History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 78

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 78

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Under this charter the city was divided into uine wards. A tenth was added in 1872, and the western boundary was altered and extended to its present location in 1875. The present area of the city is 5500 acres.

The year 1832 will long be remembered as the date of the first visitation of the scourge known as the Asiatic cholera, which is supposed to have its origin in the immense malarial region covering the delta of the river Ganges, from whence it travels, in a direction opposite to the diur- nal motion of the earth, until it compasses almost every land on the globe. Its appearance in Utica was on the 12th day of July, and it continued to work its terrible destruction for several weeks, disappearing in August.

At that date the town had a population of about 9000, and during the continuance of the disease, according to Mr. Jones, there were 201 .cases and 70 deaths; among whom were several prominent citizens. Ezra S. Cozier, who had been president of the village in 1821-23, and in 1831, died on the 17th of July ; and Hon. Wm. H. Maynard, while on business in New York, was stricken down with the disease, and finally died of typhoid fever, August 28.

There was great consteruation, and many of the people left the place. Business was interrupted, and there was more or less suffering and destitution. It was probably the most severe epidemic, in proportion to its duration, that has ever visited the place.

On the 21st of October, 1835, it is said the first anti- slavery convention ever held in the State convened at the Bleecker Street Presbyterian Church. Meetings in antici-

pation of the convention had been held previous to this date, at which strong resolutions were passed in condemna- tion of the scheme of the " Abolitionists." At one of these meetings, held at the court-house on the 17th of Octo- ber, Rudolph Snyder was president; J. C. Devereux, Ephraim Hart, E. S. Barnum, Kellogg Hurlburt, Adam. Bowman, Nicholas Smith, and J. B. Pease, vice-presidents ; and William C. Noyes and Isaiah Tiffany, secretaries. The committee on resolutions consisted of Samuel Beardsley, J. M. Church, Rutger B. Miller, Chauncey Rowe, and B. B. Lansing. The resolutious condemned the action of the Common Council in granting the use of the court-house, approved the course of the mayor (General Joseph Kirk- land) and the minority of the Council for opposing the measure, and declared that the meeting would " not sub- mit to the indignity of an abolition assemblage being held io a public building of the city, reared as this was by the contributions of the citizens, and designed to be used for salutary public objects, and not as a receptacle for deluded fanatics or reckless incendiaries ;" and that it was the " in- cumbent duty of every citizen to make use of all lawful and proper measures to arrest the disgrace which would settle upon the city by the public assemblage of the couven- tion appointed to be held on the 21st inst."

The mecting was adjourned to meet at the court-house on the 21st inst., at nine A.M.

Another meeting was held at the court-house on the 20th instant, composed of the more conservative element, who were in favor of freedom of speech, while at the same time proclaiming the inviolability of the laws. This meet- ing was presided over by Bradford Seymour, assisted by H. Nash, E. M. Gilbert, and Dr. J. P. Batchelder, with John Bradish, James Sayre, and James McGregor secre- taries. Dolphus Bennett, Horace M. Hawes, T. B. Dixon, Dr. Rathbun, and Andrew Hauna were the committee on resolutions. The meeting was not altogether harmonious.

The morning of the 21st was ushered in by the firing of cannon, and several thousand people assembled from the surrounding country. The anti-slavery convention, con- sisting of about 600 delegates from all parts of the State, met at the Second Church, on Bleecker Street, and organized by choosing Judge Brewster, of Monroe County, chairman, and Rev. Oliver Wetmore, of Utica, secretary.

At the citizens' meeting, held at the court-house, a committee, consisting of J. Watson Williams, Chester Hayden, George J. Hopper, Rutger B. Miller, and Harvey Barnard, was appointed to draft resolutions expressive of the feeling of the people, which reported in favor of ap- pointing a committee of twenty-five leading citizens to visit the convention and remonstrate against their proceedings, and to " warn them to abandon their pernicious movements," etc. The committee, consisting of the following well-known names, was accordingly appointed : Chester Hayden, R. B. Miller, S. Beardsley, Ezra Dean, William Tracy, J. W. Williams, E. A. Wetmore, A. G. Dauby, O. B. Matteson, G. W. Hubbard, J. D. Leland, Benjamin Ballou, Angustus Hickox, A. B. Williams, Julius A. Spencer, H. Barnard, T. M. Francis, B. F. Cooper, I. Tiffany, D. Wager, T. S. Gold, A. Blakesley, Burton Hawley, Jesse Newell, and J. H. Dwight.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

This imposing delegation, followed by a great concourse of people, visited the Abolition Convention, into which, after considerable difficulty, they forced an entrance, and amid much confusion rend the resolutions of the court-house meeting, after which the convention was broken up amidst a terrible uproar, mingled with threats and bitter impreca- tions, and the delegates were shortly driven from the city. The church was locked, and the key put in the possession of C. A. Mann. And thus the cultivated, high-toned, and religious people of Utica vindicated the principles of the Declaration of Independence.

The change in public opinion between 1835 and 1861 is among the most wonderful phases in the life of the Great Republic.

It is recorded in Judge Jones' " Annals" that the first locomotive ran over the Utica and Schenectady Railway on the 22d of July of this year (1835).

The most destructive fire that had at that time ever desolated Utica occurred on the 31st of March, 1837. It broke out in the building No. 53, on Genesee, corner of Broad Street, in a row of old frame buildings which then extended down Genesee Street about half-way to Bagg's Square. Everything on the block bounded by Genesee, Broad, John, and Main Streets was destroyed except two or three substantial buildings on the corner of Main and John Streets. The stores on Genesec Street were partly cleared of their goods, which were piled in the middle of the street but subsequently destroyed. The fire crossed Genesee Street to the northwest side, and destroyed every building from No. 54 to Whitesboro' Street, including ten stores and the four-story temperance hotel kept by Captain William Clarke. On Whitesboro' Street every building was destroyed between Genesee Street and Burchard Lane, including the hotel known as " Burchard's Inn."

It was, apparently, a very disastrous conflagration, but proved, in the end, a blessing; for the " burnt district" was soon rebuilt with a far better class of brick structures, adding not only greatly to the appearance of the place but reducing the chances for future fires.

In July of this year the renowned statesman and orator, Daniel Webster, visited Utica and delivered a political speech in Steuben Park.

The Utica Female Academy was founded in this year.

On January 27, 1839, the first train of cars passed over the Syracuse and Utica Railroad, and in September of the same year President Martin Van Buren visited Utica.

Utica, in common with the whole country, was visited by the political excitement of the campaign of 1840, when "Tippecanoe and Tyler too," and log cabins and hard cider were all the rage. Judge Jones records the fact that a log cabin was completed by the Whigs on the corner of Genesee and Whitesboro' Streets, on the 8th of August of that year.

On the 3d of August, 1841, died Captain William Clarke, a veteran of the war of 1812, and presumably the same man who kept the temperance house destroyed by the great fire of 1837. Captain Clarke was an officer in the 23d United States Infantry, and participated in the un- fortunate affair at Queenstown, where he was severely wounded, and in consequence of which he received a life pension.

Another officer of that war who resided for several years in Utica, and who died on the 19th of May, 1838, was Commodore Melancthon T. Woolsey. He belonged to a military family, his paternal grandfather having fallen at the head of a battalion in 1758, during the old French war. Commodore Woolsey was in the county clerk's office of Oncida County previous to the year 1800. In that year he entered the United States navy, where he rose to distinc- tion, and served in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and on the lakes. In 1808 he was placed in command of the Lake Ontario flotilla, with headquarters at the then impor- tant naval station of Sacket's Harbor.

The only armed vessel on Lake Ontario at that date seems to have been the brig " Oneida," in addition to which he equipped the schooner "Julia," and on the breaking out of the war in June, 1812, he made a cruise and succeeded in capturing the British war schooner " Nelson," which he added to his little squadron.

He was in command of the naval forces at Sacket's Harbor when the British squadron made their attack on the 19th of July, 1812, and hy his judicious management and effectual fire from some heavy guns advantageously posted caused the enemy to withdraw from before the place. He was also in command of the party who were transporting a large supply of naval stores from Oswego to Sacket's Harbor, in bateaux, in the summer of 1813. The bateaux were pursued into Sandy Creek, in the present town of Ellisburg, Jefferson Co., and followed by the Brit- ish in force; but the bateaux were taken up the crcek about two miles, the men landed and a few guns placed to cover the approach, and a strong force formed to intercept the enemy, who came on confident of an easy victory. They were, however, received with so heavy a fire, and so completely taken by surprise, that upwards of two hundred, including nearly the whole force, exclusive of killed and wounded, surrendered prisoners of war.

It was at this spot that the story originated concerning the celebrated bayonet charge. After the first destructive fire, and while the British troops were in confusion, Com- modore Woolsey commanded his riflemen, in thunder-tones, to " charge bayonets !" when, seeing only destruction await- ing him, the British commander at once laid down his arms. It would seem that he and the commodore had been ac- quainted before the war, and when the British officer ap- peared before Woolsey a mutual recognition took place, and the former, taking Woolsey by the hand, exclaimed, " Com- modore, I am happy to be permitted to renew our former acquaintance, although under unfavorable circumstances ;" and then, noticing for the first time the body of riflemen, he added, good-humoredly, " But who ever heard of rifle- men charging bayonets before ?"

He was buried with military honors, the Utica Citizens' Corps, then recently organized, forming the escort. General Comstock and staff, and Captain Mervine, of the United States navy, were also present at the funeral obsequies.

In 1843 there was a grand military encampinent in Utica, on the 17th of July, at which a numerous body of State militia were present, and during which John Quincy Adams visited the city. The famous Norwegian violinist, Ole Bull, gave a concert in the place in June, 1844, which

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was a noted event, and excited much interest among the music-loving portion of the community.

The State fair was held in Utica in September, 1845, commencing with the 16th. This is believed to have been the first occasion of its location here.

The year 1846 witnessed the inauguration of a new and most important enterprise in Utica. This was the organi- zation of the Utica Steam Woolen-Mills Company, with a capital of $100,000. In 1847 two other extensive insti- tutions were organized, the Globe Mills Woolen Company, and the Utica Steam Cotton-Mills Company, each with a heavy amount of capital. These great manufacturing in- terests have been of immense benefit to the city, and given it a prominence which probably no other enterprise has ever done .*

A curious and serious accident occurred on the 9th of May, 1847, at the bridge over the Mohawk. The ordinance of baptism was being administered by the Rev. Mr. Corey, in the river near by, and the shore and bridge were covered with spectators, when suddenly a portion of the bridge gave way, precipitating some twenty persons into the river, and resulting in the death of W. O. Smith and the injuring of several others. A parallel case occurred at Dixon, Ill., in 1873, when the iron bridge over Rock River broke upon a similar occasion, and precipitated several hundred people into the stream, where many were killed and drowned.

On the 4th of July, 1847, Professor Wise, the celebrated aeronaut, made a grand balloon ascension in Utica.

Several destructive fires visited the city during the years 1850 and 1851, many of which were no doubt incendiary. On the 5th of June, 1851, James J. Orcutt was convicted of arson in the first degree, for firing and destroying the barns and other outbuildings of Butterfield & Co., in the rear of the National Hotel, in the preceding spring. The Common Council offered rewards amounting to seven hun- dred dollars for the apprehension of the offenders.

The part which Utica took in the great war of the Re- bellion is best told in the history of the various organiza- tions which went into the field from Oneida County, which will be found in Chapter XLIX., devoted to the military history of the county during that memorable epoch. Promi- neot among those who won distinction on the battle-fields of the South are the names of Butterfield, McQuade, Davies, Christian, and Peattie. The record of the gallant men who went out from Utica will stand to the latest generations, a proud inheritance to those who shall come after them, while the names of a legion of the fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters of those who fought and fell, and who ministered to the sick and wounded returning to their homes from field and hospital, if less conspicuous, are no less precious.

The principles for which the soldier contended, and the great objects accomplished by the lavish expenditure of blood and treasure, shall surely be cherished and perpetu- ated by the purified Republic, and the memory of her martyrs remain forever unsullied and imperishable.

Succeeding the war Utica steadily increased in business, and its growth in every branch of industry was marked. In 1868 the value of improvements exceeded $2,000,000.

UTICA AT THE PRESENT TIME.

Utica in 1878, according to the ratio of its growth up to the year 1875, should contain a population approximating 35,000 souls. Within its borders are found 221 different streets and lanes, four railway lines, two canals, two express and two telegraph companies, a street railway, forty-one public and private schools, including two seminaries or academies, upwards of thirty church organizations, a great State lunatic asylum, a county court-house and jail, a county clerk's office, a fine city-hall building and police head- quarters, an elegant and costly opera-house, a new and beautiful public library building, a city hospital and twenty other charitable institutions, two medical societies, nine Masonic, eleven I. O. O. F., and four Knights of Pythias organizations, nine military bodies, six temperance societies, three trades unions, six musical societies, sixteen miscel- laneous organizations, eleven incorporated associations, in- cluding the heavy manufactures, extensive gas- and water- works, an efficient fire department, a fine trotting-park, two prominent hotels and a score of others, a great rural ceme. tery, a dozen fine parks and squares, nine banking institu- tions, and eighteen different publications, including three daily, one tri-weekly, seven weekly, one semi-monthly, five monthly, and one quarterly.

The number of names engaged in the various business occupations of the city, as given in the directory for 1878, is about 1400. There is a very large number of fine business blocks, constructed of marble, brick, and stone, in various parts of the city, conspicuously upon Genesee, John, Fayette, Columbia, Elizabeth, Bleecker, and Broad Streets, and an exceedingly fine array of private dwellings in almost all parts of the city. The place is very irregu- larly laid out, and presents almost as much variety in the forms and angles of its streets and business buildings as Boston or Washington. Very few avenues in America surpass the upper portion of Genesee Street in breadth of roadway, in stately shade-trees, or in elegant and tastefully- constructed dwellings and ample and finely-ornamented grounds. Many other streets nearly equal Genesee in splendid dwellings, fine shade-trees and surroundings, though none approach it in stir and constantly-changing variety of passers by, and in volume of travel. It is the Broadway, the Pennsylvania Avenue, the Chestnut Street, the Euclid Avenue, the Washington Street, of Utica, and its people have a right to point it to strangers with pride as an avenue worthy even of a great capital.

Among the more prominent breathing-places are Chan- cellor Square and Steuben Park, each of which is beauti- fully laid out and ornamented with shade-trees, fountains, etc. The number of fine shade-trees in the older portions of the city is very great.

Its principal streets are well paved with stone. Genesee Street, for a large portion of its extent, is handsomely laid with what may be termed the Belgian pavement, being very similar to that in Broadway, New York, and Broad Street, Philadelphia. In its construction it also closely re- sembles the celebrated Nicholson wooden-block pavement, so extensively adopted in Chicago and other Western cities, though much more substantial and durable. The other variety of pavement most in use is the common cobble, or

Sce farther on, article " Manufactures."

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bowlder style. The side- and cross-walks are largely com- posed of thin sandstone layers, found abundantly in many portions of the State. In the suburbs the walks are mostly of plank. The city is divided into three topographical por- tions by the "Gulf" and Nail Creek, which form ravines or valleys, the ground rising on either hand into an elevated plateau, so that the city may be said to be founded on three distinct and separate hills. The northern portions of the town slope towards the main Mohawk Valley, while the southeastern portions slope very gently towards a broad, shallow valley on the south, lying between the city and the high ridge which rises in New Hartford, and which un- doubtedly gave the locality its Indian name " Nun-da-da-sis, -around the hill." The broad valley of the Mohawk is bounded on either hand by majestic ranges of hills, which rise quite gradually from the lowlands, and from whose summits enchanting and picturesque views are obtained, covering the city and a vast surrounding region.

VILLAGE OFFICERS.

The names of the officers of the village from 1798, under the first act of incorporation, to 1805, are not known, ex- cept that Francis A. Bloodgood was treasurer in 1800 and 1801, and Talcott Camp in 1802. Under the revised charter of 1805 the presidents of the village board were chosen by the trustees. The following is a list of the names of those who served in this capacity from 1805 to 1816, inclusive :

1805-6, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, Jr.

1807, Erastus Clark.

1808, Morris S. Miller. 1809-14, Talcott Camp.

1815, Abraham Van Santvoort.

1816, Rudolph Snyder.

Of those who served as clerks during these years only one name is preserved,-that of D. W. Childs, who was the first clerk of the board in 1805.

Under the new charter of 1817, the president of the board was appointed by the Governor and council. The presidents from 1817 to 1831, inclusive, were as follows : 1817-19, Nathan Williams.

1820, Rudolph Snyder. 1821-23, Ezra S. Cozier.

1824-25, William Clarke. 1826-27, Ezra S. Cozier. 1828-30, William Clarke. 1831, Ezra S. Cozier.

The clerks were appointed by the board, and were the following :

1817-25, John H. Ostrom. 1826-27, William Jones. 1828, John Fish. 1829-31, John G. Floyd.

CITY OFFICERS.

Under the city charter, from 1832 to 1840, the mayors were appointed by the Common Council. Since the last- mentioned date they have been elected by the people. The following are the names of those who have filled the office from 1832 to 1878, inclusive :

Appointed .- 1832, Joseph Kirkland ; 1833, Henry

Seymour ; 1834-35, Joseph Kirkland; 1836, John H. Ostrom ; 1837, Theodore S. Gold; 1838, Charles P. Kirk- land ; 1839, John C. Devereux.

Elected .- 1840, John C. Devereux ; 1841, Spencer Kellogg; 1842, Horatio Seymour ; 1843, Frederick Hol- lister; 1844, Ward Hunt; 1845-46, Edmund A. Wetmore; 1847, James Watson Williams; 1848, Joshua A. Spencer; 1849-50, Thomas R. Walker; 1851-52, John E. Hin- man; 1853, Charles H. Doolittle; 1854, John E. Hinman; 1855, Henry H. Fish ; 1856-57, Alrick Hubbell; 1858, Roscoe Conkling ; 1859, Charles S. Wilson (appointed Dec. 2, by council) ; 1860, Calvin Hall (resigned May 20, 1860); 1860, De Witt C. Grove (appointed May 25, 1860); 1861-62, De Witt C. Grove; 1863, Charles S. Wilson ; 1864, Theodore S. Faxton ; 1865, John Butterfield ; 1866, James McQuade ; 1867, Charles S. Wilson ; 1868, J. Thomas Spriggs ; 1869, Ephraim Chamberlain; 1870, James McQuade; 1871, Miles C. Comstock ; 1872, Theo. F. Butterfield ; 1873, Charles K. Grannis; 1874, Thco- dore S. Sayre ; 1875, Charles W. Hutchinson ; 1876, Charles E. Barnard ; 1877, David H. Gaffin ; 1878, James Benton.

The clerks for the same period have been : 1832-33, Thomas Colling ; 1834-36, Jacob D. Edwards; 1837-39, John S. Ray; 1840, Sylvanus Holmes; 1841, Dexter Gillmore; 1842, Huet R. Root ; 1843, Richard U. Sher- man; 1844, Joseph B. Cushman ; 1845, Alexander Coburn; 1846, George Murphy ; 1847-50, James McIver; 1851- 52, James W. Bond ; 1853, Andrew H. Green ; 1854-56, James G. French ; 1857-58, David Perkins; 1859, James McDonough ; 1860-61, Peter Cunningham ; 1862-63, Thomas S. McIncrow; 1864, David Perkins; 1865-78, Thomas S. McIncrow.

CITY GOVERNMENT For the year commencing March, 1878.

Mayor .- James Benton.

Board of Aldermen .- 1st Ward, H. Ray Barnes ; 2d Ward, Wm. N. Weaver ; 3d Ward, Thomas A. Lowery ; 4th Ward, Wm. H. Price; 5th Ward, John Johnson ; 6th Ward, Edmund J. Callahan ; 7th Ward, Eli Cone; 8th Ward, Gottlieb Zitzner; 9th Ward, John Carney ; 10th Ward, George Shotthafer.

OFFICERS OF THE CORPORATION.

Clerk .- Thomas S. McIncrow.

Treasurer .- Martin S. Gottry.

Recorder .- Patrick F. Bulger. Counsel .- J. Thomas Spriggs. Street Commissioner .- Aikens A. Tallman.

Surveyor .- Egbert Bagg.

Messenger and Janitor .- Nicholas Rossiter.

Sealer of Weights and Measures .- James Mulligan. Superintendent of Public Parks .- Thomas J. Smith.

Poundmaster .- Michael O'Donnell.

City Sexton .- Wm. Austermiller.

Board of Health .- James Benton, Mayor and ex-officio President ; Thomas S. McIncrow, Secretary, and Regis- trar of Vital Statistics; James G. Hunt, M.D., Health Oficer ; John H. Douglass, Thomas Jay Griffiths, Abel B.

PEA

Photo. by Mundy

James

Mentor

JAMES BENTON was born at Leamington Priors (now Leam- ington Spa), Warwickshire, England, on the 18th of October, 1805, of poor but honest parents. The place of his birth is about ten miles from the birthplace of the immortal Shaks- peare, two miles from Warwick Castle, and five miles from the famous ruins of Kenilworth Castle, in a region of the " Merry Isle" among the most interesting to tourists of any in the kingdom. Mr. Benton grew up with few advantages in the way of schooling, the most of his education having been obtained at the Sunday-schools of the parish.

In his younger days he engaged in any kind of work where he could " turn an honest penny," and from his twelfth year was entirely dependent upon his own labor. But, under cir- cumstances which would have discouraged many, he labored on and saved his money until he had accumulated sufficient to purchase a situation with a master mechanic, where he could learn a profitable trade, and apprenticed himself to a plasterer and worker in stucco, with whom he remained until he was an accomplished workman.

He left England for America about the 1st of April, 1829, and landed in New York City in the beginning of June, literally " a stranger in a strange land." Here he remained a few weeks, during which he worked as a journeyman on Holt's buildings, corner of Pearl Street and Maiden Lane, and on the Dutch Reformed Church. In the latter part of June he came to Utica, where he has made his home contin- uously since, with the exception of about nine months apent in Canada, at Toronto (then Little York) and Brockville, in 1830-32. It was while in the former place that his attention to business and the superior excellence of his work attracted the notice of his employers, who had a contract on the guvern- ment buildings, and led to an increase of his wages and his aubsequent advancement to the direct superintendence of the workmen, without any solicitation on his part. He was at the date of his experience in Canada a part of the time in the

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 78

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