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 73
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an education were limited, but by reading and reflection he has a good business education. He is particularly fond of mathematics.
At the age of twenty-one he commenced business for himself by making charcoal. Soon his brother died, and his parents wished him to come home, which he did. When he commenced farming he had but twenty-five acres and one cow; to-day hic owns six hundred acres, and is milking sixty-six cows, and has milked even more. He is the owner of two farm-houses and six barns. Hc married Miss Alvira Fuller, of Antwerp, November 28, 1854. She was born October 4, 1830. Mr. Bacon was a Democrat until the re-election of President Lincoln, since which time he has been a Republican. Mr. Bacon enjoys the confidence of his fellow-townsmen, and has been elected to the office of assessor for five consecutive years, and is holding the same to-day. Whatever Mr. B. has is due to industry and economy.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
ASHER AND NANCY LEWIS.
Among the pioneer families of this eounty the Lewis family may be mentioned. In November, 1819, Mr. Lewis and wife and a little daughter, nine months old, emigrated from Petersburg to Antwerp. They located on what is known as the " Lewis farm."
Their first eabin was twelve by fourteen feet, without fire-plaec. At one end of the eabin was a stone wall, against which the fire was built, the end of the eabin being left open to let the smoke eseape, and every time it rained or snowed it would put out the fire, and the family was obliged to go to the neighbors for fire, as there were no matches in those days. In the following spring a small room was added to afford sleeping-apartments for jobbers. In this rude structure eight persons lived and enjoyed life. After two years, Mr. Lewis built a log house, eighteen by twenty- five. This was much more convenient. Here Mr. Lewis and wife reared seven children to industry and frugality. They had to yard their stoek every night, as wolves and panthers were very thiek, and would often come very near the house.
Mrs. Lewis made all the elothes for her family out of flax and wool. It was difficult in those days to get money to pay even the taxes, and more than onee land had to be sold to pay them ; but time brought changes to this happy home. Next was a frame building, and ere they had en- joyed its comforts many years Mr. Lewis was ealled to his long home, June 28, 1859, leaving the eare of the family to his wife. He was about sixty years of age when he died. After a few more years the youngest in the family, a daughter, was ealled. She was the mother of four sons, two of whom still live. Of the remaining six children in the Lewis family, all are settled in life ; two are in Illinois, one in Delaware, and two in the State of New York, and the daughter, now Mrs. Hall, is living on the old farm.
One of the sons was a soldier in the War of the Rebellion for three years, was a prisoner for eleven months in Cahawba, Alabama. During the war the Lewis farm passed into the hands of C. G. Hall, and during the years of 1869 and "70 he built his present fine residenec, a view of which, together with the portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, may be seen in another part of this work.
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HIRAM T. NUTTING.
The subject of our sketch was born at Hartford, Con- neetieut, in 1816. His father was a native of the same place, and was born in 1782, and emigrated to the town of Antwerp in 1820, in company with his wife and two ehil- dren, Hiram T. and Mary. He died in 1827, and his wife in 1837.
Hiram T. was reared a farmer, which occupation he still follows. He commeneed life very poor, but by industry and frugality he has acquired a competency. He married Mary Ann Gates, daughter of E. Gates, in 1843. She died in 1862, leaving a family of six children. Mr. Nutting married for his second wife the sister (Sarah) of his first,
in 1864. She died in May, 1872. In 1848 Mr. Nutting bought the farm he now lives upon, a view of which, to- gether with portraits of himself and wives, may be seen elsewhere in this work. Mr. Nutting is one of the sub- stantial and worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Antwerp.
ELIJAH HOUGHTON.
The subject of this sketeh was born in Harvard, Wooster county, Massachusetts, June 12, 1800, and in company with his parents emigrated to the town of Le Ray in 1810. His father died two years later, and Elijah went to live with one of the older members of the family, remained two years, and then served as an apprentice at the tanner and currier trade till he was of age. In 1823 he purchased his first piece of land in Antwerp, but did not settle perma- nently upon it till 1826. On the 26th of October, 1826, he married Miss Harriet Dopking, of Oneida county, New York. She was born April 16, 1805, and is the mother of teu children,-five sons and five daughters. Five sons and three daughters still live, each of whom is settled well in life. Mr. Houghton has a farm of two hundred acres, which he eleared himself. In 1830 Mr. Houghton lost his house and all its contents by fire, but kind neighbors aided him in provisions, etc., and soon he had another home. He has been a life-long Demoerat. He is now old in years and riel with experience, and is an esteemed citizen of the town. One characteristic of his life would be well to fol- low, and that is, he never contracted a debt which he was not able to meet when due.
LAWRENCE WESTON.
The subject of this sketeh was born at Mason, Hillsbor- ough county, New Hampshire, November 19, 1795. Early in life he was an apprentiee in the tannery business, and continued to follow the same till he was twenty-eight. He married Miss Jane Humphrey, of Herkimer county, New York, July 21, 1822. She was born in Herkimer county December 4, 1798. Seven children were born to them, --- six sons and a daughter. One son-George -- was drowned in New Orleans January 3, 1867, and one son --- John --- was a soldier in the Rebellion, and lost his life. In 1817 Mr. Weston emigrated to Le Ray township, Jefferson County, New York, then to Rutland, and in March, 1824, he set- tled in Antwerp on the farm now owned by his son Clark, who is the generous donor of this sketch and view of place and portraits of parents. Mr. Weston was a Demoerat in politics, and held the office of assessor for a period of fifteen years, and then was sueeceded by his son Clark, who held it for sixteen years. He died March 15, 1858. He was a good husband and father and an esteemed citizen. Mrs. Weston is still hale and hearty, and lives on the "old home." Clark was born July 26, 1831.
BROWNVILLE.
THE town of Brownville derives its name from its founder and first settler, Jacob Brown, who afterwards became major-general in the United States army.
The town was formed from Leyden, April 1, 1802, and originally embraced all that portion north of Black river from a line running from the northwest corner of Cham- pion, north forty-five degrees cast to the southwesterly bounds of the county of St. Lawrence.
Prior to 1788 these lands were in possession of the Oneida Indians of the Iroquois Confederacy. In Septem- ber of that year the Oneidas, by treaty, conveyed, for a consideration, the greater part of their lands to the State. This treaty was confirmed by the United States in 1784.
The office of land-commissioner was created by the State in 1786, and authority given the commissioners to dispose of any unappropriated lands.
In 1791 Alexander Macomb bargained for a large tract of land embracing this section, and in 1792 employed Wm. Constable to sell lands in Europe. On the 12th of April, 1793, Constable effected a sale of 210,000 acres of this land to Peter Chassanis, of Paris ; and Chassanis appointed Rodolphe Tillier, of New York, to manage and sell this property.
Macomb's tract No. 4 was surveyed in 1796 by C. C. Brodhead, assisted by Jonas Smith, Timothy Wheeler, Joshua Northrup, Elias Marvin, John Young, Isaac Le Fevre, Elijah Blakc, Samuel Tupper, Eliakim Hammond, and Abraham B. Smede, each with a few men as assistants, and the whole having a general camp or rendezvous at Pil- lar Point, at a place called Peck's cove, near where the Chassanis line crosses the bay.
When Chassanis first arranged for this tract of land, it was proposed to divide it into lots of fifty acres each, giving title and possession of one lot to each purchaser, and reserving for each purchaser another lot of fifty acres, of which he was not to come in possession until a future period. Provision was also made for two cities, one of which was to be located between Brownville and Dexter; six hundred acres to be set aside for this city, to be called the " city of Basle."
The early history of the settlement of Brownville is closely interwoven with that of Jacob Brown, who, while teaching school in New York, formed the acquaintance of Tillier, and became interested in the Black river country.
Samuel Brown, the father of Jacob Brown, resided in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, on the banks of the Dela- ware. He was a man of wealth, and Jacob, with an older brother, was being educated at an academy in Trenton, when his father lost his property by an unfortunate specu- latiou, and Jacob was obliged to leave school, and become
the teacher of his younger brothers and sisters. He was now a lad of sixteen. He afterwards taught a large school at Crosswicks, New Jersey, qualifying himself in the mean time for land-surveying, and as land-surveyor he spent a year in the Miami country, Ohio, thus early developing those sterling qualities of energy and self-reliance that fitted him for pioneer life, as well as the arduous duties of his brilliant military career.
The Brown family were now casting about to retrieve their fortunes, and Jacob, as well as his father, had strong proclivities towards a home in Ohio, and, with that in view, had entered into some negotiations for a tract of land, now the site of the city of Cincinnati. These plans were not ma- tured, and Jacob returned to New York in 1798, and took charge of a Quaker school, and while thus engaged, formed the acquaintance of Tillier, the agent of Chassanis, and the project of coming into the Black river country was dis- cussed. Tillier accompanied him on a visit to his father's house, and a written agreement was entered into by which Tillier agreed to defray all the expenses of a prospecting trip, whether he purchased or not.
In February, 1799, having closed his school in New York, he proceeded to the French settlement at the High Falls, finding his way from Utica by marked trees; here he remained to complete his plans, making several journeys to Utica, and bringing from thence such supplies as would be needed in his projected trip.
In March he launched his boat upon the swollen waters of Black river, and floated down to Long Falls (Carthage), and from thence, in company with two men by the name of Chambers and Samuel Ward, and a few hired men, he took the route of the " French road," so called, which Tillier had caused to be opened at the expense of the French com- pany, from the High Falls on Black river to Great Bend ; thence nearly direct to Clayton or French creek. Travel- ing this road until he supposed they had gone far enough, he struck off towards the river, which he reached at the Basin, one and a half miles below the present village of Brownville. Here he heard the sound of a waterfall, and followed the river up till he came to a point where a creek,* swollen by the spring freshet, poured its torrent of waters into Black river. This creek did not then run in its present channel, but at a point near the present railroad bridge it made an angle, and found a channel along the space between the present residences of Byron Cole and George Hunter, and thence down through " Scrabble Hol-
# This creek he afterwards named "Philomel creek," from hear- ing the song of a bird resembling the nightingale, or Philomela, among the trees that skirted its banks.
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RESIDENCE OF MRS. J. A.SCOFIELD, BROWNVILLE, JEFFERSON CO., N. Y.
RESIDENCE OF MRS. A.A.CLARKE, BROWNVILLE, JEFFERSON CO. N.Y.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
low" into the river. A straight channel was afterwards cut through the rocks to the river, as at the present day.
It was the intention of Jacob Brown to establish him- self at the head of navigation, and believing this creek would afford water sufficient for mills and all manufacturing purposes, and the river below need but little improvement to make it navigable for boats, he determined to locate here, and thus began the settlement of Brownville.
He immediately set about clearing the land, and the first house north of Black river was built of logs, on the edge of the bank, where the hay-scales now stand.
In the mean time he sent on for his father's family, who arrived on May 27, 1799, having found their way by the tedious navigation of the Mohawk, Oncida lake, and Lake Ontario, pitching their tent at night on the shore, and re- suming their way by day. When the family arrived the log house had neither roof nor floor, door or window. It was built of pine logs, felled on the spot ; a sail-cloth was taken from the boat and stretched across the upper timbers for a roof, and the openings for doors and windows were closed as well as possible by quilts and blankets. In this rude domicile, twenty feet square, were gathered the twenty persons, male and female, old and young, who composed this little colony.
At this time there were not more than three families within forty-five miles, and nothing like a settlement for twenty-four miles,-all north of Black river being a dense wilderness. One may imagine the feelings of Jacob's mother, when she said, on taking a survey of her new home, " Well, Jacob, thee has got us all here, but thee has not a board to make us a coffin, nor a spade to dig us a grave." Tradition says the mother of Jacob Brown was not known to smile for six months after she came to this wilderness. About that time Jacob returned from New York with goods, and among other articles brought a spade. His mother said, " Jacob, what will thee do with a spade, among these roots and stumps ?" " Oh ! some of us may die" (alluding to the remark his mother had made on her first introduction into pioneer life), "and we shall want a spade ;" at which reply, it is said, she smiled.
The Brown family at this time consisted of Samuel Brown and his wife, Christopher, Jacob, John (afterwards Judge Brown), Joseph, Mary (Mrs. Newland, of Fishkill), Benjamin, Samuel (Major Brown, of Brownville), Hannah (Mrs. B. Skinner), William (who was drowned in Lake Erie, while acting as aid to his brother, Major General Brown, during the War of 1812), Abi (Mrs. Evans), and Joseph, General Brown, of Teeumsch, Michigan. With them had come George Brown, a relative, with his two sons, Henry, a lad of fourteen, and Thomas, then eight.
Of course there was no lumber for building purposes, but their necessities made them fertile in invention, and, as a substitute for planks for floors, they used long strips of bark, laid down closely, and taken up each day, carried into the open air, cleansed, and then relaid.
THE FIRST TABLE.
Shortly after their arrival a piece of pine plank was dis- covered floating down the river, which they managed to secure. This was a prize, and from it was manufactured
the first table, around which they daily gathered to break bread and thank the " Giver of every good." This table is now in the possession of Mrs. Mary How, of Brownville.
After a time some rough-hewed planks were put up as shelves, being fastened to the log wall by wooden pins ; here the dishes were safely placed, and the hearts of mother and daughters rejoiced over the convenient arrangement.
How this large family could find sufficient room in this log hut, twenty feet square, is a problem difficult to solve; but here they lived and therived, keeping "open house" for all the hungry and benighted land-jobbers, surveyors, hunters, or fishermen who chanced to come that way ; and they were not " few and far between," for it is said so great was the draft mnade on their catables that more than once a barrel of flour was consumed in three days. Not much variety of food had these carly settlers. Their meat was mostly pork and what game the woods afforded, with fish from the river. Mainly, the changes were rung on " bread and peas and pork, and pork and peas and bread." Pro- visions at that time were chiefly brought from Kingston by means of a boat owned by the colony.
During this first winter this little colony was entirely shut in from the outside world. General Washington died December 14, 1799. In the following April, Jacob Brown, hungry for news, sent a man on foot to Whitesboro', the nearest post-office. The messenger returned, bringing the papers dressed in mourning for the death of the " Father of his Country."
The same season the body of a two-story log house, twenty-five by thirty, was put up on the site of the brick block now owned by Colonel Lord. This was not ready for occupation till the spring of 1801, when it was used as a store by Jacob Brown and his father, who kept a small stock of goods for the accommodation of the settlers.
In 1799 a great number came into this section to look for lands, many of whom selected farms on Perch river and between it and the Brownville settlement. They eom- menced clearing land, and arranged for the removal of their families in the spring. Among these was John W. Collins, who took up about six hundred acres of land, in- cluding the since-known " Dr. Green place," the " Melvin Moffatt farm," and the " Kilborn farin." Upon the Dr. Green place he afterwards put up the first framed house,-a large two-story building, which stood many years. Richard- son Avery, Nathan Parrish, Horace Mathers, and others came about this time. These carly settlers on Perch river pledged themselves to clear a certain amount of land and build a house.
In the summer of 1800 a large number had settled about there, and the clearings extended from the banks of the river nearly half a mile.
About this time Jacob Brown brought to his new home a bride. Her maiden name was Pamelia Williams, daughter of Captain Judge Williams, of Williamstown, and sister of Judge Nathan Williams, of Utica,-a lady who proved her- self in every way worthy of her distinguished husband, and who still survives him, in the possession of physical and mental powers to a remarkable degree. Until within a few years she has resided in the old family mansion, built by her husband, and for many years the home of her son-in-
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
law, the late Colonel Edmund Kirby. She now lives with her granddaughter (Mrs. William Everett), at Rye, New York.
Accompanying the Brown family to this new country was the George Brown already mentioned, the father of Henry, and Thomas, and George Brown, Esqs. He took up the land known since as the Henry Brown farm, just outside the village.
Hon. Lysander Brown, of Watertown, relates this inci- dent connected with the pioneer life of his grandmother, Mrs. George Brown : "The Indians were quite common at the time of the first settlement, and though avowedly peaceful, were disposed to be quite saucy. One day one came to the residence of George Brown, who was absent, and demanded ' something to eat' of his wife. The latter began to get it, but was not spry enough to suit the warrior, who suddenly flung his tomahawk across the room, sinking it deep in the jamb of the door, 'Ugh !' he exclaimed, ' that is the way we serve white men; Indian want to cat quiek !' It may be believed Mrs. Brown lost no time in complying.'
About this time came Thomas Y. How, from Trenton, New Jersey. He was a graduate of Princeton, and brought with him his patrimony of ten thousand dollars. He loaned large sums to the Browns to aid in carrying on their enterprises. Mr. How's thorough culture as a student, and his finished, courtly manners, made him an agreeable com- panion, and a valuable acquisition to the colony, but as a business man he was not successful. He took up one hun- dred aeres of land on Perch river flats,-now known as the Adam W. Walrath farm. This land Jacob Brown engaged to clear for him ; and employed for this purpose one John Brown (the father of Aaron and George Brown), known as " Honest John Brown," and, after the elearing of this land, as " How-job" John Brown. Jacob Brown, in writing to his brother, John (a bookseller in New York ), July 9, 1802, says, " We this year pay a debt of $2000 to my good friend How ; for clearing and putting in crop of his one hundred acres will amount to that sum. The work is now in a very forward state."
In the fall of 1800 a saw-mill was built at the mouth of Philomel creek, the millwrights being Noah Durrin and Ebenezer Hills.
During this year Charles Welch, the father of Nathan Welch (the well-known insurance agent), and Otis Britton came from Remsen. They took a job of chopping out a road from a point on the river, at Brownville, to the ferry at Chaumont, a distance of ten miles. It was warm weather, in November, when they began their job, but before it was completed a heavy fall of snow came; their shoes were worn out, they could get no new supply, and were obliged to roll the big logs out of the road-track in order to finish up their job, and then travel to Herkimer county, a distance of more than eighty miles, in their bare feet. Before leaving, however, they assisted Samuel Brit- ton (an uncle of Otis), who had just come in from Herki- mer county, to put up the body of a log house on the farm now known as the Crouch farm. By some mishap Otis had his leg broken, and as soon as his uncle could be spared, he took Otis on his ox-sled to Floyd, Charles preceding the
team with his axc to clear the road. The snow was two feet deep, and the journey a hard onc for his bare feet. The following fall Charles, having married Eunice, daughter of Moses Cole, of Newport, returned in company with Calvin (afterwards General) Britton and his own twin- brother, Nathan, bringing their goods on a hand-sled from Carthage,-the men and women following on foot. Arriving at Brownville, Charles commenced housekeeping in the little log cabin built by the Browns and used for a smoke- housc. They had been in possession of it about a week, when William Dillon, with his wife and two children, arrived, and shared with them for a time their close quar- ters. Charles and Nathan took up the farm afterwards owned by Daniel Fox, in the Parish neighborhood, and here was born to Charles and Eunice a son,
THE FIRST CHILD
born in the new town north of Black river. He was named Charles, and is now living in the town of Orleans.
Charles Welch afterwards bought and cleared up a por- tion of the George I. Knight farm, on Prospect Hill. He soon sold this, and bought and cleared one hundred acres, now known as the Knapp farm, where he lived for twenty years. Mrs. Welch was a sister to Captain William Cole, Mrs. Jonathan Webb, Mrs. Stephen Gould, Mrs. Calvin Britton, and Mrs. Otis Britton, all prominent pioneers.
In the fall of 1801 a grist-mill was built for Mr. Brown, by Ethni Evans, the founder of Evans' Mills. The erection of the saw- and grist-mill had a powerful influence on the settlement and growth of Brownville. It was not an un- common thing for a settler to come to mill bringing a bag of grain on his shoulder. On one occasion Moses Bacon, living at Watertown, came to this mill with a bag of corn, brought in this way, and having to wait his turn at the mill, he was so late in getting home that he could not see the marked trees that indieated the path between Brown- ville and Watertown, and laid out in the woods all night, making his bed of hemlock bonghs, with his bag of nical for a pillow.
ROADS AND BRIDGES
were an important element in the settlement of a new country. The legislature of this State had been led to pass an aet for the opening of two roads into these new town- ships, March 26, 1803, one from Rome to Brownville via Redfield and Adams, the other from Utica, via Boonville and the Black river valley. Jacob Brown was one of the commissioners appointed to locate these roads. Upon these State roads $30,000 wcre expended.
The French company's road, projected by Tillier, was never completed ; the road was cleared and the stumps re- moved, but there were no bridges, and consequently it was of little use to the early settler. When it was represented to Tillier that bridges were indispensable to the road, hc replied, " Why, I have reserved fifty dollars for that very purpose !"
The attention of the settlement was now directed to bridging the river, and for this purpose $1000 was raised by subseription from the people and land-owners, and Deacon Oliver Bartholomew was employed for this sum to build the bridge. It was completed in the summer of
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
1802. It crossed the river near the present mills, nearly where the main street, if continued, would strike the river. This bridge was carried off by the great flood in the spring of 1806, and was rebuilt by the deacon and his sons in 1807, on the site of the present bridge. For thirty-two years money was raised for bridges amounting to $9050. In 1846, money was raised to build a bridge over Perch river, near its mouth ; and in 1835, '48, '49, and '50, one at Dexter village.
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