History of Oneida County, New York, 1667-1878, Part 72

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 932

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The year 1798, in addition to the noteworthy event of incorporation, witnessed many improvements in the village, and the arrival of many new-eomers, both settlers and travelers.

Among the former was Thomas Skinner, from Williams- town, Mass. He was a graduate of Williams College, and soon after his arrival in Utiea entered into partnership in the praetiee of the law with Nathan Williams, who married Mary, a sister of Mr. Skinner. Mr. Skinner became a prominent eitizen, and filled various offices both in the church and in the gift of the people. He served as one of the village trustees, and as early as 1807 was attorney of the corporation, and also acted in the latter eapaeity for the Utiea Bank. He was for several years treasurer for the Presbyterian Church, and contributed as a fluent writer to the Columbian Gazette. He also held the position of trustee of the Utiea Academy for thirty-five years, and always punctually attended their meetings. At one time he was so popular as to be the nominee of one of the po- litical parties for representative in Congress, but was beaten by Thomas R. Gold, whose name appears first on the list of attorneys admitted to praetiee at the formation of Oneida County. Mr. Skinner at first lived on Whitesboro' Street, afterwards on Broadway, and later at No. 32 Broad Street.

The year 1798 witnessed the establishment of the first newspaper in Utiea. William McLean had begun the pub- lication of a paper at New Hartford in 1794, which he named the Whitestown Gazette. New Hartford was then in the town of Whitestown, of which it continued a part until 1827.

In 1798 he removed his press to Utiea and issued the paper under the name of Whitestown Gazette and Cato's Patrol, the latter title having reference to the younger of the Roman Catos, who was the defender of the ancient Utica. Mr. McLean was a native of Hartford, Conn., born Dec. 2, 1774, and was consequently quite a young man when he eommeneed the publication of his paper. He . continued the business in Utiea until 1803, when he sold to a couple of his apprentiees, Messrs. Seward and Williams, and returned to New Hartford, where he opened a tavern

and kept it for several years. He subsequently removed to Cazenovia, and engaged in the same business. In 1818 he journeyed to Cherry Valley, and issued a paper ealled the Cherry Valley Gazette, which is still published there. He died at the last-mentioned place on the 12th of March, 1848, in the enjoyment of the esteem and good-will of the eitizens.

John C. Hoyt was another new-eomer about this time, and in November, 1798, advertised in the columns of the Whitestown Gazette that he had commenced the business of a " taylor," at the shop formerly kept by William S. Warner, opposite Bagg's inn, Utiea. His shop was on the southwest corner of Genesee Street and Whitesboro' road. Here he remained for more than twenty years.

He filled the offices of trustee of the village and of the Presbyterian Church, and was greatly esteemed and re- speeted. He was a native of Danbury, Conn., and died at the early age of forty-four years, in August, 1820.

Elisha Burchard eame the same year. He engaged in farming, and had a dwelling near what is now the corner of Court and Sehuyler Streets. He took an active part in the fire company, of which he was for several years the foreman. He died in Mareh, 1811, leaving a large family.

The year 1798 is noteworthy also for a visit made to Utiea by the famous traveler and writer Dr. Timothy Dwight, president of Yale College. The following deserip- tion of the plaee we take from Dr. Bagg, who eopied it from a volume deseriptive of his travels:

" Utica, when we passed through it, was a pretty village contain- ing fifty houses. It is huilt on the spot where Fort Schuyler for- merly stood. Its site is the declivity of the bill wbich bounds the valley of the Mohawk, and here slopes easily and elegantly to the river. The houses stand almost all on a single street, parallel to the river. Generally those which were built before our arrival were small, not being intended for permanent habitations. The settlers were almost wholly traders and mechanics, and it was said that their business had already become considerable. Their expectations of future prosperity were raised to the highest pitch, and not a doubt was entertained that this village would, at no great distance of time, become the emporium of all the commerce carried on between the ocean and a vast interior. These apprehensions, though partially well founded, appeared to me extravagant. Commerce is often eapri- cious, and demands of her votaries a degree of wisdom, moderation, and integrity, to fix her residence and secure her favors, which is more frequently seen in old, than in new establishments.

"We found the people of Utica laboring, and in a fair way to labor a long time, under one very serious disadvantage. The lands on which they live are chiefly owned by persons who reside at a dis- tance, and who refuse to sell or rent them except on terms which are exorbitant. The stories which we heard concerning this subject it was difficult to believe, even when told hy persons of the best reputa- tion. . . . A company of gentlemen from Holland, who have pur- chased large tracts of land in this State and Pennsylvania, and wbo are known by the name of the Holland Land Company, have huilt here a large brick house to serve as an inn. The people of Utica are united with those of Whitesboro' in their parochial concerns."

The "large briek house" mentioned by the reverend doetor was the same which was known for many years as the " York House,"* and was for a long period the most noted hostelry between Albany and the lakes.

Its proprietors were the celebrated Holland Land Com- pany, who had, on the 21st of November, 1788, purchased of

# So named in 1814 by its then proprietor, Henry Bamman, a Frenchman. Up to this time it had been known as the "Hotel."

273

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK. -

the State of Massachusetts 2,600,000 acres of land in West- ern New York, and subsequently opened offices for the sale and settlement of the same .* For some good and sufficient reason the company, in November, 1795, had purchased from Thomas and Augustus Corey, 200 acres of great lot No. 95, which was for a long time thereafter known as the " Hotel Lot." On this lot the " York House" was erected during the years 1798-99. The reasons which induced the company to erect such a structure here were, undoubt- edly, the central location of Utica with reference to western business, its prospective importance at that date which was very promising, and the great amount of travel already de- veloped in the Mohawk Valley, which necessarily made Utica an important station, whether moving east or west.

The location of the building was not an inviting one, being at that time very low and wet, and affording no good foundation. Dr. Bagg repeats a current story that the workmen lost a crowbar by leaving it standing in a soft place while taking their dinner; and, according to another story, not only the bar but the corner-stone also sunk out of sight in the boggy swamp. Samuel Hooker & Son had the contract for the ercction of the building. The bricks were manufactured by Heli Foot, of Decrfield. The foundations, like those of the Stadt House in Am- sterdam, were artificial, and consisted of hemlock-logs, laid lengthwise in the trench excavated for the walls. The building is said to have continued to settle for many years, but the movement was so uniform that no serious damage resulted to the walls. When completed it was a three-storied structure of quadrangular form, and sur- mounted by a " hip" roof. It contained a large number of roouis, and in addition to the usual rooms for guests had a large ball-room fitted up, and another which was occupied by the Masons as a lodge-room. It was a grand and im- posing building for those days, and stood conspicuous above all other buildings in the place .; Its dimensions werc about 48 by 60 feet ; not a very wonderful size when com- pared with the Baggs and Butterfield caravansaries of to- day, but enormous for the time in which it was erected. Upon its upper story were the letters " HOT E L," which, in spite of time's ravages and a free use of paint, are still legible.

This fine hotel was opened on the 2d of December, 1799, or twelve days preceding the death of Washington at Mount Vernon. The first landlord was Philip J. Schwartze, de- scribed as a " fat Dutchman," who had been in the cmploy of the company as steward or cook, and had accompanied Mr. Linklaen, one of their agents, on a trip to Cazenovia in 1793. Mr. Schwartze, upon taking possession, announced to the public that " the hotel in the village of Utica was open for the reception of such ladies and gentlemen as chose to honor the proprietor with their patronage."

A few weeks after this announcement a grand ball was given in honor of the event, to be followed by a series of entertainments, as the following card announced :

Whitestown Dancing Affembly. ,

THE HONOR OF S

COMPANY IS REQUESTED AT THE HOTEL ASSEMBLY ROOM, IN UTICA, FOR THE SEASON.

B. WALKER, W. G. TRACY,

J. S. KIr, C. PLATT, Managers.

A. BREESE, N. WILLIAMS,

DEC. 20, 1799.

About a year from the opening, a new strect was opened leading from opposite the hotel to Genesec Street, or road, in the south part of the village, with the object of bringing the travel from the west directly to the house. It was named Hotel Street.

Mr. Schwartze did not long continue to be landlord, for within a year he was succeeded by Hobart Ford, from Nor- wich, Conn., who also only remained a short time, for he died on the 1st day of December, 1801. Mr. Schwartze became landlord of the House tavern, on the corner of Genesee and Main Streets.

As an evidence of the necessity for hotel accommoda- tions in Utica, we quote the following statement regarding the travel through the Mohawk Valley, from " Annals of Albany." In the winter of 1795 twelve hundred sleighs, loaded with furniture, and with men, women, and children, passed through Albany in three days ; and five hundred were counted between sunrise and sunset of Feb. 28 of that year. All of them were moving westward.

Among the landlords enumerated as keepers of this hotel previous to 1825 are David Trowbridge, in 1803-6; Thomas Sickles, in 1808; Henry Bamman, from 1814 to 1818; Seth Dwight, in 1818; Samuel Gay, in 1820, and Henry E. Dwight, in 1823-24. The latter was a man of immense proportions, weighing 365 ponnds. He died in 1824. The " York House" is still in a remarkable state of preservation, and a conspicuous landmark of the carly days. It is occupied as a dwelling.

The prominent arrivals of 1799 were Nathaniel Butler, a watchmaker and jeweler, who continued in that business until 1815. and went into general merchandising and specu- lating in real estate. He afterwards removed to Madison County, and later to Oswego County. John Smith, a Scotch merchant, who remained until the troubles with Great Britain appeared about to culminate in war, when he removed to Canada ; and John Bissell, who opened a trad- ing establishment on the corner of Genesee and Whites- boro' Streets. In 1802, Bissell removed to Bridgewater, subsequently to New Hartford, and afterwards returned and re-established himself in Utica. In 1812 he removed to New York.

1800.

This year is said to have furnished the earliest tax-list of which there is at present any knowledge. It probably shows about the total names of resident property-owners at

# Tho company also owned lands nearer Utica on the north and on tho southwest.

+ The map of Utica in 1825, given in Dr. Bagg's work, locates this hotel directly opposite tho foot of Seneca Street, whereas it is on the corner of the alley opposite the foot of Hotel Street.

274

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

that time. The total tax levied is so ridiculously small as to lead to the belief that it was some special assessment for repairing the town-pump, building a culvert, or for some other unimportant purpose; but as it is entitled the " Utica Village Tax-List for 1800," we are forced to the conclusion that it was the regular annual tax on the assessed property. It is as follows :

Silas Clark.

$0.50

Niehols, Bagg's

J. D. Petrie ....

.25

House .. $0.75

Matthew Ilubbell

.25

James Bagg .123

J. Bocking.

Worden Hammond .. .50

Peter Smith, Esq.

.75

John Smith ... .873

Benjamin Ballou.

.25

Bryan Johnson.

1.00

James S. Kip, Esq.

.75

Adm'r of Daniel Banks ..

.623

Widow Dawson (Murphy)

.25

Clark & Fellows. .874

Nathan Williams,

.75

-- Remsen. 50

Barnabas Brooks.

.50

Proprietors of Hotel 1.00

J. Bissell

.25

Stephen Potter.

.25

John Bellinger.

.623

Ramsey & Co. 1.25

John C. Hoyt.

.50

Gurdon Burehard .75

Samuel Rugg ..

.25

Francis Bloodgood 1.00

Barnabas Coon.

.121

William Halsey.

1.00

John Cooper.

.123

Nathaniel Butler.

1.123

Jephtha Buell ..

.25

William Williams.

.75

Samuel Carrington

I.123

Peter Cavender

.50

Sylvanus P. Dygert.

.373

Jan. Garrett.

.25

Samuel Foreman.

.373

Jonathan Foot.

-- Clark

.373

Simon Jones

.123

John Curtiss.

.37%

Joseph Peirec.

.25

John Hobby.

1.123

G. Boon's House

.25

.373

Apollos Cooper.

.25

Gurdon Burchard .25

Richard Smith.

1.12↓

William MeLean .. .75

James P. Dorehes'er. .50

O. & J. Ballou

.873

Samuel Hooker, .874

John House.

1.00 Watts Sherman ..

.50

John Post

2.00

Erastus Clark .50

Daniel Budlong

1.25

Erastus Easton

.37}

William Pritchard

.123

Van Sykes, .12}

Total

$40.00

John Post must have been considered a millionaire, and such fellows as Colonel Walker, Dr. Carrington, John Hobby, Daniel Budlong, Moses Bagg, Lawyer Bloodgood, and Bryan Johnson as among the "rich men" of Utica ; while the Van Sykes' and Jones' were only in moderate circumstances. It is more than probable that such a list, exhibited among the real-estate owners of the present day, would create the impression that the assessor was " clean daft." The average property-owner of to-day pays more than the total footings of the above list. Think of running a village corporation upon forty dollars ! And yet, there was no doubt grum bling in those days about heavy taxation.

An English traveler, John Maude, made a visit to the Falls of Niagara in 1800, passing through and stopping overnight at the York House on his way. We make a few extracts from his journal published in London in 1826 :

" Utiea (Fort Schuyler), ninety-six miles. Schwartz's Hotel; ex- eellent house and miserably kept; built by Boon & Linklaen (agents for the Holland Land Company), the proprietors of a considerable number of the adjoining building lots. Those cast of these are the property of the Bleeeker family, on which the principal part of the present town is built,-built, too, on short leases of fourteen years, after which the houses become the property of the owners of the soil, to the certain loss and probable ruin of the present residents. Utiea is in the township of Whitestown, and contains about sixty houses. No genteel family, save Colonel Walker's, and he resides at a small distanee east of the village. The great Genesee road turns off at this place. An aet has lately passed for making it a turnpike road to Genesee and Canandaigua, a distance of ono hundred miles and up- wards ; the expense is estimated at $1000 per mile, the road to be four rods in width. The inhabitants of Utiea subseribed to finish the first mile. They formed twenty shares of $50 each. These shares they afterwards sold to Colonel Walker and Mr. Post for forty-four

eents the dollar, who have finished the first mile. Thirty miles, it is expected, will be finished before the winter sets in.# Bridge here over the Mohawk; the river narrow, clear, and shallow; no fish ; seven boats at the wharf ; heard a bullfrog; groves of sugar-maple, a tree very common here."

During the year 1800 an attempt was made to inaugurate a system of water-supply, and Samuel Bardwell, Oliver Bull, Colonel Benjamin Walker, and Silas Clark constituted the " Aqueduct" Company. They brought water from two springs-one on the Asylum Hill, and one near where now stands the Oneida Brewery-in pump logs, and distributed it to the citizens, the latter paying a small quarterly tax therefor.

A notable arrival in Utica during the year 1800 was that of Charles C. Brodhead. The following items are con- densed from Dr. Bagg's " Pioneers." The Brodheads were originally from Holland, whence they emigrated to York- shire, England, and from whence one of the family came to America in 1664, along with Colonel Richard Nicolls, the first Governor of the colony under the Duke of York. The grandfather of C. C. Brodhead removed from Marbletown, in Ulster Co., to Northampton, Pa., in 1737. His son, Charles, was an officer in Braddock's army, and was engaged in the terrible conflict on the Monongahela, in July, 1755. He afterwards was in command at Fort Pitt (on the site of Fort Duquesne) and defended it against a desperate attack of the Indians. He espoused the side of the colonies upon the breaking out of the Revolution, though his conscientious scruples led him to decline the offer of a colonelcy made by the government. He removed to New Paltz, Ulster Co., N. Y., just before the war, and here, on the 10th of Novem- ber, 1772, his son, Charles C., was born, the fourth son of eight children. One of his brothers was afterwards a mem- ber of Congress from Ulster County. Charles learned the business of surveying with one W. Cockburn, an eminent surveyor, of Kingston, in his native county.

In 1793, Messrs. Desjardines and Pharoux, the agents of the French Castorland Company, who had purchased an ex- tensive tract of land (210,000 acres) in the Black River region, employed him to survey and lay out the tract. This appointment was highly complimentary to a young man in his twenty-first year ; but the fidelity and good judgment displayed by him in the prosecution of the work abundantly justified the confidence reposed in him, and so well pleased were the company, that, in addition to the fixed remunera- tion agreed upon, they presented him with a valuable lot.

His experience was varied and sometimes exciting, and even dangerous, while engaged in this work. He was one of the unfortunate party who attempted to cross the Black River, near the falls, in what is now the city of Watertown, through a mistake, thinking they were farther up the stream,. when the raft upon which they had embarked was carried over the falls, and Mr. Pharoux and others were drowned. Mr. Brodhead, being a good swimmer, escaped, though he was taken senseless from the eddy below by an Indian be- longing to the surveying party.}

# Sce Chapter XVI., " Internal Improvements."

t Dr. Bagg erroneously locates this accident at the High Falls, in Lewis County, but the company's land did not eover that locality. It was at Watertown. See Castorland Journal, " History of Jefferson County."

Benjamin Walker, Esq ... 1.00 .25

Moses Bagg 1.00

Benjamin Ballou, Jr.

Jere. Cowden ..

Joseph Ballou.

.75

275

HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Subsequently, Mr. Brodhead was employed as a deputy by Hon. Simeon De Witt, surveyor-general of the State, who confided to him many important surveys and negotia- tions. He was also prominently connected in several treaties with the Indians, in which he conducted himself with great ability, winning the respect and esteem of all parties. The St. Regis Indians adopted him as a member and honorary chief of their tribe, and bestowed upon him one of the characteristie names for which the Indians were so noted. It was significant, both of his remarkable qualities and of the honors conferred by the savages.

Mr. Brodhead appears to have made his residenee at this period in Whitesboro'. In the year 1800 he was appointed by the council of appointurent to the office of sheriff of Oncida County, and soon after retuoved to Utica. It is said that Governor John Jay objected to his appointment because of his being a bachelor, remarking that he " dis- liked a man that did not boil his own pot." In August, 1801, he officiated in person at the execution of a Montauk (Brothertown) Indian, who was hung for the murder of his wife. On this occasion Rev. Saml. Kirkland, the famous missionary, was the officiating clergyman, and spoke in the Oneida language.

In 1816, upon the commencement of work upon the Erie Canal, Mr. Brodhead was put in charge of the portion extending from Albany to Rome. He made a preliminary survey and a report, after which he retired from the work. His survey was deviated from in some particulars, but it is worthy of remark that, when the canal was subsequently straightened and enlarged, it was mostly located upon his original line. He was one of the commissioners who estab- ished the town lines of Utica when it was set off from Whitestown in 1817. The other commissioners were Judge Morris S. Miller, E. S. Cozier, William Jones, and E. S. Barnumu.

For about thirty years of the latter part of his life he lived quietly by himself, engaging in none of the busy oe- cupations of life. Previous to the war of 1812-15, he was in the mercantile business with William B. Savage in Utica, and at Ellisburg, in Jefferson County. The closing of the war caused such a decline in prices that the firm dissolved and went out of business, losing quite heavily ; but subsequent operations, judiciously managed, in real estate urade Mr. Brodhead comparatively independent. He was also an extensive stockholder in a line of boats on the canal. He united with the church in his later years, and was an ardent supporter of the cause of religion. He died at the National IIotel, in Utica, Sept. 10, 1852, aged eighty years.

In this year was established the mereantile house of Kane & Van Rensselaer, which for years took a leading place in that braneh of business, and was known far and wide. The members of the firm were Archibald Kane and Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, Jr. Mr. Kane never lived in Utica, the business being managed by Mr. Van Rensselaer.

Both the Kanes and Van Rensselaers were among the most respeetable and wealthy families of the colonial days, and well connected. The Kanes and the Kents, who were closely connected by marriage, were located, previous to the breaking out of the war of the Revolution, in what is now

Putnam County. The Cullens, also connected with the Van Rensselaers, were living in the same neighborhood, and all were prosperous, some in trade and some upon farms, and others occupying prominent positions in the professions.

The Revolution scattered them in all directions, and swept away their business and property. Some of them espoused the cause of the colonies, and some supported the king. John Kane adhered to the fortunes of the erown and thereby forfeited his possessions, for which he was in part remunerated by the British government. After the war he removed to New Brunswick, but subsequently returned and settled in New York City. His sons engaged in commerce-John in New York, James in Albany, Charles in Schenectady, and Archibald, in company with Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, established a branch house in Canajoharie, in 1795.

Mr. Van Rensselaer was deseended from the Greenbuslı branch of this noted family. His father was General Robert Van Rensselaer, an officer of the Revolution, who resided at Claverack. When a boy, Jeremiah lived with his uncle, the eelebrated General Philip Schuyler, who undertook to make the young man an engineer; but his tastes did not incline to mathematics, and he left his uncle and returned to his father's house, and in process of time turned his attention to the mercantile business.

At Canajoharie their business, under judicious manage- ment, soon grew to large proportions, and became in time the most extensive in the central part of the State. But within a few years they found their trade largely diverted to the new and growing settlement at Old Fort Schuyler, and finding it impossible to keep it at their present location, they, in 1800, as before stated, established themselves in Utica.

Among the numerous employees of this firm were James Van Rensselaer, John Cullen (both relatives), and Fortune C. White, of Whitestown. Their establishment was located on the east side of Genesee Strect, a few doors north from Broad Street, and sported an eagle for a sign.

The firmu earried on an extensive wholesale and retail business, selling to country merchants, and purchased and shipped the products of the country. Bryan Johnson, as before mentioned, kept up a brisk eompetition, and the two enterprising firms probably did more than all others com- bined to bring in and concentrate business in Utica.

Mr. Van Rensselaer erected an elegant mansion, in the midst of extensive grounds, on the block bounded by Genesee, Devereux, Charlotte, and Carnahan (Bladinana) Streets. Here for many years he lived in almost princely state, and only rivaled by Colonel Walker in his style and hospitality. But the great change in values, brought about by the reaction succeeding the war with England, carried down all the great houses with which this was con- neeted, and as a consequence the once conspicuous firm of Kane & Van Rensselaer, and the grand family establish- ment, suceumbed before the storm. About 1825 Mr. Van Rensselaer removed from Utica to Canandaigua, where a son-in-law, Mr. Granger, resided. In that place he was for some time secretary for a fire insurance company, and his wife was in charge of the Ontario Female Seminary. They both died in 1828.

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History of Oneida County, New York, 1667-1878, Part 72

Author: Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 932

Author:
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 932