Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 13

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1410

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119

THE CASTORLAND COMPANY.

very entertaining narrative. At the end of their visit, when the Frenchman learned of the contemplated journey to Lake Ontario in a canoe, he generously insisted on their taking his safer and more com- modious bateau, which they did. The two travelers arrived in due time at Oswego. There they found the fort garrisoned by one com- pany of British soldiers, under Captain Wickham, who was a native of Rhode Island. He treated them kindly and sent a guide with them to the mouth of Salmon River. Vandercamp records that he saw "in this despicable fortress seven barrels of salt taken from an American bateau, by an American runaway, now a British custom-house officer."

After some further exploration, and being very nearly wrecked at the mouth of the river, the travelers returned to Frenchman's Island, where they were again treated in a most hospitable manner, and were accompanied by the exiles as far as Fish Creek. Vandercamp men- tions seeing on his return journey numerous boats and canoes laden with goods, fur, salt, etc., indicating that trade was reviving, although the frontiers were still ostensibly under British authority.

The spring of 1793 saw further settlements within the county. Major Van Valkenburgh brought in his family, among whom was his son Abram and his wife of sixteen years, to whom he had recently been married. Their son, Lawrence, jr., is generally given the honor of having been the first white child born in this county outside of the military establishments. This is undoubtedly true, if we except Camille Desvatines. With the Van Valkenburghs came Henry Bush and a Mr. Lary, who also settled at the Falls. In the same spring (1793) Daniel Masters became the first settler in the present town of Volney, on the east side of the river, where he established the first blacksmith shop in the county ; and it was about the same time that Mr. Scriba began improvements on his land in Rotterdam (Constantia), at the mouth of the creek which now bears his name. He named the place " New Rotterdam," from his native city in Holland. Here he began the extensive operations which were continued by him during the suc- ceeding years.

In the fall of that year Scriba's settlement was visited by agents of the "Castorland Co." a body of Frenchmen organized for the purpose

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of purchasing land on the Black River.1 The agents of this company were Messrs. Pharoux and Desjardines, who were accompanied by Marc Isombard Brunel, a young officer of the French navy, afterwards the very celebrated engineer who constructed the Thames tunnel. Baron De Zeng, then residing at Rome, also accompanied the party. Ac- cording to the journal of the Castorland agents, New Rotterdam then con- sisted of three log houses and a rudly constructed saw-mill. Desvatines and his family had left Frenchman's Island and were living on the site of Constantia village. The travelers proceeded to Fort Brewerton, where they found the outlet obstructed with stones by Mr. Stevens (before mentioned), in an opening of which he had fixed a willow basket for a fish weir.2 Proceeding down the river they were joined below Three Rivers by Major Bingham, who had left Brewerton and settled in Ly- sander, Onondaga county. Their boats were slid around the portage on poles at Oswego Falls, the goods being carried around in wagons at an expense of half a dollar for each load Continuing their journey, they found a new commander at Fort Ontario in the person of Captain Schroeder, a German. A British inspector came out of the fort (on American soil-an astonishing state of things !) to learn if they had with them any articles for Canadian trade. De Zeng felt sure of ob- taining a pass without difficulty, as the captain was, like himself, a German. He was disappointed. Schroeder said he could scarcely restrain himself from sending the whole party to Quebec as prison- ers, and was greatly astonished at their presumption ! He did finally consent to pass the party if they would leave Brunel as a hostage ; but the latter did not like the alternative, and he was finally hidden under a tarpaulin and the party successfully passed the sentry.

1 The journal kept by these agents has not been published, but it was translated by the late Franklin B. Hough, and Crisfield Johnson was given access to its pages by Mr. Hough during the compilation of Johnson's History of Oswego County, which see, pp. 48-9.

2 Mr. Stevens came very near losing his life in 1792, when he attempted to go to the north part of the county, directly through the forest, instead of going down the river and along the lake shore. He lost his way, and as night approached was overtaken by a pack of gray wolves, led by a large black one, the most ferocious of their kind. Stevens shot this leader, kindled a fire and thus protected himself from the howling animals through the night. Next morning he at- tempted to return to Fort Brewerton, but lost his bearings and wandered all day hopelessly in the forest. Again he built a fire and passed the night in sleep. Starting onward in the morning he traveled till ten o'clock when he came in sight of Fort Ontario. After resting two days he re- turned to Fort Brewerton by the river, carrying with him the skin of the black wolf, for which he received a bounty of $40 .- [Clark's Onondaga, vol. II, pp. 184-185.

121

SEIZURE OF BRITISH STORES.

After their expedition to Black River they returned on October 28, and unexpectedly came in sight of the fort. Landing Brunel two miles be- low, that he might make a short cut through the woods and meet them on the river above, they proceeded to the fort. There Captain Schro- der declared he would hold them prisoners until they returned his host- age. He was finally conciliated with gifts, and the travelers proceeded up the river. Brunel had a serious time in the forest, and when he did not meet the party as expected, Pharoux went out in quest of him and he too became bewildered and spent the night in the woods. They, however, were all happily reunited on the next day at the portage at Oswego Falls. They made note of families of Germans here who were preparing to migrate farther west ; and they found men spearing salmon, packing them in Onondaga salt costing $1.50 per barrel, and selling the product at $2.00 to $3.00 a barrel. Arriving at New Rotterdam on the 3 Ist of October, they lodged in Scriba's log house. They found the Desvatines family in their new dwelling, on which there was yet no roof. Their record says: " We found his wife and three little children as jovial as cupids. They made the most they could of their poor bar- rack, where they would be obliged to spend the winter, as from all ap- pearances it could not be finished this season."1 The party then pro- ceeded eastward.

On March 5, 1794, Onondaga county was erected from Herkimer county, and within its extensive area was that part of Oswego county lying west of the river. On the same day the town of Lysander was formed, embracing the same territory. The remainder of what is Os- wego county remained still in the great county of Herkimer.

Warfare with the Indians had continued down to this time in various parts of the country, but it was substantially ended with the victory of General Wayne on the Maumee River, August 20, 1794. It was at about the time under consideration that excitement and anxiety, caused partly by the western Indian war, arose on the northern frontier. This was greatly augmented by an occurrence growing out of the unjustifi- ble occupation of American forts by the British. It should be remem- bered that the latter had levied duties on all American boats passing Oswego, and it is not, therefore, to be wondered at that the traders and

1 Johnson's History of Oswego County, p. 48.

122

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

boatmen rebelled at the gross imposition, and ran their craft past the fort in the night whenever possible. To prevent this, the British en- gaged spies to give warning of the approach of boats. When some of these spies were captured by the Americans they were mercilessly pun- ished, several being taken to Salina and whipped. While these events were taking place, it was learned by the settlers that Col. Guy Johnson (who was still superintendent of Indian affairs in Canada) had purchased a boat load of valuable stores in Albany for the Mohawks, which would pass down the Oswego River on its way to Canada, where that tribe now resided. A party of thirty or forty headstrong men, smarting under the exactions of the British, gathered at Three Rivers, purposing to rob the boat. The enterprise was successful, the crew were driven off, and the cargo divided among the parties, who scattered to their homes. This deed was like firing a train to a magazine, for nothing could have been conceived more certain to inflame the anger of the Indians than the capture of goods destined for their brethren in the north. The deed was, for one reason or another, generally condemned by the frontiersmen. Guy Johnson came at once to Oswego, while many Indians gathered at Niagara and Os- wego, threatening retaliation. Had Wayne just at this juncture been defeated instead of victorious, a period of Indian warfare might have been inaugurated. Although the robbers endeavored to conceal them- selves and their plunder, most of the goods were eventually secured and returned to their owners, averting further trouble.

It was during this period of excitement that Oliver Stevens, the Fort Brewerton pioneer, obtained from Governor Clinton authority to build a blockhouse as an additional defense at that point. The structure was erected on the site of the present Fort Brewerton Hotel, on the north bank of the river. It was built at the expense of the State.

On the 3d of June, 1794, the settlers along the Oswego River and in that vicinity were startled by the firing of cannon at Fort Ontario. Their minds were already in a state of unrest, and visions of renewed Indian barbarities arose before them. The neighborhoods were filled with alarm; some families buried their few valuables and prepared for flight; while the cannon continued to boom, and general distraction prevailed. The alarm was short-lived however; the firing at length ceased and the settlers soon learned that it was a salute of 100 guns to celebrate the birthday of George III. ~

123

VISIT OF DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD-LIANCOURT.

More amicable relations had meanwhile been developed between Cap- tain Schroeder at Fort Ontario and the near-by settlers, and especially with the Van Valkenburghs, whom he invited to spend the winter of 1794-5 at the fort. The invitation was accepted, and the escape of the family from the rigors of the season and relief from anxiety concerning the Indians, was most welcome. Before their departure in the spring a deplorable incident occurred at the fort. One of the officers was Lieutenant Holland, an intelligent young officer of agreeable address. In April, while Captain Schroeder and another officer were hunting at Sodus, the captain was informed of misconduct by his wife and Holland. Returning in a fury of rage, the officers of the garrison were compelled to place him under restraint, while Holland secreted himself. When night came on the lieutenant went to Major Van Valkenburgh's window, tapped on the pane, and begged him to protect Mrs. Schroeder from her husband. He then took an open boat and made his way to Kingston, Canada. On the following day Captain Schroeder arranged with Van Valkenburgh to take his wife to Schenectady, whence she could return to her father in Georgia. That afternoon young Abram Van Valken- burgh and a boatman took her and her woman servant in a boat and departed. Schreoder afterwards followed Holland to Montreal, and in the duel which followed both were wounded, the latter mortally.

The spring of 1795 witnessed some additions to the settlements of the county, and the founding by Mr. Scriba of the " City of Vera Cruz," at the mouth of Little Salmon Creek, (now Mexico Point), to which proper reference is elsewhere made. It was in this year also and the two suc- ceeding ones that the French Duke de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt traveled extensively in America, a portion of which tour brought him among scenes that are of interest to readers of this volume. In June, 1795, he passed down the Oneida and Oswego Rivers. At Rotterdam he found a dozen poor log houses, most of which had been erected at Mr. Scriba's expense. Besides these there were only Mr. Vander- camp's farm and one other clearing with a house on it, along the whole north shore of the lake. Mr. Scriba had cut out a road to " Vera Cruz," and was building a frame structure in which it was his purpose to open a store. The duke contributed an addition to the romance of the exiles of Frenchman's Island. At Oswego Falls he found a tavern kept by Willim Shorter, who drew boats around the falls with oxen.

124

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

On the 26th of February, 1796, the town of Mexico was reorganized by law, as described in a later chapter. It still covered an immense territory, extending so far north and east as to embrace nearly all of the present counties of Lewis and Jefferson west of Black River. In this year, also, the settlers were relieved from further annoyance and humil- iation from having a British garrison in Fort Ontario. Negotiations had been continued since the close of the war between the British govern- ment and the United States without result, until John Jay was sent as minister to England, where he was successful in concluding a treaty under which all differences were settled, and provision made for the surrender of the frontier posts on or before June 1, 1796. During the negotiations preceding the settlement, Washington and his cabinet had been repeatedly urged to begin another war with England, a policy which was warmly advocated by France. Fortunately a more conser- vative and wiser policy was adopted.1

The fort was afterward garrisoned by a small detachment of Ameri- can soldiers under a lieutenant, and the stars and stripes, floating from the staff which had so long upborne the foreign flag, greeted the pioneers' gaze.2

Either immediately after the surrender, or a short time before, John Love and Ziba Phillips located at Oswego as traders, and in the same

1 Owing to some further hostile feelings caused by the refusal of Virginia to pay debts to British subjects, Fort Ontario was not actually surrendered until July. The date of this event has been disputed, but the following letter in possession of B. B. Burt of Oswego, addressed by the officer, who received the surrender, to Mr. Scriba, definitely settles the question :

FORT ONTARIO, July 15, 1796.

Dear Sir-

I have the pleasure of informing you that the American flag, under a federal salute, was for the first time displayed from the citadel of this fort at the hour of ten this morning. A Capt. Clark and Col. Fothergill were his Majesty's officers, left with a detachment of thirty men for the protection of the works. From these gentlemen the greatest politeness and civility was displayed to us in adjusting the transfer. The buildings and gardens were left in the neatest order ; the latter, being considerably extensive and in high culture, will be no small addition to the comfort of the American officers who succeed this summer.

I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect, etc.,

F. ELMER.

2 The same year that England surrendered her hold on her position at the mouth of one of the principal rivers of Oswego county, a distinguished Briti-h subject acquired an interest at the mouth of the other principal stream. On the 16th of November, 1796, a tract of three miles square at the mouth of Salmon River, on the north side, was conveyed to a Mrs. Colden, in trust for Thomas Douglas, Earl of Selkirk, a Scotch nobleman, who doubtless had an idea of making a great commercial emporium at the mouth of Salmon River .- [Johnson's History of Oswego county, p. 52.

125

ASSESSMENT ROLL OF MEXICO, 1798.

year Neil McMullin came on from Kingston, where he had been a merchant, and brought with him his family and a framed house, which he erected in his new home. Trade increased at the port and soon an active business was in progress, the harbinger of the great commerce that was eventually to flow out of and into our harbor.

Fort Ontario in 1798 From an old print in the " Description of the Genesee Country "

From this time to the close of the century settlements were made within the boundaries of many of the present towns of the county, as fully detailed in later chapters devoted to the town histories, and gen- eral progress marked the passing years. On the Ist of January, 1798, the first post- office was established at Rotterdam, which name it was given, and John Meyer was made postmaster. On the 15th of March following Oneida county was erected, embracing within its limits all that part of Oswego county lying east of the river, a condition which existed until the formation of Oswego county in 1816.

This chapter may be properly closed with a transcript of the assess . ment roll of the town of Mexico for 1798, as far as it relates to the present Oswego county. It throws considerable light upon the question

126

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

of who were settlers at that early time, and where they lived. The following is the list :

At the mouth of Little Salmon Creek 1 [now Mexico Point]-Benjamin Gilbert, Ben- jamin Winch, Archibald Fairfield, and Benjamin Wright, agent for Mr. Scriba. Wright was assessed on a store, a barn and a blacksmith shop, a saw mill and a log house.

Mexico -- Isaac Burlingham, - Miles, Simon King, Jonathan Parkhurst, Elias Rose, Nathaniel Rood, Stephen Spinner, Hezekiah Stanley; Chipman Wheadon.

Constantia -- John Meyer, Amos Matthews, John Bernhardt, Daniel Banvard, Henry Fall, Solomon Waring.

Orwell -- Moses Coffin. Fort Brewerton-Oliver Stevens. Volney (township 17) -- Ebenezer Wells.

" Locations on the Oswego River " -- Steven Lush, Daniel Phoenix (in Schroeppel), Philip Roe, Ezra L'Hommedieu, John Waters, Ebenezer Wright, Berjamin Walker, Lawrence Van Valkenburgh.

Two or three of those named in the last paragraph were probably owners, not residents. Such was the case also with William Constable, assessed on part of the Boylston tract; with Franklin and Robinson, assessed on part of Constantia; with Jacob Mark, assessed on part of Scriba; and Mr. L'Hommedieu on part of township 12. George Scriba was assessed on only nine of his original twenty-four townships, viz., No 6 (Amboy), No. 11 (Constantia-the greater portion), No. 12 (West Monroe), No. 16 (parts of Schroeppel and Volney), No. 17 (parts of Volney and Scriba), No. 19 (New Haven), No. 20 (Mexico), No. 23 (Parish) -- a total of one hundred and sixty-two thousand four hundred and seventy-seven acres, assessed at two dollars per acre.

The most populous township at that time was No. 12, now the south part of Redfield. The assessed owners of property there were Samuel Brooks, Phineas Cory, Nathan Cook, Ebenezer Chamberlain, Joseph Clark, Taylor Chapman, Roger Cook, James Drake, John Edwards, Nathaniel Eels, Titus Meacham, Amos Kent, Joseph Overton, Joel Overton, Silas Phelps, John Prine, Natban Sage, Eli Strong, Jedediah Smith, Obadiah Smith, George Seymour, Joseph Strickland, Samuel Smith, Josiah Tryon, Ben- jamin Thrall, Benjamin Worth, Joseph Wickham, Thomas Wells, Luke Winchel, Charles Webster, Daniel Wilcox, and Jonathan Waldo -- making thirty-two assessed residents in that township alone, to about twenty-six in all the rest of Oswego county, east of the river.

Making allowance for men who had no assessable property, and for those living on the west side of the Oswego River, there were probably about eighty or ninety adult males in the county in the early part of 1798, representing a population of nearly five hundred souls. 2

1 What we now call Salmon Creek, was then known as Little Salmon Creek, while Salmon River was then called Salmon Creek.

2 Johnson's History of Oswego county, p. 54.

127

BEGINNINGS OF LAKE COMMERCE.

CHAPTER X.

Beginning of the Century-Inception of Lake Commerce at Oswego-First Settle- ments in Various Towns-Causes of the War of 1812-The President's Message to Congress-Anxiety at Oswego-Declaration of War-Attitude of the Indians -- Ap- pointments at Oswego -- Fort Ontario Garrisoned -- Beginning of a Naval Squadron- Hostilities on the Northern Frontier -- Building of the Oneida -- Attack on Sackett's Harbor by the British -- Perry's Victory-Campaign of 1814-Operations on Lake Ontario-Capture of Oswego by the British-Details of the Battle-Carrying Stores to Sackett's Harbor-Battle of Big Sandy Creek-Close of the War.

The first fifteen years of the present century constitute an important period in the history of Oswego county-a period that witnessed a large increase of settlers in many of the already occupied localities and the beginning of settlement at other points; the clearing of many acres of forests and the beginning of cultivation on scores of farms; the building of numerous mills; the founding of, villages and public schools; and finally a renewal of war, which for two years paralyzed immigration and checked advancement.

At the beginning of the century the population of the State had reached 589,000, of which total about 60,000 dwelt in New York city. Albany was a considerable community, while at Utica, Rochester and Buffalo the foundation had been laid for the present thriving cities. Coming nearer home, there was a growing village at Salina (Syracuse not having yet been founded), whence a large quantity of salt was finding its market in the west by transportation down the Oswego River on its way to its destination. Lake commerce at Oswego was given its

inception in 1803 by Mathew McNair, who bought a sloop named Jane, rechristened it Peggy, and began the forwarding business. In the same year the custom house was established, with Joel Burt as the first collector. In the following year facilities for commerce were increased by the building of two schooners, one, the Linda, of fifty tons, by Mr. McNair, and the other, the Fair American of ninety tons, by a govern- ment contractor named Wilson. The transportation of salt and other

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129

PROGRESS OF SETTLEMENT.

goods down the river was chiefly carried on in what we' e called Durham boats. These were decked over a short distance from either end and had "running boards" along each side, on which were nailed cleats to give the men a foothold while propelling the boats with long poles pressed against the bottom of the stream. They had been in use on the Mohawk since the earliest settlements.

The imposition of duties, besides being an incentive to smuggling, created a great deal of dissatisfaction at Oswego. Canadian flour was then imported in considerable quantities, and it was often turned to profitable account by the smugglers. In 1808 Collector Burt seized a large quantity which the owners were endeavoring to bring over without the payment of duty. Fifty or sixty armed men, many of whom were from Jefferson county, came to Oswego in ten boats to re- capture this flour. Coming into the harbor in the day time, they awaited the approach of darkness to accomplish their purpose. Mr. Burt had heard of the proposed attempt, and had sent a hurried message into the southern part of Onondaga county for a company of dragoons. About half-past nine in the evening they reached a point near Oswego and awaited orders. Just before eleven the marauders gathered in the streets, armed and ready for an assault on the col- lector's warehouse. A moment later they saw the head of the column of dragoons riding swiftly out of the darkness. They were not given time to escape to their boats, and without firing a shot they fled into the woods, leaving their boats the lawful prey of the collector.

This is not the place to follow in detail the progress of settlement in the various towns of Oswego county-a task that more properly be- longs to the description of each town in later pages of the volume. It may, however, be stated that settlements had been made in 1800, or prior to that date, in the present towns of Granby (1792); Volney (1793) ; Scriba, Schroeppel, Mexico and Redfield (1795-6); Constantia (by Mr. Scriba and others as related), besides at Oswego village. Other towns settled after 1800 and prior to the beginning of the War of 1812 were Richland and Williamstown, in 1801; Hannibal, 1802; Sandy Creek, 1803; Parish, 1804; Amboy, 1805 ; Orwell, Palermo and West Monroe, 1806; Boylston and Albion, 1812. Between the years 1800 and 1815 several new towns were also organized, as follows : Redfield, 17

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Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 13

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1410

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1410