USA > New York > Oswego County > Landmarks of Oswego County, New York > Part 70
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The Pulaski Union School and Academy was incorporated by the Legislature as the Pulaski Academy on June 4, 1853, with the follow- ing Board of Education : Charles H. Cross, Anson R. Jones, Hiram
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Murdock, George Gurley, Don A. King, Anson Maltby, Newton M. Wardwell, Samuel Woodruff, and William H. Lester. The act of in . corporation was drafted by Don A. King, and, as passed, consolidated districts 7, 25, and 30, within the village, into one district to be known as Pulaski School District No. 7. The first term was opened Novem- ber 14, 1853, with Stephen C. Miller as principal. In April, 1854, the present site, on the bank of Salmon River, was purchased for $500 and early in May ground was formally broken for the present brick build- . ing, which cost $7,100. It is three stories high and was appropriately dedicated January 8, 1855. The lot, library, and philosophical ap- paratus cost $1,385, making a total of $8,485. The building commit- tee consisted of George Gurley, Anson Maltby, Charles H. Cross, Don A. King, Samuel Woodruff, Anson R. Jones, Dewey C. Salisbury, John T. McCarty, and William H. Lester; general superintendent, Anson Maltby; master builder, William S. Carpenter. In 1855 the school was placed under the Board of Regents, and ever since then has ranked as one of the best academic educational institutions in the State. In the fall of 1892 it assumed its present name.
The principals have been successively :
Stephen C. Miller, 1853-6; Henry L. Lamb, 1857-9; R. B. Van Patten and A. Hoose, 1860 ; Pulaski E. Smith, 1861-3; Harvey H. Butterworth, 1864-5; Daniel D. Owen, 1866; Nathan B. Smith, 1867; H. W. Congdon, 1868; Sebastian Duffy, 1869-79; E. M. Wheeler, 1880-5; John M. Moore, 1885-7; Henry A. Brown, 1887-9 ; William C. Gorman, 1889-92; S. R. Shear, 1892 to present time.
The present faculty (1894-5) is composed as follows :
Academic Department-S. R. Shear, principal, Physical Sciences, Political Sciences, and Training Class; Minnie Walker, B. A., preceptress, Latin, Greek and Drawing; Alice Walker, B. Ph., Mathematics and Literature; Frances King, A. B., Natural Sciences and History ; Harriet Hollis, Higher English and German ; Professor Balestier, Penmanship, Stenography, etc.
Grammar Department-Senior, Bessy Perry ; Junior, Frances Richardson.
Primary Department-Intermediate, Sophia Mattison ; first primary, Caroline Marcy.
Among the presidents of the board have been George Gurley, Beman Brockway, Sidney M. Tucker, Charles H. Cross, Dr. James N. Betts, George W. Woods, James Douglass, James W. Fenton, and others. The board for 1894-5 consists of M. L. Hollis, president; W. H. Austin, secretary ; Charles Tollner, Oron V. Davis, Albert F. Betts Thomas S. Meacham, D. C. Dodge, B. E. Parkhurst, and D. C. Mahaffy.
The school is divided into four departments, primary, intermediate,
Dia. King.
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junior, and senior. The academic department affords three regular courses of study-English, Latin and English, and Classical. The library comprises several hundred volumes of standard books of refer- ence and general reading, and the laboratory is well equipped with modern chemical. philosophical, and physiological apparatus. The standard of the school is high and ably maintained.
The Richland Union Free School was incorporated September 25, 1888. The preliminary effort was an election held October 1, 1886, at which the district voted to organize, as above, by forty-five to twenty- nine, and the first Board of Education, chosen at that meeting, was composed of E. D. Wells, president; N. B. Hine, secretary ; Albert Wright, Heman H. Richardson, James Beeman, William C. Orton, and William A. Penney. In that year an addition to the district school house (which was built in 1875), was erected. The first preceptress was a Miss Ball. The school has two departments, primary and intermediate, under the principalship of James C. Knight. The Board of Education for 1894-5 consists of E. H. Kenyon, president, Charles H. Field, and John Doneburg. Fred M. Moore is secretary, Harvey Joyce, collector, and William H. Averill, treasurer.
Pulaski village .- The first settler within the present corporate limits of Pulaski was Benjamin Winch, who located here in 1804 and soon afterward erected the first tavern in the town near the site of the old Palmer House. It was a log structure, and its subsequent proprietors were John Hoar and P. A. Mathewson. The latter came here in 1806. He was born in Scituate, R. I., and was the father of the late Jeremiah A. Mathewson, who was long recognized as authority on local history. In 1805 came the families of William Smith, who lived near the depot ; Daniel Stone and Jonathan Rhodes, who occupied jointly a log house standing on the site of the residence of Lucius Jones; Rufus Fox, who settled where the Baptist church now stands; and Erastus Kellogg, a blacksmith, who located a few rods north of the Froud block, and whose house was the first frame building in the village. Mr. Fox subsequently removed to a point two miles up the river at what is called Fox's bridge. His son Justus died in town aged eighty years; Justus, jr., a son of the latter, resides two miles east of Pulaski. Hiram, who lived near the old homestead, was another son of Justus Fox, sr. John Jones, father of
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Charles, came from Oneida county in 1808. Two other early settlers were Thomas and Rufus Bishop.
In 1810 a new impetus was given to the infant settlement and thence- forward its growth was rapid and permanent. The exceptional water- power and natural advantages gave the locality a reputation and settlers came in rapidly, several of whom have been mentioned. Capt. John Meacham. who had located in Sandy Creek, moved that year to the embryo village, took up his residence in the Stone and Rhodes log house, and opened a store-the first in the town-on the corner of Bridge and Jefferson streets. With him came Henry Patterson, a hat- ter. Silas Harmon became a business partner of Captain Meacham in 18II, and soon afterward the firm was succeeded by Milton Harmon, a nephew of Silas. It is evident that a considerable settlement had been effected by 1812, for in that year a militia company was raised, under Captain Meacham, which was twice called to the defense of Sackett's Harbor and once to Oswego. During the year 1812 Hudson Tracy and John S. Davis became settlers. Mr. Davis was prominent in both town and county, serving the latter as its first sheriff. The first court at which a jury was drawn was held in Pulaski in February, 1817, and two years later, in 1819, the court house was erected, the building com- mittee being Simon Meacham, John S. Davis, and Ebenezer Young ; James Weed was the builder. This structure was rebuilt and enlarged in 1859; a jail annex was erected in 1887.
One of the most interesting recollections associated with the early days of Pulaski is the general training, which occurred annually on the village green in front of the court house. These stirring events brought hither all the able-bodied men and crowds of spectators for miles around, and in themselves were legitimate occasions for fun and frolic. The public square was then unoccupied to the Methodist church, and afforded one of the best training grounds in the vicinity. The commandant for many years was Col. Thomas S. Meacham, whose personality lent a peculiar charm and enthusiasm to the military spirit of the time. The officers were wont to regale themselves at the tavern which stood on the site of the Salmon River House, while their troops and visitors devoured gingerbread and cider with an appetite sharpened by travel and drill.
Among other earlier settlers in the village were Gershom Hale, Jacob
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Weed and sons, Jehiel Weed and sons (Joel and Ezra), Amos Fellows, Oliver Ramsdell, Henry Mitchell, Joel Harmon, and Angus McFee. The first physician was Dr. Isaac Whitmore, who came from Madison county and settled on the south side of the river in 1810; other medi- cal practitioners were Drs. Allen Andrews, Gridley about 1815, and H. F. Noyes. The first to practice law was Benjamin Winch, but the first regular lawyer was James A. Davis ; among other early attorneys were Chester Hayden, Abram P. Vosburg, J. W. Helme, James J. Pettit, and Harvey J. Harmon.
The first grist mill was erected by J. A. Mathewson on the site of Charles Tollner's box factory in 1808. Two years later he built a sec- ond mill. The original part of the old " red mill," which burned March 20, 1890, was erected in 1825; an addition was made in 1834, and afterward it was repaired and improved. Its successive owners were J. A. Mathewson, Arthur & Charles Mathewson in 1840, Porter & Ellis, Porter & G. W. Fuller, Johnson & Taylor, Johnson & June in 1860, Jeremiah A. Mathewson in 1864, George Woods, Dunn & Hohman in 1870, and Mr. Dunn in 1877. G. W. Fuller had also a potashery, which was destroyed by fire in November, 1847. A. H. Stevens conducted a hat factory here many years, a part of the time in what is now the dwelling of George Washington, and Hiram Lewis started a similar establishment about 1831. Hudson Tracy and John S. Davis built the first carding and cloth-dressing mill, which was sub- sequently operated by Stearns & West, in whose possession it burned April 21, 1852.
The first newspaper printed in the village was the Pulaski Banner, which was started in 1830, and a copy dated November 8, 1831, con- tains the following advertisers : John H. Wells, notice to delinquent debtors ; D. Stillman, tin manufactory ; County & Stage House, James Wood, proprietor, " north side of Salmon River, fronting Public Square;" Benjamin H. Wright, land for sale ; Ralph French, patent medicines ; Hiram Lewis, " new hat store and manufactory ; " Allen & Hale, mer- chants; Charles E. Barkley, painting and chairmaking; Luke Wood, tannery and shoe shop ; M. W. Southworth, select school in Masonic hall (where the Congregational church now stands) ; Wells & Hall, general merchants ; John O. Dickey, lottery agent ; E. S. Salisbury, tailor,
88
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The following description appears in " Historical Collections of the State of New York," published in 1846:
Pulaski village, half-shire town, was incorporated in 1833.1 Centrally situated on. Salmon River, 4 miles from its confluence with Lake Ontario, 39 north of Salina [Syracuse], and 60 from Utica. The river at this place affords considerable water- power, on which are a number of grist and saw mills, and several manufacturing estab- lishments. There are about eighty dwellings, a number of churches, a court house and prison.
The Pulaski Courier of August 22, 1844, contained the advertise- ments of
C. & J. A. Rhodes, A. Z. McCarty, and John B. Watson, attorneys; Hiram Murdock, John M. Watson, J. V. Kendall ("in office lately occupied by Dr. Noyes,") and George O. Gilbert, physicians; G. W. Fuller, general merchant; John David, wagon shop; Allen Crandall, blacksmith; Eagle Tavern, A. McLean, proprietor; John Jones, black- smith; Pulaski livery stable; D. H. Fisk, dry goods; Dewey C. Salisbury, tanner and leather manufacturer; Wardwell & Stillman, general merchants; Mrs. Fisk, milliner ; E. M. Hill, grocer ; Henry Mitchell, tailor; Stearns & West, woolen manufacturers; Sidney M. Tucker, harnessmaker; Samuel Hale, boots and shoes; Edward S. Salisbury, tailor ; Jacob Smith, hats and furs; George Gurley, cabinet maker ; John Box, jr., blacksmith; A. H. Stevens, hats and furs and hat factory ; L. B. Norton, hardware.
The same newspaper in 1847, bearing the name of Richland Courier, contained many of the above advertisers and also the names of
Daniel McCarty and J. T. Stevens, attorneys; Hiramn Murdock & Son and H. F. Noyes, physicians; Box & Robbins, blacksmiths; John C. Pride, cooper; Miss W. A. Gilbert, milliner; Pulaski paper mill, Tallmadge, Wright & Co., proprietors, "foot of Church street ; " Eagle furnace, plow and stove manufactory, Snow & Dodge, proprie- tors, corner of Mill and Furnace streets; Charles H. Cross, engineer and surveyor ; Sykes & Mathewson (succeeded this year by Sykes & Goodwin), merchants; James A. Clark, Frey Lane, Jones & Angell, N. M. Wardwell, general merchants; Mansfield & Doane, grocers and produce dealers ; D. S. Robinson and L. B. Rice, painters; William S. Carpenter, " successor to E. S. Salisbury," tailor ; A. F. Mathewson, jeweler; William June, tailor ; Henry Emerson, hats, etc .; Meacham & Crandall, stoves and hardware; A. C. Burton, harnessmaker ; Mrs. E. Way, milliner; R. B. Boynton, machinist; J. A. Clark, variety store; Charles G. Hinman, wagon shop; Barney Peck, livery.
The Eagle Furnace (Pulaski foundry) here mentioned was purchased by Benjamin Snow in 1832, and among its proprietors were Snow & Greenwood, Snow, Brown & Simmons, Snow & Thomas, Snow & Dodge, Snow & Fisher, Fisher & Norman Snow, Fisher & Wood, and Fisher &
1 Incorrect; it should be 1832,
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Ling. John David was succeeded in 1848 by Charles H. David. The firm of Tallmadge, Wright & Co. was composed of D. P. Tallmadge, William E. Wright and William H. Gray. The partnership was dissolved Oc- tober 28, 1847, and Mr. Wright continued the manufacture of paper alone. The firm also conducted a printing establishment and a book bindery and turned out a number of books.
The Pulaski Banner was the first paper established in the county outside of Oswego. It was started in April, 1830, and published by Nathan Randall in the village until 1832, when he sold it to A. A. Mathewson and G. G. Foster, who disposed of it in 1833 to James Ged- des. The latter suspended its publication in 1834. In 1836 Daniel Ayer purchased the material and began issuing the Pulaski Advocate, which he sold in 1838 to a Mr. Dickinson, who at that time owned the Port Ontario Aurora. Mr. Dickinson consolidated the two papers un- der the name of the Pulaski Advocate and Aurora, and early in 1840 sold out to Daniel Ayer, who discarded the last name and published. the Advocate until 1842, when it was discontinued. In 1843 William H. S. Winans established the Pulaski Courier and on February 25, 1847, sold it to A. A. Mathewson, who changed the name to Richland Courier and continued the publication until September 25, 1850, when Joseph C. Hatch, a brilliant writer and an able editor, purchased the establishment. Mr. Hatch changed its name to the Northern Democrat and on July 21, 1853, resigned the editorship to Beman Brockway, subsequently the founder and editor of the Watertown Times, who changed the name to the Pulaski Democrat, which it has ever since borne. December 8, 1853, Mr. Hatch resumed the editorial charge and in 1855 was succeeded by Stephen C. Miller with Don A. King at the financial helm. Professor Miller died in November, 1869, and the paper and material passed into possession of Lawson Reade Muzzy, the present editor and publisher, who enlarged it to its present size in January, 1894. The Democrat originally advocated the principles of the Democratic party, but since 1869 it has been an independent sheet with Republican tendencies. It has never missed an issue ; immedi- ately after the great fire of October, 1881, an extra was published from one of the churches. Mr. Muzzy is one of the ablest editors in the county. He is prominently identified with the affairs of his village and
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town and has served as postmaster one term and as supervisor several years.
Among the old-time merchants not previously mentioned were :
Thomas C. Baker (father-in-law of Don A. King), Douglass & Watson, Allen & Hale, Hale & Smith, Baker & Preston, Jones & Clark, John H. Wells, J. Manning Hall, Newell Wright, Luther Allen, John L. Dickinson, C. W. Smart & Co. (books), D. W. Groat (harnesses), Newell Wright and James Crawford (partners), A. R. Angell and Calvin Seeley (partners), C. R. Jones and J. T. McCarty (successors to Jones & Angell), John H. and George O. Gilbert (drugs), G. W. Bond & Co., James A. Clark & Co. Meacham & Cronk (successors to Meacham & Norton, who succeeded Meacham & Crandall in 1848, hardware), Charles Bishop (shoes), Allen Crandall (hardware), R. Allen (bakery, succeeded by William C. Hempstead in 1848), Harmon Cronk (successor to Meacham & Cronk in 1853), Norton & Fuller, L. A. Gaylord (jewelry), S. H. Meacham (books), and E. Macomber (successor to Jones & McCarty).
The next hotel after Benjamin Winch's primitive tavern was built in 1807 and stood near the site occupied by the old Pulaski House. It was erected by P. A. Mathewson. On the site a small inn was erected in 1810, and to it an addition was made in 1812. In 1829 the main part was built "at a cost of $1,884.58." Among its earlier landlords were :
P. A. Mathewson, E. Young, Silas Harmon, Anson Maltby, Robert Kelley, Dr. Lewis, J. A. Mathewson (from 1840 to 1863), Joseph Curtis, Huggins & Taylor, Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Helmer, N. Johnson, Mr. Stacy, W. H. Gray, G. L. Hubbs, S. A. Palmer and Mr. Van Patten.
The Pulaski House, formerly the Palmer House, under the proprie- torship of S. A. Palmer, was destroyed by fire March 11, 1890. Other taverns were Brainard's Hotel, Levi Brainard, proprietor, changed to the Salmon River House in May, 1849, by J. A. Ford, landlord ; Pu- laski Temperance House, corner of Jefferson and Furnace streets, Henry Emerson, proprietor ; and California House, O. B. Macy, proprietor.
Of the various enterprises that have had an existence in Pulaski may be mentioned those of Lafayette Alfred, sash and blind factory, started in 1848 ; Ingersoll & Osgood's carriage manufactory ; Benjamin Dow, machinist and millwright; David Bennett, jr., and Albert Maltby's Empire machine shop ; and the old Eagle oil mill, which was leased for a time by G. B. Griffin, who was succeeded in April, 1854, by A. B. Col- lins and A. M. Duncan. The Ingersoll planing mill property was pur- chased by the Wilder Carriage Company in October, 1891, and has since been utilized as a carriage factory.
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The most important manufacturing industry, however, that ever flourished in the village or town is the large fancy box factory ot Charles Tollner. Beginning with no capital save that of his trade, Mr. Tollner has established one of the most extensive business enterprises in Northern New York, an enterprise which has brought thousands of dollars into the community and furnished remunerative employment to hundreds of people. January 14, 1886, the entire establishment was destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of about $30,000. With commenda- ble public spirit the citizens and employees immediately joined in re- building the plant, which is one of the finest in the country. Mr. Tollner is foremost in all matters pertaining to the village, liberally encouraging with his large wealth and personal activity every movement having for its object the improvement of the community.
The first post office was established January 1, 1817, under the name of Richland, with Henry White as postmaster. Following him came Orville Morrison in 1818, Hiram Hubbell in 1819, Daniel H. Fisk in 1842, Henry N. Wright in December, 1844, Joseph T. Stevens in 1849, Benjamin Rhodes in 1851, and Newell Wright in 1852. January 27, 1853, the name was changed to Pulaski. July 14, 1853, William C. Hempstead was appointed ; Henry N. Wright in 1856; John B. Watson in 1861 ; Henry N. Wright in 1866; and John B. Watson in 1867. It was made a presidential office in 1871 and on March 28 of that year John B. Watson was appointed postmaster ; following him came John T. McCarty in 1881, Don C. Bishop (five months, appointment not confirmed), Lawson R. Muzzy, John T. McCarty again, and Don C. Bishop since November, 1888. Mr. Muzzy, at his own expense, placed the present handsome and convenient cabinet in the office, which occu- pies the lower story of his brick building.
Pulaski village was incorporated April 26, 1832 ; in 1849 the limits were enlarged to the present area. April 18, 1838, the charter was slightly amended, and May 25, 1858, a re-incorporation was effected. March 24, 1871, the charter was amended relative to granting licenses, and March 29, 1883, it was further amended by placing the cemetery under the control of three commissioners, who were to hold office, each three years. April 10, 1884, it was again amended, and on June 3, of the same year it was voted to incorporate under the laws of 1870. The first officers, chosen in 1832, were :
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Abner French, president ; Isaac H. Stearns, Hiram Hubbell, Benjamin H. Wright and John H. Wells, trustees; John L. Dickinson, clerk; Thomas C. Baker, John L.Dickin- son and Casper C. West, assessors; L. B. Cole, collector ; Isaac Whitmore, treasurer.
The officers for 1894-95 were as follows :
Albert F. Betts, president ; Dwight C. Dodge, George W. Douglass and Charles F. Woods, trustees; William B. Dixson, treasurer ; Latham D. Potter, collector ; Burns E. Parkhurst, clerk (since 1882); Lorenzo Ling, Oron V. Davis and Charles Tollner water commissioners; Silas W. Holmes, street commissioner; Latham D. Potter and B. E. Parkhurst, justices of the peace.
Few communities in the State have suffered more severely from the ravages of fire than Pulaski. Thirteen years ago nearly the entire busi- ness portion was destroyed yet, phoenix like, it rose from the ashes a better and more attractive village, a fact that speaks volumes for the courage, enterprise and public spirit of its inhabitants. April 21, 1852, the woolen factory of Stearns & West, the tannery of George T. Peck- ham, and two or more dwellings were burned, causing a loss of $16,- 000. In August, 1853, a Button hand fire engine was purchased at a cost of $850, which appears to have been the initial effort to establish an organized fire protection. May 9, 1873, Ringgold Fire Company No. I was incorporated by Richard W. Box, Nathan B. Smith, B. D. Salisbury, A. N. Beadle, Dwight C. Dodge, Sidney F. Doane, George H. Fuller and Lewis J. Macy.
On October 6, 1881, occurred the great conflagration which proved so disastrous, and by which more than sixty persons or firms suffered loss of property. The burned district, comprising the entire business part of the village, extended from North Park to the iron bridge and from Salmon River to the west side of Broad street. The principal sufferers, with their estimated losses, were Dr. James N. Betts, $20,000 ; H. B. Clark, $18,000 ; W. H. Gray (Salmon River House), over $12,- 000 ; George W. Douglass, $9,000; Pulaski National Bank, $10,000 ; Democrat office, $5,500 ; John F. Box, $17,000 ; Sidney M. Tucker, $10,000; and the Ringgold Fire Company's house. The Betts opera house was built in 1883, and in 1884 a new engine house was erected at a cost of $2, 175. January 15, 1886, Charles Tollner's box factory and residence were burned, entailing a loss of $45,000, and in March following the Austin block was destroyed, the loss being about $50,000. In that year the present system of water works was constructed, the
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village being bonded in the sum of $25,000 for the purpose, payable in twenty years. The water is obtained from a large spring on Spring Brook, about four miles east of Pulaski, whence it is conveyed by the gravity system to a reservoir of three acres in area, situated inside of the corporate limits. The plant is owned by the corporation and controlled by a board of three commissioners.
The fire department, of which R. W. Box is chief, consists of Ringgold Fire Co., F. G. Whitney, president ; Tollner Fire Co., Charles Tollner, president ; Hose Co., No. I, R. D. Box, foreman ; and Hose Co, No. 2, S. W. Holmes, foreman.
The Pulaski Gas and Oil Company, Ltd., was organized in 1889, with L. J. Clark as president, and immediately began to drill for natural gas on Mill street within the village limits. Gas was struck at a depth of 980 feet, and during the night blew the drill, rope, and 500 feet of cas- ing through a four foot opening in the derrick, causing a tremendous explosion. The well was plugged and work suspended, but the fran- chise remained in possession of the company until the spring of 1894, when it was purchased by Charles Tollner, who has since put down several wells, and whose family was the first to use natural gas in Pulaski. He has laid eight or ten miles of gas mains for the purpose of supplying patrons in the village.
In November, 1885, Charles Tollner placed an electric plant in oper- ation in his box factory, which was destroyed by fire the next year. The new factory was similarly equipped, the system was soon extended to others, and October 2, 1893, the village by vote decided to be- come a patron.
The first bank established in Pulaski was the Pulaski Bank, which was started in September, 1853, by R. L. Ingersoll and S. R. Ingham, who occupied respectively the positions of president and cashier. Its nominal capital was $100,000. In 1862 the name was changed to R. L. Ingersoll & Company's Bank, which it retained until about ten years ago, when it wound up its affairs and went out of existence.
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