History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 100

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920

USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 100

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The first conveyances (durable leases) given by Mr. Lynch were in 1796; on the 30th of July of that year twenty- eight lots were leased to the following persons, viz., Matthew Brown, Jr., Michael McGrath, Sheldon Logan (what is now the " Empire Block"), Joshua Hatheway (" Elm Row"), and John Barnard, the latter leasing twenty-two lots on Dominick Street. Three years later, in 1799, the site of " Merrill's Block" and other premises were leased to George Huntington perpetually, at an annual rent of twelve bushels of wheat, payable May 1 of each year. It is possible tlicre were also other leases in Lynchville where the rent was to be paid in grain.

In the southern, or swampy portion of Mr. Lynch's purchase, he laid out sixty lots of four and one-half acres each, which became known as " Pepper-corn lots." Parties leasing lots in Lynchville usually had one of these lots thrown in as a "bonus." They were at that time con- sidered as of little or no value, and the rent reserved on each one was a pepper-corn, payable on the first day of

May in each year, if lawfully demanded, for the term of the then next ten thousand years, and after that twenty cents annually for each lot ! .

John Barnard, already mentioned, was one of the most enterprising of Rome's early citizens, and a favorite with Mr. Lynch. He built many of the first edifices, and entered into the work of founding and building up a city with a zcal deserving of better results. He finally became involved to such an extent that he was forced to make an assign- ment, and accordingly, in 1799, he conveyed seventy-two acres* of " Pepper-corn lots" to one Caleb Putnam, a tanner. This tract included the land on which now stand the Arm- strong and Beecham blocks, south of the Erie Canal and west of James Street, and south from that, taking in the Railroad Hotel and depot buildings. Mr. Putnam's house stood near the canal of the Western Inland Lock Navi- gation Company, a short distance east of James Street. His tannery was in the rear, and nearer the canal. The barn occupied a portion of the space, and the balance of the triangle formed by James Street, the railroad, and the canal was occupied by vats and a bark-mill, and covered with tan-bark. This tannery was the first one put in operation in this part of the country, and did quite an extensive business. In 1819, while Mr. Putnam was inspecting some timber in the woods, he fell upon a log, and a projecting knot penetrated his abdomen, inflicting wounds from the effects of which he died. He was buried by the Masonic fraternity. After his death the tannery was carried on for a time by Horace N. Carr, but finally went to decay.

In all the early leases from Mr. Lynch the land they cover is described as being in " Lynchville," town of Rome, and county of Herkimer, the lots being numbered on a map made by William Weston. In the subsequent con- veyances, for a number of years, they are described in the same way, the name Rome not being used except in speak- ing of the town. William Weston was the same individual who constructed the canal of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company, and was an English engineer of con- siderable repute. He made the map of Lynchville for its proprietor, and subsequently returned to England, from whence he had been called to construct the above-mentioned canal.

This canal, which was two miles in length, was opened for use in 1797, and extended from the Mohawk, near " McCutchcon place," to Wood Creek, at the United States Arsenal, having a capacity for Durham boats of forty tons burden. Bateaux drawing two feet of water, and carrying from three to fifteen tons, could pass, although with considerable difficulty, in dry seasons. It was esti- mated that in 1812 the number of boats passing through this canal was 300, with 1500 tons of merchandise. General Philip Schuyler was president and a director of the company, and Dominick Lynch and Colonel Marinus Willett were also directors. Peter Colt, who lived at the time near " Mccutcheon place," superintended thie con- struction of the work ; he was continuous superintendent, and George Huntington collector, from 1797 until the com- pletion of this section of the Eric Canal in 1820.

# Also given as twenty lots, which would equal ninety acres.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

An anecdote of Peter Colt, at the time of the construc- tion of the old canal, was extensively circulated in the papers of that day, and has been preserved by Judge Jones in his " Annals of Oneida County." The laborers on that canal were, as they are usually in such enterprises of the present day, sons of Erin, and not always inclined to be perseveringly industrious. Mr. Colt, while passing among a group of these laborers, noticed one of them who was very probably not attending strictly to his duty, and admin- istered a severe kick upon the fellow's posterior. He in- stantly dropped his barrow, rubbed the part attacked with his left hand. while with his right he respectfully raised his hat, and, rolling his quid to one side, said, " Faith and be Jasus, if yer honor kicks so while ye're a Coult, what'll ye do when ye get to be a horse ?"

After Mr. Weston had completed his engineering work here and returned to England, the question of building locks in Wood Creek came up before the board of direc- tors of the Inland Canal. There were at the time no engineers in America, and the manner of proceeding with the work was the subject of serious discussion. It was not considered necessary to go to the expense of sending again for Mr. Weston, and George Huntington, of Rome, sug- gested to the board that " there ought to be gumption enough in America to engineer the project of locks," and said if the company would let him take a spirit level owned by it, he would agree to find a man capable of doing the engineering. The request was complied with, and the level taken to Benjamin Wright (father of B. H. Wright, of Rome). Mr. Wright was an excellent surveyor, but had no experience in that kind of engineering. He took the instrument to pieces, and examined it to become famil- iar with its construction, put it together again, tried ex- periments and tested them, and found he was correct, and with knowledge thus obtained engineered the work for the construction of the locks, of which four were built. This is said to have been the first engineering done by an American.

As before stated, Oneida County was formed in 1798, and of course it was evident that a jail and court-house must soon be built at some point within the new county. By a deed of conveyance bearing date May 21, 1800, Mr. Dominick Lynch generously donated the supervisors of Oneida County the two parks and the premises now occu- pied by the court-house, jail, and academy building. The deed recites the object of conveyance of the premises to be for the use of the court-house and jail, and " in order to promote the settlement and embellishment of Lynchville ;" all that part, the deed says, east side of James Street " to be laid out and appropriated for the purpose of building and erecting and to the use of the court-house and jail ;" and all that part on the west side of James Street " to be laid out and appropriated for the purpose of building and erecting a church and school-house thereon, which church and school-house shall be established and built according to the direction and appointment of a majority of the free- holders, being inhabitants of the town of Rome for the time being, for the use, benefit, and advantage of all the inhabitants of the town of Rome aforesaid." It was further provided in the deed, that all the premises " were forever to

remain a public square," and that no building should be permitted to be erected within fifty feet of the boundary line. The court-house and jail have been erected on the east side, and a school-house on the west side, of James Street, but no church has been erected on the premises thus deeded. There was at one time considerable commotion in Rome, by reason of a project to ercet a church ou the premises on the west side; the scheme was frustrated. In February, 1802, the State Legislature authorized Oneida County to raise by tax $539 to complete the jail just creeted in this county ; the law does not say at what point that jail is located, but the court records show that in 1801 the jail at Whitestown was reported ready for occupancy, and that was probably the jail that had the benefit of the $539 appropriated. On the 6th of April, 1803, the Legis- lature passed a law authorizing the supervisors of Oneida County to go on "and complete the doors to the jail lately erected at Rome," and provided for payment of same ; so it would seem that this first jail in Rome must have been erected about 1802.

The Legislature by an act passed April 6, 1806, author- ized Oneida County to raise by tax $4000 to build two court-houses, one to be located near the jail at Rome, the other near the jail at Whitestown. In 1808 a further ap- propriation of $3100 to complete said court-houses was authorized. The above dates will show about the time of the erection of those buildings.

In 1804 a dam was constructed across the Mohawk by Mr. Lynch, some distance above the dam of the Inland Canal, and from it he dug a large race-way, extending across the land in a bend of the river, so that the water's taken out at the dam returned through the race to the stream at the other side of the " bow," where the " old Red Mill" was the same year erected. This was below Factory Village. About 1810-12, Mr. Lynch erected a woolen- factory on the site now occupied by the soap-factory of Brodock & Co. This was burned about 1817. Previous to 1820, Mr. Lynch built a cotton-factory farther down the race-way, which was burned in 1849. A saw-mill, built on the same ground in 1863, and a wrench-factory in 1865, were both burned. Early in the present century a distillery stood near the woolen-factory.

Dominick Street in Rome originally extended from the Mohawk on the east to Wood Creek on the west, having a slightly different direction from the one it follows at present, and so continued until 1836, when it was changed. The building occupied by Dominick Lynch when here, and pre- vious to 1810 by his son James, stood on the spot after- wards occupied by the dwelling of Virgil Draper, and at present by that of H. K. White. It was a large, square, frame building, and occupied the space which had been the southeast corner of Fort Stanwix, that corner having been leveled down in order to build the house. The Lynch mansion was burned about 1824-25. The hand fire-engine then owned by the village was brought out and efforts were made to extinguish the fire, but, after much hard work and when the engine had been crowded beyond its capacity, it suddenly burst, and the building was doomed. Mr. Draper afterwards purchased the premises and erected a portion of the dwelling now standing.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

The next house, the present Presbyterian parsonage, was partly built previous te 1800, and occupied for a tavern. It is the oldest building new standing in Rome. In 1799 it was kept by Cicero Gould. Mr. Olmstead, father-in-law of Wheeler Barnes, afterwards purchased it, and Mr. Barnes, while residing there, had his law-office in a small frame building which stood near the street, in the southeast corner of the yard. There Judge Denio, William Curtis Noyes, N. B. Judd, M.C., of Chicago, and at one time Minister to Prussia under President Lincoln, pursued their law- studies.

Farther west a small frame store was erected about 1793 by George Huntington, and was subsequently used as a part of his dwelling. Mr. Huntington built an addition to his residence in 1812, which has more recently been owned by Mrs. Merrill.

The " Merrill Block," on the corner of James and Dom- inick Streets, was erected about 1844, on the site previously occupied by Levi Green's store, a large frame building, which was afterwards removed to the bank of the Black River Canal, and used as a vinegar-factory.

The old " town well" was dug previous to 1800, at the intersection of James and Dominick Streets. It had a curb around it, a pump in it, and a trough, where cattle and horses were watered.

On the site at present occupied by the " American Block," northwest corner of Dominick and James, a three- story frame hotel was erected previous te 1800, and in the year mentioned a man named Logan kept it. Previous to 1820 this hotel was kept by one Lee, and afterwards by James Thompson, - Forman, - Coleman, Freedom Tibbitts, Benjamin Starr, - Brainard, - Rowe, and others. . Daniel Whedon was its landlord in 1822-23. The hotel extended west to a ten-feet alley, west of which was the Dr. Stephen White lot. The doctor kept tavern in a small one and a half story building in 1810. As early as 1797 he was keeping tavern at the lower landing on the Mohawk, subsequently removing te the village. The hotel en Dominick Street was transformed into stores about 1843. One of the two public halls possessed by Rome at that time was in the upper story of this hotel. It was the place where were held political and other meetings, revivals, various exhibitions of wax figures, etc., and was one of the important places of the village.

On the site at a later day occupied by Walker & Fox there stood about 1800 a small frame dwelling, once owned and occupied by Samuel Starr, who died quite early in the present century, his family subsequently nearly all removing to St. Louis, Mo., where a son-in-law, Henry S. Geyer, was elected to the position of United States Senator in 1851.

'On the old " Bill Smith lot" was crected, about 1793, a small frame dwelling, which was occupied before 1800 as a tavern. It was se low that an ordinary-sized person found it necessary to stoop in order to enter the doorway. About 1810, Smith used it for a store, and various parties occupied it for different purposes afterwards. About 1822, Dr. Brown purchased the lot, raised the store a story higher, and called it the " Checkered Building." This was one of the most important establishments in the village at the time. It was

swept away in the "great fire" of 1846, in which it origi- nated.

A few feet east of the old " Rome Bank," on Dominick Street, was the residence of Nathaniel Mudge, one of Rome's earliest settlers, and the father of Alva, Nathaniel, Jr., and S. W. Mudge. Alva Mudge was born in this house, a small frame building, in 1804.

The building known as the old " Bank of Rome" was erected for a residence about 1821, by Benjamin Wright ; it was the third brick building erected in the place, and the only one at the time on the north side of Dominick Street. In 1832 the Bank of Rome was incorporated, and the house purchased for the residence of the cashier. A year or two afterwards the wing was built for the banking- house.

West of this building was the structure known as the " Long House," owned by Benjamin Wright and Bela B. Hyde, and previous to 1820 occupied by them as residences. Isaac Draper resided in it about 1812.

Next to this, and near the corner of Washington Street, a Mr. Sweatman built a harness-shop about 1812-14. Meses G. Watson had a harness-shop in the same building in 1828.

On the corner of Dominick and Washington Streets there stood at an early day a small frame dwelling, occupied by Caleb Hammill. Previous to 1820 it was used by Reuben Hoag for a blacksmith-shop, and Amos Peckham afterwards carried on a plow-factory in it; he was succeeded in the same business by his son Seth, and Henry N. Kellogg owned it in the same capacity in 1835. The buildings on this corner were a number of times destroyed by fire.

Prior to 1837, Messrs. George and Henry Huntington owned the premises on the south side of Dominick Street now occupied by the First National Bank and the steres ef H. M. Lawton & Co. and W. Willard Smith. The old store of the Huntingtons fronted on James Street, and that of Gurdon Huntington originally occupied the site of the above-mentioned bank. It was built about 1808, and occu- pied by Mr. Huntington until about 1836. These two buildings were the only ones en these grounds previous to 1838. The space was long used as a "commen," and cattle, sheep, and swine roamed over it at pleasure. " Piles of lumber lay scattered here and there upoo those grounds, and men yet residing here whose hair is white with the snows of winter, or slightly touched by the autumnal frosts of age, mention as among their boyhood recollections that of playing hide-and-seck in and behind the hundreds of potash-kettles, which thirty-five, forty, fifty, and sixty years ago covered most of the grounds above mentioned."

Previous to 1800 a tavern, called the " Rome Coffee- House," was erected on the ground later occupied by the stores of E. H. Shelley and H. W. Mitchell. The main building was a three-story frame structure, with two-stery " leau-to's" on the east and west, having sloping roofs. It is not now known by whom this tavern was built, but it was kept in 1800 by Solomon Rich, who afterwards removed to the town of Western. About 1804 its landlord was Parker Halleck, who carried on a tailor-shop in the bar- room. The Masonic fraternity of Rome held their meetings in one of the upper rooms of this building, previous to the

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

erection, in 1824, of the " Masonic Hall," now the Univer- salist Church. In 1839 the lower part of the " Coffee- House" was converted into stores, and the upper portion used for building apartments. One of the individuals who kept a store here, about 1842, was Mr. Avery, now of Chicago, and long prominently connected with the " Na- tional Watch Company," at Elgin, Ill., and after whom one of the watch movements manufactured by that company is uamed.

West of the ground now occupied by the new building of the Central National Bank, and across the alley, there stood very early a one and a half story frame store, occupied in 1814, and several years after, by Jay Hatheway, who moved across the street about 1823, and was succeeded in the "red store" by John Eddy. The old building rotted down or was torn away about 1828, and the site was covered the same year by a three-story frame building, erected by General Jesse Armstrong and Martin Galusha, who carried on a general mercantile business. This building was burned in 1844, and the present structure erected the same year by G. N. Bissell.

West of this was a two-story frame building, erected about 1800 or soon after. Previous to 1810, Dr. Matthew Brown had a drug-store here, and he and Dr. Blair were afterwards associated in the same business. Dr. Brown sold out in 1811, and removed to Rochester. Stephen Hubbard had a store here as early as 1815, and soon after associated with him Oliver Grosvenor, the two continuing in business until about 1826. In 1827, Dr. Arba Blair and Abner B. Blair kept a drug-store in the building, and others after- wards. It was destroyed in the fire of 1844, and the present edifice built the same year by Henry G. Giles.

Previous to 1810 the ground between the store of G. N. Bissell and the Central National Bank was owned by Stephen Hubbard. Next west was an alley, and next was a small one and a half story frame building, occupied as a millinery establishment by Miss Marsh, who afterwards be- came Mrs. Arden Seymour. Various other buildings were erected at later dates, west of this, for stores, shops, offices, etc.

The ground where the Central National Bank now stands was vacant until 1817, when William Wright erected upon it a brick building, which he used for a store.

Across the alley, the grounds were purchased by William Wright from John Barnard about 1804. A small frame dwelling, a story and a half in height, was then standing upon it, and was used by Mr. Wright for a store before he built the brick one above mentioned.

Still west of the site of this building there was erected, previous to the year 1800, a frame building, which became known as the " McGraw House." The property was pur- chased about 1807 by Deacon Elijah Worthington, and about 1810 he erected upon the west end of the lot a small frame building, which he occupied as a hat-store for about twenty years.

The next lot west was purchased about 1800 by Na- thaniel Mudge, who, about 1804, erected a small frame building on the east end, to be used as a tin-shop. This shop was rented and used by the United States Government in 1812 for a recruiting-office. Among the citizens of

Rome who responded to the call for troops during that war were Major Samuel Dill, who was at Sacket's Harbor ; Joshua Hatheway, Quartermaster-General ; his son, Jay Hatheway, Paymaster ; and his subsequent son-in-law, Judge Beardsley, Adjutant. John Westcott was Colonel of the Rome regiment; Joshua G. Green, Lieutenant-Colo- nel; and Messrs. Rudd, Hinckley, Fillmore, Church, Gran- nis, and Peck, Captains,-all of whom went to the Harbor.

On the ground at a more recent date occupied by the store of Williams & Edwards a small frame building was erected previous to 1800, and occupied about 1819 by Ephraim Shephard as a dwelling-house. Judge Roberts afterwards used it as a law-office. It was burned about 1851, and probably the next year the present brick store standing on the site was built by the Lynch estate.

About 1810 there was erected on a part of the site of the present " Northern Hotel" a two-story frame house, with a wing on the east side. Dr. Alden lived in this house at an early date, using the wing for an office. He removed to Redfield, Oswego Co., previous to 1820. Judge Beardsley occupied the building about 1820, and used the wing for his law office, and after him Leonard Dunton lived in it, and used the wing for a tailor-shop. The building was burned about 1838, and J. M. Orton, then owning the premises, built a part of the present hotel, in which he kept a cabinet-shop. Jacob Stevens purchased the prop- erty, and about 1850 converted it into a hotel. In 1856 he gave it the name " Fremont House," after General John C. Fremont, Republican candidate for President in the cam- paign of that year. A few years afterwards he changed the F to a T, and it was for a number of years called the " Tremont House." It is at present known as the " North- crn Hotel."

About 1800 a one and a half story frame dwelling stood on the site of A. Ethridge & Co.'s store, and in 1810 and for years after it was occupied by Nathaniel Mudge, Sr. It was burned about 1837, and the lot remained vacant until Mr. Ethridge erected his store upon it.

A " town well" has been mentioned, located at the inter- section of James and Dominick Streets. There was another at the crossing of Washington and Dominick, and still another at the corner of James and Embargo. In their day these were great institutions, and not only were they used to quench by their waters the cravings of thirsty men and animals, but the cold fluid was brought into requisition on the occasion of fires near at hand.

A building known as the " Vine-covered Cottage," which stood on the site of Mr. Marriott's blacksmith-shop, on Dominick Street, was occupied about 1825-26 by Levi Howard, a constable of Rome. Mr. H. was the proud father of a likely boy, aged twelve. In the course of events the latter was taken sick, and as a cheap and effective cure for his ills a blister was applied to him, warranted to draw! The boy slept in a trundle-bed, in the same room with his parents, and long after the drowsy god had closed the lids of the latter in slumber the pain of the blister kept the boy awake and uneasy. To lie still with the blister doing its work so carnestly was out of the question ; suddenly a happy thought crossed the boy's brain, and action followed. With undoubtedly a smile of supreme satisfaction he re-

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

moved the blister from his own person and placed it carefully npon that of his sleeping father. It must be understood that the duties of a constable " in those days" required considerable travel, and Mr. Howard always went on horseback. The power of the blister was so effectually demonstrated upon him that he found it inconvenient for several weeks to ride on horseback, or even to sit down. It is not related whether the lad received any punishment or not, but his " little joke" was no doubt fully appreciated, and different treatment given him in subsequent cases of sickness, in order that his rising genius might not have too rapid growth.

Quite early in the present century Dominick Lynch erected thirty-five tenement-houses in the village.

A State arsenal was built before 1810, on the site of St. Peter's Catholic Church, and was destroyed by fire a few years previous to 1850. The United States Arsenal, with its magazines, workshops, and officers' quarters, was erected in 1813, the work being superintended by Major James Dalliba, of the Ordnance Department. In 1873 the United States Arsenal property here was sold to Messrs. Mudge & Ames, who converted it into a knitting-factory, work in the latter line being commenced in December of the same year. The interior of the mills was recently de- stroyed by fire, and although efforts have been made to repair the buildings, put in new machinery, and start again, the works are not now running, and the institution is prac- tically out of existence.

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 100

Author: Durant, Samuel W Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 920

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920