Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 17

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

USA > New York > Oswego County > Landmarks of Oswego County, New York > Part 17

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

160

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

from 1830 onwards aided in inspiring and restoring confidence. The appropriation of 1830 was $7,472, and the mole which the engineer had recommended was begun. In 1831 $22,016.84 were appropriated, and in 1832 $19,000. In 1833 Lieut. R. C. Smead was sent here to make an examination. He reported the work as not nearly done In 1833 a part of the mole was raised as high as the pier, six feet above the water, and $43,000 were asked for, and $5,000 for a proposed lighthouse on the pier head. Only $8,400 were appropriated in 1833; but in the following year an appropriation of $30,000 with $3,666 for the light- house was made. The money became available so late that little could be done that year, and meanwhile the construction of 1833 was washed away. The only appropriation in 1835 was $6,485 for the lighthouse. In 1836 $20,000 were secured for the harbor, and $1,200 for the light- house. With this money the tower of the old lighthouse was finished and 600 feet of the pier completed. The sum of $15,000 was appropriated in 1837, and 230 feet more of the pier constructed. In the following year Lieutenant Smead was relieved by Col. J. W. Judson, and an appropria- tion of $46,067 was made. Judson recommended that the piers, as they then existed, should be thoroughly repaired and no further extensions made. This brings the harbor improvements down to 1840. Docking facilities and basin accommodations had been considerably increased by the year last named, and more or less improvement made in the contour of the basins on both sides of the river. The great changes made in the latter respect will be apparent by a comparison of the early maps herein and those of the present time. The east side cove property, which came into possession of the village under the act of March 31, 1830, was leased by the village to Gerrit Smith in the same year for 999 years at $300 a year. He soon afterward sold a half interest to David S. Jones, but repurchased it in 1835. Meanwhile Smith and Jones paid the village a capital sum in lieu of annual rent, took an assignment from the village of all its rights in the property, and soon afterward re- ceived a patent from the State for it. In later years, after 1850, Mr. Smith acquired the Grampus Bay property, dredged it out, built six docks, and otherwise greatly improved it. This property is still held by Mr. Smith's heirs.

The effects of the financial revolution, to which allusion has been made, had not disappeared when Oswego county, in common with the

161

THE "PATRIOT WAR."

whole northern frontier, was agitated by what is known as the "Pa- triot War"-a deservedly futile attempt at an invasion of Canada by citizens of the United States, in support of a faction of dissatisfied Canadians who sought a separation of their country from Great Britain. The movement began simultaneously in Upper and Lower Canada in 1837 under able leaders, whose plans were well laid; but failure ulti- mately resulted through personal jealousy and lack of unity in action. A large share of the actual movements in this so-called war were made farther east, and particularly in the vicinity of Ogdensburg and Rouse's Point; but Oswego, as well as most other towns in the region of Cen- tral and Northern New York, furnished a contingent of recruits for the " Patriots," and was deeply excited over the affair. A secret organiza- tion was formed, which had lodges of " Hunters " at various points, where money and arms were collected, and enlistments made for the " patriot army " when it should be ready to move. According to the public press, the movement found many sympathizers in Oswego county. In November, 1838, the steamer United States, Capt. James Van Cleeve, lay in Oswego harbor. There had been much suppressed excitement around the local headquarters of the "patriots," and it was generally known that an invasion was about to be made; therefore, when a large delegation of "patriots," under orders of General Van Schoultz, boarded his steamer, Captain Van Cleeve objected to starting down the St. Lawrence. Two of the owners of the boat finally ordered her to start on the IIth, and went on board themselves for the trip. Near the entrance of the St. Lawrence, two schooners lying there were taken in tow by the United States. It soon developed that these ves- sels were filled with armed men who had been hidden below. Captain Van Cleeve feared trouble and counseled running the boat and schooners ashore in Alexandria Bay, but he was overruled by the owners, who insisted on proceeding to Ogdensburg. Arriving there, the captain and the engineer left the vessel and went into the village, where the streets were filled with "patriots," eager for the approaching invasion of Can- ada. Capt. W. S. Malcolm, of Oswego, deputy United States marshal, on secret service, had been in Ogdensburg a week, keeping close watch of events, in the interest of the government. A crowd of the " patriots " now boarded the United States, under command of General Birge, of

162

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

Syracuse. To provide the vessel with a pilot, Captain Malcolm was seized and carried on board. The vessel put out into the river, steamed east, and landed the insurgents at Windmill Point, about three miles below Prescott and Ogdensburg. As the boat returned and approached Ogdensburg she was fired upon by the British steamer Experiment, and the man at the wheel was instantly killed while Captain Malcolm stood near by. A "patriot" colonel called on the captain to take the wheel to save the boat from destruction; he did so, but only to run her aground in the mouth of the Oswegatchie. He then removed parts of the machinery, thus preventing her further use for unlawful purposes. The boat was soon afterward placed under guard of regular soldiers, and later was taken to Sackett's Harbor, where she was kept a year or more by the government, and then released.

The battle of Windmill Point occurred at this time, resulting in the defeat of the "patriots," of whom 151 were taken prisoners. Of these, eighteen were released without trial, three were acquitted, and 130 were sentenced to be hung. Of the last number ten were hung; sixty were transported to Van Diemen's Land ; fifty-six were pardoned ; two were sentenced to seven years in the penitentiary and two died of wounds.

Returning to the local features of this great piece of folly, it should be stated that the special newspaper support of the ill-fated advent- urers was the Oswego Patriot published from the office of the Palladium. Its editor was the brilliant young lawyer, John Cochrane, a nephew of Gerrit Smith, and afterwards a prominent New York politician and attorney-general. One of the headquarters in Oswego was in the store of Millis & Leverich. Among the few who actually went from Oswego to " the front," or who went and afterwards lived here, were J. C. Cooley, Marshall Forward, and Dorephus Abbey, a printer. The latter was one of those who were hung. About January 1, 1839, there was great excitement over the finding of two cannon in a cider mill at the 'east end of the bridge. It was at once assumed that they were a part of the patriot armament, and Collector G. H. McWhorter deter- mined to take charge of them, as a representative of the general gov- ernment. He accordingly called on a company of United States soldiers, then stationed at the United States Hotel, under Captain Swan,

163

REPAIR OF FORT ONTARIO.

to take charge of the cannon. Sympathizers with the "patriots " assembled and declared that blood would flow if the soldiers took the guns. At this juncture Col. C. C. Rumrill, of the State militia, ap- peared and demanded the guns as State property. After a warfare of words and considerable military bravado, they were surrendered to the colonel, and he placed them in the jail in the basement of the old City Hall.

It was at the time under consideration that the first measures were adopted for the repair, improvement, and reoccupation of Fort Ontario, which had been vacant since the close of the last war with Great Britain. On the 25th of April, 1839, the State Legislature passed an act authorizing the commissioners of the land office of the State to convey the fort lands to the United States, which gift was accepted, and between the years 1839 and 1846 the latter appropriated $95,000, which sum was expended in rebuilding the fort, erecting barracks, and other improvements. At a later date (1863-66) other sums, exceeding $100,000, were appropriated and expended on improvements, one feature of which was the replacement of the timber revetment with masonry. These and subsequent appropriations finally gave the entire works their present strength and character.

In 1840 Oswego county contained 43,619 population, and was rapidly recovering from the effects of the preceding period of monetary stringency. A local paper noted the fact that " in spite of hard times Oswego had a good business year."

In 1840 the farmers and others in the county effected the organiza- tion of the Oswego County Agricultural Society, which has ever since been instrumental in promoting the farming interests. An account of this society and other county organizations is given in a later chapter.

The further history of Oswego county between 1840 and the out- break of the war of the Rebellion in 1861 is largely embraced in later chapters of this work. It was an era of steady growth and advance- ment throughout the various towns, while in Oswego, as shown in the pages devoted to village and city history, it was a period of contiued prosperity in all the avenues of business, checked only by the tem- porary financial depression of 1857, and of steady improvement in the religious, educational, and social institutions of the place.

164

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

There was one event of this period, of local interest and of more than local importance, which deserves particular mention. John Ericsson, a celebrated Swedish engineer and inventor, born July 31, 1803, in 1826 left his native country for England as furnishing a better field for the exercise of his genius. Here in 1836, after many inventions of great and enduring value, he perfected and patented his invention for the propulsion of steam vessels by the screw propellor since known by his name. He failed after repeated trials to convince the English admiralty and private shipbuilders of the practicability of his invention, and in November, 1839, he came to this country. Here the merit of his device attracted the attention of our navy department, and in 184I he was employed to furnish designs, and afterwards to superintend the construction of the screw war ship Princeton, the first war vessel ever built having her propelling machinery below the water line and out of the reach of hostile shot.

But the merit of the screw propellor had already attracted the attention and received the approval of men intimately associated with the commerce of Oswego. Capt. James Van Cleeve, of Lewiston, already mentioned in this history, then and for many years before and after commanding in succession one and another of the large passenger steamers navigating Lake Ontario and having Oswego as one of their principal ports of entry, was in New York in December, 1840, at the close of the season of navigation for that year, and was requested, in the interest of parties concerned in the navigation of the Rideau Canal in Canada, to examine the propellor, which was then on exhibition at the engine works of Hogg & Delamater in New York city. He made the examination and was very favorably impressed, and called upon Mr. Ericsson, then living at the Astor House, and the result of their inter- view was an arrangement by which he was to endeavor to put in operation within a year a vessel using the propellor, and if successful was to receive a half interest in the invention for the lakes.

Captain Van Cleeve returned soon after to Oswego and saw Sylvester Doolittle,1 a ship builder of rare skill and judgment, who had a shipyard

1 Sylvester Doolittle was born in Whitestown, Oneida county, January 11, 1800. While a young man he went to Sodus Point, Wayne county, where he learned the ship carpenter's trade. In 1822 he removed to Rochester and built there the first boat that went through the canal to New York- the Genesee of Wheatland. In 1826 he removed to Utica and continued building canal craft, includ-

165

THE ERICSSON PROPELLOR.

in Oswego and was engaged in building vessels for the lake trade and boats for the canals. He informed him of the invention and of his opinion as to its value. Mr. Doolittle at once recognized it as likely to prove of especial advantage to .Oswego. Its trade with the upper lakes was through the Welland Canal, and as side wheel steamers could not be operated profitably from the breadth of beam required, that trade was limited to sailing vessels. The new propellor would change all that. He went at once to New York, examined the propellor, and saw Mr. Ericsson and arranged with him that he and his associates should be permitted to use the invention without paying royalty therefor for five vessels, the construction of which was to be promptly proceeded with,

The first vessel built was the Vandalia, which was built by Mr. Doo- little for himself and for Bronson & Crocker, Rufus Hawkins, and Cap- tain Van Cleeve, all except the latter residents of Oswego. Before she was finished Captain Van Cleeve transferred his interest in her to Mr. Doolittle. The engine for the vessel was built by C. C. Dennis, of Auburn, from drawings made and sent by Mr. Ericsson himself to Cap- tain Van Cleeve, one of which is now preserved in the clerk's office of Oswego in a manuscript book, of great interest and value, made by Captain Van Cleeve and presented by him to the city. In the book (page 85), is a sketch of the Vandalia as she appeared when she first came out, made by Captain Van Cleeve in 1841. The Vandalia was finished in November, 1841. She was enrolled at the port of Oswego in the name of the four parties above named on the 14th day of April, 1842, as appears by the records of the Oswego Custom House.

Previously, however, in November, 1841, under a special permit she was loaded and cleared for St. Catherines on the Welland Canal. She made the voyage at the speed of about six miles an hour and was received at St. Catherines with enthusiasm, the people giving Mr. Doo- little a public dinner. After discharging her cargo she was loaded for

ing many fine packets, until the opening of the Utica and Schenectady Railroad. Through the influence of Abram Varick, Mr, Doolittle settled in Oswego in 1836. Here he had a shipyard and built several vessels, advancing the carrying capacity of lake craft. He also built one of the early large mills and inaugurated improvements in handling grain and making flour. After giving up ship-building he engaged in forwarding from New York to the West. Late in life he erected the Doolittle House, at an expense of more than $200,000 and also expended a large sum in developing and placing on the market the Deep Rock Spring water. He was for many years a conspicuous figure in Oswego and an influential business man. In 1829 he married Catherine Gould, of Utica. Mr. Doolittle died October 11, 1881.

166

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

Toronto and afterwards for Kingston. In the spring of 1842 she began her regular trips between Oswego and the upper lakes.

In 1842 Mr. Doolittle built at Oswego the Chicago and Oswego; in 1843 the New York ; and in 1844 the Racine ; all of which were fitted with the Ericsson propellor, and completed the number for which he had made arrangements as above stated. Messrs. Bronson & Crocker were associated with him in the ownership of all these vessels. The capital for their construction was principally furnished by Mr. Doolittle.

The first vessel built on the upper lakes which made use of the pro- pellor was the Hercules, built at Buffalo by the Messrs. Hollister in the latter part of 1843, but which did not come out until 1844, at which time four of the vessels built by Mr. Doolittle were running between Oswego and Chicago.1

The steam navies of the world, whether ships of war or of commerce, now follow the examples of the Princeton and the Vandalia. But the Vandalia preceded the Princeton, and Oswego may well feel proud that the first vessel built to use, and which did use, the Ericsson propellor in the open sea was built and owned by her citizens.

The great inventor's prediction that his propeller would revolutionize commerce on the lakes was practically fulfilled, and Oswego was bene- fited accordingly. The new craft rapidly superseded the old side- wheel boats, which have now almost disappeared from the lakes.

John Ericsson died March 8, 1889, in New York city. In deserved recognition of his great services, especially by the Monitor in the Civil War, the United States sent his body to Sweden in one of our finest men of war.

In 184I a considerable number of the inhabitants of the county be- came possessed of the idea that a division of the county was desirable. This subject was discussed in all its bearings, the principal argument in favor of the division being that it would place each of the two jury dis- tricts in a county by itself, and greatly simplify the conduct of public affairs. A public meeting was held on January 16, 1841, to consider the subject, and an announcement was published bearing a large num- ber of signatures of those in favor of the plan. The project was soon wholly abandoned.

1 MacGregor, Progress of America (London, 1847), vol. II, 776-780.

167

RAILROADS.

Meanwhile came the railroads. In April, 1826, a charter was granted to the Mohawk and Hudson River Railroad Company to construct a railroad between Albany and Schenectady. This was the first chartered railroad company in the United States, authorized to carry freight and passengers. This road was not, however, the first one finished. In 1833 the Utica and Schenectady Railroad Company was chartered, and the road was completed in the summer of 1836. The opening of this railroad was a memorable event throughout the State, and shrewd men foresaw a powerful rival to canal and lake transportation. From this time onward the Legislature was besieged with petitions for railroad charters, and in 1836 one was obtained for the Utica and Syracuse Company. The road was finished in 1839 and on June 27 of that year the first train ran between Utica and Syracuse amid rejoicings of the people along the line. The new competitors in the field of traffic were thoroughly successful from the first. The cars between Utica and Syracuse were run free during the first week, but after that the average daily receipts for a number of days were $600, while the company's stock advanced ten per cent. within a week after the road began busi- ness. The whole State was soon gridironed with imaginary railroad lines, and Oswego took her place in the procession. As early as 1836 (May 13) the "Oswego & Utica Railroad Co." was chartered, which was authorized to construct a road within four years. The capital was $750,000, which was increased March 28, 1838, to $1,000,000. But several years passed before anything was actually accomplished to con- struct a railroad with Oswego as a terminus. On April 29, 1839, the Oswego and Syracuse Railroad Company was incorporated, and in March, 1847, a company was fully organized under that title, and work on the line was commenced in the same summer. It was vigorously prosecuted and finished in October, 1848, to take its place as one of the factors of the material progress of the county. It was a boon to the small communities southward of Oswego village, although it probably diverted to Syracuse a portion of the trade of the extreme southern towns.

Other railroad projects were simultaneously undertaken or contem- plated. The Rome and Watertown Railroad Company, chartered in 1832, when the railroad fever was at its height, began operations at

168

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY

Rome in November, 1848, between which date and May, 1851, the road was completed to Pierrepont Manor, passing through the towns of Amboy, Williamstown, Albion, Richland, and Sandy Creek. It opened markets to a large section of the county and gave further encourage- ment to agricultural industries. A law was passed May 27, 1853, authorizing the Common Council of the city to issue and sell bonds for the purpose of taking stock in railroads, to the extent of $75,000 in the " Oswego, Northern & Eastern Company," and $100,000 " in the road to Rochester." No bonds were issued under these acts.

In 1846 a steamboat was placed on Oneida Lake, leading the dwellers in the southern part of the county to hope that the lake, the river, and the canal together would again become popular avenues of traffic. In 1847 and in 1874 acts of the Legislature granted appropriations to improve navigation on the Oneida River. Locks were built at Caugh- denoy, four miles below Brewerton, and at Oak Orchard, and the channel was deepened at Brewerton by the construction of a coffer-dam. Expectations of extensive transportation through these waters were entertained but were not realized, although considerable local traffic found its way over the route.

The period of time now under consideration (1845-50) also consti- tuted what may be termed the plank road era. The railroads thus far in operation had begun to teach the people the value of improved com- munications with commercial centers. Farmers had long carried their products over roads that were often almost impassable, while business men suffered from the same evil in transporting their goods, wherever they were not yet reached by canal or railroad. To obviate this difficulty plank roads were built, and for a number of years found great favor in all parts of the State. James Geddes, of Syracuse, has the honor of being called " the father of plank roads" in this country. They were profitable to their builders, and companies almost innumerable were organized for their construction. The first plank road in the United States was laid between Central Square and Syracuse and began taking tolls in July, 1846. Oswego county became among the foremost in building these useful thoroughfares. The Rome and Oswego Plank Road Company was organized in 1847 and its road was completed in 1848, running through Scriba, New Haven, Mexico, Albion and Wil-

169

HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS.

liamstown. For several years this road exerted a marked influence in increasing passenger traffic on Lake Ontario by way of Oswego. Pas- sengers from east to west traveled to Rome by rail; then by stage over the smooth plank road to Oswego; and on westward by the fine lake steamers ; making a journey of delightful variety and very tolerable speed. Five coaches were frequently dispatched from Oswego on one morning, each carrying seventeen passengers, and persons now living have pleasant memories of the old staging days. The Oswego and Syracuse plank road between Liverpool and Oswego, and connecting with the plank road already laid between the former village and Syra- cuse, was begun in 1848. The Hannibal and Sterling plank road was built about the same time between Oswego and Hannibal, with a branch to Sterling. In 1849 the Oswego and Hastings Centre plank road was begun, and several others were constructed about the same time, which are noticed further in the town histories herein. These were useful highways, and served their purpose until extensive improvements finally made the graded roads more capable of easy travel, which, with the opening of more railroads and the fact that the plank roads exacted tolls, caused their abandonment. Popular stage routes continued, how- ever, until comparatively recent years. In 1857 daily stage lines were operated between Oswego and Pulaski, Oswego and Kasoag, Oswego and Auburn, and Oswego and Richland Station, while a tri-weekly line ran from Oswego to Rochester. Other lines were operated between many of the villages of the country.

Between 1840, to which year we have noted the various appropria- tions made for harbor improvement, and the war period, the general government was very niggardly in this respect. In 1841-2 the mole and piers were badly damaged, and to effectually complete the projected improvements an appropriation of $168,000 was asked for. Only $20,000 were appropriated in 1844, and it was eight years before another appro- priation was made, when, in 1852, $40,000 were allotted. In the meantime desultory work continued under Colonel Judson,1 and in 1845.155 feet were added to the masonry of the superstructure. In 1846, 160 feet of the east pier was destroyed. The citizens of the place

1 Col. J. W Judson was a West Point graduate, and was sent to Oswego to take charge of the work in the harbor. He served a time as city surveyor and was lieutenant-colonel of the 48th regiment. He died May 30, 1878.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 17

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