USA > New York > Lewis County > History of Lewis County, New York; with...biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 59
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The original model of Martin's house, in good preservation and but little changed from the plan designed by its projector, is still standing in the town of Amsterdam, between the Mohawk river and the N. Y. C. R. R., three miles west of the village, and adjacent to the N. Y. Central railroad. It has borne for more than a century and a half, the name of Fort Johnson, and in the old French war was fortified against a sudden sur- prise by the enemy. Mr. Martin had spent a night at this house some years before, it having been forfeited to the State by the attainder of Sir John John- son, and turned into a tavern, and was so well pleased with its arrangement that he sent his builder, David Waters, down to take its plan and dimensions. The structure in Martinsburgh was begun in 1803 and finished in 1805, and is said to have been throughout, in size, style and finish, as far as possible, a faith- ful copy of Sir William's dwelling. To this day, there is scarcely a residence in
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MARTINSBURGH.
the county that is more substantial than this; for the next sixty years there was none that had exceeded this in cost. Certainly there is none that excels it in conspicuous site. The wings were built by the brothers, J. W. and D. T. Mar- tin, after the death of their father, and it has since formed two dwellings. It belongs at present to Sidney Sylvester and G. W. Locklin. Early in 1804, Martin was negotiating for the purchase of Township four, but failed to conclude a bargain.
The first school-house in town, was built about 1804, on the brow of the hill south of the village, and on the west side of the State road. Erastus Barnes was the first teacher. No legal action was taken for the establishment of common schools until the annual town meeting in 1814, when the recent act of the Leg- islature was approved, and double the sum received from the State was raised by tax. This was the usual sum voted for school purposes in this and other towns for a long period. The first Com- missioners were Chester Shumway, Ho- ratio G. Hough, and Orrin Moore ; and the first Inspectors, Barnabas Yale, John McCollister, Asahel Hough, Levi Ad_ ams, Noah N. Harger and Ephraim Luce. The town was soon after divided into five districts, and for many years the sum voted for school purposes was $124.10 annually. The usual amount was afterwards equal to the sum received from the State.
The first settlers of this town, coming chiefly from Salem, N. Y., and Westfield, Mass., or places adjacent, divided off into two parties, between which a certain de- gree of rivalry, and to some extent of jealousy, existed several years, and its existence was evinced in a wish to con- trol business affairs and town offices. General Martin might have been re- garded as the leader of the Salem party, and Judge Bancroft, an early merchant,
of the Westfield party. It was not ob- servable after the removal of the latter in 1832.
In the month of April, 1807, an unus- ual fall of snow followed by warm sunny weather, occasioned a flood in all the streams of this region, more destructive than ever before or since witnessed. The mill of General Martin, which stood a few yards above the present one, was undermined and launched into the stream when it floated down and finally lodged and partly .went to pieces at the State Road bridge. Mr. Faxton Dean, father of Samuel Dean,* the miller, lodged in a small room in the upper part of the mill, and although advised of possible danger from the flood, remained there on the night that the mill was swept away. He had been a miller in his younger days, and loved the mill and its surroundings. When urged to leave his lodgings on that occasion, he said he liked to hear the dashing of the water, and slept the sounder for it. His cries were heard by the people on the bank who followed with lanterns the floating building and its inmate, but were en- tirely unable to render the slightest aid. These cries continued until the mill struck the bridge and went to pieces. His body was found among flood-wood some weeks after, and was the first one buried in the old graveyard a mile south of the village. Martin's mill was re-built soon after, and in 1822, the present grist- mill, a little below the old one, was erected. In January, 1826, E. Bancroft completed a rival mill, supplied by springs and a small tributary of Martin's creek, less than a quarter of a mile south- west of the other mill. After being used about ten years, the latter was
* Mr. Dean was from Westfield. He removed to Ohio, and died al Brockport, April 8, 1840, aged 85 years. A daughter of the laller married Mr. Morris Moore, of Lowville, father of the late Morris D. Moore of that place, and of Franklin Moore, of Washington, D. C.
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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
changed to a manufactory of cotton bat- ting, wicking and wadding. It has since fallen into ruin, and now every vestige has disappeared. It was a little below the present cheese factory, on the cross- road. In 1833, a building was erected west of the village as a woolen factory,but the intention was never fully realized, and it has been used ever since as a card- ing mill. For many years fulling and cloth dressing were also carried on there. A starch factory was fitted up in 1847, by Ela N. Merriam, now of Ogdensburgh, in a building erected for a tannery, but after the first season it was never used. In the spring of 1844, a company was formed under the style of the Lewis County Manufacturing Company, with a proposed capital of $25,000, but the plan was abandoned before it had matured. The parties named in this enterprise were John W. Martin, Shepard Lee, Jas. M. Sturdevant, Solon D. Hungerford, David T. Martin and David Griffis.
A paper-mill was built by General Martin in 1807, on the creek, about a mile southeast of the village, upon the East road, and got in operation by John Clark & Co., in the fall of that year. Daniel Gould was afterwards in compa- ny .with Clark. The mill never had any machinery beyond an engine for grind- ing the pulp, and although kept more or less employed till about 1832, it never proved a source of much profit to those concerned. In the earlier years writing paper was made, but at a later day only wrapping and wall papers. The paper was made by dipping, in the ancient way, and there are doubtless specimens of this manufacture still to be found in old writings of that day.
A poetical advertisement, a parody of one of Dibdin's songs, which appeared in the Black River Gazette, November 9, 1807, is here inserted, for the purpose of presenting the poetical taste, if not the talents, of J. Clark & Co.
Sweet Ladies, pray be not offended, Nor mind the jest of sneering wags ; No harm believe us, is intended, When humbly we request your Rags.
The scraps, which you reject, unfit To clothe the tenant of a hovel, May shine in sentiment and wit, And help to make a charming novel.
The cap exalted thoughts will raise, The ruffle in description flourish ; Whilst on the glowing work we gaze The thought will love excite and nourish.
Each beau in study will engage, His fancy doubtless will be warmer, When writing on the milk-white page, Which once, perhaps, adorn'd his charmer.
Though foreigners, may sneer and vapor, We no longer forc'd their books to buy, Our gentle Belles will furnish paper, Our sighing Beaux will wit supply.
Forty-five years afterwards, the princi- pal of this firm was a homeless wanderer, seeking to be employed at a fee of a few shillings, to indicate veins of water and points for digging wells, by the pre- tended traction of a hazel rod. We knew him in this capacity in St. Law- rence county, about 1850.
Captain John Moore was accidentally shot by Russell Arthur, early on the morning of June 3, 1811. It was on the day of a military muster, and some of his men had come, as was the custom, to salute him, by firing guns; when, just as he was crossing the threshold, a ball passed through his neck, which proved speedily fatal. This painful in- cident cast a gloom over the neighbor- hood, and was scarcely less afflictive to the unhappy author of the accident and his friends, than to the family of the deceased. Mr. Moore resided on the State road, about midway between the villages of Lowville and Martinsburgh. Otis Ashley, Jr., a lad, was killed at a military training, in the village of Mar- tinsburgh, July 4, 1831, by a ball from a rifle, reflected from a stone, at which the weapon was fired, without the owner's
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MARTINSBURGH.
knowing that it was charged with any- thing but powder. Two other lads were wounded upon that occasion.
The scheme of Samuel W. Whittlesey and wife, of Watertown, to rob the government of $30,000, due the drafted militia of this and adjoining counties, the year after the War of 1812, is among the most remarkable incidents of crime upon record, and full details of this affair are given in our history of Jefferson county published in 1854. Having concealed the money at home, he traveled care. lessly on horseback as far as Trenton, pretending that he would pay off the militia, for whom the money was intend- ed, on his way home. He there the next morning announced that he had been robbed, and offered, with well dis- sembled anxiety, an immense reward for the thief. The sequel, ending in the ex- tortion of the secret, under threats of a terrible death, the suicide of the wife and the disgrace of her husband, are familiar to many of our older readers. On his way to Trenton, Whittlesey spent a night at the inn of Chillus Doty in this town, where he made no secret of the treasure that he carried or pre- tended to carry, and was cautioned to be more watchful over his money. A few days after the discovery of the money, he was seen to leave Watertown on horseback late in the afternoon, and to return the next morning, with his beast jaded and weary, as if he had traveled a long journey without resting. The late Dr. Amasa Trowbridge (who related to us the incident, and who, at that time, was almost the only one of Whittlesey's late friends who would harbor him under their roofs,) insisted upon his telling his errand, when he at length reluctantly admitted, that he had on his former journey concealed about the premises of Mr. Doty a quantity of marked bills, with the intention of finding them under a search warrant,
and thus implicating an innocent man. The plot having been defeated he had gone to recover the money, creeping, at the dead of night upon the premises on an errand of shame, which practiced villainy would have shunned by daylight. Several marked bills were found on the premises of Joseph Sheldon, who kept an inn on the site of the residence of Warren Salmon, in Martinsburgh, and were returned to their owners in Water- town. The honorable character of these persons would have ensured them against suspicion, had the money been found concealed upon their premises.
As Miss Mary Ann Waters, a young lady, daughter of John Waters, about twenty years of age, engaged in teaching school in the east part of the town, was return- ing home on horseback, June 20, 1829, her horse was startled and stopped by a tree falling across the road in front, and directly after another tree fell upon and killed both the horse and its rider. This accident happened on the east road, a little south of the old paper mill.
MINING OPERATIONS IN MARTINSBURGH.
In the fall of 1828, a thin vein of galena disseminated in calcareous spar, was discovered a short distance north of the village of Martinsburgh, near the brow of the hill, and hopes were ex- cited which further exploration did not justify. In the spring of 1838, as Levi Edwards, a young man in the service of Richard Arthur, was plowing in a field about a mile northwest of the village, the point of his plow broke off a bright shining ore, which proved to be galena. This led to an examination, and as the rock lay near the surface, the vein was easily uncovered and presented truly an attractive spectacle. The ore from four to ten inches wide, stood like a wall several inches above the surface of the rock, and run in a course about N. 80°
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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
W., a distance of over twenty rods, and so readily was it obtained that two men in two days threw out over four thou- sand pounds. Trenches dug across the direction of this vein disclosed others nearly parallel, and the prospect of mineral wealth for a time seemed never fairer. The right of mining was pur- chased by Thomas L. Conklin, for $700, and a company at first of twelve, but afterward of a hundred shares was formed.
A building, formerly a fulling mill, ad- jacent to the bridge south of the village, was fitted up for smelting the ore, and got in operation in June, 1838, and sev- eral tons of the metal were reduced. Meanwhile the cost ot mining rapidly increased as the excavations were sunk below the surface, while the yield of ore diminished, and after considerable ex- penditure during the first year and part of the next, the work was abandoned, with heavy loss to all concerned.
Those engaged in this enterprise had no previous experience in mining, and perhaps did not manage their work in a very scientific way ; but they apparent. ly got nearly all there was, and the most skillful miners could have done no more. Among these early products were some of much interest to the mineralogist, in- cluding crystals of smoke-colored calcite, a little fluor spar, small crystals of galena, and what appeared to be the native car- bonate of lead. In some cases the galena was disseminated through the spar, in delicate threads, and when broken, pre- sented moss-like ramifications.
Mr. Conklin, the principal in the above mentioned operation, was from Renssel- aerville, N. Y. He graduated at Union College in 1816, and was admitted to the Lewis county Bar about 1824, and for some time was actively engaged in his profession. In 1831, he entered the Pres- byterian ministry and removed to Car- bondale, Pa., but soon after returned
to Martinsburgh. After the failure of his lead speculation he mostly withdrew from business, and died July 1, 1851, at the age of 55, having mostly secluded himself from society during several years. He was acknowledged by all to be an effective and elegant public speak- er, enthusiastic in whatever he engaged, eccentric in his theories, but withal, the possessor of considerable talent. He studied his profession with Simeon Ford, of Herkimer county. One of his daughters married Dr. James T. Peden, of Martinsburgh, but later of Carthage. The remainder of the family removed from the county some years ago, and a portion of them reside in the east- ern part of the State.
In 1853, the mineral right of this lo- cality was purchased on speculation, by parties in New York, and a company was legally formed for working these mines. It was styled the " Lewis County Lead Company," but did not, so far as we are informed, do more than organize .*
In 1863-'64, this region became again the seat of great mining activity ; two or three stock companies were formed, two lead furnaces were erected, steam power was put up, and much money was spent in mining.
The Rochester Copper and Lead Mining Co., originally formed for mining pur- poses in the town of Rochester, Ulster county, N. Y., was incorporated June 17, 1863, with half a million of dollars capi- tal, and an office in Martinsburgh. Its principal office was Nos. 8 and 10 Wall street, New York, and its stocks appeared for sale in the New York market.
The Martinsburgh Lead Mining Co. was incorporated April 12, 1864, with a mill- ion of capital, and an office at 30 Pine street, New York.
The Lewis County Lead Mining Co. was
* This company filed its articles of association in the Secretary's office, February 4, 1854; capital $200,000, in shares of $2.00 each. Limit of time, fifty years.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MARTINSBURGH.
organized Oct. 8, 1864, with John C. Mor- gan and Stephen B. Brague, of New York, and John E. Capers, of Brook- lyn, as corporators ; capital, $200,000 ; shares, $1.
We are not informed as to what par- ticular part of the terrace these several companies acquired the right of mining upon, or how much profit was made. They never acquired the confidence of any one who had anything to invest in this county, and consequently nothing was lost-excepting by one poor widow, who kept a boarding house for the miners, and got cheated out of her pay.
While the offices of one at least of these companies was open in New York City, there was a display of brilliant ores in its windows that would have persuad- ed any man of means, without discretion, to invest largely in stocks. These speci- mens must have come from Missouri, or some other mining region in the West ; for in its best days, there were none of that kind found in this county.
The amount of money spent in a year or two by these companies must have been many thousands of dollars, and for a time they afforded a home mar- ket to the farmers, of some importance. They even raised expectations of the es- tablishment of a bank, and of extensive collateral business that vanished like a dream. One of the principal operators here, had been an inmate of a State's pris- on. These companies brought on many skillful miners, and the work done, bears evidence that they, at least, understood their business.
INCIDENTS.
A serio-comic incident occurred in the western part of this town in the summer of 1836, occasioned by a search after a child lost in the woods. The little wan- derer was soon found and restored to its parents, but on counting up after their
return, it was discovered that a middle aged man, named Curtis N. Kendall, and a lad about 18 years of age, in his compa- ny, were missing. This happened on Thursday, but Friday came and passed without any tidings of the lost. On Sat- urday the report spread generally, and towards the close of that day a public meeting was called, and it was agreed that in case they did not appear by morn- ing, the town bell should be rung at sunrise, as a signal for the inhabitants to rally and engage in a careful search in the woods. The bell was accordingly rung on Sabbath morning, and hundreds of men assembled at the appointed place, agreed upon their signals, formed into a line, and began their search in the forest. About ten o'clock the signal for " found " was passed along the line, and each has- tened to the spot to learn in what condition the lost had been found, and by what casualty they had been detained. The estrays were found in an open beaver meadow known as the " Stephen's Beav- er Meadow," on the head waters of one of the streams tributary to Roaring brook, but two or three miles from in- habitants, and almost within hearing of the town bell. The weather had been bright and clear, and the sluggish stream, after a few windings in the wood, emerged into the clearings. When asked why they did not follow out some one of the hay roads, for winter use, which led into the meadow, Mr. Kendall, with great naivete and perfect sincerity, replied that they had found a plenty of paths lead- ing into the meadows, but none that led out. Mr. Kendall removed to Fond du Lac, in Wisconsin, where he was living some five years since, at an advanced age. On other occasions he had shown a weak- ness in getting easily lost, and he was the last man to be trusted alone in the woods at night. The bears, that threw Kendall into such mortal fear, and that might have "eaten him up" had they
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HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
been so disposed, have survived till a later day, and are yet occasionally seen in the forest region in the western part of this town. In the summer of 1868 several were seen and killed. In the summer and fall of 1869, bears weighing 350, 400 and 450 pounds, were killed up- on the hill west of Martinsburgh.
A distressing accident occurred Sep- tember 3, 1852, at Maple Ridge, in this town. As a daughter of Timothy Canaan, aged nine years, was in a field in which the embers of log heaps were still burning, her dress caught fire, and before she could be relieved was literally burned alive.
THE "FORTY THIEVES."
At the Oneida circuit of September, 1844, a suit brought by Abel Fuller, of this town, against Alanson Tyler, of Low- ville, to recover money alleged to have been paid, disclosed the existence of a combination of swindlers in this and ad- joining towns, who had in various ways for several months previous, been oper_ ating to obtain money by fraud. In the case mentioned, perjury was freely of- fered as evidence, and it subsequently appeared that numerous schemes of ex- tortion had been planned, and means the most unscrupulous arranged to secure their execution. This club received the name of "The Forty Thieves." It is said to have met by night in private places, and to have enjoined secrecy and fidelity by the most solemn oaths, but the result of the trial in Utica, by removing Amos Barnes, one of the lead- ers, to State's prison, under an indictment for subornation of perjury, and frighten- ing others into flight from the country, an effectual end was put to their opera- tions. Some of the parties concerned in this combination had held respectable positions in society, and one of them has since held a responsible office, in the far West.
MARTINSBURGH VILLAGE.
This village is built upon a bold ter- race of the Trenton Limestone, that stands out as a kind of head-land, from the general trend of the hill, and rises to a greater elevation than this rock occurs at any other point in the town, if not in the county.
The scenery which the surrounding country affords from every point, north, east and south from Martinsburgh vil- lage, is very fine; and in natural beauty of location there is nothing in the county that surpasses it. In the days of early settlement it had a considerable amount of business, and the stream that flows adjacent along the west and south sides was improved to the full extent of its water power. But like other villages upon the hills, through this and adjoin- ing counties, it was not found convenient for business ; but the great cause of de- cline was the failure of the Lewis Coun- ty Bank, and the bankruptcy of John W. Martin, by which many were injured, and some were ruined.
A fire, the most disastrous that had then occurred in the county, on the morning of February 5, 1859, destroyed the only hotel, four stores, and all the offices, sheds, barns and buildings at- tached or adjacent. The fire occurred during court week, and the hotel was filled with guests, who were aroused from sleep, and several of them narrowly escaped with life .*
To save the county seat from removal in consequence of this loss of accommo. dation, Mr. Edwin Pitcher, with some aid from others,t rebuilt the hotel in 1860, and a fine block of stores, and a public hall were erected at about the same time. These have since been re-
* The old Martinsburgh Hotel was built by General Martin, in 1807, and at the time of the fire was kept by T. Atwood.
+ A subscription of $2,000 was made by townsmen to aid in rebuilding.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MARTINSBURGH.
built after another disastrous fire-not as large and fine as those of 1860, but suffi- cient for the business of the village.
PRESENT BUSINESS OF MARTINSBURGH VILLAGE.
Blacksmiths .- Ezra Botsford, Calvin Doud, Charles W. Peebles.
Boots and Shoes .- David Wetmore.
Butter Tubs .- Edward Brooks, Alfred Seymour. (The latter also makes cheese boxes, and has a saw-mill and cider-mill in connection.)
Cabinet Makers and Undertakers .- S. K. Jones & Son.
Carding Machine .- Reuben Crosby.
Cigar Maker .- Thomas S. Taylor. (Employs 4 men.)
Dress Maker .- Mrs. Herbert Morse.
Dry Goods Stores, etc .- Locklin & Syl- vester, Perry S. Hough.
Grist-Mill .- Solon Dickinson. (S. Syl- vester owns a part interest.)
Hardware .- S. T. Napier & Co., (with tin-shop.)
Hotel .- David Lovejoy.
Milliner .- Mrs. Waterman.
Physician .- Dr. Marion Nash.
Wagon Maker .- Ebenezer Lovejoy.
The census of 1880, reported a popu- lation of 285 in Martinsburgh village. It must have been twice as great in days of greatest prosperity, say from 1840 to 1850.
THE LEWIS COUNTY BANK.
This establishment now of merely his- torical interest, was incorporated April 20, 1833, and located at Martinsburgh, with a limit of thirty years, and a capi- tal of $100,000. The Commissioners for opening subscriptions and distributing stock, were George D. Ruggles, John W. Martin, Andrew W. Doig, William D. Shaler, Ashley Davenport, John Whittlesey, Ela Merriam, Stephen Leon- ard and Ozias Wilcox. The petition
upon which this franchise was granted, sets forth the existing resources and then probable future of the county, and for this reason it presents an interesting item in the county history.
" To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New York :
"The undersigned, inhabitants of the County of Lewis, Respectfully repre- sent :-
" That in the opinion of your petition- ers, a Banking Institution is required in said county. From an examination of the statistics of this county, your Hon- orable Body will discover an increased importance in our agricultural, commer- cial and manufacturing departments, fully assuring us of the propriety and reasonableness of our application.
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