Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 84

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 84

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY

to Sackett's Harbor, but there is no record of any of the pioneers join- ing the army.

In 1847, during the plank road enthusiasm that swept over the State, one of these useful (if temporary) highways was projected from Rome to Oswego, passing through Williamstown. Solicitation was made to the towns along the line to take stock in the company, and a special town meeting was held January 27, of the year named, at which it was decided that the town should subscribe for $10,000 of the stock. This road was built and continued in use until about the time the railroad was built, and was of great benefit in enabling the people to get to market.

A settlement was commenced at what is known as Maple Hill, about four miles north of Williamstown, in 1860, which was the out- growth of a large contract made by Calvert Comstock with the New York Central Railroad Company for wood and lumber. To fulfil his contract Mr. Comstock constructed a railroad from Williamstown to the point named and there built several mills, one of which was capable of sawing 8,000,000 feet of lumber annually. A post-office called Maple Hill was established in 1863 and quite a village sprang up. When timber became scarce, the road was extended into Redfield. The work was carried on to about 1876, when the mills were removed and nothing now remains of the settlement.

In the war of the Rebellion this town evinced commendable patriot- ism, sending sixty-three men. Among those who attained promo- tion were Josiah Ashpole, James Marsh, Byron and William R. Potts, Alexander Robinson, and Sylvester S. Rodgers.

Population : In 1820, 652; 1830, 606; 1835, 658; 1840, 830; 1845, 782; 1850, 1,121 ; 1855, 953 ; 1860, 1,144; 1865, 1,948; 1870, 1,833; 1875, 1,808; 1880, 1,820 ; 1890, 1,215.

Supervisors' statistics of 1894 : Assessed value of real estate, $307,601 ; equalized, $324,255; personal property, $5,300; railroads, 9.13 miles, $78,331; town tax, $1,380.11 ; county tax, $1,845.51; total tax levy, $3,913.10; ratio of tax on $100, $1.25; dog tax, $60.50. The town constitutes a single election district and in Novem- ber, 1894, 247 votes were cast.

Following is a list of supervisors from the organization of the town to the present time, with the years of their service :

1805, Isaac Alden ; 1806-7, Newton Marsh; 1808, Isaac Alden ; 1809, Newton Marsh ;

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THE TOWN OF WILLIAMSTOWN.

1810 to 1825, inclusive, Henry Williams; 1826, Samuel Freeman ; 1827 to 1832, Henry Williams; 1833, William Hempstead; 1834, Asa B. Selden; 1835-37, Henry Potts; 1838, Samuel Freeman ; 1839, Jesse Fish ; 1840, Jacob Cromwell ; 1841, Henry Potts; 1842, Jacob Cromwell ; 1843-44, Joseph F. Beckwith; 1845, Jacob Cromwell; 1846, Austin Burdick ; 1847-48, Gustavus V. Selden; 1849, Abijah Towsley ; 1850, Michael Freeman ; 1851, Abijah Towsley; 1852, W. J. Dodge; 1853-54, William Harding; 1855-56, Chauncey S. Sage; 1857-58, Jacob M. Selden ; 1859, O. B. Phelps ; 1860, Chauncey S. Sage; 1861, C. L. Carr; 1862, Chauncey S. Sage; 1863, J. M. Selden ; 1864, Isaac M. Hempstead; 1865-66, Dwight J. Morse ; 1867, Isaac M. Hempstead ; 1868-71, Jacob M. Selden ; 1872, Edwin Comstock ; 1873-74, E. Delos Burton; 1875, Jacob M. Selden ; 1876-7, Chauncey S. Sage; 1878-82, Jolin L. Sage; 1883, Charles J. Bacon; 1884-88, W. H. Selleck; 1889-93, Thomas Laing ; 1894-95, Albert Warren.

Following were town officers for 1894-95 :

Supervisor, Albert Warren; town clerk, Rensselaer L. Rathbun ; assessors, James A. Hughes, Charles Parkhurst, Robert Armstrong; justices of the peace, Alexander McAuley, J. S. Fox, A. G. House, and Austin Hutt; overseer of the poor, W. D Rosa; collector, Thomas Morrison ; commissioner of highways, Klock J. Saltsman ; constables, James Madison, Caleb Totman, Henry Larouche.

By Chapter 467 of the Laws of 1871, the supervisor, town clerk, and justices of the peace and their successors in office were consti- tuted a board, to be known as the Williamstown Cemetery Board. They were authorized to buy a suitable cemetery site and establish a cemetery, and the Board of Supervisors were authorized to lay a tax on the town of not to exceed $1,000 for the purpose. The project was carried out, and the beautiful cemetery in Williamstown village is the result. The act creating this board was drawn by Chauncey S. Sage. The cemetery plot contained at first about fifteen acres, and now con- tains about twenty.

In 1860 the town had seven school districts, which were attended by 312 children. It now has ten districts with a comfortable school house in each, which in 1892-3 were taught by eleven teachers and attended by 297 scholars. The school sites and buildings are valued at $7,525 ; assessed valuation of districts in 1893, $341,555 ; money received from the State, $1,316.74; raised by local tax, $1,449.86. The districts are locally designated : No. 1, Stellbrook; 2, Wardville ; 3, Kasoag ; 4, Checkered House ; 5, Carr ; 6, Williamstown ; 7, North Williamstown ; 8, West Maple Hill ; 9, Curran ; 10, East Maple Hill.

The Williamstown Union Free School house was built of brick in

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

1885 at a cost of $3,000, for which sum the district was bonded. The old school building and site were sold to Dr. E. W. Crispell in 1894 for $50. April 8, 1887, the district was organized as a Union Free School with the following Board of Education :

John L. Sage, president ; Henry A. White, Albert Warren, Thomas Laing, Edward B. Acker, William R. Potts, Oliver H. Farnsworth, Lucien C. Carr, and Theophilus Larouche. The principals have been W. J. Teal, W. H. Adams, Jay B. Cole, Emily Williams, Jessie E. Burkhart, Roscoe Sergeant, and Claribel Preston, incumbent. The presidents of the board have been John L. Sage, Henry A. White, C. J. Williams, and J. B. Cole. The board for 1894-95 consists of Jay B. Cole, president; R. L. Rathbun, clerk; H. A White, D. H. Shaw, John Rogers, W. D. Rosa, J. W. Rice, W. H. Huntley, and Thomas Look.

Williamstown Village .- This village is pleasantly situated on Fish Creek, in the southeastern part of the town. The R., W. & O. Rail- road (now controlled by the N. Y. C. & H. R. R. Co) was opened through this town in May, 1851. Many of the early settlers at this point have been mentioned. The establishment here of the early mills and of a large tannery gave the settlement a start and by 1830 its popu- lation had reached 606, and five years later was 830. The tannery was built by Thomas Brownwell for Jacob Cromwell. He carried it on for some years, enlarged it, and sold to Phelps, Stone & Parker, who trans- ferred it to D. F. Morse. Mr. Morse operated it for a number of years, and sold to P. C. and P. H. Costello. It was burned April 20, 1873, and the firm immediately erected on the site what was then the largest tannery in the State, the large yard containing 329 vats. The con- sumption of bark was for a time 7,000 cords per year. The supply soon failed and the establishment was moved to Pennsylvania.

Among former prominent merchants here were Austin Burdick, supervisor in 1839 and many years a leading citizen ; J. & J. M. Selden, who also built a large hotel, the Selden House, burned in 1884; Will- iam Harding, supervisor 1853-4; Morse, Morrison & Co; McCabe & Rogers ; McCabe & Costello; and Morse & Parker. H. A. White came to Williamstown as clerk for the last named firm and in 1864 began trade, which he has successfully continued to the present time. He is now one of the leading merchants. His brick store is on the site of the old Selden House, and was erected in 1885. The only manu- facturing establishments in the village now are two saw mills, a grist mill, and a canning factory.

841

THE TOWN OF WILLIAMSTOWN.

The post-office was established in 1813 with Dr. Samuel Freeman as postmaster. It was located at "the Corners," but soon followed other business interests to the present village. The present postmaster is Thomas Laing, who assumed the charge in August, 1894, succeeding Albert Warren, who held it four years as successor of Dr. Joseph Gardner.

The present business of the place consists of the stores of Henry White, John Rogers, John L. Sage (at the railroad station), M. T. Larouche (grocery), and the drug store of G. W. Taft. There are three hotels, three blacksmith shops, wagon repair shops, a tin shop, etc. Laing & Rathbun are undertakers, and Mr. Rathbun has a furniture store. Hon. Chauncey S. Sage came to Williamstown in 1850 and purchased the Rensselaer Burdick farm of 100 acres lying on the west edge of the village and south of the railroad, from which he sold a number of building lots. He engaged extensively in lum- bering, and at the depot built the Sage House, a large three- story frame hotel, in 1868, and about the same time opened a store there, moving from his farm just mentioned to the station. He always leased the hotel, first to G. C. Potter, and afterward to others. Soon after settling in town Mr. Sage, in company with Goodwin Plumb, pur- chased the establishment of W. J. Goodfrey and for several years car- ried on trade as general merchants. Mr. Sage was long a leading citi- ze 1, and served as postmaster about twenty-one years, from 1861. He: was supervisor for several years, and member of assembly in 1858, 1871, and 1872. He died November 23, 1890. John L. Sage, his so11, now carries on a large trade there, and the Sage House is kept by John J. Burlingame. F. & I. J. White have quite an extensive can- ning factory near the station.

Williamstown has several times suffered severely from fires ; one on May 4, 1884, burning the Selden House, Dygert House, etc .; and one on July 3, 1888, destroying much of the business portion of the village, only a part of which has been rebuilt. The loss at the first fire was about $50,000, and at the latter about $30,000. On the 16th of July, 1889, another fire destroyed property worth $6,000.

About 1872 E. D. Burton brought to the village a small printing outfit and began the publication of an advertising sheet in his own in-

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LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

terests. This was the first printing business established in town. About 1876 he sold the material to Healy & Garnsworth. The first regular newspaper started in town was the Williamstown Local, which was first issued on May 4, 1893, by Emerson C. Smith, the present proprietor.

Kasoag .- This is a post hamlet in the northern part of the town about three miles north of Williamstown village, on the old Indian trail from Oneida Castle to the Salmon River. The Oneida Indians had a camping ground on the site of Kasoag and many relics have been found there. The settlement was started around the saw mill and dam which were built about 1810 by William Hamilton, the second mill in the town. The mill has passed away, but the original dam, more or less improved, is still in use. Not much business was carried on at Kasoag until after 1848, in which year William J. Dodge and James L. Hum- phrey, who came from Albany, built a large barrel manufactory there, with a capacity of 1,000 barrels a day. These were sold largely in Syracuse and Oswego. The first factory was burned, but was rebuilt and the business continued several years, until suitable timber, became scarce. The senior member of this firm, W. J. Dodge, was supervisor in 1852. The business interests of Kasoag consists at the present time of a store kept by Frank Coon ; a hotel, by Michael McDermott; a feed store ; a large factory for the manufacture of furniture, and the saw mill, by the Kasoag Manufacturing Company, and a few shops. The postmaster is Alonzo Frost, who succeeded George Bailey.

Ricard is a post hamlet, with a store kept by H. W. Blount. There are some business interests here. Joseph Nash is postmaster, succeed- ing Lewis Barnes in that position. Herbert W. Blount has a large gen- eral store and with George R. Blount also conducts the Blount Lumber Company, manufacturing and dealing in lumber extensively.

Fraicheur is a post-office recently established in the southwest part of this town on the Amboy town line. The postmaster is W. H. Phillips.

Churches .- The Presbyterian church of Williamstown was organized soon after the war of 1812-15 and probably in 1817. In this year the trustees were Samuel Torbert, Ædamus Comstock, and Daniel Stacy. The ground on which the church stands was given to the society in 1817 by Matthew Brown. The building was considerably improved in 1850 and also in the summer of 1866 .- Rev. John Burkhart is pastor.

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THE TOWN OF WILLIAMSTOWN

The Methodist society was organized about 1825, the early records not being in existence to give the exact year or the date of erection of the building. Rev. D. M. Phelps is the present pastor.

A Catholic church is now under the pastoral care of the priest, Rev. Joseph F. Tiernan, who is stationed at Camden, Oneida county. They have a neat church edifice, which was built in 1884, and dedicated by Rev. Father Beecham, the first pastor.

The Seventh Day Adventists have a society here and hold services about every two weeks in private houses.

The M. E. church at Ricard was built in 1894, following the organ- ization of the society, and was dedicated on December 5 of that year. It cost about $2,000. Prior to the erection of this edifice Methodist services had been occasionally held in the school house.

PART II.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

THOMAS KINGSFORD.

To the subject of this sketch, as to but few men, has it been given to have his name become a household word in nearly every land. Associated forever with the separation of starch from ripe Indian Corn, the name of Kingsford will go into his- tory, as that of a benefactor of the race. The history of the Kingsford family dates back, it is said, to the time of King John, the Usurper, who, having murdered young Arthur, and for this, and his oppressive exactions, drawn upon himself the bitter hatred of his English subjects, was flying before the triumphant banners of the French invader; coming late one night to the brink of a rapid stream, with no means of passage at hand, he was borne over on the shoulders of a stalwart subject, to whom, thereafter, in those days of new and quaint surnames, clung the well fitting title of " The King's Ford." In 1767 we find the family ensconced among the sunny mead- ows of Kent. Here on January 9, 1767, was born George Kingsford, who married, at twenty-two, on January 18, 1789, Mary Love, also of Kent, and two years his senior (born at Headcorn, Kent, February 4, 1765). Thomas, the son of this union, early forced to seek his own support and to aid his widowed mother, left the parental roof at the age of seventeen, and merged his life in that of the great city of London. He embarked in business as a baker, which he followed with varying success for about five years. Near the close of this period, at the age of twenty-two, he mar- ried (on January 6, 1818), Ann Thomson, a native of the maritime borough of Deal. Leaving London about this time, Mr. Kingsford obtained employment in a Chemical Works, where he developed a remarkable genius for chemical research. Failing health drove him from this employment, and he resumed his former occupation of baker. Overtaken by financial reverses, he was forced to return for a time to Can- terbury, a former residence, but leaving there after a brief period, he went to Head- corn, Kent, where he opened a school and conducted it six or seven years. But the growing necessity of providing for his increasing family, obliged Mr. Kingsford to abandon this pursuit, and he turned wistful eyes to America. After much thought, he decided to emigrate. Leaving his faithful wife in charge of the school at Headcorn, he sailed from London in 1831, and landed in New York on December 12 of that year. After a trying winter with but partial employment, and that at scant wages, he sought and obtained, in April, 1832, a position in the starch factory of William Colgate & Co. at Harsimus, Bergen county, N. J. This firm was one of the largest in that manufacture, which was then in its infancy in this country. In America in 1832

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

starch-makers were using principally wheat as the raw material, and vainly endeavor- ing to meet the ever growing demand for this commodity. Amid such condi- tions, Mr. Kingsford at the age of thirty-three, came to the consideration of the starch problem. A year or more of service, faithfully rendered, proved to his employ- ers his value, and his wages were increased to a sum, which enabled him in 1833 to send to England for his family. Mr. Kingsford now devoted himself for some years to the mastery of the details of his business, and a study of the conditions upon which its success depended. He early became convinced that there must be sought in new directions, a raw material capable of yielding starch in sufficient quantities to meet the demand which was now fast outrunning the limited supply. His observant mind noted the quality of the American Maize or Indian Corn and he suggested to his employers the practicability of extracting starch from it. But they were manu- facturing from wheat and were satisfied. No one had yet succeeded in extracting starch from Indian Corn, and they did not care to experiment. He conferred with other starch makers, but stood alone in his views. He talked with his associates of his theories, and like many another seeker after light along untrodden paths, was met with incredulity, often with ridicule. But his was not a nature to be easily turned from its purpose. So strongly did he become impressed with the possibility of improvement, that he resolved to proceed with investigations on his own account. In the year 1841 he began his experiments; bringing to the subject, together with his acquired practical experience, the chemical knowledge gained so many years before in England, and which now proved of great benefit. The story of his studies and researches, his repeated failures, the difficulties he encountered, and his ultimate success, reads like a romance; and can only be appreciated by those who have heard from his own lips, the recital of the incidents of that eventful year. The jewel of success seemed to hang just beyond his grasp. But he was not a man to be discour- aged by failures. With increased concentration his resolute mind set itself to the mastery of the problem before him, and he pursued his investigation. But suc- cess was near at hand. Throwing one day, into a tub containing a mixture of lye and corn pulp, a solution of lime in which he had unsuccessfully treated some corn for starch, he devoted several days following to racking his brain for new processes. On desiring later to again use the tub, he was about to empty it, when he discovered on the bottom a quantity of beautiful clear white starch perfectly separated. He had now clearly demonstrated that starch could be produced from ripe Indian Corn, and he rejoiced in his achievement. It was always a treat to hear Mr. Kingsford tell, with a twinkle in his eye, of submitting to his employers his first sample of starch from ripe corn. They had denied his premises, failed to admit his conclusions, and had looked upon him as a dreamer and an enthusiast. But, as so often happens, the dreamer had made his vision a practical reality. Here was the evidence not to be confuted. They were compelled to admit that he had succeeded; that starch from Indian Corn was an accomplished fact, and that Mr. Kingsford had fairly won the right to rank as a great discoverer. He now threw himself with enthusiasm into ex- periments for perfecting the new product, and arranging for its manufacture on a large scale; and in the year 1842 he succeeded in preparing a quantity suitable for the market. The great superiority of the new starch was immediately recognized, and it sprung at once to popular favor. So great was the demand from manufac-

BIOGRAPHICAL.

turers of textile fabrics and the trade generally, for the new and better product, that Mr. Kingsford soon resolved to engage in the manufacture on his own account. Ac- cordingly in 1846 he severed his connection with the firm of William Colgate & Co., and formed with his son, Thomson Kingsford, who had assisted him in all of his experi- ments, the firm of T. Kingsford & Son. A small starch factory was now built at Bergen, N. J., but within one short year, the young industry had outgrown its cramped accommodations, and enlargement became an imperative necessity. In the fall of 1847, Mr. Kingsford and his son were approached by capitalists from Auburn, N. Y., who were desirous of being associated in the manufacture and introduction of Corn Starch to the world. They made overtures for the investment of ample capi- tal, to provide for the growing necessities of the new business. These proposals be- ing accepted, it was decided at the same time, to remove to a point where the raw material, Indian Corn, would be more accessible, pure water, a necessity in the pro- cesses, most abundant, and facilities for the shipment of the product more ample. These conditions, most fully met in the City of Oswego, N. Y., decided them to locate at this point. A stock company with a capital of $50,000 was formed in 1848, under the State manufacturing laws, having the corporate name of " The Oswego Starch Factory," and with this company the firm of T. Kingsford & Son entered into a con- tract for the manufacture and sale of the starch. A commodious factory was built on the bank of the Varick Canal just west of the Oswego River, and not far from its en- trance into Lake Ontario. From this time on the growth and development of the business was phenomenal, scrupulous care being taken that not a pound of starch which failed to reach the highest standard of purity should leave the establishment. Beginning with sixty-five workmen in 1848, the output of starch for the next year was 1,327,126 pounds. This had increased five years later to an average annual produc- tion of above 3,000,000 pounds. This rapid growth made necessary not only addi- tional buildings, but radical improvements in machinery and appliances. In these the mechanical and inventive genius of the son, Thomson Kingsford, was brought into requisition, and the protection of the patent office was sought again and again for inventions, the control of which could be effectually secured. Still the business grew ; in 1859, eleven years after the location of the business at Oswego, the output of the factories had increased to an annual average of 7,000,000 pounds, and "Oswego" and the "Kingsfords" were fast gaining a national reputation as names con- nected with an indispensable, yet pure, perfect, and plentiful household necessity.

The five or six years succeeding 1859 covered the era of depression, caused by the late civil war, in manufactures in which large quantities of starch had previously been utilized; but still the annual average output of the Oswego Starch Factory con- tinually increased. New avenues of use were constantly opening for their product, and the manufacturers were kept increasingly busy in supplying the demand. Starch had come to be employed, not merely in the manufacture of textile fabrics, or the making of paper, but was finding a wide consumption in confectionery, baking, paint-making, and a multitude of minor industries. For these and for the laundry, The Kingsford's Oswego Starch was increasingly sought, at home and abroad; and the sales during this period mounted rapidly upward, to a figure exceeding 10,000,000 pounds yearly. The "Corn Starch," "Prepared Corn," or " Corn Flour," as it was named in different countries, which had been introduced in 1850 by the Oswego

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY

firm of T. Kingsford & Son, had now won its way to universal favor as a pure, perfect, wholesome and nutritious article of diet, and was fast supplanting arrow root, sago, tapioca, and similar farinaceous foods in the popular estimation. These most gratifying results had been wholly reached by the perfection of the pro- duct, the fame of which had now become well nigh world wide. The phenomenal success of the business stimulated competition. Other manufacturers, following in the wake of this pioneer firm, were investing ample capital, erecting buildings and buying costly machinery in the effort to attain a similar success. In the twenty years from 1850 to 1870 the number of starch factories in the country had grown to 195, and the capital invested in this business was in 1870 $2,741,675. Compelled to meet continually in new and ever changing forms, the rivalry of the trade and the claims of other manufacturers, unceasing vigilance was exercised by the Kingsfords in maintaining the recognized superiority of their product; so that "as good as Kingsford's" became the argument of their competitors in pushing their own inferior wares.

The corporation, "The Oswego Starch Factory," lent its willing aid, augmented by large wealth, to maintain the prestige of the institution, and the business grew apace in spite of increasing and fierce competition. No backward step was ever taken from the position at first assumed and steadily maintained by T. Kingsford & Son, of being the originators and the leading manufacturers in the world of starch from ripe Indian Corn. The official seal of public and popular appreciation of Mr. Kingsford's great discovery has been put upon it again and again by the great In- dustrial Exhibitions of the world. Beginning with the great London Exhibition of 1851, down to the present time, whenever the products of the Oswego Starch Factory have been placed on exhibition in competition, by the Kingsfords, they have never failed to receive the highest award and commendation, under the most minute scrutiny of the world's first experts, a record rarely gained, and one which speaks volumes for their purity and worth.

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Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 84

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