USA > New York > Lewis County > History of Lewis County, New York; with...biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 17
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sented in our religious annals, we may speak of two or three popular movements which for a time absorbed the public in- terest to a most remarkable degree.
The Greek Revolution was perhaps the most sentimental of these excitements ; it was, at least, one that in any possible event, would affect the material welfare of Americans in the slightest possible degree. But from whatever cause it may have been, a most remarkable inter- est was got up throughout the country, and in this our county shared in the prevailing movement. On the 20th of February, 1827, a meeting was held in Lowville village to adopt measures for aiding the Greeks, then struggling for independence and reported as famishing and destitute. This expression of sym- pathy was but a part of a general feeling which at that time prevailed through the country. The circular of the Albany executive committee was read, and a series of resolutions adopted, in which the people " once first in science, freedom, arts and arms " were declared entitled to aid as a Christian country struggling against Turkish tyranny. The clergy were invited to call attention to the subject from the pulpit, and town officers were urged to solicit donations on town meet- ing day. A central committee composed of Philo Rockwell and Edward Bancroft, of Martinsburgh, and Isaac W. Bostwick, David Perry and James H. Leonard, of Lowville, was appointed, and the follow- ing persons were requested to solicit gifts in clothing, grain or money, to be transmitted to the state committee at Albany, viz .: Dr. Sylvester Miller, chairman ; Orrin Wilbur, secretary ; Jo- seph A. Northrup, Stephen Leonard, Eli Collins, Palmer Townsend, Isaiah Bailey, Moses Waters, Truman Stephens, Wm. Shull, Constant Bosworth, John Steph- ens, Wm. Dingman, Chester Buck, Geo. D. Ruggles, Daniel T. Buck, Lemuel Wood, Benjamin Davenport, James
115
MINING ASSOCIATIONS.
Henry, Solomon King, Jr., Thomas Townsend, Benjamin Hillman, Eleazer Hill, Jacob Dimick, Melancton W. Welles, and Jared House. A spir- ited address was prepared and circula- ted, and in the first week $120 were raised. The ship Chancellor, which sailed from New York in the spring with sup- plies, arrived safely, and proved timely and serviceable to these people. These efforts continued to the spring of 1828, when a contribution of $170 in cash and clothing was sent from Lowville, and formed a part of the outfit of the brig Herald, which sailed about the close of May. A general county meeting was held at the courthouse in Martinsburgh in April, 1828, for the promotion of this object, and town committees were ap- pointed.
The Discovery of Gold in California, in 1848, presented quite a different motive, and the excitement which it occasioned was for a time sufficient to turn the heads of many persons who on ordi- nary occasions are usually able to look upon an enterprise in a spirit of reason. But here was gold, to be had for the trouble of picking it up, or of washing it out of the soil,-they could not all go, and so they proposed that those who staid at home should advance the moneys needed by those who went, and then the latter would " divide." As it was some- thing considerable in the way of enter- prise, associated effort might succeed where individuals might fail, and under this view, companies were formed in many parts of the country, consisting of two classes of members :- those who were to go, and those who were to provide the means. We may present The Lewis County Mining Association, and The Lewis County Mining Company as fair examples.
The former, organized at Turin, Feb- ruary 10, 1849, consisted of fourteen members who were joined by others, but disbanded in a few days, and only a
few went to California. The latter, formed at Lowville a few days after, was to have expired April 1, 1851. Capital limited to 300 shares of $50, and affairs under seven directors, chosen annually. The persons going to dig gold, were to have expenses paid, except clothing, and were entitled to half the proceeds, the balance being divided among the stock- holders. The diggers were to act under a superintendent, and the articles of agreement required them to be honest, temperate, Sabbath-keeping and indus- trious. If sick, they were to be nursed, and if they died they were to be decently buried (if circumstances permitted.) The constitution and by-laws, as published in the Northern Journal, February 27, 1849, never went into effect, chiefly from the impossibility of finding any men willing to go on the terms proposed, and the utter inability of the company to raise money for sending them. Notwith- standing an allusion to the Ist day of April, there is no doubt but that the en- terprise began and ended in good faith. Perhaps fifty men from this county went to California for gold, nearly all of whom returned wiser but poorer. A few remained, and some died miserably in crossing the Plains, or on the route by way of the Isthmus. Among the early emigrants to the Land of Gold, was Caleb Lyon, of Lyonsdale, who while in California, was elected one of the secre- taries of the State Constitutional Con- vention, and who afterwards lectured in various places, in terms of glowing eulo- gy, upon the wonderful resources of the Pacific coast. He exhibited a nugget of gold of great value, as evidence of the reality of what he professed to have seen, and doubtless persuaded many persons to risk their fortune in this enterprise. The risks and probabilities of this movement gradually came to be looked upon in the light of reason, and the excitement wore away.
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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
The Plank Road Fever .- The building of plank roads, which began in 1848, and lasted about five years, (although some were kept up for fifteen years or more,) must be mentioned as an enterprise car- ried beyond reason, and undertaken upon routes where it would be impossible to pay expenses from their earnings. Their stock was mostly owned by farmers along the road, and by small capitalists in the villages. In one sense they conferred a lasting benefit upon the country, in se- curing improved grades of the hills, as may be seen in several places along their former line in Martinsburgh, Lowville and Denmark.
The Railroad Competition of 1853-'55 .- The active competition between rival lines of railroad, one from Rome to Og- densburgh and the other from Utica to Clayton, was a costly affair to all con- cerned, and at best sure to ruin one, while it would seriously weaken the other, if it did not destroy both. The details of these undertakings are given in their proper connection.
THE PATRIOT WAR.
During the excitement throughout the Northern border, in 1837,-'38,-'39, inci- dent to the " Patriot war," (so called,) in an attempt to invade Canada, "Hunter Lodges" were organized in many of our villages ; funds were subscribed, and en- listments were made.
Among the volunteers in this wild campaign, was Sylvanus S. Wright, a son of Tyrannus A. Wright, of Denmark, who was captured at the "Windmill," below Prescott, and sentenced to trans- portation for life to Van Dieman's land. When pardoned by the Queen he re- turned to his former home, and was wel- comed at Copenhagen with great parade. His narrative of three years' captivity, was written up by Caleb Lyon, of Lyons- dale ; but it having libelled Preston
King, of Ogdensburgh, by statements shown to be false, (but doubtless made from misinformation rather than malice,) the author was compelled to suppress the pamphlet, and to widely publish an acknowledgment to Mr. King.
In the organization of these Lodges, Charles Dayan and others, were very active. As viewed from this distance of time, the movement can scarcely be re- garded otherwise than as visionary and fanatical; but at the time, it enlisted the sympathies of a vast number who were sincere and honest in their motives, and who verily believed themselves called upon to emancipate a people suffering from a despotism quite as oppressive as that which excited our own Revolution.
CHAPTER XIV.
STATE, TURNPIKE, AND PLANK ROADS; MAIL ROUTES.
T' THE first road projected through this part of the State, was designed to ex- tend from the Little falls on the Mohawk to the High falls on Black river. The measure was urged upon the Legislature by Arthur Noble and Baron Steuben in 1791, and received a favorable report but no further action .* The first road act- ually opened in the county, was made at the expense of the Castorland Company and led from Rome to the High falls. It was cut out about 1798, by one Jordan, and was used several years, but as its course lay across the current of travel as it was soon after directed, it soon fell into disuse and not a mile of it is now in exis- tence. It is said that a branch from this road led to Whitesboro. The French
* The petition of Steuben and Noble is given in our History of Jefferson county (1854), p. 307. The diver- sion of the Canadian fur trade to Albany, was urged as a prominent motive. In fact this was the only traffic that then existed, or that was then in prospect, in this region or beyond.
117
PUBLIC ROADS.
also caused a road to be laid out and cut from their settlement at the falls to Beav- er river, but this could only be traced a few years afterwards by a line of second- growth trees through the forest, or the rude vestiges of its bridges, and even these have now all ceased to exist. It was nearly direct in its course, and ap- pears to have been laid out rather with a view to shorten distance than to ac- commodate settlement along its course. It was cut by Major Judah Barnes in 1797-'98, some fifteen men being em- ployed on the works.
A bridle path run with a pocket com- pass, with very little reference to the most favorable location, was opened about the time of first settlement. It led from Collinsville to Tug Hill west of Turin village, and across the hill, down to the place first settled by Ezra Clapp, (one mile south of Houseville,) from thence north ward along near the line of the State road, passing west of Martins- burgh village, and below Lowville, to Deer River and Champion. The idea of climbing a hill over five hundred feet high, and again descending to the same side,. when a level and nearer route might have been taken, is sufficiently ab- surd to one acquainted with the topog- raphy of this region, and affords a strik- ing proof of the ignorance of the sur- veyor. Along this path known as " Dus- tin's track," the first settlers toiled their weary way on foot or on horseback (for it was not passable for teams,) until a more favorable route was discovered and opened.
The first routes through the county were surveyed and chiefly cut out at the expense of the land proprietors, but the principal cost of construction was borne by the settlers along their route. One of the earliest of these in the north part of the county, was that leading from the village of Lowville through Copen- hagen to Rutland, or township 3, and on
this account still named the "Number Three Road." It was surveyed by Jo- seph Crary, before 1800, and cut through about 1802 or 1803. The East road in Lowville and Denmark is a little older, and has scarcely been changed from its location in advance of settlement. Through Denmark it was in early days known as the " Base Line Road," from its running along the line from which off- setts were made in surveying the lands adjacent to the river.
Nathaniel Shaler, in 1797, caused a road to be cut from Constableville south- ward to Rome. It meandered along the valleys not far from the present route, but in no place for any considerable dis- tance on the same line. He established a family named Jones at the half-way point in the present town of Ava, Oneida county. He also opened a road in the western part of Turin, which did not settle through, and is now wholly grown up. Both of these routes were known in their day as the " Shaler roads."
The first State patronage for roads in this county, was obtained in an act of March 26, 1803, by which the sum of $41,500 was to be raised by a lottery, for public roads, chiefly in the Black River country. The drawings of this lottery began June 12, 1807, and continued over a month. The largest prize (No. 26,435) of $25,000 was drawn by Robert Benson first clerk of the New York State Sen- ate. It was the last ticket that was sold. The Governor and Council of Appoint- ment were directed to appoint three Commissioners to lay out and improve a road from within two miles of Preston's tavern, in Steuben, to within three miles of the High falls on Black river, and thence through Turin, Lowville, Cham- pion, etc., to Brownville, to intersect another road ordered in the same act to be built from Rome through Redfield. Walter Martin, Silas Stow and Jacob Brown were appointed Commissioners
II8
HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
for constructing this road, but subse- quently Stow was succeeded by Peter Schuyler, and Brown was succeeded by Nathaniel Merriam, February 5, 1820. The location through Lewis county was made by Stow and Martin, and an ac- tive rivalry was excited, especially in Turin, between settlers who had located on different routes. The East road through that town was already opened and traveled as far north as a mile be- yond Eleazer House's location, (east of Houseville) and the farms on its route wereall taken up by actual settlers. The road nearer the hill through Houseville had been laid out, but led through swamps difficult to pass, but the interests of Ezra Clapp, a sub-agent, and incident- ally those of one or two of the Commis- sioners, lay in that direction. Profess- ing no concern but for the greatest good to the greatest number, the offer was made that the route should be given to the parties who would subscribe the greatest amount of free labor. Upon comparing, it is said that notwithstand- ing five hundred days signed by Clapp for Shaler, the East road outnumbered the West. The latter was however adopted.
Although deprived of their object, the disappointed party resolved to connect their road with the East road in Low- ville, and by the utmost effort, finished in the summer of 1803, a branch five or six miles long, and from a quarter to half a mile east of the State road, connecting the two East roads. It was never much traveled, and soon fell into ruin. This route was known as the "Oswegatchie road," as it formed a continuation of the road from the Long Falls (Carthage) to the Oswegatchie at Ogdensburgh.
The cost of the State Road is said to have been about $30,000 to the State, and its Commissioners were continued about twenty years. In 1814, they were author- ized to change the southern location.
An act passed Feb. 25, 1805, appointed Commissioners living in Oneida county to lay out a road from Whitesboro, through to intersect the State road at Turin .* The road was surveyed by John Hammond, but its proposed loca- tion gave much dissatisfaction in Turin. In 1807, fruitless efforts were made to procure aid by a lottery to construct a road from Whitestown to Turin.
A road from Turin to Emilyville, or township 15, Great Tract No. I of Ma- comb's purchase, St. Lawrence county, was authorized April 15, 1814, and James T. Watson,t Robert McDowell and Levi Collins were appointed to locate and con- struct it at the expense of adjacent lands. This act was kept alive about thirty years. and a road was cut through from Independence creek to the old Albany road. By a constrained but perhaps justifiable interpretation of the law, a portion of the money was finally applied upon collateral and tributary roads upon which settlement was progressing and the labor on the northern end of this route was lost, as it still lies partly in the forest, and has never been traveled.
A State road from Lowville to Hen- derson Harbor was authorized April 17, 1816, and Robert McDowell, of Lowville, Eber Lucas, of Pinckney, and Abel Cole, of Rodman, were appointed to lay it out. The route was surveyed, and the map filed in the clerk's office May 2, 1818. It was located chiefly upon roads previ- ously laid out, and the expense of its improvement was assessed upon adja- cent wild lands. In 1820, David Canfield of Denmark, Tyrannus A. Wright of Pinckney, and Sanford Safford, of Har- risburgh, were appointed commissioners for completing the road. It runs from
* Henry McNeil, George Doolittle and Bill Smith, were appointed Commissioners under this act. See As- sembly Journal, 1805, P 50.
+ Patrick S. Stewart was appointed a Commissioner of this road, in the spring of 1840, in place of Watson, de- ceased.
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TURNPIKES.
the stone church in Lowville, nearly parallel with the south lines of Low- ville, Harrisburgh and Pinckney, into Jefferson county, and is the present di- rect road from Lowville to Barnes' Corners.
About 1824, a road was cut out from the Black river in Watson, northeast- ward to the St. Lawrence turnpike. It was wholly built by Watson and Le Ray, and long bore the name of the " Erie Canal Road."
A road from Cedar Point on Lake Champlain to the Black river was author- ized April 21, 1828, and the Commis- sioners emerged from the forest on a preliminary survey on the last day of August of that year, but only the eastern end was opened.
A road from the West road on the north line of Lowville towards Denmark village, was laid out under an act of Feb. 19, 1829, by Pardon Lanpher, Harvey Stephens and Homer Collins. It was in- tended to avoid the hills on the State road, and is now one of the public highways in that part of the county.
A road was opened under an act of April 9, 1831, by Peter Mann and Silas Salisbury, from one mile east of Watson bridge north to the Lower falls on Beaver river, and the then north line of Watson.
By act of April 14, 1841, David Judd, of Essex, Nelson J. Beach of Lewis and Na- than Ingersol of Jefferson county, were appointed to construct a road from Car- thage through township 4, of Brown's tract, to Lake Champlain in Moriah or Crown Point, the expenses to be de- frayed by a tax on the non-resident lands to be benefitted. The road was surveyed in the summer of 1841, and opened during the next half dozen years so as to be pass- able by teams, but was scarcely ever traveled beyond the actual settlements, and soon fell into disuse.
Several acts have been passed concern- ing this road, among which was one in
1843, releasing from the tax, certain lands in Denmark and Lowville which came within the limits first defined by law.
A road from Port Leyden to the " old forge " on township 7 of Brown's tract, Herkimer county, and another from the residence of Hezekiah Abbey to inter- sect this, were authorized June 8, 1853, to be constructed under the direction of Lyman R. Lyon and Francis Seger, by the aid of highway taxes upon unsettled lands adjacent.
Under an act passed April 2, 1859, Sey- mour Green and Diodate Pease were ap- pointed to lay out and open a road from the northern settlements of Osceola through to some road already opened in Martinsburgh, and granted most of the non-resident highway taxes upon the lands of the towns through which it passed, for a period of five years for its construction. Surveys were made, but the road was never finished.
The foregoing list embraces, with an exception to be noticed, all the roads lo- cated within this county by virtue of special acts of the Legislature, except- ing turnpikes, of which more have been projected than built, and of which the last rod has long since been merged in common roads.
TURNPIKES.
These internal improvements were in their day regarded as great public enter- prises, and in fact did much to give an impulse to the growth of important points along their line, and of the coun- try that they supplied. They were al- ways stock companies, and their route, mode of construction, rates of toll, and other details concerning them were pre- scribed by special acts. It was usual to fix a limit to their continuance, and at the end of the period they were to revert to the public.
As the common highways became im- proved, it was no uncommon thing for
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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
those who were obliged to use them, to complain of the burden which the tolls occasioned, and as a matter of fact, the greater part were abandoned to the public long before their franchises expired.
In our first edition of the County His- tory, many details were given concern- ing these roads-but as they have all ceased to exist in the county, they may be regarded as belonging altogether to the past. We will therefore here only mention them briefly by name and route, referring to the former edition for whatever else the reader may desire to learn concerning them.
Mohawk and Black River Turnpike Company, authorized April 5, 1810. Rome to Turin. Not organized.
St. Lawrence Turnpike Company, April 5, 1810. Across Diana, no settlements formed, and in 1829 charter repealed. Surveyed in 1812 by Benj. Wright and C. C. Brodhead, opened but scarcely ever much used until abandoned. [See our History of St. Lawrence and Frank- lin counties (1853) for details.]
Black River and Sackett's Harbor Turn- pike, March 30, 1811. Lowville to Copen- hagen and Watertown. Not made.
Lewis Turnpike Company, April 8, 1811. Steuben to Martinsburgh and Lowville. Nothing done.
Boonville Turnpike. Extended a mile and a half into Lewis county. Changed to a plank road.
Turin and Leyden Turnpike, March 26, 1819. From near the county line to the State road, one mile north of Turin. Finished but no gates erected. After- wards a plank road.
Canal Turnpike, February 28, 1823. Capital $15,000. From Stokesville in Lee, to Olmsted Creek in Turin. In 1826, the south end extended to Rome, and the north end to the site of old St. Paul's church in West Turin. Used many years, and changed to the plank
road passing through Constableville and West Leyden to Rome.
In 1842, the plan of a macadamized road was discussed, but nothing was done in the way of improvement till the period of plank road construction, which began in 1847.
PLANK ROADS.
Of these, nine were incorporated un- der the general law, with a total length of seventy-eight miles. They all belong to the past.
Rome and Turin Plank Road. Rome to Turin, mostly on the line of Canal Turn- pike. Articles filed December 24, 1847. Capital $45,000. Cost $50,000. Aban- doned January 18, 1855.
Turin Plank Road. Through the town of Turin on the line of the State road, December 27, 1847. Capital $8,000. Abandoned.
West Martinsburgh and Copenhagen Plank Road, February 17, 1848. Capital $25,000. From the Turin plank road to Copenhagen, on the line of the "West road." Abandoned about 1858.
West Turin and Leyden Plank Road, October 23, 1848. Capital $6,000. On line of Turin and Leyden turnpike, (so called.) Abandoned March 3, 1856.
Lowville and Carthage Plank Road, November 8, 1848. Capital $22,000. Cost $26,000. From south line of Martins- burgh through Lowville and Denmark to Deer River and Carthage. Abandon- ed May 5, 1859.
Boonville Plank Road, on State road from Black River House, Boonville to south line of Turin, November 8, 1848. Capital $30,000. Abandoned November 27, 1869.
Martinsburgh Plank Road Company, December 13, 1848. Capital $7,000. Through the town on State road. Abandoned March 8, 1865.
Great Bend and Copenhagen Plank Road, December 4, 1848. Capital $13,000.
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MAIL ROUTES.
About three miles in this county. Abandoned about 1858.
A plank road from the Carthage and Antwerp road near the old Lewis Tavern place to Sterling Bush was the last one of these roads. It was made chiefly to facilitate the drawing of ore to the fur- nace at the latter place. These roads were laid eight feet wide with hemlock plank, three inches thick. They were generally laid on the side or the center of the high- way, so that teams going south retained the plank in meeting other teams. Their durability was greatly less than previous estimates, and their receipts generally be- low cost.
MAIL ROUTES.
The first route through the valley was established January 19, 1804. Daniel Gould is said to have been the first car- rier. He was succeeded by Reuben Chase soon after, who began in 1804, and performed one trip each week from Utica to Brownville. Mr. Barnabus Dickinson of Denmark, was the next mail carrier, and by him a two-horse carriage was first placed upon the route for the accom- modation of travelers. About 1812, or 1814, Parker & Co. ran a line of stages. Other parties were afterwards engaged in this service, and in January, 1824, E. Backus and Ela Merriam, with N. W. Kiniston and John McElwaine, com- menced carrying the mail, and with the exception of four years, Mr. Merriam had continued in the business till the time of publication of our former edition of the History of Lewis county. It had been carried daily except on Sunday during 36 years, and until 1848 to '50 over as muddy a road as could be found in the State. In our former edition we re- marked: "The spirited and sacrificing efforts of Mr. Merriam, in calling public attention to plank roads and other im- provements, and in their construction and maintenance, entitle him to the last-
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