USA > New York > Oneida County > Kirkland > History of the town of Kirkland, New York > Part 12
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Among the pioneer orchardists of Kirkland may be mentioned Naaman Goodsell, Roswell Bronson, Dr. Seth
1 When Dr. Timothy Dwight visited this town, in September, 1799, he wrote in his Diary as follows: " All the vegetable productions of the climate flourish here. A farmer this year had two hundred bushels of peaches, which he sold for a dollar a bushel."
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF KIRKLAND.
Hastings, Rev. Dr. Norton, Ephraim Hart, Ozias Marvin, and George Bristol. The native Indian Orchard, in Stockbridge, Madison County, furnished several excellent varities of fruit, one of the best being the summer apple, known as O'Toole's Indian Rareripe. While the young orchards of Kirkland were growing, large supplies of apples and cider were annually brought to this market by the Indians at Stockbridge. Mr. Goodsell claimed that he first introduced the Early Harvest apple, the Rhode Island Greening, Esopus Spitzenberg, Cornish Gilliflower, Seeknofurther, and Swaar. Rev. Dr. Norton also was quite assiduous in procuring scions from Mr. Prince, of Flushing, and from other friends in New England. Among the varieties of apples introduced by him may be mentioned the Fall Pippin and English Pearmain ; and of pears, the Virgalieu and Gansell's Bergamot. Grafting fruit was then quite an occult art, and the good parson went about among his parishioners, inserting seions for them, and teaching them how to do it for themselves. Among the pears introduced by George Bristol, may be named the Madeleine, Bartlett, Seckel, Bleeker, Glout Morceaux, Beurre Diel, and Easter Beurre.
Among the smaller fruits, this town now produces blackberries, currants, grapes, gooseberries, raspberries, and strawberries, and each in numerons varieties. Among the vegetables which have for many years enriched our gardens, we may name the asparagus, beet, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, egg-plant, melon, onion, parsnip, pumpkin, rhubarb, salsify, squash, and tomato.
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RURAL EMBELLISHMENT.
RURAL EMBELLISHMENT.
I. ORNAMENTAL GARDENING.
The town of Kirkland has never fallen behind its neighboring communities in the culture of shade trees, shrubbery, and flowers. At first, our native trees were seldom planted for the beautifying of streets and pri- vate grounds. Of forest trees it was felt that there were already too many ; they cumbered the earth ; it was the farmer's daily task to hew them down and burn them to make room for his crops. If trees were at all planted, it was some pretentious foreigner, like the Lombardy poplar, whose aspiring column was thought to mark the progress of civilization. Quite early, however, shrubs and blossoming vines were introduced. The flower-gar- den, as a general rule, was simply a cultivated border by the door-step, or by the side of the path leading from the house to the street. Here flourished such old-time friends as pinks, marigolds, poppies, sweet-pea, the red peony, columbine, fleur-de-luce, morning-glory, and sweet- william. Sometimes here, but oftencr in some chosen corner of the kitchen-garden, were planted such whole- some herbs as sage, balm, thoroughwort, and summer savory, and such refreshing plants as caraway, fennel, and dill. How often the spicy and odoriferous seeds of the latter have beguiled the tedium of long sermons, many a child and mother, and many a clergyman, could thankfully relate !
The pleasure-grounds of our fathers were generally of small extent. They were embraced in the narrow piece of land which lay directly in front of the house, and was inclosed by fences running in parallel lines from
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF KIRKLAND.
the front corners of the house to the street. The grass within these bounds was seldom mowed oftener than once in a summer.
Between the years 1840-45, a spirit of rural im- provement began to spread over the country. These were the days in which the lamented Downing began to write and to make himself felt in every part of the land. These were the days in which a new zeal sprang up for the culture of fruits and flowers, for landscape- gardening, and for the building of tasteful dwellings. This spirit of improvement reached the town of Kirkland, and soon showed itself in many practical ways. It was felt in the orchard and garden; it was seen in the construction of a better class of houses, and in the reno- vation of old ones ; it laid out ampler pleasure-grounds, and remodeled old places which had been formed on the rectangular method, and it planted the roadsides and the village park with shade-trees.
II. RURAL ART SOCIETY.
The formation of the Society of Rural Art and Taste in Clinton was one of the natural outgrowths of the spirit to which I have just referred. It is but just, however, to record that this association owes its origin immediately to the suggestion of Mr. William E. Can- ning, of Stockbridge, Mass. This gentleman, while on a visit to Clinton in the summer of 1854, remarked to Rev. Benjamin W. Dwight that Clinton needed only one thing more to develop its rural capabilities, and that was a tree-planting society such as existed in Stockbridge, and the particular features of which he proceeded to set forth. This hint was seized upon by Dr. Dwight, and communicated to a few other gentlemen, by whose united
.
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CLINTON CEMETERY.
consultations the original plan was much enlarged and improved, and finally wrought into the present Rural Art Society, whose beneficent influence has long been felt in every part of this town.
This association holds stated monthly meetings at the houses of its members in alphabetical order, taking supper with the family of each member, at which meet- ings discussions are had upon subjects of practical interest to all dwellers in the country. The topic of each meet- ing is assigned a month beforehand to some designated member, who makes a careful preparation to introduce the subject of discussion. This is followed by free remarks and inquiries on the same topic by the other gentlemen present. This society taxes itself annually a specified sum for the planting of trees by the roadside. It aims, likewise, to interest itself in all public improve- ments, and seeks to promote, directly and indirectly, a spirit of rural taste in all parts of the town.
III. CLINTON CEMETERY.
Not long after the formation of the above-named Society, and partly as one of its. natural offshoots, the present Rural Cemetery of Clinton was established. The organization was made at a public meeting of citizens, held June 30, 1854. The land, twenty-five acres in ex- tent, was purchased of Rev. Thomas J. Sawyer, D. D., at a cost of $115 per acre. A large part of the pur- chase-money was obtained by voluntary subscription, and the rest by taxation. The grounds were laid out accord- ing to a plan furnished by Mr. Jolin C. Hastings, of Clinton. The Cemetery was formally dedicated, Sep- tember 9, 1856, with the following public ceremonies : 1. The Singing of the Ninetieth Psalm, which was read
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF KIRKLAND.
by the Rev. S. P. Landers. 2. An Introductory Address, by Hon. O. S. Williams. 3. Reading of Scripture and a Dedicatory Prayer, by Rev. Robert G. Vermilye, D. D. 4. The reading of an Ode by Rev. Prof. A. C. Kendrick, of Rochester. 5. A Dedicatory Address, by Prof. Edward North, of Hamilton College. 6. The reading of a Hymn, by Rev. John H. Hall, and the Benediction by Rev. E. D. Maltbie.
The first Board of Trustees consisted of the following persons : James D. Stebbins, William H. Hubbard, Rufus Mills, Marshal W. Barker, John H. Tower, Peter Fake, Cyrus Nichols, Gerrit I. Bronson, Othniel S. Williams, Curtiss 'S. Parmelee, Edward Nortli, and A. Delos Gridley. And this Board appointed the following officers: James D. Stebbins, President ; William H. Hubbard, Vice-President ; Curtiss S. Parmelee, Secretary ; A. D. Gridley, Treasurer ; John C. Hastings, Superin- tendent.
In May, 1862, the trustees of "The Society of Clinton " transferred the care of the old Burying Ground to the trustees of the new Cemetery.
IV. THE COLLEGE GROUNDS.
Almost simultaneously with the rural improvements made in the town elsewhere, and indeed as a part of them, measures were taken to embellish the grounds of Hamilton College. Before this time, the campus was simply a rectangular plot of four acres immediately sur- rounding the dormitories. It was inclosed with a wooden fence, and crossed at needful places by straight walks four or five feet wide. Trees had been set out upon it somewhat sparsely, and for the most part in rows. Out- side of this central park were some twenty-eight acres of
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THE COLLEGE GROUNDS.
land, used chiefly for pasture and hay-fields. One promi- nent feature in the original adornings of the premises was a row of Lombardy poplars in the rear of the build- ings, another by the roadside in front, and a double row on the borders of the avenue leading down the hill towards the village of Clinton. These trees were planted partly in the year 1805, by the missionary Kirkland, and partly by President Backus.
In the year 1853, the Faculty and certain other friends of the College in this vicinity felt moved to undertake an improvement of the campus and the other lands immediately surrounding the institution. They were moved to this not only by the prevailing spirit of the times, but because it seemed due to the memory of Mr. Kirkland, who, in his original deed of lands to the Oneida Academy, specified that this portion should be devoted to an ornamental garden. As the result of several con- ferences on this subject, a plan for remodeling the grounds, prepared by Mr. John C. Hastings, was adopted, and a committee was appointed to carry out the provisions of that plan. This committee consisted of Prof. Oren Root, Mr. J. C. Hastings, and Rev. A. D. Gridley. Subscriptions were soon raised in this town amounting to about $1000, to enable the committee to make a beginning of the work which had been projected. At the next meeting of the trustees of the College, the sum of $5000 was also appropriated by them for the use of this committee, who were at the same time requested to serve as the permanent curators of the College grounds.
The first step in the improvements was the incorpora- tion of fifteen acres into one large park. Next came the removal of needless fences and various incumbrances. Unseemly roughnesses were smoothed down, and wet por-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF KIRKLAND."
tions of the land were drained, and the whole surface put in a good condition for planting. The old rectilinear walks being sodded over, the entire park was laid out in the modern English method, with roads and footpaths winding in easy curves through its different parts. The carriage-ways and walks were covered with the red shale found in a ravine within the college lands. The premises were surrounded in part with hedges of buckthorn, and in part with wire fences. The latter, after a few years' use, proved nearly worthless, while the former are to-day their own best recommendation.
In planting the grounds, it was a leading object of the committee to introduce as great a variety of trees as practicable. They resolved to obtain a specimen of every desirable tree and shrub, deciduous and evergreen, which might be expected to prove hardy in the climate' of central New York. These trees and plants they arranged with a special view to landscape effect, though with some remote reference to a botanical classification. The Pinetum, which they have commenced in one portion of the grounds, contains seven varieties of Pines, nine va- rieties of Spruce, five of Cypress, six of Juniper, and two of Larch.
The larger portion of the grounds is devoted to trees and grass ; but in appropriate places - especially those sections daily traversed by the students - shrubs and vines have been planted, and plots have been laid out in flower-beds, which are cultivated by the undergraduates. Quite recently, the curators have affixed labels to a large number of the rarer trees and shrubs, showing the botan- ical name of each, and its popular name and habitat.
In addition to those portions of the grounds devoted to arboricultural purposes, and aside from them, sections
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ยท COLLEGE CEMETERY.
have been arranged for base-ball, croquet, and other games. Adjoining the park, also, is the college ceme- tery, which has recently been laid out in an appropriate manner, and which attracts many a visitor by its rural beauty and by its memorials of the honored and beloved dead.1.
1 A fund of $1000 has recently been given to the college by Mr. Samuel A. Munson, of Utica, the annual interest of which is to be applied to the care and improvement of the cemetery.
11
CHAPTER VII.
MANUFACTURES AND MINING.
BEFORE the establishment of factories driven by water-power, not a little handicraft was practiced in every household of the town of Kirkland. For instance : flax raised in the field, and wool grown on the backs of sheep, were carded and spun and woven into cloth by hand in our dwellings. On the introduction of machin- ery for these purposes, some sagacious people shook their heads, declaring that the fibre of the wool would be injured by the new processes, but they were soon obliged to give up this conservative notion.
In the early part of the present century, Merino sheep began to be introduced into this country from Spain, and ere long a few found their way to this town. The first specimen brought here was reputed to have cost $1000. For all farmers of a speculating turn of mind the raising of fine-wooled sheep became the prevailing hobby. The Messrs. Sherrill, of New Hartford, had at one time a flock of nine hundred ; and on our own hill- sides they became so numerous as to be reckoned by thousands. Associations were formed in many places for the manufacture of woolen cloths, and one was organized here under the title of the " Clinton Woolen Manufacturing Company." Their building was erected in the year 1810, and is the same which, much enlarged, is now known as the Clinton Factory, and is owned by
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EARLY MANUFACTURES.
the proprietors of Clarks' Mills. The enterprise was successful for a few years, and then ceased to be profita- ble. During the War of 1812, its broadcloths sold for twelve dollars a yard, and its satinets at a corresponding figure.1 But on the return of peace, England flooded this country with her cloths so abundantly that the prod- ucts of Clinton looms had to be sold at two dollars a yard. Of course, the little factory here could not com- pete with foreign capital and cheap labor, and it ceased to yield returns to its stockholders. The property was first sold to the firm of Sharp and Hutton ; then it passed into several different hands, and the factory was for many years suspended. Under its present control and management as a cotton mill, it thrives vigorously.
Some time before 1810, Mr. Amos Kellogg built a fulling-mill on the east side of Oriskany Creek, on Col- lege Street. He took the cloths made in the farm-houses of this vicinity and put them through the processes of dyeing, fulling, and shearing, thus fitting them for mar- ket and for use. He afterwards sold out to Mr. Clark Wood. The latter moved his machinery to the north side of the road to make room for a carding-machine which was soon put up on the same site by Messrs. Owen and Ben- nett.
About sixty years ago, a nail factory was established on or near the mill-site now covered by William Healey's grist-mill on College Street. Mr. Silas But-
1 The first valedictorian of Hamilton College was married in Clinton, during the reign of these high prices, and his wedding-suit was bought from this factory at the rate above mentioned. He was not so hard-pressed, however, as was a distinguished clergyman whose marriage-day came one winter, at a period of the Revolutionary War when no proper wedding-suit could be pur -. chased; whereupon his fond mother had some of her sheep sheared and sewed up in blankets to keep them warm, so that the much-desired felicity might be onsummated.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF KIRKLAND.
trick was one of the proprietors. The process of nail- making was then slow and laborious, the head of each nail being formed singly and by hand. This factory did not enrich it's owners, and was soon closed.
About forty years ago a hat factory was set up by Asa Marvin on the west corner of College Street and Franklin Street. The name of the proprietor, printed in large letters on the front of the building, may still be dimly seen through several coats of paint and abun- dant weather stains. How many years these works con- tinued in operation the writer cannot ascertain, but it is known that the introduction of steam and of improved "machinery in the large establishments of our cities grad- ually rendered this primitive factory nnprofitable.
Quite early in the history of Kirkland, scythes were made by Woodruff & Kinney, at their factory near the present Farmers' Mill. Many persons now living can remember the steady rip-rap of their trip-hammer, which could be heard for several miles. Mowing-ma- chines, worked by horse-power, were then hardly dreamed of ; and the farmer's muscle was content with those of the " arm-strong pattern."
Timothy Barnes used to manufacture clocks in Clinton, and the bells to strike within them. His casting of the first church bell in this town was only an enlargement of his regular business. Sylvester Munger repaired and regulated the earlier watches and clocks of Kirkland, and dealt somewhat in silver ware. It has often been reported that he manufactured the Communion service of the Congregational church in Clinton, but better testimony proves that it was made in New York.
Erastus Barnes established the first pottery in this town, his works being nearly in the rear of the late Rev.
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POTTERY AND BRICK MAKING.
Charles Jerome's residence on College Street. He found clay of an excellent quality on the Gleason farm, near Manchester, and his business was, for those times, large and lucrative. Mr. John B. Gregory succeeded him, and carried on the same industry for several years. He was quite a recluse, being seldom seen outside of his own premises. Yet he had a genial soul, and loved to scatter jokes and bits of humor among old and young who came to inspect his work or to buy his wares. He was a devout Methodist. Placing a lump of clay on his lathe, he would set his wheel a-spinning, and, while moulding pan or jug or other vessel, would burst into some old refrain, as -
" Behold the potter and the clay ! He forms his vessels as he please." 1
Brick have been made at different times in this town, of an excellent quality. The first were made by Dr Abel Sherman, on the land east of Mr. John Elliott's. house on Utica Street. From this yard came the bricks used in building the old brick school-house on the east side of the Village Green. The chimney of the first school-house in Deansville was made of this brick, and so were many of the first chimneys in Clinton. The method of reducing clay for making bricks here was this : A cir- cular pit some two feet deep and from fifteen to twenty feet in diameter, and floored and sided with inch boards, was prepared to receive the clay and sand in due pro- portions. Water was thrown on to bring the mass into proper consistency. Then two or more oxen were driven around the circle until the mixture was completed. Brick were also made at an early day on the John Kirkland
.1 Arminians, as well as Calvinists, will sometimes sing counter to their theol- ogy and the laws of grammar.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF KIRKLAND.
farm, and on David Comstock's farm, near the present Houghton Seminary. The house now owned by B. S. Platt, and the residences of the late Dr. Charles Barrows and of Dr. Austin Barrows, and of Josiah L. Cook, were built of brick from the last-named yard. Of the recent successful works of Robinson and Bronson my readers are well informed.
About fifty years ago a few enterprising citizens com- menced the making of potash in Clinton, Dr. Noyes be- ing their scientific adviser. Their factory stood on the stream near the tannery of Bangs and Dillow on Utica Street. The new business sprang up, flourished, and ex- pired within a twelvemonth. Another was commenced near Manchester, which was on a larger scale and lived a longer life.
Several tanneries have been established in this town within the past half century. Theophilus Redfield's stood near the foot of College Hill ; John Shapley's in the hol- low just east of the village ; Rufus Hayes' on the farm now owned by Seth K. Blair ; Bangs and Dillow's on Utica Street ; - and does it still survive ?
As these pages have already chronicled, the first grist- mill in the town was erected in the year 1787 by Captain Cassety, on the east side of the Oriskany, just above College Street. At a later day Simeon Nelson built a grist-mill on the site now occupied by William Healey. A flouring-mill was erected at an early day, forty or fifty rods above the present Farmers' Mill. Afterwards it was moved down-stream and rebuilt under the name of Hart's Mill ; and subsequently it took its present desig- nation of Farmers' Mill. Ebenezer Thompson established a flour-mill in Manchester about 1818, which is still in operation near the former residence of A. B. Clark.
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SAW-MILLS AND OTHER MILLS.
Of saw-mills the first was put in operation by Bronson Foot, in the summer of 1788, on the site now used by Mr. Harrington. Another was built not many years later, near the upper end of the Dug-Way, and this was the first use made of the Oriskany as a water-power after it entered the town. On the spot now covered by Mr. Landers' chair factory there was once a saw-mill owned by Mr. Bliss. Ralph W. Kirkland had another a short distance below the present Franklin Iron Works. Mr. S. P. Landers' factory was established by him in 1861, and is still carried on successfully.
In the year 1794 a deed was made by Mr. Bliss to Woodruff and Kinney, for a dike to be cut from his mill- pond (near Mr. Landers' present factory), through his land to the present location of the shop. The water- course having been dug, a trip-hammer shop was built for making scythes, hoes, and for common blacksmithing. After a few years Manross and Wicks became the pro- prietors. They sold one half of the shop to Charles Faber, who made nail-hammers. The next proprietors were Porter and Kelsey, who made hay-forks. After them came Mr. Wells, who made staves. The next pro- prietors were Biam and Hiram Davis, who made sash, blinds, and doors. The next owner was James Stewart, who made Excelsior shavings, and carried on the business of upholstery. During its occupancy by Col. Stewart, Mr. M. H. Jones manufactured axes to some extent. Suc- ceeding Col. Stewart came Messrs. Cooke and Case, who, during the war of the Rebellion, when cotton was high, dressed flax. Soon after this they turned their attention to the making of cotton-batting. The same manufac- ture is still carried on by C. O. Jones, the present pro- prietor.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF KIRKLAND.
In a note communicating these facts, Rev. Mr. Landers observes : -
" The dates of these several changes and transfers can- not now be learned with accuracy, without reference to the county records ; but for the variety of business done within its walls, I think no building in the town of Kirk- land can equal the old Trip-hammer Shop."
About the year 1830, a Mr. Hurd established a small factory on a little stream between Clinton and Deans- ville, for the making of German silver spoons. He soon ventured to coin money, secretly, and to circulate it through his agents in other parts of the country. His business becoming at length an object of suspicion, he suddenly left this region for parts unknown. The settle- ment where he lived has since borne the name of Bogus- ville.
The small stream known as the Sherman Brook, and which crosses Utica Street near the tannery of Bangs and Dillow, was once used for milling purposes on a small scale. Near the cross-road on the eastern limits of the town it propelled a saw-mill owned by Judah Stebbins and Zadok Loomis. A little farther down-stream it drove a grist-mill owned by Timothy Barnes and his sons. After a few years this property was sold and con- verted into a distillery. Mr. Gaius Butler tells us that the new proprietors began business with the high moral purpose " to make a pure whiskey that would not intox- icate." Precisely how they did this we do not know ; but the tradition goes that the water of their mill-race was used for more than a single purpose.1
1 Let it be noted here that in the ravine through which this stream runs, the stones were quarried for building the college chapel and North College, and the Stone Church in the village.
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COTTON FACTORY AT MANCHESTER.
Still farther down-stream was the saw-mill of John Bird, and lower still stood one built by Thomas Parmele. These several mills have now all disappeared, though the remains of their foundation walls or of their dams may in some instances still be seen. They depended for their working force largely upon dissolving snows and copious rains, and hence were unprofitable in the long run, especially as they had to compete with others in the same town of ampler size and driven by a large and permanent stream.
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