History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 90

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 90

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).

James F. Converse is the son of Thomas Converse, who settled here in 1835, coming from Oneida county, and locating on the farm now occupied by the former.

THE LAKE-SHORE.

Mr. Hough, in his History of Jefferson County, says,-

" The lake-shore in this town is nearly a straight line, and is bor- dered by a low ridge of sand-hills, scantily covered with trees at a few points, but mostly composed of drifting sands. Behind this is a large marsh, that extends several miles each way from Sandy creek, in which are open ponds. These marshes are without timber, are covered with sedges, aquatic plants, and wild rice, and when the lake is low a considerable portion of them may be mowed, but in high water they are mostly flowed. A large part of the marsh remains unsold, and is used as a kind of common. Wbere capable of tillage it is found very productive.

"The lake-shore bas been the scene of many wrecks since the country was settled, the first within the memory of those living having occurred in the fall of 1800, when a small schooner from Mex- ico to Gananoque, Capt. Gammon, master, was lost off Little Stony creek, and all on board perished. A boat with eight men, that was sent in search of the vessel, was also swamped, and all hands were drowned.

" About 1807 a family was located by Mr. Benjamin Wright at the mouth of Sandy creek, to afford aid to shipwrecked persons, and

RES. of E. B. HAVEN, ELLISBURG, JEFFERSON CO., NEW YORK .

-SUN- ALVAH BULL.

ALVAH BULL.

RESIDENCE OF ALVAH BULL, ELLISBURG, JEFFERSON CO., N. Y.

361

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

since that period this lonely dwelling has sheltered many a suffering sailor who might otherwise have perished. Within the memory of the present tenant, who has occupied the premises thirty years, ** the following vessels have been wrecked ou this eoast, and several near the house : ' Atlas,' 'Asp,' ' Huron,' ' Fame' of Genesce, 'Two Sisters,' 'Victory,' ' Hornet,' ' Three Brothers,' ' Medora, ' ' Burlington,' ' Caro- line,' ' Henry Clay,' ' Neptune,' 'Napoleon,' ' White Cloud,' and several others, names not known, of many of which the entire crews were lost, and of others a part were saved. Theso are but a part of tho whole number that have been lost here, and the subject of establishing a light, or at least one or more life-boats, with the necessary apparatus, on the beach, for use in case of shipwrecks, commends itself strongly to the charities of the humane, and the attention of the government.t

"In 1829 a survey of the mouth of Sandy creek was made by order of the general government, with the view of improving it for a harbor. The estimated cost of the work was $36,000, but nothing was ever done towards effecting this. The completion of the railroad has diminished the amount of commerce at this place, which was always small. A warchonse has been erected at the head of navigation, on each branch of the creek, but these are little used at present. Sandy Creek is a lawful port.

" The fisheries in Mexico bay, and in front of this town, have within a few years assumed mueh importance, and recently gill-nets have been introduced and used, at great distances from the shore, in deep water. It was found that the placing of these before the mouth of streams injured tho fisheries, and the subject was. made a matter of complaint to the board of supervisors at their session in 1852, who passed an act by which it was forbidden to place seines or nets across or in the waters of Skinner creck, and the north and south branches of Big Sandy in Ellisburg, or within 80 rods of tho mouth of cither, under penalty of $50."

The Ellisburg Union Library was formed February 16, 1813. Caleb Ellis, Brooks Harrington, Oliver Scott, Shu- bael Lyman, and Isaac Burr were elected the first trustees. Like most others of the class, this has been abandoned.}

ELLIS VILLAGE (ELLISBURG POST OFFICE).

This is the oldest village in town, and is located on the south branch of Big Sandy creek, at its junction with Bear creek, about four miles above the mouth of the former. A record of the first settlement here appears in Constable's journal at the beginning of this article.

The first frame building in the village was erected proba- bly by Lyman Ellis, and stood on the ground now occupied by the brick store of Mr. Dunn. In 1803 this house was occupied by a family named Noyes, with whom Pardon T. Whipple and family stayed a short time, when they came that year to the town. At this time a hotel was kept in a log house which stood about on the ground now occupied by the Huffstater House, which latter building was erected previous to the War of 1812. The present proprietor is J. M. Huffstater.

A post-office was established here as early as 1806-07, with Lyman Ellis as postmaster. The office has been con- tinued from that time, and the present postmistress is Miss S. M. Bullock. .

Potash was made here to a considerable extent previous to the War of 1812, the manufacture of this article being a source of much profit to those engaged in it. There were also two or three distilleries at one time, built subsequent to 1803.

The "Stone Mills" were partially built in 1828, by Peter

Robinson, and afterwards purchased by Samuel Cook, who finished them. They originally contained three run of stone, the same as at present. The stone of which the mill was constructed was quarried from the creek and drawn by Benjamin F. Wilds, who also built the dam. The old spar dam built by Lyman Ellis was removed by Mr. Wilds to make room for the new one. The present log dam is the third one at this place, and was built by George and Henry Millard at a comparatively recent datc. The present pro- prietors of the "Stone Mills" are Messrs. Hopkinson & Dennison.

Steam Cabinet-Shop, established by F. H. Millard in 1873. The building is a frame structure, formerly the pub- lie school-house, and has been considerably enlarged by Mr. Millard. Nearly all kinds of furniture are manufactured except parlor sets,-chamber sets being a specialty. The furniture is principally retailed in the vicinity of Ellis and neighboring villages.

Planing-Mill and Sash- and Blind-Factory, established about 1872 by A. J. Smith, in a building above the one now occupied by him, where he continued the business for one season, and purchased at the present location, where he has since continned. A portion of the building he now occu- pics was erected about 1825-30, and a carding-machine put in and run for some time by Benjamin Bemas. It was afterwards converted into a chair-factory and operated by Samuel and C. C. Comee, from Massachusetts. Finally it passed into the hands of R. P. Goodenough, who established a carriage- and wagon-factory ; the latter sold to A. B. Mc- Donald, he to E. W. Ayer, and Ayer to Harley Otis, who intended to open a sash- and blind-factory but failed to do so, and after owning it a short time traded it to John Woodall, from whom Mr. Smith purchased. The latter put in the machinery for his purpose and began work in his new quarters. He disposes of all he can manufacture in the neighborhood, finding a ready market.

Furniture Manufactory, located on Sandy creek, a short distance above the village. It was originally erected for a grist-mill by Scott & Davis, some years previous to 1828, and when the Stone Mill was built below this mill was bought out, a stipulation being inserted in the deed that it should not be used for grist-mill purposes thenceforth. Decds to this property are yet made in that way. The present proprietor, G. S. Hudson, established business on Bear creek, in the eastern part of the village, in 1857, and operated a shop there until 1870, when he purchased the old mill, which he rebuilt and refitted throughout in 1871. Here he has since carried on the business. The principal manufactures are chamber sets and extension tables, although all kinds of furniture are manufactured to order. The business is principally retail, with a small amount of job- bing. A saw-mill and carding-mill are operated in connec- tion with the furniture factory, and all the lumber used, except the black walnut, is manufactured by the proprietor. The walnut is from the western States.

Amos Hudson emigrated to Ellis village in 1820 from Worcester Co., Mass., with his wife and five children. He was a seythe-maker by trade, and built a small shop where the agricultural works of his son, L. F. Hudson, now stand, on Bear ereck. Previous to his coming an oil-mill was

* Written in 1853.

+ Life-saving station, with boat, sinee established.

į Hough's History of Jefferson County.

362

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

built at the same place by Lyman Ellis, William McCune, and Joseph Bullock. This was burned about 1818. Amos Hudson died in 1830, and in 1833 L. F. Hudson estab- lished a shop for the manufacture of agricultural imple- ments, which he has since carried on. For some years after his father's death he made seytlies. His manufae- tures at present are cultivators, general agricultural imple- ments, and edged tools. He also does a large business re- pairing machinery.

A tannery was built near the stone grist-mill about 1824-5 by Thomas Crandall, from Petersburg, Rensselaer county, N. Y. The business has been discontinued a num- ber of years, and the old building is now used for a cider- mill. "A mile above the village, on Sandy creek, a grist- mill was built by John Shaw about 1827, and is now owned by J. C. Allen. A distillery was built soon afterwards by Alfred and Daniel Stearns, and operated for quite a num- ber of years by the latter. A carding-machine stood here in 1820, run by Elam King, and was probably built by him. The only one of these institutions now standing is the grist-mill. The ereek bed in the neighborhood of this mill is worn by the action of falling water and small stones in places, so that numerous "pot holes" appear, varying in size from a small cup-shaped hollow to a pit eight or ten feet in depth and as many in diameter. There is a natural fall herc of several feet in perpendicular height, on the top of the ledge constituting which the dam is built. Many theories have been advanced regarding the origin of the holes in the rock which are found here, but the explana- tion here given is undoubtedly the true one, as it is evi- dent that the harder stones which are found in all these cavities have, in the motion given them by the constantly falling water, worn the softer lime-rock into the eurious shapes here presented. The same thing appears at all the falls and cascades above this, but in no place so remarkable, perhaps, as here.

Theron Holley, from Whitestown, N. Y., a son of Jona- than Holley, a resident of Connecticut and a soldier of the Revolution, settled in the town of Ellisburg about 1809, near the Wardwell settlement. He was a young man at the time, and soon after married Anna Tousley. Mr. Holley served in the War of 1812, and died during or soon after it. His son, Theron Holley, Jr., is engaged in the mercantile business at Ellis village, and is the only one of two chil- dren (Sanford and Theron) now living. He has carried on a dry-goods and general store here for thirty-two years, previous to which he had operated a store containing trim- mings, etc., for ten years, making in all forty-two years in business at this place.

THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF ELLISBURG

was formed by David M. Dixon and Oliver Leavitt, Jan. 1, 1817, with six members. The Rev. J. A. Clayton was employed soon after, and was the only settled pastor. He was installed Nov. 9, 1826. He had several successors. On the 11th of Nov., 1823, a society was formed, of which the trustees were Amos Hudson, Hiram Taylor, Daniel Wardwell, John Otis, Wm. T. Fisk, and Wm. Cole. A church edifice was erected, but the organization became re- duced, and was finally given up in the summer of 1844,

having numbered 143 members. The church has been for some time private property, and in 1843 was taken down.

THE UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF ELLISBURG

was formed August 26, 1821, with 19 members; the present number is 50. The persons chiefly instrumental in forming it were Isaac Mendall, Silas Emerson, John Clark, and Rev. Cornelius G. Persons. The elergy have been C. G. Persons, Chas. B. Brown, Oliver Wileox, Luther Rice, Pitt Morse, Alfred Peck, and others. The society was formed September 2, 1833, with J. Mendall, Edmund M. Eldridge, Daniel Stearns, Edmund Palmer, and Richard Cheever trustees. A church was erected at Ellis village in 1843, at a cost of $1500. This organization is kept alive, although it has no pastor at present.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL SOCIETY

in Ellisburg village was formed Mareh 5, 1832, with Oliver N. Snow, Benj. Chamberlin, Lyman Ellis, Jeremiah Lewis, and Hiram Mosley trustees. In 1833 they built a church, which in 1850 was removed, repaired, and a steeple added. In 1836 a parsonage was built. The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Woodard. The church is a neat frame building, sur- mounted by a bell-tower and spire, in the former of which has been placed a very musical, deep-toned bell, the notes from whose iron tongue can be heard at a distance of several miles from the village.

BELLEVILLE.

This place was begun as a farming settlement about 1802 -03 by Metcalf Lee, Bradley and Joshua Freeman, Martin Barney, James, Benjamin, and Jedediah McCumber, and a few others. Elder Edmund Littlefield, a minister of the Baptist faith, soon after settled. The place being favorably situated for mills gradually grew into a village. Soon after the War of 1812-15 a meeting was called at the suggestion of Calvin Clark, a merchant, to select a name for the place. A committee was appointed, who chose the present name, said to have been taken from Belleville, in Canada. Pre- vious to this time it had been known as Hall's Mills, from Giles Hall, who in 1806 purchased of J. McCumber a hy- draulic privilege here, and resided in the place for many years. Mr. Hall was a man much esteemed. Hc built a grist-mill here, and also erected the first blacksmith-shop and the first trip-hammer. His mill stood in the upper part of the village. He also built a saw-mill, which is yet standing, now the property of H. C. Stacey. A stone wagon-shop, built on the creek by Mr. Hall, near his saw- mill, was afterwards purchased of his son by Matteson Free- man. It was burned down, and, through the aid tendered by citizens of the village, rebuilt by Elisha Littlefield, now of Adams. It is at present the property of H. C. Stacey.

Bradley and Joshua Freeman, who settled here in 1802 -03, were brothers. The former located on the place now owned by Mrs. Calvin Clark. Joshua Freeman was a Bap- tist elder, and occasionally preached while carrying on his farm.

Samuel Borden built a tannery and currier's shop here at an early day.

The first tavern was kept by John Hawn, who had pre-

" HOLLEY & REMIS " PROPRIETORS OF CIDER & VINEGAR WORKS. NEAR PIERREPONT MANOR.

RESIDENCE OF DAVID HOLLEY AND J. A. BEMIS , ELLISBURG, JEFFERSON CO.N.Y.

MRS. LAVIAS FILLMORE.

RESIDENCE o.

VIEWS OF PROPERTY OF LAVIAS FILLMOF

LAVIAS FILLMORE.

FILLMORE.

ISBURG, JEFFERSON COUNTY, N. Y.

RESIDENCE OF LAVIAS AND M. M. FILLMORE.

N. C. HOUGHTON.

PROF . J. DUNBAR HOUGHTON.

RESIDENCE OF N.C. HOUGHTON, BELLVILLE, TOWN OF ELLISBURG ) JEFFERSON COUNTY, N. Y.

363

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

viously opened the first store at the village. The "store" consisted of a short eounter in one end of his house, with a small stock of goods behind it. He built an addition to his house afterwards and opened a tavern. Laban Brown was among the early merchants. A cabinet-shop on the south side of the ereck was established by Norman Barney, in a building previously used for a wagon-manufactory. The present proprietor, J. H. Carpenter, purchased it in 1863, and has earried on the business since, making nearly all kinds of furniture.

A grist-mill was built on Sandy ereek, in the upper part of the present corporation of Belleville, some years previous to 1820, by Abraham Miller and Rufus Mather, of Marl- boro', Windhamu county, Vermont. Not long after this, and previous to 1820, they deeded about an aere of land to Owen Howard, upon which he built a chair-factory, and carried on quite an extensive business for a number of years. Miller & Mather afterwards sold out to Cotton Kimball, who built the frame grist-mill now standing. The first mill was one of the old-fashioned frame struetures eom- mon at that day. The dam was near the mill. Kimball removed this dam and built one about half a inile above the mill, and dug a "ditch" raceway. The grist-mill is now the property of Dr. Elton Hanehett, and is known by the old familiar title, " Mather's Mill."

During the time Howard was running his ehair-factory, a cloth-dressing establishment was built and operated by Harvey P. Dwight. A earding-machine was afterwards put in below by Luther Mather, and carried on by him for some time. Finally Samuel Northrup ereeted the present build- ing, and began both earding and cloth-dressing. The es- tablishment is now the property of H. H. Harris, who earries on eloth-dressing, earding, and manufacturing.

A hotel called the " Central House" was built early by Matteson Freeman, and after being owned by several persons, was finally burned down while the property of I. L. Dillen- back, who was then running it. About 1873 he built the present " Dillenback House," on the site of the Central, and is now its proprietor. Both these buildings were frame structures. Philemon Staeey and his older brother, John, from Halifax, Vermont, settled at Belleville in 1808. John was married and Philemon single. The latter worked with his brother, and learned of him the earpenter's trade, and the two built some of the first houses in the place. John Stacey removed to Buffalo and died there. Philemon is yet living in Belleville with his son, H. C. Stacey, at an advaneed age.

Lebbeus Harris settled at Belleville about 1815, eoming from Cooperstown, Otsego Co., N. Y. He married the widow of Demas Thomas, who came here with his father, John Thomas, from Vermont, about 1811, and settled in the north part of the village. In 1812, Demas Thomas built the frame house now standing near the residenee of his son, D. C. Thomas, after which he went to Vermont and married, returning with his wife to Belleville. About a year after his marriage he died, leaving a widow and one ehild (D. C. Thomas). He had made many improvements upon his place, and at his death left everything in good shape. As has been mentioned, his widow was afterwards married to Mr. Harris.

Zerah Brown, a native of Waterbury, Conn., moved into Jefferson County in March, 1805, and settled in the town of Lorraine (then Malta). His son, Samuel Brown, now living at Belleville, moved his father into Adams in 1828, and in 1837 came to the place where he now resides. Samuel Brown's older brothers served in the War of 1812, one with the regulars and four with the volunteers. Zerah Brown died in December, 1847, in his 84th year. His wife died in June, 1837. Samuel Brown recollects at- tending a school which was kept in an old blacksmith-shop, near Lorraine " Huddle," in 1805. In 1807, a log school- house was built and covered with elm-bark, which Samuel Brown helped his father peel from the trees. This building was originally without floors, but these necessary portions were afterwards put in, the upper one being of cherry timber. In the sehool kept in the old blacksmith-shop, in the winter of 1805-6, the teacher was Deacon Gladwin Bumpus. This shop had been built by a man named Soles. In the sehool- house the first teacher was Miss Betsy Burpee (or Burpy), who taught in the summer of 1807. The following winter an Irishman, called "Master Tisdell," taught the school. Miss Burpee afterwards married Aaron Brown, sinee de- ceased, and is now residing near Lorraine " Huddle."

At Belleville a frame school-house was built as early as 1806-7. This was afterwards burned down and replaced by a briek building. The present sehool-house is a neat one-story frame building, large enough for the purpose it is designed for, as most of the children begin attendanee at the academy as soon as they have "outgrown" the eom- mon sehool.

BELLEVILLE UNION ACADEMY.

The following aeeount of this institution is made up from Dr. Hough's history and a historical address by Pro- fessor Houghton :

The " Union Literary Society," at Belleville, in Ellisburg, was originated by the efforts of the Rev. Joshua Bradley, a Baptist elergyman, who, about 1824, began to labor to interest the publie in the eause of education, and drew up a plan upon the manual-labor system, which, he represented, would combine all the advantages that an academy eould bestow, and afford a revenue from its earnings to sufficiently remunerate the stockholders. With this expectation, stoek was subseribed, a lot given by Giles Hall, and on April 13, 1826, an aet of incorporation was obtained, by which Jo- tham Bigelow, Orin Howard, James W. Kennedy, John Hagedorn, Amos Heald, Peter N. Cushman, Wesson Thomas, Pardon Earl, Samuel S. Haws, Edward Boomer, Sidney Houghton, Benjamin Barney, Samuel Boyden, Ebenezer Webster, Israel Kellogg, Jr., Jesse Hubbard, Hiram Taylor, Henry Green, Rufus Hateh, Charles B. Pond, Calvin Clark, John Barney (1st), Samuel Pierce, and Godfrey W. Barney were constituted, with such as might associate with them, a body corporate, to have perpetual succession, and limited in their powers to the support of an academic school ; the yearly ineome of their estate might not exceed $5000.

While preparations for building were pending, a sehool was commenced by Mr. HI. II. Haff, under the direction of Mr. Bradley, which was taught for a time in a private house at Mather's Mills, one mile above Belleville, and

364

HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

afterwards in the Baptist church. The location of the in- stitution having been settled with some difficulty, from the struggle of rival interests, the ercction was commenced in 1829, and on January 1, 1830, the present academic build- ing was dedicated. On the 5th of the same month it was received under the visitation of the regents, upon the ap- plication of the trustees and Benjamin Durfee, Nahum Houghton, James McCumber, Henry Shaver, Jesse Brews- ter, Matthew Green, Thomas Clark, Amos Pratt, Daniel Wait, Culver Clark, Jotham Littlefield, Wadsworth May- hew, and Charles Avery, who had contributed to its ercction.

Charles Avery was appointed principal, and for a time the academy flourished to a degree that justified the highest expectation of its friends, and attracted great numbers of students from distant parts of the county. Mr. Isaac Slater served as assistant the first year, and William D. Water- man the second, at the end of which Mr. Avery was suc- ceeded by Mr. La Ruc Thompson, who stayed two years, and was followed by George W. Eaton, who remaincd a year. Joseph Mullin and H. H. Barney were next employed ; the first for one, the other for two years, when the school was for some time closed. In 1837, Mr. T. C. Hill was employed a year, when the building was closed by the mortgagee. Efforts were then made throughout the town to free the institution from debt, and in this the Rev. J. Burchard took au cspecial interest, and these efforts were attended with success.

The Rev. G. J. King was next employed as principal, and at the end of a year he associated with Richard Ellis as joint principal, and in a few months was succeeded by the latter. He filled that station about three years. Orsemus Cole, R. Ellis, Calvin Littlefield, George Ramsay, John P. Houghton, and J. Dunbar Houghton have since been em- ployed, the latter having been for the last two years the principal .*

The library of the Savortian Society, connected with this academy, was formed under the general act April 12, 1833, with Edward Kellogg, Thomas J. Field, C. M. Elbridge, Roswell Barber, O. S. Harmon, Wm. T. Searles, L. H. Brown, and Allen Nims, trustees, which was continued till 1848. There is, belonging to the academy, a small library and a fine collection of apparatus for illustrating the physi- cal sciences. The building contains, besides recitation- and school-rooms, about a dozen apartments for students.

The money received from the literature fund and tuition, and the number of students for each year, down to 1852, are shown in the following table, derived from the official reports of the trustees to the regents of the University :

Years.

Literature Money.

Tuition.

No. of Students.

1829

$189.00

$1370.00

...

1830

132.24

769.96

1831.

166.46

920.00

1832

101.10

393.63

1833.

45.69

450.00

1834

83.85

500.00

1835

70.80

460.00

1836.

70.00

400.00

1837

42.40

425.00

1841

297.82

1000.00

1842.

307.50

750.00

Years.

Literature Money.

Tuition.

No. of Students.

1843

$255.02

$570.00

1844

136.44

350.00

110

1845

161.78

266.00

1846

151.45

326.00

1847

229.31

530.00

118

1848

249.95

675.00

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History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 90

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