History of Lewis County, New York; with...biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 30

Author: Hough, Franklin Benjamin, 1822-1885
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Syracuse, New York : Mason
Number of Pages: 712

USA > New York > Lewis County > History of Lewis County, New York; with...biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 30

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The generation that knew him will have passed away ; the labors which he and his cotemporaries performed will be forgotten, except as recorded on his- toric page ; but those of the newer gen- eration who gaze upon the faces herein

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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.

collected, will recognize him as one of the early and hardy men who bequeathed to the towns of the county the blessing ot prosperity.

GILBERT B. JOHNSON.

The family of Johnson is of English ancestry. Jacob Johnson, grandfather

for many years Judge of Montgomery county. They lived at Kingsboro until March, 1834, when they moved to Deer River, Lewis county. They both lived honored, trusted and re- spected, and left their impress for good on the social, moral, and religious interests of the community where they

LITTLE

[GILBERT B. JOHNSON. ]

of the subject of this sketch, was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and mar- ried Esther Hotchkiss. Both were born in Connecticut. Their son, Abner A. Johnson, the father of Gilbert B., was born in Connecticut, January . 11, 1788. He married at Cranberry Creek, Mont- gomery county, (now Fulton county,) N. Y., April 29, 1820, Annah W. Gilbert, born in Connecticut, December 3, 1802, the daughter of Hon. Samuel A. Gilbert,

lived. Abner A. Johnson held here for several terms, the office of supervisor. He died in Deer River April 17, 1867. His wife died in the same place January 14, 1864. They had eight children, as fol- lows :-

Lucien A., now (1883), living at Chat- field, Minn .; Gilbert B .; Sarah, wife of Jason C. Easton, Chatfield, Minn .; Samu- el W., Professor in Yale College, New Haven, Connecticut ; Esther A., wife of

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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF DENMARK.

Giles C. Easton, died in Lowville, Octo- ber 20, 1862; Elizabeth, wife of John W. Clark, now (1883) living at Carthage, N. Y .; Abigail W., and Annah G., twins; the former the wife of Rev. John Moore, of Ripon, Wis., and the latter the wife of George H. Haven, of Chatfield, Minn.

Gilbert B. Johnson, was born in Kings- boro, town of Johnstown, N. Y., Octo- ber 10, 1823. He passed the first ten years of his life in Kingsboro, and came with his parents to Deer River, in 1834, where he received the education of the common schools, and Lowville Academy, and the practical education of his father's farm. He has obtained the reputation of being a sound, shrewd, business man, and has held in his town numerous posi- tions of responsibility and trust. He has been justice of the peace from and in- cluding 1851 to 1883, except one term, and was supervisor from 1864 to 1869, both years included, and also in 1876, and 1877. He assisted in the organization of the First National Bank of Carthage, which commenced business in January, 1880, and was elected President, which position he has since held.

On the 2d of January, 1850, he mar- ried at Deer River, Elizabeth Easton, who was born in Johnstown, April 30, 1830. The result of this marriage was seven children, three of whom are still living :-

Mary E., born October 16, 1855, mar- ried Charles H. Loomis, August 18, 1874, now (1883) living at West Carthage, N. Y .; Annah Nellie, born October I, 1860; Lucien Gilbert, born August II, 1868.

RODOLPHUS B. WILSON.

Of the ancestry of this family nothing is known back of the grandfather, John Wilson, who was of Scotch parentage, and whose father and mother dying when he was an infant placed him under the care of a guardian who came with him to America, when he was but four years of age, and located in Washington county, N. Y. He died in that county in October, 1813. His wife's name was Anna Maria Switzer. Their children were: John, George, Christopher, Peter, James, Will- iam, Elinor, Nancy, Catherine and Sarah.

Of these children, George was the father of Rodolphus B. He was born in Washington county November 6, 1793, and came to Lewis county in 1814, locat- ing in Harrisburgh, on the farm now owned by William Rook. His life oc- cupation was that of a farmer. His wife was Mary Ann Bush, daughter of John Bush, of Harrisburgh, who was born May 23, 1799. George Wilson died December 14, 1849. His wife died Oc- tober 13, 1882.

Their children were four :-

Jane, born April 15, 1826, married Allen Snell, October 14, 1848, and died December 29, 1877; Rodolph, who died at the age of one year ; Rodolphus B .; Anna Maria, born July 16, 1830, married the Rev. Willett Vary, who died, and she married his brother, John Vary.

Rodolphus Bush Wilson, the third of these children, was born in Harris- burgh, Lewis county, November 1, 1829, in which town his early life was passed on the farm. He received the educa- tion of the common schools and adopted the life of a farmer, in which business he

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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.

has been more than ordinarily prosper- ous. In January, 1862, he removed from Harrisburgh and settled in the town of Denmark, where he has since resided. He is regarded by his fellow-townsmen as a man of honor .and integrity in all business matters, and faithful and true in his friendships.

On the 16th of January, 1857, he mar- ried Amelia A. Shultz, daughter of Solomon Shultz, of Denmark, who was born in that town, December 6, 1832. Their children are : - George Frank, born June 19, 1859; James Addison, born August 22, 1869; and Fay L., born February 28, 1874.

[RODOLPHUS B. WILSON.]

CHAPTER XXII.

HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF DIANA. THIS town was formed from Watson, TH (by request of town meeting,) April 26, 1830, and named in compliment to the wishes of Joseph Bonaparte, who then owned a considerable part of its wild lands and had begun small improvements. In his favorite pastime of hunting, he had here found an ample field for enterprise, and fancying that Diana herself might covet this region as her home, by a happy turn of poetic fancy, he conferred upon it the name of the goddess of huntsmen.

The first town meeting was held at the house of Robt. Blanchard, at which Chap- man Johnson was elected Supervisor; Geo. W. Bingham, Clerk ; Silas D. Stiles, John Wilbur and Enoch Cleveland, As- sessors ; Willis Edwards, Caleb Blanch- ard and Jesse Palmer, Commissioners of Highways; Daniel Robert, C. Blanch- ard and G. W. Bingham, Commissioners of Schools ; E. Cleveland and Mills Sly, Poormasters ; James Edward, Collec- tor; and Thomas Brayton, John Wilbur and Norman Stevens, Inspectors of Schools.

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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF DIANA.

Supervisors .- 1830-'31, Chapman John- son ; 1832, Thomas Brayton, Jr .; 1833, Chapman Johnson ; 1834-'35, Thomas Brayton, Jr .; 1836-'39, Caleb Blanchard; 1840-'41, David D. Reamer ; 1842, John Wilbur ; 1843-'49, David D. Reamer ; 1850, Sherman Blanchard ; 1851, Eugene Burnand ; 1852-'53, Jonathan Aldrich ; 1854, Howard Sterling ; 1855, Horace Clark : 1856, William Hunt ; 1857-'60, Joseph Pahud ; 1861-'63, William Hunt ; 1864, William B. Dodge ; 1865-'66, How- ard Sterling ; 1867-'68, William Hunt ; 1869, Truman Davis ; 1870, William Hunt; 1871, Jonas Frost ; 1872-'73, Levi C. Lake ; 1874-'75, William Hunt ; 1876, Henry Hitchcock ; 1877-'81, Will- iam Hunt ; 1882, Oliver Collins.

Clerks .- 1830, G. W. Bingham ; 1831- '32, John Wilbur; 1833, James G. Lyndes, (removed, and John Wilbur ap- pointed July 11th ;) 1834, Silas D. Stiles ; 1835-'39, John Wilbur ; 1840-'45, Horace Clark: 1846, Reuben Tyler ; 1847, Henry Allen, Jr .; 1848-'49, Reuben Tyler ; 1850- 53, Ilenry Allen; 1854, Nathan R. Car- ley ; 1855-'59, Henry Allen. Since 1860, Llenry Allen, Erastus Lasher, Thomas Broadway and Augustus Saltsman have held the office of Town Clerk, the last named for the seven years last.

The south line of the town was fixed between the igth and 20th north ranges of Castorland, but in the erection of Croghan, in 1841, the north line of that tract was made the south line of the town. The poor and the public money of Watson, were to be divided in the ratio of the last tax list. While a part of Watson, the north line of this town was twice changed. On the 10th of April, it was made to run so as to include about thirty lots, now in Wilna, and leave off several now in Diana; and on the 2d of April, 1813, the county-line was fixed as it now exists .* The Checkered House

(four miles from Carthage, towards Ant- werp,) and adjoining neighborhood in Wilna, were under the former arrange- ment included in Lewis county, and res- idents in that section could only enjoy the privilege of voting, by a journey to Leyden, distant about forty miles.

A panther bounty of $5 was voted in 1831, '32, '35, and of $10 in 1836 to 1842, 50, '51. A wolf bounty of $5 was voted in 1835, and of $10 in 1832, '34, 36, 37, '38, '39, '56. Fox bounties of $1 were voted from 1837 to 1842, inclusive. In 1845, a special law, allowing $5 on pan- thers, was asked by this town of the Legislature.

Settlement began on the old St. Law- rence Turnpike, by one Doharty ; but the first farm improvement was made by Thomas and Jeremiah Brayton, about 1818. Caleb, Robert and Sherman, sons of Isaac Blanchard, came about 1824, and afterwards their brother Daniel. They were originally from Rhode Island, but then from Wilna, from whence also many of the other settlers removed. George W. Bingham, John Wilbur, Enoch Cleveland and others, settled about 1830, or a little before.

About 1828, the Count de Survilliers (Joseph Bonaparte), having acquired the title, first came to explore his lands and spend a few weeks in rural pastimes. He directed a road to be cut, and went in a stage-coach through from the old turn- pike, to the lake, which has since been know as " Bonaparte Lake." He caused a boat to be taken through the woods, and launched upon this water, and a log house to be built upon an elevation com- manding a fine view of the lake and its shores.

This sheet of water covers about 1,200 acres, has several wild rocky islands with- in it, and in its primitive condition, was environed by bold rocky shores, alter- nating with wooded swamps and inter- vales, presenting altogether one of the

" These changes are fully described on page 29 of Hough's Jefferson County History.

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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.

most picturesque and quiet woodland scenes which the great forest affords. The place chosen for the house, was on Lot 928, on the most commanding site that the shores of the lake afforded. On the outlet of the lake at the present vil- lage of Alpina, the Count had a clearing of some thirty acres made, and a framed house erected with ice house, cellars, out houses and other conveniences, with the view of making this a summer residence. He also built in 1829, at the Natural Bridge, a large house, which was standing when our first edition was published.

The Count visited his lands four times, upon each occasion spending a few weeks, and always accompanied by a number of chosen companions, some of whom had witnessed and shared the sunny fortunes of the ex-king of Naples and of Spain, the favorite brother of the great Napo- leon. Upon one occasion, in returning from the Natural Bridge to Evans's Mills, the cortege halted upon the Pine Plains, and partook of a sumptuous feast which had been prepared with great care, and embraced every delicacy that the coun- try afforded, displayed upon golden dishes, and served with regal ceremonies. Liberal in the use of money, and sociable with all who were brought in business relations with him, he was of course popular among our citizens, and his an- nual return was awaited with interest and remembered with satisfaction.

He soon, however, sold to LaFarge ; the house on the outlet, still unfinished, rotted down, and the log house on the lake was some years after burned .*

This episode in the life of Joseph Bonaparte has been made the subject of the following poem by the late Caleb

Lyon of Lyonsdale. It was extensively quoted in the newspapers of the day, and presents a favorable specimen of the style of our Lewis county poet :-

BONAPARTE LAKE.

Waters enwound with greenest woods, And jewelled isles, the gift of Pan, Unsought, unseen, where Silence broods, Unwelcoming the feet of man.

Gray clouds in liquid opal burn Above the jagged hemlock's height, A sunset sky outpours its urn In ripples of the rosiest light.

By sinuous shore the baying hound Tells the stag seeks on silver sands Diana's mirror ; here is found One of Endymion's haunted lands.

The lilies on thy glowing breast Loll languidly in crowns of gold, Were pure Evangels speaking rest Unto an Exile's heart of old:

Brother of him whose charmed sword Clove or created kingdoms fair, Whose faith in him was as the word Writ in the Mamaluke's scimiter.

Here he forgot La Granja's glades, Escurial's dark and gloomy dome, And sweet Sorento's deathless shades, In his far off secluded home.

The hunter loved his pleasant smile, The backwoodsman his quiet speech, And the fisher's cares would he beguile With ever kindly deeds for each.

He lived for others not in vain, His well kept memory still is dear- Once King of Naples and of Spain, The friend of Bernardin St. Pierre.

STERLING BUSH.

In 1832, Fannel and Jomaine,* French capitalists of some experience in theiron business, began the erection of a blast furnace on Indian river, at a place which they named Louisburgh. As built by them, the furnace was thirty-three feet square at the base, of the kind technical- ly termed a quarter furnace, and intend- ed for a cold blast. They got the fur- nace in operation in 1833, but their

* Bonaparte was sued in the Jefferson County Court by Johnson Willard, fora claim arising from the clearing of a piece of land He paid without going into court, but the incident is said to have disgusted him exceed- ingly, and may have been a motive for his abandoning this establishment. The Count appeared suspicious of being robbed, and observed cautions very unusual in this country.

* Of the latter name there were two or three brothers. They were directly from Porto Rico. One of them afterwards died of cholera, in Canada. Fannel was book-keeper, and one of the Jomaines was a founder.

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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF DIANA.

European experience did them more harm than good, and after running two or three short blasts upon bog ore, their capital was expended, and their proper- ty, including about five thousand acres of land, was sold.

Isaac K.Lippencott, Joseph M. Morgan and David D. Reamer became purchas- ers in 1836, and continued the business with better success about ten years. They rebuilt the furnace, twenty-eight feet square, (seven and a half feet inside measure,) introduced the hot blast in 1839, and for some time made stoves and other castings, by dipping directly from the furnace. The establishment had been founded upon the expectation of finding ores in the vicinity, but this failing, a supply was drawn from the Kearney mine, in Gouverneur, and else- where in St. Lawrence county. The yield was generally three tons per day, and towards the end, much of it found a market in Rochester.

In 1850, the premises were bought by James Sterling, who procured a change in the name of the postoffice, to Sterling Bush, and resumed the manufacture. He paid $10,000 for the premises, and spent about $13,000 in rebuilding. The fur- nace at this place was operated by Ster- ling, until the year 1863. It was soon after purchased from his estate, by E. Bulkley, a New York capitalist, and rel- ative of Judge Hilton. In this purchase were included the Sterling Hematite mines, in Antwerp, and other interests. Mr. Bulkley has made several blasts, and closed operations in 1881, the furnace demanding expenses, repairs and im- provements, while proving a source of loss to its owner. The village consists

of but little else than the furnace and its dependencies. The Sterling Bush and North Wilna plank road, built in 1853, connected this place by plank with the Railroad at Antwerp, and the old Ster- ling iron mines, between Antwerp and Somerville, but has long since been abandoned to the public.

HARRISVILLE.

In 1833, Foskit Harris, of Champion, under a promise of two acres of land, and a waterfall on the Oswegatchie, with other inducements from Judge Boyer, agent of Bonaparte, hired several men, and on the 25th of September of that year, pushed three miles beyond set- tlement, and began the erection of mills at the present village of Harrisville. A saw-mill was built the first season, and a grist-mill, with one run of stones, in 1835 ; several mechanics came in, roads were opened, lands cleared, and the place appeared destined to become a central business point. Several families were from Le Ray and towns adjacent ; but no sooner was it known that Mr. La- Farge had become the owner of the lands in this section, than they resolved to quit the place. His reputation was exceedingly bad among the settlers on Penet Square, and elsewhere, and cases of marked severity had created so bit- ter a prejudice, that no inducement, not even that of a free gift at his hand, could induce them to remain. Thus de- serted, the place retained little besides a name, until 1854, when Joseph Pa- hud, a Swiss gentleman (who had be- come concerned in the Alpina works, towards the last of the Swiss Company's operations), came to reside at this place. Under his auspices, a grist-mill of supe- rior finish was erected in 1857, and a saw- mill with double saws, in 1858. Induce- ments were offered, which led, in 1859, to the building of a chair factory, a sash,

* Mr. Sterling died July 23, 1863. He resided at Sterlingville, Jefferson county, which derived its name from him, and its existence from the iron furnace which he established there, and run for many years. He had a remarkable talent for business, and although quite corpulent, he was active and present wherever business called. A daughter of Mr. Sterling has attained dis- tinction as á singer-

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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.

door and blind shop, and several build- ings in the village. In May of that year, Messrs. Beach & Dodge began an ex- tensive tannery on the east side of the river, half a mile below the village, and in the midst of a forest. It was 288 feet long, had 160 vats, and was intended to turn out about 40,000 sides of sole leather annually. A new saw-mill was got in operation a mile above, and other manu- factories were got under way at the time when the first history of Lewis county was published, in 1860.

Harrisville is yet, in 1882, the only vil- lage of any importance in the town of Diana. Its large tannery was success- fully kept in operation by Beach & Dodge, until 1879, and then sold by them to D. Botchford & Co., the present own- ers, Thomas E. Proctor, of Boston, being a partner in the concern. The village is the center of a comparatively large trade, its stores and establishments being as follows: Tannery store, general mer- chandise; Lake & Blood, general store, and drugs and liquors; Thomas Brady, groceries and liquors ; William Render, Oliver D. Collins, Frank Werner and Melzar Paul, general merchandise, (Wer- ner uniting the sale of drugs;) Crandall & Weed, hardware and tin shop ; George Miller, harness shop; William Stuart, shoe maker ; Peter Bullock, oar factory; A. Morgan & Son, furniture and under- taker; William Weaver, furniture, sash and doors ; Reuben Kilbourn and Philan- der Harris, carriage makers; John Weeks and Solon Carley, blacksmiths ; Louis Harris, barber; Sidney Nellis, watchmaker ; Mrs. Emma Osborn and Mrs. E. Nellis, millinery ; Snell & Co., saw-mill and lumber dealers ; Pahud & Hitchcock, saw-mill and lumber dealers, and grist-mill.

The village has a commodious school- house, a large public hall, and spacious hotel, kept by Lake & Blood, and said to be one of the best in the county. It has

two churches, one built in 1861, by the Congregationalists, and the other by the Campbellites, or Disciples. The Method- ists are now making preparations for building a church, Population in 1880, 353. Two lines of stages connect Har- risville with railroad points, daily, one at Gouverneur and the other at Carthage. There is also a tri-weekly stage to Fine and Edwards.

TANNERIES.

The tannery at Harrisville is the only one in the town, but one was built in 1861, at Natural Bridge, just over the line, by Dr. Pearly Johnson, and is now owned and operated by T. E. Proctor. The Jordan Falls tannery built in 1868, by William W. & \. Rice, in Croghan, and one in Fine, St. Lawrence county, built in 1870, by Rice & Co. of Boston, are near the town, and contribute to its business. These four tanneries have a yearly capacity for tanning 300,000 sides of sole-leather, consume 30,000 cords of bark, and require the clearing of 7,000 acres a year. They give steady employ- ment to 180 men, besides those employed as peelers, teamsters, etc.

CHEESE FACTORIES, ETC.

The town of Diana has four cheese factories, viz : " Lake Bonaparte Fac- tory," erected in 1868, by Pahud & Hitch- cock, " Sterlingbush Factory," " Natural Bridge Factory," and "Rice Factory." The last named is in the extreme north- west corner of the town, and is patron- ized by the three adjacent towns. In all, these factories work the milk of 1,000 to 1,100 COWS.

The Oswegatchie was declared a pub- lic highway, by act of April 13, 1854, as far up as the junction of the middle and west branches, and to the sources of both branches March 22. 1878.

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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF DIANA.

ALPINA.

Eugene Burnand, a Swiss, about 1844, purchased 48,513 acres from La Farge, embracing two ranges of lots in Ant- werp, and 122 lots in Diana, and returned to Switzerland to find purchasers to set- tle upon histract. While traveling upon the lake Neufchatel he met Louis Such- ard, the proprietor of the steamer upon which they then were, and in conversa- tion got him much interested in the chances of speculation, which his tract afforded, especially when he learned that iron ores occurred in this region and that forests of wood were abundant. Select- ing, at random, a lot upon the map, (No. 920,) he paid for it, and took a deed upon the spot.# Suchard came over in 1845, and after two days spent in personal ex- ploration and conversation with settlers, this ardent and credulous adventurer returned, and in the winter following, organized a company with a capital of 300,000 francs, for the purchase of the tract, and erection of an iron furnace.

Charles Favarger was sent over to con- duct operations, receiving a salary at first, and promised eventually an inter- est in the enterprise. He selected a site on Lot 886, on the outlet of Bonaparte Lake, and began the erection of a furnace, giving the location the name of Alpina. Mr. Favarger was not a practical iron master, but the furnace which he erected was of superior construction, and after an expenditure greatly exceeding the esti- mates, it was got in operation in the spring of 1848, at a cost of $20,000. The local supply of ore proved insufficient, t and it was obtained from the Kearney and other mines in St. Lawrence county.

After running two blasts with hot air, making from two to five tons per day, the company failed. By Favarger's con- tract with Burnand, he was to have a deed of 1,000 acres whenever he had paid $1,000, and under this arrangement 17,- 000 acres had been conveyed at the time of the assignment.

Frederick de Freudenrich, to secure his own interests and those of his nephew, the Count de Portalis, in this Swiss company, bought the property of the assignee, and by careful management, secured both without loss. The stock re- maining at the furnace was worked up by Sterling, under an agreement with Freudenrich.

The furnace and its dependencies, with a large tract of land, passed into the hands of Z. H. Benton, of Ox Bow, Jefferson county, who, on the 6th of June, with his associates, organized the "St. Regis Mining Company," with $1,000,000 capital, in shares of $10 each. The parties named in the articles, were Thomas Morton, John Stanton, Lyman W. Gilbert, William Hickok and Albert G. Allen, and they stipulated the right to work mines in various towns of St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Lewis coun- ties. It is needless to add that this scheme proved a failure, and that certain parties lost heavily by the speculation. We are not able to follow the intricate management of this affair. One blast had, in 1860, been run by Benton, two by Emmet, and one by Pahud, after the above company was formed. About 1853, Loveland Paddock, of Watertown, and David C. Judson, of Ogdensburgh became the owners of about 30,000 acres in this town, to secure certain in- terests growing out of the Alpina man- agement, and appointed Mr. Pahud, of Harrisville, as their agent.

Two blasts were made at the Alpina furnace in the decade of 1860-'70, by Mr. Benton, and in 1872 it was leased for five

* This lot afterwards proved to be chiefly swamp and lake. Burnand, when this was found, made a satisfac- tory change of other lands.

+ A few hundred tons of ore were obtained on the lands of the company and proved of good quality. About 1,000 tons of iron were made under Favarger. Some poor sandy bog ores, obtained from the vicinity, were used as flux only.

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History of Lewis County, New York; with...biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 30

Author: Hough, Franklin Benjamin, 1822-1885 Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Syracuse, New York : Mason Number of Pages: 712

Author: Hough, Franklin Benjamin, 1822-1885
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Syracuse, New York : Mason
Number of Pages: 712