Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 30

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 30

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).

298

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

rison while occupied by the British in the olden time. There were about twelve houses on the east side of the river.

To this picture of the material features of the place at that early date may be added what was said of it by Mrs. Grant, from whose interest- ing volume we have before made extracts. She enthusiastically ex- claims :

Ah, those were happy days! How beautiful everything was! How beautiful! The trees were so green ! The air was so fresh! the lake was so sparkling ! wild flowers bloomed at every step. All kinds of berries and nuts abounded. The old fort-ground was covered with strawberries. Cranberries were thick along the river-shore. Beech- nuts, hickory-nuts. and especially chestnuts, could be gathered by the bushel. Wild plums were equally abundant. Game was plentiful beyond conception ; any man with a rifle could obtain it, and the Indians brought it in to sell for next to nothing. A saddle of venison could be bought for twenty five cents. And the salmon ! what great shoals of them went up the river ? Thousands at a time! their fins breaking above the surface of the water, and flashing like floating silver in the sunlight! There was no need of doctors then ; everybody was healthy. There used to be two or three years at a time without a funeral. There were no lawyers then, and no need of them ; every- body was honest. Ah! what happy times! what a beautiful, beautiful country.

The " Col. E. Parsons " mentioned by Mr. Townsend, was Col. Eli Parsons, who gained his military title in "Shay's Rebellion," in which he was second in command ; he had also served as captain in the Rev- olutionary war. Being excluded from the first amnesty of participants in the " rebellion," he fled to Canada, but after the final amnesty, set- tled in Oswego, where he became popular chiefly on account of his jovial social nature. He succeeded Peter Sharpe in keeping the early tavern before mentioned. His son, Eli, jr., was lost in the lake in the war of 1812, while attempting to carry a load of cannon balls in an open boat from Oswego to Sackett's Harbor. The body came ashore near the mouth of Little Salmon Creek.

Edmund Hawks, afterwards associate judge of the Common Pleas, and noticed further in Chapter XV, arrived in Oswego in 1810, and established the first tannery in the village near the corner of West First and Bridge streets. Judge Hawks was a leading citizen and lived until March 21, 1850. Dr. Benjamin Coe settled here in 1810 and soon afterward the medical profession was farther represented by Dr. Walter Colton, a man of high attainments who became prominent in public affairs. Eli and Philo Stevens, also mentioned by Mr. Townsend, came in about this time and began shoemaking, while their brother Moses engaged in the hat business.

299

OSWEGO AS A VILLAGE AND CITY.

An act passed April 5, 1810, made it lawful for owners of lots on the river in Oswego, " to use, occupy, hold and enjoy the land under the water in the Oswego River opposite to their respective lots in said vil- lage, for the purpose of building docks, wharves and structures thereon." These privileges were not to be extended into the river more than fifty feet beyond low water. This act was the origin of all subsequent dock privileges.

At the close of the first decade of the century, Oswego was a bust- ling, enterprising village, the citizens, active, hopeful, pushing business men, whose efforts had already laid the foundations of the later impor- tant commercial and industrial interests of the place.

An act was passed April 9, 1811, authorizing the surveyor-general to lay out so much of the land belonging to the State in the county of Oneida, adjoining the Oswego River, " as lies opposite the village of Oswego in the county of Onondaga, and within one and one-half miles of said river, into proper streets and house lots, and so as to form in the most convenient place a public square or market place, all the streets to be 100 feet wide, all the house lots to be sixty- six feet front and rear and 200 feet in depth." After providing for the sale of these lots the act stipulated that buyers must build within two years a building worth $200, in order to secure their title. This survey was subsequently made and the management of sales of the lots, with the restrictions enjoined, operated for several years against the growth of the village on the east side. Better conditions were finally obtained and the State lands were transferred to dwellers or speculators, as will presently be seen. At this time Water street was a mere lane extending south only to Cayuga street. After twenty years of use by the public it was made a highway and opened to Oneida street. A considerable bluff ap- proached near to the river below Bridge street, as well as above, and back of it was a hollow, that has been gradually filled in.

On April 5, 1811, Scriba was taken from Fredericksburg and the name of the latter changed to Volney, leaving the village on the east side of the river in the new town of Scriba, a condition that existed until the incorporation of the city.1

1 It is hard to realize in these days that fifty odd years ago the two parts of Oswego were sep- arated by a jurisdictional line which was almost impassable. Young Joel Tyler, nine years old, had been intrusted with the management of the ferry, while his father was out on the lake in

300

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

Among the prominent men who came to the place in 181I was Will- iam Dolloway who was in after years one of the leading merchants and identified with all the material interests of the village. His first store was on West First street, just below Bridge, and his dwelling was just above Bridge street in West First street. ] It was the farthest south of any house in the village. Mr. Wentworth had built a house for the use of the boatmen employed by him which stood on the State land above what is now Niagara street. The land in that section was afterwards pur- chased by him of the State and descended to his heirs. Still farther south was the farm and residence of Daniel Burt, sr., on Military lot number 7, to which he had removed when he gave up the ferry. The Wentworth house was leased to Nathan Sage in 1811, who came from Redfield, where he had attained a prominent position (see history of Redfield), and took the office of collector under commission dated June 12, 18II, succeeding Joel Burt. Mr. Sage lived in that house until he built his own on the site of the Doolittle House. This dwelling was one of the most pretentious in the village. When the Doolittle House was built, it was moved southward and now stands next to the Casino on the north side. It is one of the oldest houses in the city.

A sad event took place in 1811 in the burning of the log dwelling of Capt. Samuel B. Morrow, which stood near "Baldwin's Bay " at a point now within the city limits. The captain was absent on his vessel, when his house caught fire and his three children perished in the flames. As far as records show this was the first considerable fire in the place.

The war of 1812 brought excitement and anxiety to the little frontier

command of the schooner " Eagle." When a pedestrian wanted to cross, the youngster could put him over in a skiff, but when a horseman or a wagon came, the hired man was called from his work to manage the unwieldy scow. One day Joel heard from the Scriba side a halloo announc- ing that a footman wanted to cross the stream. The skiff being taken over, the passenger, who seemed to be in a great hurry, stepped in, and Joel turned his prow westward. When he was about a third of the way across, a horseman came galloping up to the eastern shore, and shouted to the boy to return. "No, no; go on," said the passenger. "Come back! come back, I say!" yelled the man on shore. "Go ahead, go ahead," growled the fellow in the boat. "Come back, you young rascal, or I'll shoot you !" cried the pursuer, taking a pistol from his holster. "Pull for your life, you little devil, or I'll drown you !" exclaimed the runaway, rolling up his sleeves and preparing for instant action. Terrified beyond measure at these contradictory threats, the boy yet thought that the nearest danger was the greatest, and bent to his oars with all his might. The sheriff of Oneida county, for such the pursuer was, did not fire, the fugitive gained the Onondaga shore, plunged into the forest, and was out of reach long before the officer could get new papers to give him jurisdiction in that county .- [Johnson's History of Oswego County, p. 142.]

301

OSWEGO AS A VILLAGE AND CITY.

village at the mouth of Oswego River. Several prominent men of the village took an active part in the conflict, and all contributed as they were able to the success of the American arms. Various companies were organized in the outer towns, many of which came through Oswego on their way to other points on the frontier. William Rasmussen joined Captain Devine's company at Fairhaven ; Daniel Hugunin, jr., was a lieutenant in the regular army and took part in the battles of the Ni- agara frontier ; Robert Hugunin was a pilot on one of Commodore . Chauncey's vessels during the war; Dr. Walter Colton was an army surgeon ; and Peter D. Hugunin was a paymaster.

John M. Jacobs, who lived in Oswego to a hundred years of age, came here from Sackett's Harbor in the spring of 1813 with dispatches to Commodore Chauncey. Jacobs was then a midshipman in the navy; had thrice seen Washington ; witnessed the laying of the corner stone of the United States capitol building; had met and conversed with Commodore Stephen Decatur ; and had experienced many vicis- situdes and changes during the thirty five years he had lived at that time.

There were few arrivals of new settlers in Oswego during 1812 and 1813, and when the attack on the place was made by the British in 1814 most of the families who could do so, left for the interior. Capt. Edwin M. Tyler was on the lake with his vessel, but his family were protected by Benjamin Sheldon, who came in from his farm with an ox-sled and took them to his home. He then sent his son and Joel Tyler back to the village for some cattle belonging to the family. As the boys started homeward with the animals, the first gun was fired from the British fleet, and the shot came whistling and plunging near by, frightening both the boys and the cattle into a hasty run to the farm.1

1 Spafford's Gazetteer of the State of New York, published in 1813, gives us a glimpse of the situation in Oswego at that date. We quote as follows :

' A village has lately been laid out at the mouth of Oswego River, on a plan to correspond with that on the opposite shore, called Oswego, or Oswego fort, and in one of these villages is a post office. The village has now about eighty houses, and a considerable and increasing trade. This is also called a village, and perhaps one general name for the two villages is preferable to a more local designation, though at present they are in two separate counties. 'I he importance of the situation will probably form a populous Town here at no remote period, should not the existing troubles with Canada prevent its growth, nor the abundant legislative restrictions prevent the exercise of private rights. And should a Village or Town be formed here it is forever to be called

302

· LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY

The war delayed for some time the surveying and laying out of the reservation of one mile square on the east side of the Oswego River at its mouth, required by the act of April 9, 1811, before referred to. In 1814 Surveyor-General De Witt, in obedience to that act, assigned one of his deputies, John Randel, jr.,1 to that work. He was instructed to make the survey according to the requirements of the act of 1784, by which the reservation was made.

In making his survey he seems to have been ignorant of, or to have ignored the survey made by Benjamin Wright in 1794, hereinbefore re- ferred to. He assumed as the mouth of the river, its narrowest part, between the points of land which then extended into the river from either side, as shown upon the maps of that time, and where Schuyler street now crosses the river. He measured from that point, southerly, along the bank of the river, one mile, to a point substantially identical with the eastern end of the lower dam-thence easterly, one mile, to a point about five hundred feet easterly of the intersection of Bunner and Thirteenth streets as now laid down-thence northerly, one mile, to the lake shore at the foot of Thirteenth street, crossing the east line of the reservation as surveyed by Wright at or near Bridge street-thence westerly, one mile, to the place of beginning.

The reservation as surveyed by him included all of the reservation as surveyed by Wright, except a triangle of about fifteen acres, since known as the Gore, which extended along the lake shore, easterly from the foot of Thirteenth street, about 450 feet (that being the distance at that point between the Randel and Wright lines), and thence southerly be- tween the two lines about 3, 500 feet to the point of their intersection. It included in addition, all of lot number one, and a considerable part of lots two, ten and twenty-five of Hamilton Gore. Randel's map, made from this survey, was filed April 15, 1815. It covers both of the reservations

Oswego, agreeable to a law passed in 1797. The Oswego River has a strong rapid one mile from its mouth where the waters may be taken out, at a moderate expense, for mills. The trade of this port is considerable and increasing. There are fifteen schooners from fifteen to eighty tons burthen, and a great number of batteaux of five to twelve tons. In 1809 the whole amount of property shipped here, was 535,000 dollars. A village is also laid out on the south shore of Oswego River, opposite this place, which is known by the same name, though in Hannibal, Onondaga county. Oswego has a post office of the same name, 480 miles from Washington, and 178 from Albany."

' 1 This name on local maps and in various publications is erroneously spelled " Randall,"

303

OSWEGO AS A VILLAGE AND CITY.

at the mouth of the river, and shows the villages of East and West Oswego as laid out at the close of the war, and is herewith presented.

This survey and map for a time caused considerable anxiety to those who had purchased from Scriba's grantees the lands outside of the reservation as surveyed by Wright, but within it as surveyed by Randel. But as the State accepted Wright's survey as correct, this anxiety long since ceased.1

The triangle, or " Gore," above referred to, was outside the lands claimed for Scriba as surveyed by Wright, and also outside of the lands claimed for the State as surveyed by Randel, and no attempt was made by either to dispose of it. The owners of the adjacent lands long ago enclosed and occupied it, and their grantees, who are now in possession, succeeding to an adverse possession of more than half a century, have a title which is recognized by the State as valid.2

With the beginning of peace early in 1815 Oswego soon assumed its former activity in business, and building operations were resumed with renewed vigor. Dr. Coe, Theophilus S. Morgan and William Dolloway built dwellings on the east side below Cayuga street, and others began preparations for subsequently-erected buildings. The villages on either side of the river were generally known as East Oswego and West Oswego. Many of the vessels that had been sold by their owners to the government early in the war, were re-sold at auction, and Town- send, Bronson & Co., Matthew McNair, and others were buyers and soon had them employed in the reviving commerce of the port. Immi- gration sprang into immediate activity and a long era of prosperity be- gan. Buildings were erected on the west side, notably the dwelling of the Hugunins near the river on Mohawk street, built about 1815 and

1 The map of Oswego, made about 1840, hereinafter presented. gives a correct idea of the loca- tion and intersection of the Wright and Randel lines.

2 For conveniences of reference, the changes in the names of streets appearing on this map, made by the Village Board, March 1, 1837, is here given :

Aries became Schuyler,

Scorpio became Albany,

Taurus became Seneca,

Sagittarius became Erie,

Gemini became Cayuga,

Capricornus became Niagara,

Cancer became Bridge, Leo became Oneida,

Aquarius became Ohio,

Lyra became Van Buren,

Virgo became Mohawk,

Aquila became Mitchell,

Libra became Utica,

Orion became Mercer.

Eleventh street in East Oswego became Tenth street ; Thirteenth became Eleventh ; Fffteenth became Twelfth; and Seventeenth became Thirteenth.

304

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

still standing in well preserved condition. Judge Nathan Sage, at about the same time, built his residence on the site of the Doolittle House and moved into it from the Wentworth house, before mentioned.

Meanwhile in March, 1816, the act erecting the county was passed and the village became a county seat. This brought to the village sev- eral lawyers, among whom were John Grant, jr., and Theodore Popple.1

When the first court was opened, October 1, 1816, Peter D. Hugunin presided, in the absence of Judge Mooney. There were no cases for trial, and the court adjourned sine die. The same year saw the organization of the First Presbyterian church. It should be remembered, however, that religious services had long been held in the school house and in private dwellings.

On the 17th of April, 1817, the Oswego Bridge Company was in- corporated by Alvin Bronson, Nathan Sage and their associates. These two men, with Matthew McNair, Edmund Hawks, Peter D. Hugunin, Bradner Burt and T. S. Morgan were the first directors of the company. William Dolloway was treasurer, and the capital was $20,000. According to the act they were authorized to erect a bridge " not less than twenty-two feet wide over the Oswego River, between the villages of West and East Oswego, at such place in Cancer or Leo [Bridge or Oneida] streets as shall be designated and determined on by Parley Keyes, Ethel Bronson, and Stephen Bates." It does not appear that anything was accomplished by this company.

The first newspaper in Oswego county was issued some time in 1817, the exact date being unknown. It was called the Oswego Gazette and was published by S. A. Abbey & Brother. This paper was short-lived and was succeeded in 1819 by the Palladium.

The principal events of 1818 in this county were the formation of the town of Oswego on April 20, embracing within its territory all of the village west of the river ; the opening of the first school on the east side; and the authorization of the surveyor general by an act passed April 15, to sell at auction such State land "lying in the village of Oswego as is contained in lot No. 20, and in blocks 78, 90, 99, 103,

1 Both these attorneys are mentioned in Mr. Townsend's reminiscences printed several pages back ; but he must have allowed his memory to embrace several years later than the period to which he called particular attention.

Street

Freet

1.33

3.1

MILIT

OF THE VILLAGES OF

Tauris

PUBLIC SQUARE

For

Fifth

Sixth

Seventh

Eighth

Canıyk

1115

110

109

106

107

118

vindik

Street

reet

Street

tred

Libra ·

16's.

Libra

Street

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Elecrach .

Street

Masiltarius

Capricornus

146

vius

Street

Withe Strate me to jest wide. The solar Blessure et justonghereporte niemanden.

und on fines Streetin Bost Dove ga which or bút poc ty gg fort

Scale _ 300 Fet toan inch.

---

Joris

CEMETERY

Rtredt

for

Pude Building

O SHEGO

175

1814

Ser nitenth

Mykterath

RIVERA

First

Third

+37

130

129

Street

Strert

Street

152

4.4

175

141

Avereet

Atreat

Street

Street -

EAST WEST OSWEGO Surveyed purseand to Instructions fromthe Surveyor(a)

" Tenth

Eleventh

Twelfth

Thiricentre

Fauteenth

fteenth.

Street.

street

tos

Street

Suvet

REMARKS

South contoof the Roomation. Similar Monumenten Mocar in Ear Owego wieder '

quito

Third

Slap A

OF THE VILLAGES OF

EASTWEST OSWEGO Surveyed pursuant to Instructions fromthe Shoveyer til

1814

Tenth

Eleventh.

Twelfth

Thirteenth

Fourteenth

Fifteenth

Sixteenth

Scenicenth

Eighteenth

Street

Cancer

116

107

100

Sur

1496

AStreet

146

Street

Strece

Street

Vestreet

Siriel

Street

Libra

163

Scorpio

Street

Sagittarius

Strect

Capricorns:

Allthe Streets are 100 feet wide The rigoler Bucks vice 396 feet longto texpost will contain sans The wywerhatsarubbilytt9/net acceptehoofcordingon the couchsidaogft/endnu derechin West De.no und on Lies Streetin Bast Oswego which are the poury igyfeet

The Courses of the Streets are determined Astronomerally bring . W.W. USB vi Bund CHEN Except First Street South of Sagittarius Street in West Owywhatwe VW MX Street South of Capricornas Mired in East Owego which MI GO SE. There are Stone Monuments marked with the names of the Streets and placed in West Oswesp with their N.M. urner in the A. Wicorrom fall the Blocks, and all theintersection of the Must ards of each Den stay the South counts of the Reservation . Similar Monumenti are Maxed in East Owego with their F. corners in the North East cornersof all the Works recept at war of titans Aquarius Streets and at the warners of 10"1 12,10 tor. 19 2016 and Ligta, Aquila Orian S durys All the esto noes are horizontal measure of the temperature of to un Fahrenheits scott Streets

Vrett

Street

04.

31 115

112

110

132

133

130

120

Tirgo

Street

151

153

154

144

REMARKS

305

OSWEGO AS A VILLAGE AND CITY.

and as is contained in such parts of streets between said blocks as lie between First street and the Oswego River, together with the privilege to the four last-mentioned blocks, of diverting as much of the water of the river by the erection of wing dams as may be necessary for the use of such mills as may be erected on the land aforesaid."

The files of the Palladium, 1819-1825, now in the Gerrit Smith Library, give us an occasional glimpse of local conditions during that period. In the second number, dated October 14, 1819, the editor heads an item : " Spirit of Improvement," and states that "the public mind is interested in making a road from the termination of the Ridge Road, or natural turnpike, to intersect the Military Road from Platts- burgh to Sackett's Harbor." The opinion is then expressed that this improvement would "concentrate near Salmon River the northern and western markets for the emporium of Albany."

From the advertisements in these old newspapers we may glean con- siderable information of the business interests of that period.

David Crocker was here then and requested his customers who were indebted to him, " either by note or book account," to make immediate payment. "Goods or salt sold remarkably low for cash or grain." The publisher of the paper offered Webster's spell- ing books for sale. James F. Wight, the early attorney, advertised lands in Volney and Scriba. Henry Eagle offered to let the " premises owned by the subscriber, built and well calculated for a public inn ; situated at the corner of Taurus [Seneca] and First streets, in the most central part of the village." The arrival was noticed of nine sloops and schooners in one week in 1819, "from Niagara, Genesee, the Ducks, Chaumont, Prescott, and Ogdensburg." Seven vessels had cleared in the same time, five of which carried salt. Joel Turrill and Joseph W. Helme advertised as lawyers in partnership, with "office over the store of Dr. [Walter] Colton." On December 30, 1819, David Crocker and Edward Bronson announced that "having formed a copartnership under the firm of Crocker & Bronson," they respectfully solicited custom. They carried a general stock (as nearly all early merchants did) and offered "half cash and half goods for pork." Alvin Bronson was then in the early part of his long and very successful career. His firm of Townsend, Bronson & Co. announced on January 20, 1820, that they had " discontinued the sale of goods," and requested debtors to settle with them. The forwarding business of this firm soon became extensive, with connections at Black Rock, Buffalo and elsewhere. An article in the Palladium of December 16, 1819, fav- oring the election of Daniel D. Tompkins for governor, and signed "A. B." was from Mr. Bronson's pen, and later on was followed by many others on various current sub- jects. The firm of Townsend, Bronson & Co. announced that they would forward salt to Ogdensburg or Lewiston for three shillings per barrel; to Black Rock for eight shill- ings; to Erie for twelve shillings; and to Cleveland for fourteen shillings; payment 39

306

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

for which would be accepted in salt at $3 a barrel. This firm was dissolved in May, 1821, and Mr. Bronson continued alone. Joseph Hooker was a merchant prior to 1820, and died on October 2, of that year. In the same month Daniel Hugunin announced his purchase of the store formerly occupied by Daniel W. Cole, " with the drugs and medicines." On the 15th of May, 1821, proposals were asked for building " a· light- house and dwelling house on the east side of the mouth of the Oswego River." This lighthouse was built during 1821, on the northern side of the fort.

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 30

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