History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 76

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

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"The course of Genesce Street was pretty thickly lined with stores,-a few residences only being here nod there interspersed,-as

far upwards as Catherine Street, beyond which private honses pre- dominated over places of business, and these were scattered in a struggling way even to Cottage Street. The roadway was guiltless of pavement, and the mad at times profound. The sidewalks were paved, if such it might he called, but the pavement-of flagging, of cobble, of gravel, er of tan-bark, as suited the convenience or the taste of the householder-hore little resemblance to the modern conven- tional sandstone. Stately, but graceless poplars, the common badge and sole ornament of all new villages in the North, stood in unbroken row from Bleecker Street to the hill-top. On the west, Genesee bad no ontlet higher than Liberty Street, and on the east none above Catherine; for though Bleecker was known by authority, it was neither fenced nor housed, nod was only a path to pastures beyond. The buildings on its business part were mostly wooden, and of mod- erate size and pretensions. A few were of brick, and of these an idea may be formed from the hloek that adjeins Taylor's on the north. On the hill were the spacions grounds and beautiful houses, already described, of Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, Arthur Breese, and Alex- ander B. Johnson. To Whitesboro' Street were the Bank of Utica, the Manhattan Branch Bank, and the York House, as well as the inns of Burchard and Bellinger. This was the Wall Street of the village; it harbored several stores, and was more populous than any other, except Main, containing, probably, nearly as many inhabitants as it now does. Hotel, in proportion to its length, was quite as thiekly peopled. Seneca, Washington, and Broadway reached only to the Liberty Street road; Brondwny bringing up at the elegant stone mansion of James S. Kip, while Washington conducted passen- gers no farther than the Presbyterian meeting-house. The public square contained the town-pump and the market-house. Main Street had apparently more buildings than it now has. It was lined with the cemely residences of prosperous citizens, and was terminated hy the Methodist chapel, and the pleasant home and grounds of Judge Miller. Brond Street was ceenpied as far as the line of Third Street, but it did not contain the half of its present number of build- ings. Between it, Whitesboro', and upper Genesee, the best dwell- ing-houses of the village were unequally distributed. John Street had here and there a residence, which in all reached a little higher than Jny ; while beyond were the rising walls of the academy, and io the rear of this two teocments on Chancellor Square.

"The faint attempts of Catherine te rival its fellow below were effectually crushed when stakes were planted alongside of it to mark the course of the fotore canal. This settled its fate, and consigned it to the rank it has held ever since. Water Street, now robbed of its former importance, was nenrest of all te the then channel of com- meree, and besides its houses for storage ond forwarding, was also the home of a few well-to-do folks. Thus, as it appears from the directory,t while the buildinge of Genesee were in number 157; of Whitesboro', 84; of Main, 67; of Broad, 59; of Hotel, 34; of Cath- erine, 20; and Water, as many ; Seneca had 15; no other street more thao 10; and the rest but half or less than half that number. Of these running enstward, not one is named above Catherine, save coly Rebecca ; nod this, we are puzzled to see, has already a name and two houses upon it. Cornhill was a forest from South Street to the New Hartford line. Another forest covered the sand-bank, and skirting the gardens on the west side of Genesee, came down the slope to the present Fayette, and extended west to the Asylum hill. When the commissioners, in the following year, ran the line between Whitesboro' and Utien from Jewett's farm to the county line on the east, and to the river on the north, they were obliged to fell the trees so as to see their fing.

"Such was the 'pent-up Utica' of 1816, with its four hundred and twenty dwellings and stores, with its churches, banks, taverns, print- ing offices, and other appendages of a flourishing country town, and which, according to the enumeration made by the compiler of its di- rectory, contained two thousand eight hundred and sixty-one inhab- itaots."

THIRD CHARTER.

On the 7th of April, 1817, the Legislature granted a new charter to the village of Utica, extending its bounda- ries and increasing its legislative powers. The village was divided into three wards, described as follows : all east of a line beginning at the river in the centre of Genesee Street,

# Sec Early Bar of Oneida, io Chapter XVIII.

+ Of 1817.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

thence up Genesee to John, thence up John to the centre of Broad, thence down Broad to the centre of First, thence southerly in the middle of First Street to the south line of the village, was the First Ward. All between the west line of the First Ward and a line beginning at the south line of the village in the centre of Genesee Street, and thence north in the middle of Genesee to a point on a line with the centre of Hotel, thence down the centre of Hotel Street to and across Whitesboro', and along the east wall of the York House to the river, was the Second Ward; and all west of the last described line was the Third Ward. This charter author- ized a president, to be appointed annually by the Governor and council, and six trustees, a supervisor, three assessors, and two constables, all to be elected annually by the people. The board appointed a clerk, a treasurer, a collector, an overseer of the poor, and other subordinate officers. The president was also, ex-officio, a justice of the peace, and, with the advice of the board of trustees, granted permits to tavern-keepers, retail merchants, and butchers, receiving fces therefor, or, in lien thereof, a salary of two hundred and fifty dollars.

By the same act of incorporation the district of country included within the limits of the village of Utica was set off from Whitestown, and created a separate town by the name of Utica.

The first President appointed under the new charter was Nathan Williams, and the first Trustees elected under it were Ezra S. Cozier and William Williams, from the First Ward ; Jeremiah Van Rensselaer and Abraham Van Sant- voort, from the Second Ward ; and Erastus Clark and John C. Hoyt, from the Third Ward. The Assessors were Moses Bagg, David P. Hoyt, and Thomas Walker. Benjamin Walker was chosen Supervisor, and Ezra S. Barnum and Joshna Ostrom, Constables. The other officers, appointed by the board, were as follows: John H. Ostrom, Clerk ; E. S. Barnum and Benjamin Ballou, Collectors ; Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, Overseer of the Poor; Judah Williams, Treasurer ; Frederick W. Potter, Poundmaster ; Benjamin Hinman, Aaron Egglestou, and Jason Parker, Fence- Viewers; James Hooker, Gauger ; Benjamin Ballou, Super- intendent of Highways.

One thousand dollars was voted by the board to be raised for the current expenses of the year, besides fifty dollars additional for the support of the free school.

Colonel Benjamin Walker died in January, 1818, and his place was filled in the board by the election of Charles C. Brodhead, and E. S. Cozier was appointed overseer of the poor in place of Mr. Van Rensselaer, resigned.

The summer of 1816 is still known among our older inhabitants as the " cold summer," there having been frost in every month, and the crops were, consequently, exceed- ingly poor, and general distress in business circles was the natural result,-a distress from which the country did not recover for several years.

The year 1817 is marked in the history of Utica as mem- orable for the first capital exccution in the place, and the second in the county. The criminal was an Indian of the Brotherton tribe, by the name of John Tuhi, who was con- victed of killing his cousin, Joseph Tuhi, in a drunken quarrel. The execution took place, according to Dr. Bagg,

" a little east of the present intersection of Jolin and Rutger Streets, then a lone and desolate suburb." There was an immense concourse of people, drawn together by an inexpli- cable and morbid curiosity, from all parts of the county and surrounding courtry, and among them were a large nuul- ber of Indians. A strong guard, consisting of a troop of light horse and a company of infantry, preserved order dur- ing the proceedings. There was the usual farce of religious services performed by two Baptist clergymen, and the stolid prisoner died very much as a white man would under simi- lar circumstances.

Apollos Cooper was then sheriff, and attended to the business personally, assisted by John B. Pease, of Whites- boro', under sheriff. Sheriff Cooper was conspicuous for his military chapeau, and the short sword with which he cut the drop. He was on horseback, and as the drop fell he turned and rode rapidly from the ground. There was the usual hilarity, profanity, and drunkenness on the ground, and it is said the Indians in particular made a day of it. It was an event long remembered by the people of Oneida County.

The prominent settlers of the year 1817 in Utica were James and Walter L. Cochrane, brothers, the former of whom represented the western district of the State in the fifth Congress (1797-98), and of whom the story was told that he " fiddled himself into Congress," from the fact that at a vessel-launch on Seneca Lake, when the crowd assem- bled were looking for music, he produced a fiddle and sup- plied their wants ; Thomas and Charles Hastings, the former noted as a teacher of religious music and as a pub- lisher, and the latter as a bookseller and publisher ; Jared E. Warner, William Soulden, Samuel M. Blatchford, Cap- tain O'Connor, E. W. Tryon, and others, merchants and business men ; John G. Mills, an attorney ; Calvin Guitcau, a surveyor ; Jolin A. Ross, a carpenter ; Owen Owens, a baker; William Richards, a shoemaker, letter-carrier, and musician ; Major J. W. Albright, United States paymaster ; William H. Tisdale, a lawyer; William Spencer, a tavern- keeper, etc.

In 1818* the Western Education Society, a religious or- ganization, was inaugurated with the view of aiding " indi- gent young men of talents and piety in acquiring a com- petent education for the gospel ministry."

At its first annual meeting, held in December, 1818, Hon. Jooas Platt, of Whitesboro', was elected president, and twenty vice-presidents, consisting of an equal number of each, -clergymen and laymen,-were associated with him. The directors were Rev. Henry Davis, A. S. Norton, P. V. Bogue, Israel Brainerd, Moses Gillet, Noah Coe, John Frost, Samuel C. Aiken. Rev. John Frost, corresponding secretary ; Walter King, recording clerk ; Arthur Breese, treasurer ; Erastus Clark, auditor. This society continued its operations until about 1830.

The year 1819 witnessed the introduction of the Lan- casterian system into the schools of Utica, under the direc- tion and management of Mr. L'Amoreux, and also the firs Catholic religious services, which were held in the court- house on the 10th of January ; and on the 22d of October

# The preliminary meeting was held Dee. 19, 1817.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

following the people beheld the first boat traversing the Erie Canal .*

It was in this year also that Henry Seymour, the father of ex-Governor Horatio Seymour, came to reside in Utica, where be remained until his death, Aug. 26, 1837. Mr. Seymour was a native of Connecticut, born at Litchfield, May 30, 1780. The Seymour family have been prominent for more than two centuries in Connecticut, and for many years also in Vermont and New York.

Mr. Seymour was living at Pompey Hill (where liis son, Horatio, was born, in 1810) in the beginning of 1819, but having been appointed one of the Canal Commissioners on the 24th of March in that year, he soon after removed to Utica as a more favorable location for the performance of the labors of his office.

The following sketch of his character is from Ham- mond's " Political History of New York" :

" He was a well-bred man and very gentlemanly in deportment. His great native shrewdness and sagacity had been improved and highly cultivated hy an association with genteel society. As a politi- cian he was wary, smooth, and apparently moderate in hisaction. . . .

"Notwithstanding the immense amounts of moneys which passed through his hands, and the many and vastly important contracts made by bim on the part of the State, not the least suspicion was ever breathed against the purity of his conduct. He was in all respects a correct business man."

He was a great favorite of Martin Van Buren, and a good story is told of the latter when he heard that Mr. Seymour was made a member of the Council of Appointment. In a letter to a friend he gave vent to his feelings in the follow- ing laconic expression : " Dear Sir, Seymour ! Seymour ! Seymour !"

Dr. Bagg leaves the following testimony of Mr. Seymour :

" In temper he was amiable and forgiving, just, considerate, and tender ; he was intolerant of evil-speaking in others, and suffered as much from the very apprehension of defrauding as though he himself were wronged. To a gentlemanly deportment there was joined a gentlemanly physiognomy, for he had a tall figure, and features that were strikingly handsome and refincd."

Mrs. Henry Seymour was a daughter of Colonel Jona- than Foreman, an officer of the American army during the Revolutionary war, and was a grand-niece of the famous but unfortunate Colonel Ledyard, who commanded and lost his life at Fort Griswold during Arnold's treacherous expe- dition to his native State. Mrs. Seymour was born at Monmouth, N. J., in February, 1785. She survived her husband many years, her death occurring Sept. 16, 1859.

The great subject of absorbing interest in the year 1820 was the Erie Canal, which was now partially in operation, and continued to be the attraction, par excellence, of all classes of people .*

This year also witnessed the advent of a remarkable character in Utica,-one who subsequently became famous throughout America and Europe,-James Henry Hackett. He settled in Utica when twenty years of age, and a short time after his marriage to an accomplished English lady, commenced the business of merchandising in the grocery line, and subsequently added a stock of crockery. He remained about five years, doing a prosperous business, when, having accumulated a capital of about $18,000, he,

like many another young man (foolishly thinking he could enlarge his business and do better in a large city), re- moved to New York, where misfortune soon overtook him, and he became bankrupt. Broken up completely, his capital entirely gone, he betook himself to the stage, for which he seemed to have been peculiarly fitted by nature, and subsequently won a world-wide fame. In the role of Shakspeare's wonderful character, " Falstaff," he was said to have been unrivaled, even surpassing the accomplished Ben de Bar. His wife was before her marriage an actress of some prominence, and an excellent musician.

About 1820 an enterprising young man, who had made Utica his home since 1812, began to appear prominently as a business man ; this was Theodore S. Faxton. He had been a driver on one of Jason Parker's stage-coaches for five years, from 1813 to 1817, inclusive, with the excep- tion of six months which he spent in school at Clinton. He was considered one of the most expert reinsmen in the business, and in after-years when he had left the driver's seat, if any extraordinary occasion called for fancy or diffi- cult driving, Mr. Faxton was chosen to lead off. On the occasion of the visit of the Marquis de Lafayette, in 1825, he handled the " six dashing grays" from the box of the Van Rensselaer carriage, in which the distinguished guest rode from the canal landing in Whitesboro' to the hotel. Mr. Faxton still remembers this occasion as the proudest of his life.

On the occasion of the famous excursion made by six gentlemen from Utica to Albany, and return in eighteen hours, in the winter of 1822-23, he occupied the post of honor and acquitted himself to the complete satisfaction of all concerned. It was certainly a remarkable performance, for the distance accomplished, as the roads ran, was fully two hundred miles.t

The year 1820 witnessed a grand celebration upon the opening of a portion of the Erie Canal for traffic, of which an account will be found in Chapter XVI., devoted to in- ternal improvements.

In the year 1821 the sum of $1123.25 was raised for village purposes, of which amount the large sum of $400 was for the support of the poor. The vexatious " market" question was settled this year by the sale of the market- building to Daniel Thomas for $50. Several streets and alleys were opened and improved in the course of the season.

The first public celebration of St. Patrick's day by the Irish citizens occurred on the 17th of March, and was the occasion of a social and convivial gathering, at which about seventy of the sons of Erin assembled, and enjoyed them selves as only Irishmen can.

Among the arrivals of 1821 were the somewhat noto- rious Dr. Samuel Tuttle, who afterwards removed to the West ; George Dutton, who at first essayed the practice of medicine, but soon gave it up and pursued the avocation of a teacher in boardiog-schools in Philadelphia for four years, and subsequently opened the first regular music-store in Utica, and sold the first piano to A. B. Johnson, in 1821, that was sold in the village, and continued the business of

# See Chapter XVI.

t See biography in this work.

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music dealer for twenty years ; Major S. Clark, paymaster of United States Army; the four brothers Thurber, mer- chants and business men ; Robert Jones, also a merchant ; Edward Bright, a brewer and maltster ; Robert R. Rhodes, Henry W. Osburn, James T. Lund, William Conklin, Chester Hyde, Silas Coburn, Henry Vanderlyn, Benjamin Carpenter, A. B. Skinner, and Henry R. Hoisington, the latter afterwards a missionary to India.

In 1822 the board of trustees raised, for all purposes, the sum of $1494. An extensive job of paving was done during this season on Genesee Street, from Whitesboro' Street to the canal. The material used was large cobble or bowlder stone, and the work was said to have been well done. Franklin Street was opened, and Bleecker Street continued westward, and in the course of the season of 1823 opened to its junction with the Whitesboro' road. The portion west of Genesee Street is now known as Fayette Street.

It was also in this year that the eccentric Lorenzo Dow visited Utica, remaining for some time, and creating the usual furore by his uncouth appearance, and his somewhat peculiar doctrines and style of delivery.

Among the prominent residents or new-comers of this date were Edmund A. Wetmore, a distinguished attorney, and partner with Judge Morris S. Miller, and afterwards with Judge Hiram Denio, for many years ; Thomas Hunt Flandrau, another distinguished member of the bar, and for some years a partner in its practice with Colonel Aaron Burr, in New York; Dr. I. N. Mcacham, Augustine G. Danby, a noted newspaper editor, politician, and writer ; Captain Charles Stuart, the eccentric principal of the Utica Academy ; and Hiram Greenman, a noted packet captain on the canal, real estate dealer, and prominently interested in steam navigation on Lake Ontario.

In 1823 a large additional amount of paving was done on Liberty, Catherine, Broad, and Gencsce Streets, includ- ing the triangular space known as Bagg Square.

The village seems, at this period, to have arrived at that stage where its future had become assured, and hence- forth its growth in business and importance was rapid and substantial for many years. The population in 1823 is given as 4017.

It was during this year that the struggle between the Greeks and Turks elicited the sympathies of so many in behalf of the former, who were looked upon as a heroic people struggling with their oppressors for their liberties. This sympathy was genuine and wide-spread in the United States, and the people of Utica were not behind their breth- . ren of other portions of the country in their expressions of sympathy and substantial contributions for the relief of the descendants of the ancient people. The sum of $163.57 was raised and forwarded to the proper authorities.

A lyceum was organized in November of this year for the purpose of encouraging the study and dissemination of a knowledge of the useful sciences. Among those actively engaged in its behalf were Wm. H. Maynard, who drafted its constitution ; Jones Platt, its first president; Nathan Williams, Morris S. Miller, Thomas Goodsell, A. B. John- son, Saml. Beardsley, and General Joseph Kirkland.

The year 1823 witnessed the arrival in Utica of a large

number of prominent men, or those who afterwards became so. Among them were Samuel Beardsley and Jonas Platt, both of whom occupied high and responsible positions. Mr. Beardsley filled the various offices of District Attorney of Oneida County, State Senator for the Fifth District, United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York, Representative in Congress, Attorney-General of New York, and Justice and Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court of the State. He died May 6, 1860.

Mr. Platt was clerk of Herkimer County from 1791 to 1798, clerk of Oncida County, clerk of Herkimer Comnion Pleas Court in 1794, a member of the Assembly in 1796, member of Congress in 1799-1801, and in 1810, '11, '12, and '13 was State Senator from the Western District. In 1814 he was appointed judge of the Supreme Court. He died at Peru, Clinton Co., N. Y., Feb. 22, 1834 .*

The same year another prominent attorney became a resident of Utica ; this was Thomas H. Hubbard, who was the first clerk of the Court of Chancery for this district. He was soon after made clerk of the Supreme Court, which office he held until 1835. In 1816 he had represented the district composed of Madison and Herkimer Counties in Congress. He was a trustee of the Utica Academy and presidential elector in 1812, and was subsequently chosen to the same position in 1844 and 1852. He died in Utica, May 21, 1857.

Alfred Munson was another valuable acquisition to the place in 1823. For fifteen years succeeding his arrival in Utica he carried on the business of manufacturing buhr mill-stones, during which he built up a very extensive busi- ness. He was prominently connected with the passenger traffic of the Erie Canal and the steam-navigation of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, and also with the early railway enterprises from 1834 to 1844.

With the manufacturing interests of Utica he was also prominently connected, and with the water-works, the Acad- emy, the banking institutions, the State Lunatic Asylum, the Pennsylvania coal trade, etc. Mr. Munson was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, and by his will left it the munificent legacy of $15,000. He also left funds of various kinds, amounting in the aggregate to $34,000, to the Utica Orphan Asylum. The sum left by him to Grace Church has been increased by his heirs to $31,500 since his death, which took place May 6, 1854.

Another remarkable man of this date was John Butter- field, who came to Utica in 1822, and entered into the em- ploy of Mr. Jason Parker, who was then engaged in run- ning lines of post-coaches. Mr. Butterfield was born at Berne, in Albany County, among the Helderberg Moun- tains, Nov. 18, 1801, and when found by Mr. Faxton he was driving a city team in Albany.

He began business as a runner for Parker, and proved competent and very successful. Subsequently he purchased of a traveler a horse and carriage, and opened a small livery-stable, to which he added from time to time as his means permitted. He also, after his marriage, kept a boarding-house. His livery business prospered until it became the leading one in the place, and later he entered

# Notice of both these gentlemen in Chapter XVIII.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

into the staging business, and eventually became the most prominent owner in the State. He was interested in packet-lines on the canal after its completion, and in steam navigation on Lake Ontario. Upon the advent of railways he immediately became interested, and was instrumental in the completion of the Utica and Black River and the two southern roads. At an carly day he engaged in the ex- press business, and was a prominent director. In connection with Messrs. Faxton, Wells, Livingston, and others, he was in- strumental in establishing the first lines of telegraph in the State, and in later years was foremost in putting in operation the Overland Mail to the Pacific coast. He was an officer of the State Agricultural Society, and for many years was prominently connected with various business enterprises and institutions in the city where he made his home. Among the commanding monuments of his labors in Utica are the great Butterfield Hotel and the Gardner Block.

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 76

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