Landmarks of Niagara County, New York, Part 11

Author: Pool, William, 1825-1912, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: [Syracuse] : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 820

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FLAVIUS J. BAKER, M. D.

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chased a farm at Wright's Corners in 1824, but had lived at Johnson's Creek in Hartland since 1819, where he kept a hotel and did survey- ing ; he was a prominent citizen. It was through his influence that a charter was secured in 1824 for the toll road from Wright's Corners to Warren's Corners, which became known as the long causeway turnpike, from the fact that it was at first laid with logs when it was opened for the benefit of the government during the war of 1812; the later turn- pike was completed in 1825. Mr. Maxwell also laid out the well known Hess road, from the Ridge road to the lake shore.

The first settlement at the village of Rapids, in the extreme south- eastern part of the town, on Tonawanda Creek, was made by Amos and S. B. Kinne in 1839, who purchased land and laid some of it out in vil- lage lots. There was little growth in the settlement until 1849, when Orange Mansfield built a steam saw mill. G. H. Utley erected and opened a hotel and Horace Cummings built and opened a store. The site of Warren's Corners was settled in 1813 by Ezra Warren, from whom it took its name; he kept a tavern there many years. Before the opening of the canal and the diversion of business to Lockport, this was quite an important point. Sketches of many other families of this town are given in Part III of this work.

The lands on which a large part of the city of Lockport is built were purchased from the Holland Company by Esek Brown, Zeno Comstock, Nathan Comstock, Webster Thorn, Daniel Smith, David Fink, Almon H. Millard, Reuben Haines, Joseph Otis, John Comstock, Asahel Smith, Nathan B. Rogers, Daniel Washburne and James Conkey. As late as 1820 there were only a few log houses on the city site, and much of the land was still uncultivated. When the course of the canal was fully determined in 1821, and the commissioners were ready to receive pro- posals for building the locks, etc., the owners of the land planned a vil- lage and arranged for the sale of lots. Among them was Otis Hathaway, who had his land surveyed in the spring of 1821. The name of Locks- borough was at first suggested for the place, but Dr. Isaac W. Smith, it is said, suggested Lockport, which finally won the preference. Esek Brown about the same time opened his log house as a tavern ; here the canal contractors made their headquarters for a time.1

1 The question of who named Lockport is to some extent in dispute. On this fruitful topic 14

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Capitalists now foresaw the propable importance of the place and in- vested their money. Before that summer was over considerable im- provement had been made. Morris H. Tucker opened a store, the first in the place. The nearest other store was at Hartland Corners. House & Boughton soon built another store and sought a part of the trade. Lebbeus Fish, also, opened a third store. · Esek Brown's farm was rap- idly reduced in extent by the sale of village lots, many of which passed to possession of Jesse Hawley, and John G. Bond. Associated with Jared, Darius and Joseph Comstock were Otis Hathaway and Seymour Scoville, who were actively interested in selling lots east of Transit street. Zeno Comstock had purchased in that. vicinity from the Hol- land Company, as Esek Brown had west of that street, but had recon- veyed it before the village was founded and invested a mile and a half to the westward, believing the canal would be located there. Before the close of that year George W. Rogers, the poineer blacksmith ; Shepard & Towner, the first shoemakers, and Elliott Lewis, harness maker, were settled in their respective shops, while John Jackson con-

Ebenezer Mix wrote the following, which was published in a Lockport paper some forty years ago : In the spring of 1821, being on business in Lewiston, I understood that the canal commis- sioners had given notice that they would meet the day following at the house of Esek Brown, on the mountain ridge, to receive proposals for building the locks and excavating the canal in that vicinity. The next day being a leisure day with me I concluded to visit the scene of action, as I knew that many of my old acquaintances would be there. I accordingly went to Molyneaux' that night, and was on the ground early in the morning. At this time there was no inhabitant on the present village plat, except the Comstocks, on the east side of the ravine (now canal), and Esek Brown, who resided about fifty-five rods west of Transit street, or near the south road from the forks. I went to Brown's, but there was no one there except Mrs. Brown, or "Aunt Lucinda.' Mr. Brown had gone to Lewiston to get a tavern license. While there alone with Aunt Lucinda a stranger to me, she talked much about the new village and their tavern (a log house, with a log addition or wing for a bar-room, erected but unfinished), for Aunt Lucinda was a great talker. I asked her what they were going to call their village. She mentioned a number of names that she had heard, some of which partook of the Quaker dialect, and among them she mentioned "Lockport."

About 9o'clock Brown returned with his license, and the company began to assemble. Brown opened his bar tolerably stored with kegs and jugs, which he dared not do until he got his paper license. Finding that Brown was a law-abiding man, I asked him if he did not know that he was breaking the law to keep tavern without a sign. He said that he did not, but if so, he did not know what to do, as he could not get a sign short of Lewiston, and he could not go that day. I told him I would satisfy the law for him, and undertook to furnish him with a sign, but I could not find a piece of board big enough, although he was building. I, however, found a door sill which he had prepared for his bar-room door, and hewed and planed off one side of a split bass- wood bolt tolerably smooth, on which I wrote with a coal, without consulting any one, "Lockport Hotel by E. Brown," and stuck it between the projecting ends of the logs of the new bar-room, and, to bring the history of the sign to a close, Brown hewed out a new door sill and let that re- main as a sign until he procured another.

The sign being raised, Lockport Hotel and Lockport village were soon christened, not by mere sprinkling, but by something like immersion.

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ducted a bakery. The post office was established early in 1822, the mail at first being brought from Molyneux's Corners; in the following year a road was opened through the forest to Wright's Corners, con- necting there with a stage route. Bartemus Ferguson started a news- paper, the Lockport Observatory (previously published at Lewiston), which passed into possession of Orsamus Turner in August, 1822. Work was at that time progressing on the canal at this point. In July, 1822, the place received another impetus through its selection as the county seat, and two acres of land were deeded to the county as a site for county buildings, by William M. Bond.

The village now advanced rapidly. The greater part of the business of the place was done on the west side of the canal in 1823-25. In the former year there was a small store on the northeast corner of Main and Transit streets. A few small buildings stood on the north side of Main street before reaching the Lockport Hotel, then kept by Samuel Jennings. East of that Dr. Maxwell had his office and next was the blacksmith shop of Allen Skinner. Then came the store of House & Boughton, where the post-office was situated, with George H. Boughton in charge as postmaster. A primitive bridge crossed the canal. Wil- liam Parsons & Co. had a store in a yellow building about on the site of the Moyer block, and adjoining it was a stone building, part of which was occupied for a store by Sidney and Thomas Smith. Lyman A. Spalding kept a store on the site of the Savings Bank, and next east was the law office of James F. Mason, who acted as county clerk and kept the records in his office Adjoining that was a store kept by H. Kimberly & Co. Other stores of that time were kept by Nathan B. and George W. Rogers, for the sale of groceries; the "red store," kept by William Kennedy, and Morris H. Tucker's store. There were sev- eral other groceries and small places of business, with shops of various kinds and several hotels. It will be seen that this was a considerable business to spring up within two or three years.

The pioneer lawyer of Lockport was Elias Ransom. James F. Ma- son and Hiram Gardner came on afterwards and were subsequently ap- pointed justices. The following persons came on prior to or during the year of 1823: Elias F. Pierce, Dr. Isaac Southworth, Asa W. Douglas, Geo. W. Douglas, George W. Rogers, John Jackson, George

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Richardson, John Gooding, Hiram Gardner, Elliott Lewis, Chauncey Leonard, Joseph Pound, John Pound, Harvey W. Campbell, Gillet Bacon, William Parsons, L. A. Spalding, B. S. Davenport, Orin Fisk, A. T. Prentice, E. A. Wakeman, A. G. White, J. G. Gustin, Orsamus Turner, Job Layton, Jacob Hall, Jacob Bolard, Justus Jenney, James Harris, Samuel Larned, James F. Mason, Dr. Henry Maxwell, David Fink, Warren Sadler, Col. W. M. Bond.

The cut through the Ridge at Lockport was the last part of the canal to be completed. On the 29th of September, 1825, William C Bouck announced to the canal commissioners that the water way would be ready for the passage of boats on the 29th of October, and steps were taken to celebrate the event. On the evening of the 24th the guard gates were raised and the level was soon filled with water. A salute of cannon was fired at daybreak on the 26th, and under direction of Gen - eral Whitney, marshal of the day, a procession was formed at nine o'clock and marched to the foot of the locks and there embarked on boats, one of which, the William C. Bouck, was selected to take the lead in passing the locks. On board of this boat the officials and some prominent citizens made the passage. At ten o'clock the firing of the series of guns along the canal from Buffalo reached this place, the lock gates opened and the boats started on their upward passage. The fol- lowing description of the scene is recorded :

As it ascended the stupendous flight of locks, its decks covered with a joyous mul- titude, it was greeted with a constant and rapid discharge of heavy artillery, thousands of rock blasts, or explosions, prepared for the occasion, and the shouts of spectators that swarmed upon the canal and lock bridges, and upon the precipices around the locks and basin. As soon as the two forward boats had passed out of the upper locks they were drawn up side by side, and after a prayer by the Rev. Mr. Winchell, an address was delivered by Judge Birdsall. Stepping upon an ele- vated platform upon the deck of one of the boats, in the stillness that had succeed- ed the earthquake sounds and shouts of human voices, he exclaimed: The barrier is passed! We have now risen to the level of Lake Erie and have before us a per- fect navigation open to its waters. When his address, glowing with cheering prophecies of prosperity in the future, was concluded, the boat moved westward to meet the fleet approaching from Buffalo, and act as an escort in passing through Lockport.

The village continued to flourish and in 1827 measures were adopted for building up what became known as the Lower Town, or East Lock- port. Nathan Comstock sold 300 acres of land in that vicinity to Joel

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McCollum, Otis and S. R. Hathaway and Seymour Scoville, who had it laid out in village lots and streets. The promoters recommended it to purchasers on account of its eligible situation " below the locks and the grand natural basin," and its already having a grist mill, three saw mills and other shops located there. A considerable sale of lots was soon made, and several buildings were erected. The proprietors of this section soon afterwards sold out to Lot Clark and others, who consti- tuted what was known as the Albany Company. They began vigor- ous action to develop and sell their lots. It was represented among other things that the surplus water of the canal would be brought there and the upper town deprived of it- a condition that did not seem especially improbable at that time. The rivalry that was engendered in those early years between the two sections of the village disap- peared with the lapse of time and the practical uniting of the two.

The village was incorporated March 26, 1829, the charter defining the boundaries of a parallelogram of about a mile and three-quarters in length, which was divided into two wards. The charter provided for the election of five trustees, a treasurer, a collector, two constables, five assessors and five wardens. The first board of trustees was com- posed of Joel McCollum, Levi Taylor, Levi E Rounds, Joshua G. Dris- coll and James F. Mason. Henry R. Hopkins was chosen clerk, and on the 18th of May Eben Griswold was appointed poundmaster ; Samuel Learned and Luke Draper, fence viewers; N. W. Gardner, surveyor ; George W. Rogers, chief engineer of the fire department. The board appointed sixteen men each in a fire company and a hook and ladder company.

In early years there was considerable rivalry between the Upper and the Lower Towns, as they were distinguished, with the Lower Town far in advance. Here the first bank was opened and the more prominent business establishments conducted. Of Lockport from 1838 to 1848 John H. Dickey has written some interesting and valuable reminis- cences from which are taken the following extracts :

I first saw Lockport in the summer of 1838, then a thriving village of a few thou- sand inhabitants. No school system but the common school of the period except two select schools where a limited number of pupils were instructed. Lower Town, as it was then called, was the leading business part of the village. The railroad running from there to Niagara Falls by way of Pekin about two miles north of Sanborn came

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to the river bank near where Suspension Bridge now is. At that time there was no bridge there, and no buildings but now and then a farm house until you arrived at the Falls. This railroad did not go to Lewiston, as one of your late correspondents has it. Then there was the cotton factory at the corner of Exchange and Garden streets, and the land office on Market street. The then ex-Judge Hunt, Hiram Wal- bridge, J. J. B. Spooner, G. W. Germain, Samuel Works, Lott Clark and others, were engaged in the business interests of the Lower Town. Judge Hunt in 1838 and a few years thereafter was a Democrat in politics, but about 1844 or a little before he united with the Whig party and they gave him the nomination for Congress. He had sharp opposition in the convention that nominated him by an old Whig, Joseph Center, a lawyer of Upper Town, and he was so incensed at his defeat, that he left the Whigs and joined the Democrats but the Whigs as it proved got the best of the bargain. Governor Hunt proved to be not a mere politician but a high minded and eloquent statesman. The Whig party elected him twice to Congress, comptroller of the State of New York, and also its governor. He died at the early age of fifty-six years greatly lamented by all. Samuel Works was State senator from this Senate dis- trict. J. J. B. Spooner was cashier of the Lockport Bank. Some of the business men of Upper Town were Lyman A. Spalding, grain dealer and flouring wheat for eastern market. He had a savings bank, and was postmaster when the office was in the Arcade Charles and Elias Safford were engaged in the same business. Asa W. Douglas and Gen. John Jackson were partners in the grain trade and flouring for the eastern market and other mills of less note busily engaged in the manufacture of flour and grinding grist for the farmers. Thomas Flagler was editor and proprietor of the Niagara Courier. It was then printed on an old hand press. Early in the forties he sold out the paper to David S. Crandall, one of the jolliest and most jovial men that ever lived in Lockport. He was clerk of the county one term. He pub- lished the paper a while, and then sold it to the late M. C. Richardson, when the name was changed.

A few years after this the Hon. T. T. Flagler was elected to Congress from this dis- trict, and then re-elected. Mr. Flagler served his constituents faithfully and well and with honor to himself and all interested. He has served in other public stations equally as well.

The late Benjamin and James Carpenter were owners of extensive stone quarries and contractors for fancy building stone. They have had contracts in New York and many large cities for their stone. The Gargling Oil building, the county clerk's office and the old jail are built of stone from their quarries. Benjamin Car- penter was mayor of Lockport when President Lincoln was assassinated by J. Wilkes Booth. William O. Brown and William Keep were dry goods merchants. Their store was about the second block west of the Simmons & Walter jewelry store and the Keeps kept a hardware store in the block now kept by J. S. Woodward & Son. The late Chauncey Keep was the manager, ably assisted by the late Rowland Sears as head clerk and bookkeeper. Just across the street, Francis N. Kelson kept a first-class dry goods store. J. L. Breyfogle and the late Jacob M. Chrysler were the clerks in Mr. Nelson's store. They afterwards became the leading dry goods merchants in the city and both gentlemen held the office of county treasurer. Silas H. Marks and Mr. Harvey were dry goods merchants of that time. Some of the

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physicians were Drs. McCollum, Southworth, Skinner, Chase, Fassett and Shuler. The latter owned a house and grounds where the Hodge opera house and Gargling Oil works now stands, and lived there when the late Dr. Gould was a student in his office. I first knew Dr. Gould when he was attending the Medical College in Buffalo, knew him to be a rising young man in his profession, and he always main- tained a leading position among the physicians of the county. His counsel was always eminently wise and judicious under all circumstances whether pertaining to church af- fairs of which he was a prominent member, or in consultation with his professional brethren in trying and difficult cases. He always reminded me of his relative, Gen. David Gould, whom he strongly resembled. General Gould was a very popular officer in the State militia of that time.

The population of Lockport increased from a little more than 6.000 (in the town) in 1835, to over 9,000 in 1840, and to about 12,000 in 1850. At the same time a large manufacturing interest came into existence. By an act of the Legislature, passed April 20, 1825, the canal commis- sioners were authorized to sell surplus water from the canal whenever it was practicable. To supply the Genesee level of more than one hun- dred miles in length eastward from the foot of the Lockport locks, water is drawn from Lake Erie, rendering it necessary to pass a large volume around the locks at Lockport. While this fact was generally known, it was not thought the power thus created could be of great value, chiefly on account of the anticipated obstruction caused by work- ing the locks. Darius Comstock owned the land around the locks and canal basin at the time the water was advertised for sale. His bid was only fifty dollars. A few days previous to the opening of the canal he sold to Lyman A. Spalding for $3,500 all the land on the southeastern side of the canal owned by him, excepting a small reservation. When the canal was finally opened and the water for the first time passed around the locks in the raceway prepared for it, it was at once seen that an immense power was at hand. On January 25, 1826, the surplus water at this place was sold to William Kenney, of Lockport, and Junius H. Hatch, of New York. The bid was $200 per annum. In the winter of 1825-6 Mr. Spalding built a flouring mill, and about the same time Jabez Pomeroy and William Bass erected a building near by and put in carding and cloth pressing machinery. These mills were the first driven by water from the canal.

As the magnitude and value of the water power became better understood, there developed a strong rivalry to secure its control. In

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1829 the lease of the water from the State was transferred to the Al- bany Company before mentioned, who then owned more than half of the Lower Town. To improve the real estate prospects in the Lower Town it became necessary to carry the water thither, but an obstacle existed in the fact that Mr. Spalding had previously purchased lands (as before stated) through which the water must necessarily pass in order to reach that section. One of the commissioners is said to have been interested in the schemes of the Albany Company, and an order was finally issued by the board putting the sole control of the canal and locks here into the hands of the lessees A party of laborers were now set at work digging a ditch for the water along the side of the canal. A body of citizens, indignant at this usurpation, drove away the labor-

ers. When the canal closed for the winter of 1829, the commissioners cut off the water from the race, thus stopping the mills. The contro- versy continued to the great detriment of business advancement until a year or two later, when the necessary land was purchased by the Al- bany Company, who thus commanded a right of way for the power.

When the State sold at auction the right to the surplus waters of the canal, Richard Kenney and Junius Hatch were the purchasers at $200 per annum. The raceway was already excavated as far as Spald- ing's mill, and in 1828 it was extended to the Douglas & Jackson mill, and in 1832 to the old factory mill. The lease of the water was sub- sequently held by William L. Marcy and Washington Hunt, and in 1858 the Lockport Hydraulic Company was organized with the follow- ing trustees : Washington Hunt, William L. Marcy, W. P. Daniels, Charles A. Morse, Daniel A. Van Valkenburgh, and Willard J. Daniels. Through leases of power to consumers at reasonable rates this company was instrumental in establishing a large number of milling and other en- terprises. Out of it grew also the Manufacturers' Building Company, organized in 1858, with the following trustees: Hiram Gardner, Silas H. Marks, Thomas T. Flagler, Ezra P. Wentworth, James Jackson, jr., Stephen Hopkins, and John W. Steels. The capital was $15,000, but was subsequently increased. The chief purpose of this company was to erect buildings for manufacturers. Frank N. Trevor is now president of the company, and Charles T. Raymond, secretary and treasurer.

In October, 1887, the Hydraulic Company leased to the city of Lock-

CHARLES N. PALMER., M. D.

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port for a term of ten years, at $1,500 per annum, sufficient water "for seven and one- half twelve horse powers," which is used for the operation of the pumps which supply the city with water. The first fourteen firms named in the list on a subsequent page also lease water from this company.

By the year 1835 the manufacturing interests of the place had as- sumed considerable importance. In the First ward was Spalding's flouring mill with a capacity of 120,000 barrels annually ; a wool card- ing mill employing six persons; an iron foundry with capital of $3,000; two saw mills employing twelve persons; a turning and a machine shop ; a sash factory ; a tannery turning out $30,000 worth of leather ; a hat factory, two harness shops, four cabinet shops. two newspapers, a book bindery, various other small shops and fifty to sixty stores of various kinds. In the Second ward there were three flouring mills making about $1,000,000 worth of flour yearly ; seven saw mills ; a cot- ton factory, a woolen mill, two distilleries, one furnace, a tannery, a hat factory, harness, tailor and shoe shops, and five mercantile establish- ments. During recent years, the character of the manufactures of Lockport has been greatly changed.

The opening of the railroad in 1852 gave Lockport a further impetus. The extent of early travel over the line between Rochester and the Falls may be inferred from the fact that the receipts amounted to more than $1,000 daily before the close of the first year. General Winfield Scott was one of the carly passengers on the road, visiting Lockport in the fall of 1852, where he received a public welcome befitting his rank.

At the risk of repeating some of the names mentioned in the fore- going pages the following prominent early settlers of the town are given at this point: Daniel Pomeroy, Daniel Alvord, Webster Thorn, Daniel Smith, Stephen Hoag, Lyman Liscomb, the Norton, Williams, Har- rington and Weaver families, John Smith, James Conkey, Jonathan Rummery, Joseph Otis, John Comstock, Isaac Titus, Isaac Mace, Charles Freeborn, Nathan Comstock, John Ingalls, Alexander Free- man, David Carlton, Conrad Keyser, Franeis Brown, Deacon Croker, Zeno Comstock, Asahel Smith, Reuben Haines and Jesse P Haines. Nearly all these became settlers prior to the opening of the canal in 1825, previous to which only about 600 acres were cleared in four square

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Landmarks of Niagara County, New York, Part 11

Author: Pool, William, 1825-1912, ed Publication date: 1897 Publisher: [Syracuse] : D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 820

Author: Pool, William, 1825-1912, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: [Syracuse] : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 820