History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 78

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 78


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In a letter received from Francis Parkman, the his- torian, regarding the question whether Fort Frontenac was or was not situated on the Carlton island promontory, he says :


" There are several French maps, hoth manuscript and printed, in which Fort Frontenac is laid down, and several plaus of it at differ- ent periods, from that of De Nouville, in 1685, to that made during the war of 1755. Many of these maps are in my possession. I have also the title-deeds of neighhoring lands, and of the place itself, in La Salle's time.t


"The impression that the fort on Carlton island dates hack 150 years is certainly erroneous. There could not have been a fortifica- tion here of any consequence before the old French war. Even then I know of no mention of this or neighboring islands as occupied for military purposes, except in one instance, when a guard of twelve men is reported to have been stationed herc. They were sent from Fort Frontenac. The remarkable works of which the remains are now so conspicuous must have been of a later date and of British origin, probably early in the Revolutionary War."


TIBBITTS POINT.


Tibbitts point, at the head of the St. Lawrence, took its name from Captain John Tibbitt, of Troy, who received a patent for 600 acres of land, and which was surveyed in 1799. The first light-house and dwelling were built in


1827. The second tower, which is now standing, was erected in 1854, and stuccoed on the outside in 1870. Supplies are furnished annually. The visibility of the light, by means of the Fresnel lens, is fifteen nautical iniles, although the flame, in very clear weather, may be seen full thirty miles. The lamp burns about nine months in the year; and the number of vessels that have have passed that point during the past five years has averaged a little less than thirteen hundred for each season of naviga- tion. It may be said, also, that the three acres of land at- tached to the house and tower belong to the United States, as well as the light-house, although the State of New York has reserved the rights of criminal and civil jurisdiction therein. A. J. Cratsenberg is the present keeper.


THE SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN PROPER.


The man who built the first log house in Cape Vincent on the mainland was Abijah Putnam ; and it stood about two miles below the railroad depot. This was in 1801. Some traces of the old site of the village which he founded and named Port Putnam are still visible. In 1804, Mr. Put- nam sold his property to John Macombs and Peter Stern- berg, from central New York, who made improvements immediately, and drew the plan for a prosperous town. One of the original maps of Port Putnam, now in the posses- sion of Mr. William Esseltyn, indicates that it was to be in the form of a parallelogram, with a public square of five or six acres, and public buildings standing on the upper side of it, facing the water. As a matter of curiosity, the names of the streets may be given. Parallel with the river were Water street, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh streets. Pleasant street was also laid down on two sides of the square. Intersecting these at right angles were Green, Montgomery, Herkimer, Washington, Jefferson, Clinton, and Hancock.


The chief business of that day is made known by what Messrs. Macombs and Sternberg said of the advantages of Port Putnam over other towns in this new region. To vary the language of the map a little they stated :


" That since it is the outlet of Lake Ontario it forms a natural place of deposit for the lake trade. Lumher of all kinds is rafted from this village on a large scale to Montreal and Quebec, and it takes only from nine to thirteen days to make a trip. Besides, the Great Black river State road from Johnstown, Montgomery county, receiving in its course the roads from Little Falls, Herkimer, Utica, and Rome, runs through the middle of this village, and connects with Kingstown and Upper Canada hy ferry."


This site was subsequently abandoned through the in- fluence of Mr. Le Ray, who caused a piece of ground to be surveyed, in 1811, on Gravelly Point, where stood five or six houses, and named it Cape Vincent, after one of his sons. Millen's Bay was then known as Hubbard's Bay ; Clayton was called French Creek ; Depauville, Cat Fish Falls ; Dexter, Fish Island ; and Carthage, Long Falls. The original survey of Cape Vincent, however, was not fol- lowed when it was incorporated.


THE ORIGINAL SETTLERS.


The settlers at Port Putnam and down the river from that point, previous to the war of 1812, are believed to have been the persons already named,-Putnam, Maconibs,


# He subsequently hecame Lord Dorchester.


1 Fort Frontenac was built in 1673. Not long after it was given to La Salle by the king of France as a reward for his explorations and valor, together with a specified amount of land, ahout twelve miles long on the shore and one and a half miles deep, hesides the adjacent islands.


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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.


and Sternberg; Jonathan Cummings, Daniel Spinning, Elnathan Judd, Norman Wadworth, John B. Esselstyn, who came in 1803, and was prominent in the town for many years ; Eddy Colc ; Caleb Lobdell, Avery Smith, and another family of the same name ; Mr. Phelps, William Hollenbeck, Charles Gillett, Orison and Zimri Butterfield, Daniel Nicol, Abner Hubbard,-who never tried to tell as good a story as Barret Hubbard,-Samuel Brittain, and a Mr. Dodd. As late as 1815 only seven houses could be found on the site of Cape Vincent village, and for many ycars the forest was left unbroken from a point just below the corner of William street to Port Putnani. The settlers generally came in by the State road, and only a single cabin was built on the route between Chaumont and the St. Law- rence river for at least fifteen years. Sometimes, when the road was bad, it would take thirteen or fourteen hours to make the journey. Often it was impassable. This log cabin was occupied by Mr. Soper and his family, and was a very Interpreter's house to the pilgrims coming into the new country. In 1815 a most beautiful grove of cighteen or twenty elm-trees was growing on the beach at the foot of Point street, just beyond the cuphonious " Toad Holc." All that beach has since been washed away. On the lot now owned by Mr. John Grapotte, and also on the lot of Mrs. Pool, were two famous deer-licks. The crack of many a hunter's rifle was heard in the vicinity of these licks sixty-five years ago. In connection with the names of the first settlers, the names of those on the site of Cape Vin- cent village should be given. They were : Holieb Phelps, Richard M. Esselstyn, John Mathews, Uncle Nash, Eber Kelsey, Dr. Ainsworth, of Vermont, Nathan Lake, and onc Proven, whose other name cannot be recalled. These were here in 1812.


Elnathan Judd came to the town in 1809, and settled on the farm where his son Philctus, a man above sixty years of age, is still living. Richard M. Esselstyn came to Chau- mont, as a surveyor, in 1801. The next year he returned to Claverock, his birthplace, and in 1806 came back to the county and settled with his brother, John B., on a farm below Port Putnam. He was county clerk during the war of 1812. He died of yellow fever at Utica, October 2, 1822, greatly lamented. Dr. Ainsworth was the first physician who settled in this part of the county. Eber Kelsey came from Leyden in 1809, and, with the aid of about twenty men, cleared a tract of fifty acres of land on the site of the present village; built a house, barn, tavern, and wharf, and became himself a permanent resident. John B. Esselstyn was one of the very first pioneer settlers who spent his days and strength for the good of the town, and died upon the soil. He settled on Cape Vincent territory in 1803. Six years later he formed a partnership with his brother, Richard M., who built a store and commenced trade. He lived to a good old age, and his memory will long be cherished. In other parts of the town, about 1820, and before this date, might have been found Michael Van Schaick, John Vincent, Willard Ainsworth, Joseph Cross, Dr. Sacket, Dr. Brewster, Benjamin Estes, Captain Caton, and Captain Merritt. Captain Merritt sailed the schooner " Appollonia" from this port ; and on her last voyage she was struck by lightning about thirty miles off Mexico bay.


She sunk so quickly that the crew had barely time to get out the small boat and escape.


The first large schooner built at Cape Vincent was the " Merchant," the iron-work being done by Samuel and John Forsyth. This schooner made a trip to the head of Lake Ontario and back in three days, with a cargo. Besides the names already given were Ira Hadley, James Borland, Ab- ner Rogers, James Buckley, Oliver Pool, Jacob Bedford, Philip and Abner Gage, Fuller, Green, Hassler, Converse, Pigsley, Holman, Marshall, Van Husen, Hoff,-but time would fail in an attempt to mention the host of enterpris- ing men who made Cape Vincent the field of their achieve- ments. Many of these persons mentioned were farmers ; and it is the farming class of the community, whose names arc seldom seen or heard, from which the world gets its living. Stop raising wheat and making butter, and what would become of the professions or histories ?


THE FRENCH SETTLEMENT.


This portion of the town, now occupied chiefly by French and German residents, was originally settled by Americans, of whom the names of Jacob Van Nostrand, Aaron Whit- comb, Samuel F. Mills, Phineas and Asahel Powers, and Thomas Shaw are mentioned. Thomas Shaw came from New Jersey, and on his way was offered a plat of ground within the present upper limits of New York city, for $100 per acre. He thought he could do better in Jefferson County, and did not purchase. He always kept his stock till it died, never selling or killing an animal for forty years.


Through the influence of Mr. Le Ray a colony came from France, and gave the name to the settlement. After the French a company of Germans appeared and made themselves neighbors. The American families gradually sold out their farms to the Frenchmen or Germans, although the greater part of the immigrants took up new land and hewed out their own fortuncs. The colonies were both Roman Catholic in faith, and for many years the preaching and religious services were conducted in both languages ; the worship was in the same building. Several of the old people are still unable to speak or understand much of the English tongue.


DISTINGUISHED FRENCH FAMILIES.


About 1818 a number of educated French people came to Cape Vincent, having been involved in the reverses of Napoleon the First, in consequence of which they found it necessary to flee from their native land. They had no connection with the French colony.


Among those whose names are now remembered by the old inhabitants were Peter Francis Real and his son-in-law, General Rolland, Camille Arnaund, Jermaux, and Pigeon. Peter Real was a count, and the chief of police under Na- polcon. Pigcon was a secretary of Count Real while here, and an enthusiastic student in astronomy. Some of the finest instruments of that age of science were brought to Cape Vincent from France, and the boy who was privileged to visit the upper room in Count Real's house where these instruments, as well as others, were kept, gazed in perfeet wonder at the display. The count lived about two years in a hired house, and then built at the head of Gouvello


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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.


street what was eurrently known as the " eup and saueer" dwelling, because it resembled those two artieles of sewing- society comfort. It should not be inferred, however, that it was made for sewing-society purposes. On the other hand, there is every reason to believe that a plan was laid by these Freneh residents to spirit Napoleon away from St. Helena and bring him to Cape Vineent, with the eup and saueer house for a home. But Napoleon died in 1821, and for this reason, or some other good one, the town just eseaped a world-wide notoriety. The astronomieal instru- ments were taken baek to Franee when these exiles returned, after the death of the great chief. Mr. Louis Peugnet was also an officer in Napoleon's army. Pigeon never wore anything on his head while in Cape Vineent, summer or winter, because he had made a vow to that effeet, to last so long as Napoleon was held a prisoner on his lonely island. And yet a story is told of him, that, while onee watching the boys as they were merrily skating on the river, he be- eame very desirous of learning the art. But the falls and the bumps! To avoid any unnecessary collision after the skates were strapped on, he tied a cushion over his head and a pillow just below the middle of his body behind, and went out among the boys for his first skating. How he sueeeeded tradition does not inform us.


WARREN SETTLEMENT.


Warren Settlement was a wilderness in 1825, when Shepherd Warren and his brothers James and Asa began a elearing. Very soon they were joined by Edwin Tuttle, and the place was often known as the Tuttle and Warner neighborhood. William Johnson was also one of the first settlers. Johnson took the place of one Wheeler. When Joel Torrey moved into the settlement, in 1831, there were only four families, and no laid-out road, except one used by the lumbermen. At this date nearly all the white-oak had been cut, and between 1832 and 1834 Joel Torrey, James and Christopher Irving took out the pine. The Irvings were thus early settlers. Of the original pioneers only Rodolphus Cook, Ira Stewart, and Shepherd Warren are left in the present school district of that neigh- borhood. John Howard eame in 1832; after him, John F. Torry, Charles Linnell, Simeon Adams, Samuel Linnell, Thomas Tarbell, Harry Kilbourn, and Rufus Linnell.


On the 18th of June, 1843, was formed the Union Burial-Ground Society. The trustees were Levi Torry, Daniel Cromwell, Erastus Warren, Samuel Linnell, Jr., J. A. Williams, and Abram Whitcomb. Levi Torry was made president, and Dr. Dyer E. Pieree is now in that offiee.


The first sehool-house was built in 1833, of hewn pine logs, and stood on the west corner of the road, opposite the present building. The first teacher was Phebe Lightle.


THE SETTLEMENT OF ST. LAWRENCE.


The St. Lawrence region was oeeupied still later than 1825, when Stephen Johnson eame from Depauville and opened the first store. Forty-five years ago there were not half a dozen eabins where the village of St. Lawrence now stands. A Miss Lawrence, of New York, owned a large traet of territory in this neighborhood, and when the post- office was established, in 1848, Lawrenceville was sent on


to Washington as an appropriate name. It was given in remembranee of this lady. But it was found that another office in the State bore the same title, and the Post-Office Department therefore changed Lawrenceville to St. Law- renee, which the inhabitants allowed to remain. The vil- lage was ealled St. Oars' Corners at first, then Rogers' Corners, because James Rogers built the first tavern, after- wards Gotham Corners, and, finally, Crane's Corners, till the establishment of the mail-route. The following persons were among the early settlers : Lewis St. Oars, M. Gardi- nier, Hiram Britton, John Potter, John Minard, Jacob St. Oars, Silas Mosier, Eli Wethey, Horatio Humphrey, Ham- ilton C. Wallace, Samuel Dillen, Jerome Wethey, Daniel Corse, Charles Cummins, Dyer Pieree, Curtis, Wheeler, Campbell, and Carpenter.


THE FIRST GRIST.MILL.


A flour- and grain-mill was of prime consequenee to the settlers, and one of the first things looked after. John B. Esselstyn onee earried a bushel of eorn on his baek to Chaumont, had it ground, and brought the meal home in the same manner. This was not an uneommon feat when the road would not permit a trip with a horse. The first mill in Cape Vineent was built on Kent's Creek. Nego- tiations were begun for a site as early as 1803. In a letter written to Mr. R. M. Esselstyn by Mr. Le Ray, he was offered a " mill-seat and twenty-five acres" of land at four dollars per aere, unless during the year of ereeting the mill a town should spring up around it, when, added Le Ray, I should feel " at liberty to break the present bargain." A mill was not built so early as this year or the next. The Esselstyn brothers and Henry Ainsworth were the only merchants here for many of the first years. Goods brought from New York in a month, so late as 1820, made a quiek passage. Sometimes Mr. Esselstyn would go in a lumber- wagon to Hudson, his wife aecompanying him, and bring home sueh merchandise as had been transported for him to that point on a sloop from the metropolis. During one of these overland trips he earried a heavy bag of specie under some straw on the bottom of his wagon. Whenever he stopped for the night he would earelessly throw his harness over the straw and bag,-either to disarm suspicion or else to teach our generation that the former times were better than these. On another occasion he wrote home of his splendid ride on the " Clermont," of Robert Fulton (140 feet keel and 163 feet beam), the first steam-paeket that ever made a successful trip in the universe. This boat, wrote Mr. Esselstyn, with enthusiasm, ran at the marvelous speed of four miles an hour direetly against the wind. And it was marvelous in contrast with those trips by the Hudson river sloops, when passengers spent a whole day walking along the shore and pieking berries to while away the time till the wind was favorable.


THE SECOND WAR WITH ENGLAND.


War was deelared on the 18th of June, 1812. On the 26th of the same month General Jacob Brown wrote Gov- ernor Tompkins that in his opinion a " strong detachment should at onee be sent on to Cape Vineent," in order to keep Kingston, which was well fortified, and a point from


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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.


which military expeditions would be sent out by the British, "in as much alarm as possible." In less than three weeks after the declaration of the war a detachment of troops from this county, and a considerable force under Colonel Bellinger, were on the ground. John B. Essel- styn, who afterwards became eolonel, was in command of the militia.


Drafted militia, some from the Mohawk valley, were stationed at Cape Vineent, and also a body of riflemen be- longing to the company of Captain Benjamin Forsyth. Besides these, it will be seen, from a statement made on another page, that a detachment of light artillery and dra- goons were among the defenders of this frontier. During the winter of 1812-13 a line of sentinels was established along this shore and on the iee, fourteen miles in length. At this time one Corporal Dean went over to Wolfe island, fell in love with a young lady by the name of Button, and, like a brave soldier, laid siege to her heart and captured it. Button bay was called after her father. On a still night, not long after the surrender of the fair prisoner, a soldier of this line of sentinels ealled out in loud tones, " Button, button, who has got the button ?" His comrade next be- yond evidently knew, for he replied in the same loud voiee, " Corporal Dean." And then for the whole sentry stretch of ten miles, four above Cape Vineent and six below, the words were caught up by the soldiers, till the air fairly rang with reverberations of buttons, Deans, and corporals.


The soldiers' barracks stood, one building on the corner of James street and Broadway, and the other at the foot of James street. A building, now used for a school-house, on Murray street, was occupied as a hospital. The barracks, a store belonging to Henry Ainsworth, another store of J. B. and R. M. Esselstyn, two or three small vessels that had been built here, the house of Major Esselstyn, which stood below Port Putnam, several barns, and considerable lumber, were burned by the enemy at different times during the war. The house and barns of Dr. Avery Ainsworth, in Pleasant Valley, were also fired and destroyed by the Indians. Gen. Wilkinson's army, as well as the troops eneamped here, burned a large quantity of staves belonging to the Essel- styns, to cook their messes and keep themselves warm. For this loss of property Congress seems to have granted only partial remuneration. In a letter dated January 21, 1821, Mr. R. M. Esselstyn complained to Congress, through the Hon. W. D. Ford, that the losses should be met, inas- much as they could not have been averted by him at the time. He added : " I think I have proved to a demonstra- tion (and if I have not I ean) in the ease of John B. and R. M. Esselstyn, for losses sustained in the burning of our warehouse and the property we had in it," that the destrue- tion was caused by the enemy while the place was "in the military occupaney of the government." The unsettled elaim amounted to $630.25.


Other persons also made application of a similar character. During the summer of 1813, Mr. Eber Kelsey went to Al- bany to look after payment for " services done and supplies furnished" our soldiers. Governor Tompkins was not at the capital when this visit was made, and Mr. Kelsey left a paper for him, setting forth his claims. Among the itens specified is oue " for the use of the schooner ' Neptune'


thirty-one days" in the transportation of troops and muni- tions of war. He stated in this paper that General Brown allowed him only two dollars per day for the services of the schooner, and he thought it ought to be inercased to three dollars. In closing he reminded the governor that the sehooner was the one in which "your Exeelleney sailed from Saeket's Harbor to Oswego, last fall,"-the fall of 1812. There is another item for " furnishing hay and other neees- saries to a detachment of light artillery," as appeared from a certificate of Captain Siger and Lieut. Johnson, and or- dered paid by Col. Macomb. According to Captain Mead's certificate there is also a claim " for damage done by a de- tachment of light dragoons," to the amount of " $71.00, as apprised by John B. Esselstyn, Esq., Elnathan Judd, Esq., and Mr. John Nash."


The plundering and burning of the warehouses referred to was done on the sly by British gun-boats ; and these war- boats were frequently seen passing up and down the river in front of the village. Marauding parties, however, some- times eame to grief, as the following ineident illustrates : Just at daylight, one morning, a gun-boat eame up the river and stopped at the foot of James street, when the erew and soldiers leaped ashore and hurried into the nearest garden, where they began to plunder the small fruit and vegetables. But the boat had been seen through the gray light of the coming day, by a body of Forsyth's riflemen, as it passed Port Putnam. Suspecting that the British might land, the sharpshooters followed along the shore, through the woods, and reached the garden but a few moments later. They immediately attacked them, and a skirmish ensued which resulted in the capture of all the party except three or four. Several were wounded and three were killed, as the matter is now remembered by one who was living here at that time. The prisoners were sent to Greenbush, on the Hudson river, and the dead buried at the corner of Broadway and Murray streets. It may be remarked that only two American soldiers were killed at Cape Vincent, or near it, during the progress of this war of 1812. One was a man by the name of Draper, who went over to Wolf island with a number of volunteers from among the soldiers, to rout a party of Indians who were there watching for opportu- nities of theft and scalping. The raid was poorly managed, and Draper was left on the field, having been shot by the enemy when carelessly exposing himself. Some of the vol- unteers received trifling wounds. The other soldier was accidentally shot by a comrade, who pointed and snapped a gun at him, supposing it to be unloaded. The dead man was buried some distance back in the forest, and until a re- eent period these words might have been seen, eut in the bark of a beech-tree, to designate the spot near which he lay : " A. Cutler shot by J. Weaver." The burial-ground of the woods, where all the American soldiers who died of disease were likewise buried, was in the rear of the M. E. church, and perhaps half-way to William street.


The " Royal George," a British war-ship of 24 guns, once stopped at Cape Vincent, but withdrew without making any demonstration. On the 23d of August, 1813, Major Es- selstyn was taken prisoner on the State road, near Chaumont, while escorting several relatives and friends to a place of safety. He was removed to Canada, held about two weeks, .


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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.


and then exchanged for a British officer of equal rank. The British fleet which attacked Sacket's Harbor on the 29th of May, 1813, was fitted out at Kingston, and on its way to the harbor captured a boat, loaded with flour, from Cape Vincent. It will thus be seen that this town was a point of much interest during the period which we are con- sidering, although no battles or other great events occurred to draw the attention of the country at large to it.




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