November 13, 1854, for the purpose of obtaining capital stock to the amount of at least $5000, in shares of $25 each. The effort was suc- eessful, $5900 being subscribed by one hundred and fifty- nine persons. A petition for a charter was sent to the legislature, but was withdrawn in order that the Seminary might be organized subject to the visitation of the regents. Pending this action efforts were made to secure a site for the buildings, and at once a conflict of interests arose which threatened to produce serious embarrassment ; but after a time a selection was made,-the location chosen being the finest in the vicinity, and not surpassed by that of any other institution in northern New York. A provisional charter was granted February 1, 1856, naming John H. Conklin, Jonas S. Conkey, Charles B. Pond, William Gill, Publius D. Foster, Ira Beaman, A. P. Sterling, Luther H. Bailey, Horace W. Seymour, A. H. McAllister, E. G. Tay- lor, Almon Buell, Alvin Coolidge, Hiram B. Keene, Thomas Taite, James White, Solomon J. Childs, and Chandler D. Waite as the first trustees. The time of this charter was afterwards extended to February 1, 1860, and in 1861 it was made absolute. The erection of a building constructed of stone, three stories in height, 105 feet long, and 50 feet wide, similar in style and arrangement to Dickinson college, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and the Mexico academy in this State, was commenced during the summer of 1857, but was not finished until May 9, 1861, at which date it was dedi- cated, the Hon. Levi Miller delivering an address. The value of buildings, grounds, library, and apparatus at that time was $13,000. Of this sum about $7000 had been raised by subscription, and $3000 by bonding the town, leaving an indebtedness of $3000. This debt was removed, soon after the completion of the buildings, by the legis- lature authorizing a loan from the State comptroller of $3000, which was subsequently made a free gift.

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.

History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 69

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