History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 75

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 75

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301

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

1829, Wm. S. Ely. 1830, Derriek Gibbons. 1831, Hoel Lawrence. 1832, Edmund Kirby. 1833, Wm. Lord. 1834, George Brown.

1847, John E. Brown.

1848, Edmund Kirby.

1849, Thos. L. Knap.

1850, C. K. Loomis.

1851, J. B. Kirby.

1835, Arba Strong.

1852, James J. Hunt. 1853, Jesse Ayres.

1836, A. Skinner.

1854, James Skinner.

1837, J. Hemminway.

1855-56, N. B. Lord.

. 1838, Joel Blood.

1857, Jesse Ayres.

1839, James Shields.

1858-61, Wm. II. Brown.

1840, Thomas Loomis.

1862, Chas. C. Steele.

1842, Chas. K. Loomis.

1864-66, George C. Plumb.

1843, -

1867, Franklin Keenan.

1844, John Bradley.

1868, Chas. C. Steele.

1845, Arba Strong.

1869, Alfred Kilborn.

1846, M. C. Loomis.

1870-77, Alvin A. Gibbs.

The board of trustees for 1877 are Charles C. Codmon, Robert Younger, Jeremiah Giltenan, John W. Wilder, and Alvin A. Gibbs,-the latter the president of the board.

THE TOWN OFFICERS

for 1877 are : Henry Binniger, supervisor ; Wm. H. Winn, town clerk ; Charles Allen, justice of the peace ; Robert A. Mullin, Henry Reeves, John Fitzgerald, asses- sors ; Amos Otis, commissioner of highways ; Chas. C. Steele, Cyrus Potter, for district No. 1; Walter Vandebo- gart, Edmund B. Calkins, for district No. 2; Walter Lee, Edwin R. Adams, for district No. 3; Cyrenius Woodworth, John H. Stokes, for district No. 4; Adolphus P. Swartz, collector ; Chester Seber, Charles W. Smith, Sydney R. Brimmer, Bruce Mahew, constables ; Farnahan Cory, game-constable ; Edwin R. White, Henry Spicer, town auditors ; Sterling W. Avery, Morgan Williams, Horace Skinner, excise commissioners.

MANUFACTORIES.

February 9, 1814, a company was organized for manu- facturing purposes, with a nominal capital of $100,000. The first trustees were John Paddock, John Brown, Thomas Loomis, Jr., Thomas J. Whitesides, and Hoel Lawrence, who were to serve for one year. A factory- building of stone was erected, and the manufacture of cotton goods commenced the next year. The business proving unprofitable, it was conducted but a few months, and was not resumed for several years. The property was bought by Charles Smith, Elizur Fairman, and John A. Cathcart, in 1826, and an act procured April 6, 1831, incorporating the Brownville Cotton Factory, with a capi- tal of $100,000, in shares of fifty dollars. The business was managed with indifferent success and numerous stop- pages until 1842, when, under the ownership of Charles Smith, Wm. H. Averill, and F. W. Andrews, the mill was greatly enlarged and 3200 spindles and 80 looms put in operation, giving employment to from 80 to 100 hands, with a capacity of 18,000 yards of sheeting a week. It re- mained under this ownership until 1856, since which time it has been owned and managed successively by Messrs. Carleton & Andrews, L. S. Pratt & Son, Fitzsimmons & Co., Mumford & Co., and others. It is not at present in operation.

A company, styled the Jefferson Lead Company, with a

capital of $15,000, was formed June 30, 1838, with Thomas L. Knap manager. The business of manufacturing white lead and lithic paints was conducted with varied success for abont. twelve years, when it was abandoned.

A woolen-factory, owned by Bradley and Brown, was destroyed by fire January, 1846 ; also a machine-shop, flax- mill, and other property, none of which were rebuilt.

A furnace, foundry, and machine-shop was established in 1820 by Wm. Lord and Henry Caswell. The present large stone furnace building, owned by Colonel Lord, was erected by Wm. Lord and Alanson Skinner in 1830. The business was conducted for seven years by Lord & Skinner, then by Wm. Lord & Son (the partner being Gilderoy Lord, now of Watertown) for sixteen years, and still later, the firm of N. B. Lord & Brothers (the brothers being Wm., Jr., and Nathan) conducted the business. The furnace has not been in operation for several years.

A large and commodious building was erected, with suit- able contiguous buildings for conducting an extensive foun- dry, furnace, and stove manufacturing business, by Alanson Skinner in 1837, and the present machine-shop in 1846. The business has, with little interruption, been conducted successively by A. Skinner & Son and H. Skinner & Brothers, and at present by Wm. T. Skinner and Horace Rice, under the firm-name of Skinner & Rice.

A flouring-mill was built about this time by Thomas L. Knap, which has since been owned and operated by Charles HI. Bartlett, Bartlett & Patrick, Bartlett & Smith, P. T. Welch, and is at present owned by Charles C. Steele, and operated by C. C. Steele and Ed. Giles under a copartner- ship.

Setlı G. Hunter carries on a business for the manufac- ture of furniture and cabinet-ware in the stone building, originally a woolen-mill, on the Brownville side of the river.

The " Brownville Carriage-Works" were established by Henry Lord in 1828, in the stone shop built for a woolen- factory, afterwards the " White Lead Works," and at pres- ent occupied by S. G. Hunter as a cabinet-shop. Some years ago Mr. Lord built the block opposite the Stone hotel, which was sold to Mr. Hunt and occupied as a shoe-store by himself, and harness-shop by George Stebbin. Mr. Lord afterwards re-bought it, and remodeled it by adding thereto the present building, used for a store-room and for the display of finished work, on the site of the old stone law-office of N. Rathbun, G. M. Bucklin, and W. W. Wagar, successively. Mr. Lord's business was principally the manufacture of lumber-wagons and heavy work. His name on a wagon was a guarantee that it was of good ma- terial and well made. The man who owned a wagon made by Henry Lord, and a harness made by George Stebbins, considered himself well equipped. The business is at pres- ent conducted by John W. Wilder, more attention being paid to fine light carriages and cutters.

G. Codmon & Son conduct a general manufacturing business in the line of furniture, cabinet-ware, coffins, and job-work in wood. Across the river, near the site of the mills originally built by John Brown, a flouring-mill is owned and operated by Byron Cole, Myron H. Peck, and J. H. Thompson. They do both custom and merchant milling, aggregating about $100,000 per annum. They

1841, Wm. Lord.

1863, Aaron Brown.

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

kcep three teams employed the greater part of the time in drawing grain from the cars to the mill, and delivering flour and feed to the cars for shipment and to neighboring towns.

Adjoining this is a stone building, originally constructed for a woolen-mill, where, in 1835, and for twenty-five years thereafter, Joel G. Stacy, Enoch Drake, H. C. Alexander, W. R. Willis, Jr., and others, have manufactured satinet, fuller's eloth, and flannels, and done a general wool-earding and cloth-pressing business. It is now run on wool-carding by H. C. Alexander.

A shingle-mill was built by Warren & Hunter, and sup- plied by material shipped from Canada, but the cost of transportation was too great to successfully compete with mills nearer the timber, and the business was abandoned.

A saw-mill, built many years ago, has given place to more modern machinery ; it stands just below the shingle- mill, and is now doing a custom business under the manage- ment of Lewis Maynard.

TIIE MERCHANTS

doing business in this village are Alvin A. Gibbs, dry-goods, groceries, ete. ; Albert E. Lord, dry-goods and drugs ; My- ron H. Peck, groceries and provisions; Robert Younger & Son, groceries and provisions.

Physicians : William P. Massey, M.D .; Ezra B. Pratt, M.D. ; William W. Goodwin, M D.

THE BROWNVILLE FEMALE SEMINARY

was established in 1849. It was chartered by the regents November 28, 1849, and opened May 1, 1850, as a board- ing- and day-school, under charge of Miss Mary F. Bloom- field, who was succeeded by Miss H. M. Foster, followed by Rev. G. B. Eastman. The building occupied for this purpose was the large brick mansion on one of the main streets, built by Major Samuel Brown, in 1816. The school was not a financial success. It was elosed after a short career, and the building sold to and sinee occupied by Alfred Kilborn.

In 1861-62 a building forty by fifty feet was erected by subscription in Brownville, at a cost of nearly $2000, the lower story of which was to be used for the purposes of a high school, and the upper for a town-hall. In 1875 this building was purchased by the school district of the village of Brownville for school purposes, and, so far as consistent, for the purposes of a hall.

MAJOR-GENERAL BROWN.

The village of Brownville as well as the town was greatly indebted to General Brown for his active interest in every- thing pertaining to its welfare. During the whole of his residence here of twenty-two years he was indefatigable in his efforts to aid, and liberal in his patronage, where the good of the village was concerned. His official duties never made him forgetful of its interests, and it was with deep regret he found that in the discharge of military duties his residence must be removed to Washington in 1821. Here he continued to reside for seven years, latterly much broken in health from disease contracted at Fort Erie. He died at Washington, February 24, 1828, aged fifty-two.

In 1812-14, Hon. Moss Kent, representative in Congress of General Brown's district, wrote to one of his constituents :

" Another resolution has this day been introduced, offering the thanks of Congress to Generals Brown, Scott, and Gaines for their brilliant victories on the Niagara frontier over a superior British force. The resolution is postponed for a few days. General Brown is here the subject of the most extravagant praise, and I believe if Congress was to authorize the appointment of a lieutenant-general he would be the man."

Among other acknowledgments for his distinguished ser- vices, he received a gold medal from the President, and the thanks of Congress. The legislature of the State of New York presented him a sword with resolutions expressive of approbation, and the freedom of the city of New York was presented to him in a gold box.

His remains were laid in the Congressional cemetery at Washington, and Congress erected over his grave a monu- ment commemorative of his services. The device was a broken column ; upon the east side of the base was this inscription :

" Sacred to the memory of Major-General Brown. By birth, by education, by principle, devoted to peace. In deference to his country, a warrior. To her service he dedicated his life. Wounds received in her cause abridged his days."

COLONEL EDMUND KIRBY.

Among the prominent citizens of Brownville at an early date was Edmund Kirby, afterwards Colonel Kirby.

" He was a son of Ephraim Kirby, an officer of the Revolution, and afterwards judge of the supreme court of Connecticut. Colonel Kirby was born at Litehfield, Connecticut, April 18, 1794; entered the army as lieutenant in 1812; served during the war on the north- ern frontier; joined General Brown as aid in 1820; from 1821 to '23 discharged the duties of adjutant-general at Washington; in 1824 was appointed paymaster of the army, and returned to Brownville, where he married Eliza, a daughter of General Brown. From 1832 to '40 he was engaged in the Florida wars with the Indians; was chief of the pay department during the Mexican war; volunteer aid to General Taylor at the storming of Monterey ; aid to General Scott at Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco, Chapultepec, and the Mexican capital, and always distinguished for courage and bravery."

In 1848 he returned to his home in Brownville; was enthusiastically received by the citizens, a large cavalcade going out to meet and welcome him on his approach to the village. The seeds of disease were implanted in his system by the hardships of war in a tropical climate, which had so impaired his health that he sought relief from the medici- nal waters of Avon Springs, where he died, August 20, 1849, aged fifty-five. His remains were brought to Brownville, and laid in the village cemetery with fitting military honors. A plain shaft of Quincy granite marks his resting-place, and bears silent testimony to his heroic deeds. By his side in the village cemetery lie the remains of his gallant son, " Brigadicr-General E. Kirby, who was wounded at Chancellorsville, May 3, and died May 28, 1863, at the age of twenty-three, a worthy son of an honored sire."

GEORGE BROWN, ESQ.,

who was for so many years identified with the interests of

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Brownville, was a son of George Brown, one of the colonists, and followed his father to this county in 1802.

" He was elected justiee of the town soon after its organization, which office he held for nearly fifty years, with little interruption, heing elceted whenever nominated, whatever the strength of the po- litical party to which he belonged. He was also postinaster for twenty-eight years; was a member of assembly in 1819; introduced and seeured the passage of the bill organizing the town of Pamelia, and giving it its name after the wife of General Brown."

It is said Colonel Kirby never went out to town-meeting, but when this friend's name was on the ticket he would always go four miles to vote for George Brown.

The following anecdote is related by his nephew, Hon. Lysander Brown, of Watertown :

" George Brown was one of the judges of the old court of common pleas of this eounty for many years, as long ago as when the late Jason Fairhanks got together his famous heavy jury. The eourt was composed of slender, light men, and Mr. Fairbanks' toast on the occasion of a dinner given by him was, 'Here is to a lean court and a fat jury.' But they are all gone,-sheriff, court, and jury,-ripe sheaves gathered to the harvest."

George Brown died July 8, 1870, at the age of eighty- eight, at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. James G. Brown, of New Haven, Connecticut.

COLONEL WILLIAM LORD,

a man long identified with the interests of Brownville, eame here from Vermont, just before the breaking out of the war. He was indueed to come to aet as book-keeper for his uncle, Wm. M. Lord, who kept the Brownville hotel. His unele having leased the hotel, William taught a winter school at Blanchard's Corners, spending his time out of school in getting out the timber for forty wooden plows, which the next spring he finished up for market. In the fall he concluded to return to Vermont. He packed his clothes, bought a horse and saddle, and was intending to start the next morning, in company with Isaae Farwell, Chesterfield Parsons, and a Mr. Stow. While taking sup- per together at Abijah Farwell's, Warren Skinner, aeting as sergeant in Captain Win. Cole's company, eame in, and warned each of them to report with axe and gun the next morning for service in cutting and felling trees across the road between Brownville and Cape Vincent, to prevent the enemy approaching by way of the eape, fearing an insuffi- cient guard there would enable the enemy to gain access to Saeket's Harbor by this route.

Farwell, Parsons, and Stow concluded it safest to go on to Vermont as designed. Mr. Lord said, " If my coun- try wants my services, I have nothing to withhold." He joined the company, turned his horse into the street, and did not see him again for months. He was engaged in the service twenty-eight days, and did not see Vermont in six years.

This incident probably turned the current of his life to- wards Brownville. He established the well-known foundry of Lord & Skinner, and afterwards Lord & Sons. He was also one of the most efficient men in securing and pro- moting the interests of the Watertown and Rome railroad, as well as for many years one of its directors. Two of his sons (Col. N. B. Lord and N. N. Lord) were in the coun- try's service during the civil war ; the former was efficient

in organizing two regiments-the 35th Infantry and the 20th Cavalry-for the service.

Col. Lord is now, at the age of eighty-six, in the enjoy- ment of all his faculties, living quietly with two of his children in the family mansion at Brownville.

ALANSON SKINNER

came to Brownville in 1814, remained here but a short time, then went back to New Hampshire, where all of his children were born. He returned to Brownville, and entered into partnership with Wm. Lord, and afterwards (1836-37) built a foundry, and the present machine-shop in 1846, where for many years he conducted a large and successful business in the manufacture of stoves and general hardware. He was State Senator in 1850, '51. He was one of the directors of the National Union Bank, and for some years previous to his death was president of the same. He died at his residence in Brownville, June 7, 1876, aged eighty-two.

GEN. THOMAS LOOMIS

came to this country at an early day ; from Otsego county originally. He was engaged in a tannery and shoe-shop, and conducted a large business ; he also had a distillery, and later manufactured saleratus. He was a man of mark in the community where he lived, and in the county as well. He was of large, portly figure, a fine face, and an eagle eye, which, with his white hair, made him conspicuous wherever he was. One of his sons, Charles K., was for many years a resident of Brownville. His business eareer as a merchant, lumber dealer, and United States marshal, made him well known throughout the country. During the last years of his life he was general freight agent for the Buffalo division of the N. Y. C. railroad, and while engaged in the duties of his position, on his way to a rail- road convention, was the vietim of a railroad disaster at Carr's Roek. Another son, M. C., was engaged in business with his father for many years, and then removed to Og- densburgh, where he still resides. General Loomis was an invalid for many years, a great but patient sufferer, and died at his residence in Brownville, April 24, 1869, aged eighty years.

From the earliest settlement of Brownville, there have been found there a greater number of men of eulture and weight of character than usually falls to the lot of a vil- lage of its size. Prominent among this elass of men was

THOMAS S. KNAP.

Those who knew Mr. Knap remember him as a man of remarkable social power. His fine physical development, noble bearing, and dignified manner, with his eultured mind and rare " common sense," made him an acquisition in the social circle, and a recognized power in the community.

In 1829, Mr. Knap came from his home in New Berlin, New York, to take charge of the business of his brother, Traey S. Knap, whose infirm health obliged him to relin- quish business for a time. Mr. Knap gave his attention to the manufacture of linseed oil, and for this purpose engaged the farmers in the vicinity to cultivate large crops of flax. To utilize and prepare the flax, "a long stretch of wooden troughs, about fifteen feet wide, ten feet high, and thirty

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

rods long (as remembered by the narrator), were arranged in what is ealled 'Philomel creek woods ;' these troughs were filled with the stalks of flax, divested of its seed, and water from the creek was made to flow into this trough, for the purpose of rotting the glutinous part of the plant and setting the fibre free, thus fitting it for the purposes of a neighboring rope-walk." The flax-seed was converted into linseed oil by being crushed under heavy burr-stones, and the remaining oil-cake converted into feed for horses and cows.

In addition to the manufacture of linseed oil, and by far the more important business in which he was engaged, was the manufacture of white lead and lithic paints. This oc- cupied a period of about twelve years, from 1838 to 1850. In 1851, Mr. Knap left Brownville for Pittsburgh, Penn- sylvania, to become associated with his brother, Charles Knap, of the Fort Pitt Iron Works. His family were prepared to follow him, when the community was startled by the news of his death from cholera.

JOHN A. CATIICART, .

who for many years was a prominent merchant and citizen of Brownville, came to this place in 1828, at the solicita- tion of his friend and relative, Elizur Fairman, one of the owners of the Brownville cotton factory. Mr. Catheart was then living in Rochester, New York, engaged in mer- cantile business. Mr. Fairman wrote his friend urging himn to come to Brownville and invest in the "cotton factory," representing that prospects for making a fortune here were flattering. Catlicart soon succeeded in disposing of his business, and a real estate interest in Rochester, which, if retained a few years, would have made him a fortune. He came to Brownville, invested $10,000 in the "cotton fac- tory," and used to say " his only return was one bale of sheeting !" He afterwards commeneed the sale of dry goods, groceries, etc., at this place, which he continued successfully for twenty-five years, though many of the latter years of his life an invalid. He died in 1852, leaving his business to his son, W. A. Cathcart, now of Bay City, Michigan.

In many respects the village of Brownville presents su- perior advantages for manufacturing establishments, as it has direet communication by railroad with the markets, real estate is cheap, and the surrounding country affords in abundanee the means for supporting a large population.

Early in the history of this county, the village, with its mills and stores and shops, was the centre of a large trade from the surrounding country. Its business prospects attracted here men of brains and energy, men well calculated to succeed in business enterprises : Gen. Jacob Brown, Judge John Brown, Major Samuel Brown, Gen. Loomis, Asa Whitney, William S. Ely, Hoel Lawrence, William M. Lord, Daniel Lyman, Col. William Lord, Col. E. Kirby, Elizur Fairman, Major Reed, John A. Catheart, Tracy S. and Thomas L. Knap, John E. Brown, Joel Blood, Henry Lord ; and later Joel G. Stacey, William H. Skinner, James Shields, Col. Bradley, Arba Strong, Dr. Bates, C. K. Loomis, Dr. Ayres, F. W. Andreas, James Hunt, E. S. Sterling, G. Tillinghast and his son, James Tillinghast, who is at present general agent of the N. Y. C. railroad, and others,-men of more than average ability.

The struggle for the county buildings, at the time of the organization of the county, resulting in favor of Water- · town, gave it special advantages. At an early day, trade and travel were diverted from Brownville to Watertown from points south of Brownville, by the difficulty of cross- ing the " big swamp" and climbing the ugly hills, to reach Brownville from that direction. These and other causes have resulted in disappointing those who had large expee- tations for Brownville.

The population in 1877 is about four hundred and fifty.

DEXTER,

formerly Fish Island, one of the villages in the town of Brownville, was so named in compliment to S. Newton Dexter, of Whitesboro', who was formerly interested in the business of the place.

It is situated at the head of Black River bay, and has a fine water-power, a convenient harbor, and is about one and a half miles from the station of the R., W. & O. rail- road at Limerick. The lands in this vicinity were carly pur- chased by John and Jacob Brown, who, in 1811, commenced a dam. This was swept off, and another one built soon after. A saw-mill was put in operation in 1813, a grist- mill was built by John E. Brown in 1826, and in 1837 the place contained about a dozen houses.

About this time more attention was being paid to the manufacture of lumber for market, from logs floated down the river. James Wood and his sons, Gillman, Charles, and Ira, became interested in the lumber business here. Mr. Wood was originally from New Hampshire, and about 1830 began the erection of a dam and woolen-factory one and a half miles above Brownville, on Black river, which was nearly completed when it was swept off by the spring freshet of 1833, proving a total loss. Besides Mr. Wood and his sons, the names of Keyes & Hungerford, Thurman, Gunn & Co., John Bradley, Kirby & Loomis, Joseph Hunt- ington, Potter & Hammond, E. Leonard, and Henry Bin- ninger are familiarly connected with the lumber business of Dexter.

In 1837 a joint stock company was formed for the purpose of. laying out a village on a tract of 249 acres south, and 800 acres north, of the river. The original members of the company were Edmund Kirby, S. W. Dexter, John Williams, John Bradley, and J. Brown.

A post-office was established in 1836, with Joshua Eaton as the first postmaster. A company was also formed the same year, to be called the " Jefferson Woolen Company," with a capital of $100,000, for the purpose of ereeting and putting in operation a woolen-factory. It originally consisted of S. N. Dexter, John Williams, Edmund Kirby, John Bradley, Rodney Burt, and O. V. Brainard. The present extensive woolen-factory was accordingly built in 1837, which, including machinery and appendages, cost $140,000. The original company failed, with liabilities exceeding their assets by $33,000. The property has sinee been owned and operated by a company known as the " Jefferson Manufacturing Company,"-and subsequently by T. H. Magee & Co., F. J. Hall & Co., and is at present understood to be owned by the estate of T. H. Magec. It is not now in operation.

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History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 75

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