USA > New York > Oneida County > Utica > Memorial history of Utica, N.Y. : from its settlement to the present time > Part 26
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276
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
profession, and showing qualities that warranted a fair degree of success. He was an influential member of the city and county societies and an honored member of the Masonic fraternity. He was killed August 24, 1870, while entering the cars at Fitzwilliam Station, N. H. A reso- lution of the Utica Medical Society says : " In his professional inter- course he was governed by high and honorable motives. . . He was an unceasing enemy of charlatanry." He was thrice married and left two sons.
Another practitioner of medicine coming at this time was Dr. Lauren F. Rose, who was born in Schuyler, Herkimer County, N. Y., was grad- uated at the Albany Medical College in 1851, and at once began prac- tice in this city. Naturally benevolent of heart the appeal of suffering humanity was sure to meet his response. When on the 16th of July, 1857, the alarm of fire at the State Hospital thrilled this community he repaired to the burning building and rendered such assistance as he could. While engaged in the work of rescue on the second floor the one above fell and caught him in its ruins. He lingered a few days in much suffering and then died. He was about thirty years of age and left a wife and one son. Short as was his residence here he had already gained the esteem of all who knew him and a creditable rank as a phy- sician of attainments.
Other physicians were William H. Bailey, now of Albany ; J. C. Ray- mond, now of Oakland, Cal .; Benjamin F. Flower, deceased ; and Will- iam H. Watson, noticed elsewhere.
The starting of the new manufacturing industries brought hither from the East William C. and Samuel Churchill to act as agents, the former for the Steam Woolen and the latter for the Globe Woolen, and gave a cashiership to Ephraim Chamberlain in the Steam Cotton-Mills as no- ticed more fully hereafter.
Edward T. Manning was a dealer in dry goods conspicuous among his associates in the trade. Born in Wicklow County, Ireland, in Feb- ruary, 1821, he came to this country in 1850, when he chose Utica for his home. He began as peddler of dry goods, employed for awhile by O. & M. Gaffney, but soon set up an establishment of his own and in time expanded it to one of the largest in the city. He built the block which for some time bore his name to accommodate his increased busi-
277
THE BROTHERS YATES.
ness. Hugh Glenn became partner with him April 1, 1879, and con- tributed a large capital and experience. A year later (November, 1880) Mr. Manning retired from the firm and engaged in real estate and in- surance with Henry Hopson. Mr. Manning was zealous and pro- nounced in his convictions and impulsive in his nature, though amiable, generous, and courteous. He was popular as a citizen, a communicant of the Episcopal Church, and a Democrat in politics. He died Febru- ary 23, 1883, leaving a wife and an adopted daughter. A brother of Mr. Manning was interested with him in his mercantile concerns ; an- other was employed by him.
Rynier V. and Charles A. Yates were the sons of Abraham P. Yates, who came here in his declining years from Johnstown, Montgomery County. The sons became active business characters. R. V., the eld- est, was among the first in the city to enter upon the profitable work of selling ready-made clothing. In this he was engaged until he won a competency, when he removed to New York. He afterward returned, resumed his business, and continued it until the close of his life, adding to his wealth and performing his duties with fidelity and honor. He died February 8, 1879, leaving a wife, since dead, two sons, and two daugh- ters. Charles A. Yates, who was some nine years younger than his brother, his birth dating from the 27th of October, 1820, began business later. He, too, was a dealer in ready-made clothing, prose- cuting it with unflagging devotion and securing it by rich pecuniary results. He occupied the middle store of the Marble block on Genesee street opposite Broad, and for his residence he built the handsome house now occupied by I. A. Williams. A quiet, unassuming.man, of refined tastes and feeling, he was estimable in character and honest in dealing. His death occurred July 5, 1872. He was twice married. His chil- dren no longer reside here.
About 1820 there came to Oneida County from Thetford, Vt., Noah White and family and in 1828 to Utica. He was a potter by trade. Not long after his settlement he and his son, Nicholas A. White, formed a business connection with Samuel H. Addington, who owned the pottery where the present West Utica pottery now stands. Mr. Addington furnished the real estate, machinery, etc., and the Whites conducted the business. Soon afterward Messrs. White & Son bought out Mr. Add-
278
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
ington and for nearly fifty years N. A. White had important connection with those works. The latter in 1851 represented his ward in the com- mon council; in 1858 his town in the Board of Supervisors ; and in 1873 his district in the Assembly. He took great interest in Utica and its prosperity ; was thoroughly respected and showed himself to be kind and friendly with all whom he met. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and an Odd Fellow ; a director of the Utica Me- chanics Association ; and in politics first a Whig and later a Republican. His death occurred August 9, 1886. His widow and five children sur- vive him.
A clergyman who, as respects our history, is of more interest for his agricultural successes than as respects his faithful exercise of the minis- terial function was Rev. Chauncey Enoch Goodrich. He was born in a suburb of Troy, N. Y., September 19, 1801 ; was graduated at Union College and at Princeton Seminary ; spent nearly two years as assistant in the Oneida Institute ; and was set over a church. Five successive pastorates in different parts of Central New York he filled before he gave up the charge of a parish and betook himself to Utica. Here he acted for nineteen years as chaplain of the State Hospital. This did not, however, engage his whole attention ; he was occupied besides in trial methods of vegetable and fruit raising and in attempts to acclimate the growths of milder regions. Many of these attempts, carefully con- ducted and with the utmost nicety of science, were successful. When the potato disease first threatened that priceless crop he addressed him- self to its cure, and getting acquainted, as he thought, with its pathol- ogy he sought the remedy ;- conceiving that the disease was the re- sult of exhaustion of the energy of the plant consequent on the continual propagation from the tuber without fresh reproduction from the seed, or from newer and hardier plants, he procured a few potatoes from Chile, its native habitat, and with these he commenced experiments for a renewal of the vegetable from the seed, and also sought renewal of the seed from South American tubers. Year after year for sixteen years he patiently pursued his experiments and investigations. His communications to agricultural journals and societies and to scientific magazines exceed 130, while he gathered a large amount of material on vegetable physiology and pathology which he had not strength to put
279
REV. C. E. GOODRICH - GEORGE LAWSON.
into form for the public. He perfected several varieties of the esculent that are universally known as good eating. The Garnet Chile was estimated many years ago to have saved $2,000,000 to the country, and had he chosen to make money out of it he might have accumulated wealth. His motive, however, was philanthropic, not mercenary. His sales did not cover his expenses, and, supplemented as they were by premiums from the State Agricultural Society, they left him, as shown by a careful examination of his accounts, a balance of but $50. While no mercenary motives actuated Mr. Goodrich in his efforts to save the most important of esculents, neither was it the mere love of science that moved him. Paramount to his affection for it was his love of man and through him his love of God. Clergymen were his companions and Christian assemblies his resort. He never left home except on secular or ecclesiastical business, indulged in no recreation or amusements, and was stern in maintaining what he considered the proprieties and sepa- rateness from the world of the Christian life. His death occurred May II, 1864. His wife was a daughter of William G. Tracy, of Whites- boro. Of their four daughters one only survives.
George Lawson, a native of Lancashire, England, had settled in Utica as early as 1832, gaining his livelihood as a tanner. After remaining some years he went to Rome to live. Returning about 1853 he became superintendent of the city water works and was thus employed until a short time before his death, June 8, 1876. " Mr. Lawson was a man of marked mental and moral characteristics. He was eminently honest. truthful, and pure, and always had the courage of his convictions. He was a Puritan of the strongest type, an ardent lover of free institutions, a stern hater of all tyranny and oppression, and a strong anti- slavery man. The ruggedness which some, perhaps, might deem the sternness of be- lief never affected the true kindness of his nature and the benignity of his manners."
Another Englishman whose good works entitle him to remembrance was Thomas Maynard, brother of Isaac Maynard, before noticed. He had a residence in Utica from 1841 to about 1859, when he removed to Cleveland, Ohio. He was engaged in various branches of business, the most extensive one being in connection with the Utica Lock Company. Mr. Maynard was actively associated with the Sunday schools and for
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280
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
many years superintendent of the First Presbyterian Church Sunday School. He was also diligent in mission Sunday schools in the remote parts of the city and in Deerfield Corners. He delighted to address a juvenile audience, and his hearty good nature, his direct appeals to the feelings of his little parishioners, made his voice clear and eloquent. He collected and had printed hymns for his own and their use, calcu- lated to encourage the young heart and ear. His collection reached its fourth edition and numbered nearly 200 pages. Mr. Maynard's death occurred at Cleveland, January 31, 1860.
John Munn had been a clerk in the branch of the United States Bank which had a brief existence in the place. Afterward moving southward he established himself in Mississippi. He now settled here anew with a southern wife and a growing family. He soon erected the house that stands on the east of the line of Rutger Place and lived on his means without ostensible occupation. Mingling freely with all classes of peo- ple he identified himself with them and with such concerns as they had in common, and from his engaging and friendly manners, his intelli- gence, his generosity and upright life, secured their esteem and regard. Ere long his affection was tried by the exciting scenes and events of the war with the South. His patriotism stood firm and he was as ready as were others to encourage our departing soldiers on their way to the battlefield, despite the fact that his tears revealed the bitterness of his heart, and how moved he was by the anticipation of the woe soon to come upon those among whom he had so lately made his home. Mr. Munn died in the city of New York.
Dr. Joseph Sieboth for thirty-six years was a teacher of vocal and in strumental music, and thus had close relations with many families and with full two generations of pupils. He was a recognized authority and unquestioned leader in the science and art of music and did much for its: development in taste and practice. In 1871 Hamilton College conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Music. He was a thorough student himself and aimed at a sound basis and close discipline in his pupils. He was the composer of a large number of pieces, mostly of church service, with organ accompaniment. He was organist in Trinity Church and served there twenty-one years. For two years of this period he was also organist of the Reformed Dutch Church, and this position he
28r
EDWARD KUNKELY- J. S. LYNCH.
retained with great acceptance for many years and until his death. He responded to every call of charity for musical aid and organized and sus- tained many associations for musical culture. He was married in early manhood in Germany, where he had been reared and educated, and left a widow, two daughters, and one son.
In the directory of 1854 there first appears the name of Edward Kun- kely, artist, and as such he remained until his death September 14, 1878. As an artist he was best esteemed for his skill in India ink work upon photographs and for the decoration of porcelain ware. His fondness for music and his zeal in behalf of associations among the Germans for musical culture and other purposes were more widely known and ren- dered him popular among these his countrymen. His obsequies were observed by the Mendelssohn Club, of which he was one of the found- ers, the Maënnerchor, the Liederkranz, the Leseverein, the Germania Industrial Association, and the Oriental Lodge of F. A. M., in whose rites he was buried.
As editors of this date there should be mentioned the brilliant Sam- uel Williams, of the Morning Herald and afterward of San Francisco ; the enterprising and popular James McIver, of the Evening Telegraph.
James S. Lynch, long conversant with the financial affairs of the city, was a native of New York and was born April 3, 1823. Coming to Utica in 1839 he remained here with the exception of about nine years until his death April 3, 1889. Most of this time he found employment in the Ontario Bank either as clerk or teller, and in the later years of the bank's existence was its cashier. On the organization of the Utica and Black River Railroad he was its treasurer. In 1850 and again in 1853 he was a member of the council and in 1856 was a Fremont pres- idential elector. After the closing up of the affairs of the bank he de- voted himself to search-making and the examination of legal titles, as shown by the records of the county, and in this business he was a de- cided expert. His wife was a daughter of Alexander B. Johnson. Mrs. Lynch, one son, and three daughters still survive him.
Additional merchants and mechanics were William H. Ferry, some time teller in the Oneida Bank and then one of the clothing firm of Rockwell & Ferry; John W. Fuller, the brave and capable general of the United States volunteers from Ohio; and Anthony A. Jones, Lewis
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282
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
Jones, Milo Pratt, Daniel Mitchell, Philip Thomas, John B. Wasmer, and D. & T. M. Owens.
1855 .- The officers for this year were: Mayor, Henry H. Fish; treas- urer, Miles C. Comstock; surveyor, Henry Baker; street commissioner, Jefferson Allen ; attorney, Charles A. Butler ; aldermen, M. McQuade, Solomon McKennan, Truman K. Church, Henry Fowler, Cordon Hack- ett, Ephraim Chamberlain, Richard H. Francis, Philip Thomas, John B. Owens, Lansing Thurber, William White, John B. Wasmer; clerk, James G. French; supervisors, James McQuade, Llewelyn D. Howell, John Griffiths, R. U. Shearman, G. G. Roberts, William Harrington.
The population in 1855 was 22,183. The city was growing fast and was also getting into debt again. The debt was reported on the 13th of March as $11,271.41, and a resolution passed the council on the 13th of July that the city borrow on its bonds a sum sufficient to pay the debt, payable in three equal annual installments on the Ist of Decem- ber, 1855, 1856, and 1857. The ordinary and extraordinary taxes this year amounted to $49,826 and the citizens began to grumble, leading a little later to much excitement over what was to be done to reduce expenses and secure a more prudent administration. A resolution was adopted October 25th to the effect that there should be appropriated $4,000 for highways and bridges, chiefly because two had been washed away, and $2,500 for more hose and equipments for the fire department, in order to secure reasonable protection during the coming winter, " making $6,500 beyond any sums now authorized to be expended by the common council." A special election to vote on this proposition was appointed for October 23d. The majority against the proposition was overwhelming, only forty-one voting for it and 400 against it. This indicates the uneasy state of feeling over the finances of the city, the result of which soon appeared. At about the same time a commu- nication was published, signed by forty citizens of the Fifth ward, com- plaining of their lack of protection from fire and demanding action for their benefit.
In council on the 9th of November the mayor invited the taxpayers to meet at the court-house on the 13th to consider the state of the city treasury and the propriety of disbanding the present fire department. The meeting was held on the 20th after one postponement. Hiram
283
CITIZENS' MEETING OF 1885.
Denio presided. Mayor Fish stated the objects of the meeting and de- tailed at length his views of the situation-how the taxes were im- posed and what they were or should be expended for. He claimed that the opinion had generally obtained that taxes were unreasonably high, and that they were squandered in reckless expenditures. The taxes for all purposes amounted to about $50,000, but without consider- ation " the seeming conclusion has been reached that the whole burden had been induced by the weakness or wickedness of your public servants." He then alluded to the unauthorized debt of about $18,000 contracted within the last few years without any authority of law and in violation of the charter. The then present condition showed an excess of liability over resources of $153, and he stated that if the city government continued through its year as then organized, and any reasonable provision was made for extinguishing fires, they must provide for the following :
Salaries, fuel, etc., fire department,
$1,000
2,000 feet of hose, 2,500
Salaries of city officers to end of year,
1,140
Watch,
900
Incidentals,
500
Excess of liability,
I53
To which add Genesee street improvement, 1,000
Treasurer's fees $800 to
1,000
Total, $8,193
And there was nothing in that list for two bridges recently washed away nor for roadways damaged by the same agency. A long dis- cussion followed. Some thought the charter only was at fault for the state of affairs, and various suggestions were made for overcoming the difficulty. Finally a motion was made that the mayor and council make a statement of the amount necessary to go through the year and that an election be ordered to vote whether the amount should not be raised to pay the shortage. Another motion followed that a committee of five be appointed to consider the whole matter and report at a future meet- ing. The meeting to hear the report was not held until January 16, 1856, but it may as well be disposed of here. The report showed the total indebtedness of the city, including the Black River Railroad bonds, to be $304,047.60. The city had paid up to December 21st out of the $12,000 general tax $11,275.83, and they estimated that $6,328 would
284
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
be needed to take the city through the fiscal year. The report con - tinued that if the suggestions of the committee were carried out in the future they believed the annual ordinary expenses would not be more than $16,000. The tax levy of 1855 was $49,225.90, and the great increase in the few preceding years was caused by the establishment and support of free schools and building the city hall and the City Hos- pital. There was no immediate prospect of lower taxes. To meet the present emergency they recommended the passage of a law authorizing the city to borrow not more than $6,300 and add it to the next annual tax levy. The committee then took up the question of charter amend- ments (thus, as it was afterward charged, exceeding their authority) and made a number of radical recommendations. They would make the mayor the chief executive officer and separate his duties from those of the council, and give him the appointing of the principal subordinate officers as had then recently been done in neighboring cities, Syracuse being mentioned ; they would have but one official paper, thus saving expense ; would make the treasurer's salary $600 in lieu of all fees ; the charter was also defective in power to open and lay out streets ; they said the city now owns four fire engines, one ladder wagon, ten ladders, seven carts, a little over 3,000 feet of hose, with three companies of twenty two men and sixty-seven men with the hook and ladder and hose companies, a total of 133 men ; recommended the establishment of a hose depot with a superintendent ; the city was then in one great school district, and therefore drew no more of the State fund than would a district of thirty scholars, and recommended its division. The com- mittee were Charles A. Mann, T. E. Clark, T. S. Faxton, Joseph Bene- dict, Thomas Hopper.
An adjournment was taken to the next Monday, January 2Ist, when another public meeting was held and the various propositions voted upon-and nearly all of them favorably. Thus: To raise $6,300 and $1,000 for a hose depot at once; the mayor to have the appointment of the street commissioner, surveyor, watch, and police constables ; to abolish the office of marshal; to have only one official paper ; making the treasurer's salary $600; appropriating $4,000 for the City Hospital ; granting more power in the opening of streets; and dividing the city into school districts of 100 scholars each. All of these changes and other minor ones were soon embodied in charter amendments.
SiEl Wwim.
285
PROCEEDINGS OF 1856.
The pavement on Genesee street was extended to Oneida Square. Officers' salaries for the year made : Mayor, $250; clerk, $600; marshal, $500; street commissioner, $500. The Maine liquor law went into operation in July and at first was generally observed, but after a little time was often violated and many arrests followed. Part of the offenders were convicted and part discharged. A call for a mass meeting signed by about 150, to be held July 23d, was issued, “ to make an expression · on the subject of the thorough execution of the law." The meeting was held and resolutions adopted to the end in view, but it probably re- sulted in nothing, as such meetings commonly do.
1856 .- Officers were: Mayor, Alrick Hubbell; treasurer, Ira A. Button ; surveyor, Harvey Park; clerk, James G. French; street com- missioner, Christian Costleman ; attorney, Charles A. Butler; aldermen, M. McQuade, Truman K. Church, Daniel B. Johnson, Alvin White, Peter Cunningham, De Witt C. Grove ; supervisors, James McQuade, E. E. Roberts, William H. Ferry, R. U. Shearman, William Clark, D. Van Valkenburgh. Alrick Hubbell was elected mayor by the Whigs and Republicans as were also a majority of the aldermen and one- half of the supervisors.
On the 14th of January fire destroyed five stores on Genesee street, beginning in No. 56, where the Marble block now stands. The loss was $77,000 with $57,000 insurance. Some of the public prints were most bitter in their denunciation of the inefficiency of the fire depart- ment. The Gazette said the trouble arose from a stopped hydrant. On the 25th of March fire in the Devereux block did about $10,000 damage and on the 28th, in the council, a motion was adopted that a committee of three -examine into the practicability of abandoning the present organization of the fire department. Early in the year exten- sive changes were made in the ordinances, especially in relation to fire apparatus and its care, street begging, sale of liquors to minors, etc.
April 4th the city was authorized by the legislature to borrow on its bond $6,500 to pay the floating debt and raise the amount by tax, and amendments to the charter were polled in compliance with a suggestion made by a citizens' meeting called to consider the debt. The most im- portant of these amendments was a provision in regard to the treasurer and the city funds. His salary was reduced to $600 and he was re-
286
MEMORIAL HISTORY OF UTICA.
quired to deposit the city moneys in such bank as would pay the highest interest to the city and give security approved by the council. The amount of the general fund was raised from $12,000 to $16,000. Au- gust 8th a special committee on fire matters reported in favor of an en- gine-house and 500 feet of hose for Corn Hill and a new hook and lad- der truck ; these were purchased and in September 2,000 feet of hose were bought. A new hook and ladder-house was built the latter part of the year out of the old vegetable market on Bleecker street. Improvements effected by this council consisted in laying down a few sewers in various streets and in the extension of Hobart street from Kemble to Elm.
There was more complaint of the acts of the street commissioner. An inventory of property in his hands was asked by the council, and he was peremptorily ordered to contract for no more work without knowl- edge and consent of the council. Ordinary and extraordinary taxes for the year were $56,547.16, including street lighting.
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