Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 33

Author: Emerson, Edgar C., ed
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Co.
Number of Pages: 1368

USA > New York > Jefferson County > Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York > Part 33

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This, in brief, is the history of the active element of the Watertown fire department. As now constituted it comprises ten companies, with an aggregate membership of 382 (20 less than in 1897). The active companies are Neptune Hose and Steamer Co. No. 1, which traces its ancestry to April, 1835, when the members took charge of the first brake engine brought to the village, and was then called Neptune En- gine Co. No. 3; Central Hose and Steamer Co. No. 2, whose history runs to 1848, and whose service began with old "Rough and Ready " engine which had been laid aside by Neptune; Jefferson Hose Co. No. 3, which in 1845 superseded the company which manned the old Jeffer- son cotton mills engine; Star Hose Co. No. 1, the junior organization of the department, which was formed by the directors January 20, 1890; and John Hancock Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, which had its origin in Capt. William Smith's company of fifteen members author- ized by the trustees in 1817.

One of the noticeable elements of the department is the organization known as the "Exempts," composed of firemen who have served five years with one of the active companies, and are, therefore, placed on the retired list. In this branch are now five companies-A, B, C, D), and E, each of which, except E, has 56 members.

According to the admirable financial system of the department, the moneys thereof comprise two funds, known as the general and exempt firemen's funds. Any fireman of the department, after having com- pleted five years' service, and receiving an honorable discharge from the directors, becomes eligible to membership in the exempt organization on payment of three dollars. This money constitutes the exempt fund, and is invested by the directors and the interest therefrom is used in caring for and beautifying the firemen's lot in Brookside cemetery. The general fund consists of all moneys of the department not a part of the exempt fund, and is derived from annual rental of department

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buildings, compensation paid by the eity, percentages received from in - surance companies, interest from investments and other revenues com - ing into the treasury. According to the treasurer's report (January 8, 1898), this fund aggregates $22, 783.91, and the exempt fund $2,012.69. This in connection with the real estate and fire apparatus owned by the department aggregates a grand total of more than $40,000.

On May 28, 1860, the directors purchased from the Watertown ceme- tery association lots Nos. 34 to 47, in section A, and the walks connected therewith, for a fireman's lot. The original form of the tract was a half circle but the directors changed it to a complete eirele. In August, 1890, a contract was made with George Van Vleek to erect a monument on the lot at the agreed price of $1,650. The work was completed during the following year. The unveiling and dedicatory ceremonies were held Saturday, June 20, 1891. The monument has a height of 16% feet of pure Barre granite, beautifully polished and engraved. The base is five feet, eight inches square, and eighteen inches high. The second base is four feet eight inches square, and fifteen inches high. The die is five feet three inches high, and four feet square. The base of the figure is four feet four inches square, and the height of the figure is eight feet. On the face of the die is the inscription "Water- town Fire Department," while on the second base are the figures "1891."

The civil list of the department is as follows:

Chief Engineers .- Dyer lInntington, 1832-36; Asher M. Corss, 1836-39; W. II. Robinson, 1839 -: Norris M. Woodruff, 1848-51; Nathaniel Farnham, 1852-53; Fred. Emerson, 1854-65; Solon B. Hart, 1866-67; Thomas C. Chittenden, 1868-69; Geo. L. Davis, 1820-71; John M. Carpenter, 1872-73; Wm. G. Carlisle, 1874-75; Robt. L. Utley, 1876; Henry A. Smith, 1877 to Mar., 1878; John E. Bergevin, 1878-79; Eugene C. Van Namee, 1880-81; Elbert W. Knapp, 1882-83; Wm. H. Cole, 1884; Silas 1. George, 1885-86; John L. McCarthy, 1887-88; Wm. Clark, 1889; Chas. E. McClare, 1890-91; Fred Morrison, 1892-93; John W. Phippin, 1894; George II. Sharlow, 1895-98.

Secretaries .- Lotus Ingalls, 1850-51 ; John L. Baker, 1851 to August 4, 1852; Fred Emerson, 1852-53; John Rice, 1854-56; Ward E. Massey, 1854 to December 13, 1856; William A. Loomis, 1856-October, 1858; John E. Dodge, 1858-59; La Fayette Little, 1860; Peter Hobson, 1861; Chas. H. Van Brackle, 1862-63; John II. Mckay, 1864 (two days): Wm. W. Wright, 1864; La Fayette Little, 1864 to Sept. 11, 1865; Ross C- Scott, 1865-1898.

Treasurers .- John L. Baker, 1851; Peter Horr. 1852-54; Robt. Porter, 1855-57; Norris Winslow, 1858-60; William Howard, 1861; Fred 1), Sherman, 1862-63; Thos.

1 The department records from 1839 to 1848 are very imperfect.

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C. Chittenden, 1861-67; George B. Massey, 1868-69; Louis C. Greenleaf, 1570. Pardon C. Wilhams, 1871-62; Jerome Bushnell, 1823 4; Chas. R. Skinner, 1875 ℃; Edgar C. Emerson, 1878-98.

The department officers for the year 1898 are as follows Geo. II. Sharlow, chief engineer; John II. Barry, first assistant ; Robert J. Hale, second assistant ; Ross C. Scott, secretary; Edgar C. Emerson, treasurer; board of directors: Geo. 11. Sharlow, president; John H. Barry and Robt. J. Hale, vice-presidents; Ross C. Scott and Peter B. Montrois, of Neptune II. & L. Co. No. 1; Robert Carney and Chas. S. Chapin, of Central II. & S. Co. No. 2; Edgar C. Emerson and Fred F. Fields, of Jefferson Hose Co. No. 3; James M. Crane and James Wikle, of Star Hose Co. No. 4; F. M. Ferri and Fred B. Devendorf, of Co. A, Exempts; J. Edward Massey and Gustavus Hardy, of Co. B, Exempts; James M. Dorsey and John Don- nelly of Co. C, Exempts; Edwin Scholes and George B. Johnson, Co. D, Exempts; Horace E. Taylor and Bradley C. Banter, Co. E. Exempts.

In connection with the history of the fire department it is necessary that a brief allusion be made to some of the more disastrous fires which have destroyed village and city property in times past. Half a cent- ury and more ago a fire that destroyed ten thousand dollars worth of property was regarded as a serious conflagration, almost a public calam- ity, while now such events are not infrequent and are looked upon as not more than ordinary. The first serious fire in the village occurred Feb. 7, 1833, and burned the tannery and oil mill of Jason Fairbanks, the paper mill and printing establishment owned by Knowlton & Rice, and the morocco factory and dwelling owned by Kitts & Carpenter. These building's were at the foot of Mill street, above the short bridge leading to Beebee's (originally Cowan's) island. Beebee's factory on the island was burned Juiy 6, 1833. 1

On December 22, 1841, the Black river woolen mills, at Factory vil- lage, were burned. On March 21, 1848, occurred the fire which de- stroyed Knowlton & Rice's mill and adjacent property, and an attend- ing loss of life. The property then burned included the Winslow Partridge woolen mill, Philo Johnson's sash and blind factory, the Haddock axe factory, a large frame building on the site of the afterward known Jefferson mills, Farnham's tannery, Lord's plough works, a wagon shop, the bridge across the south channel, and several other buildings and structures. The old Union mill alone survived the dis- astrous fire. Leonard Wright and Levi Palmer (members of Neptune No. 1) were burned to death in attempting to save property in the woolen mill. Many men were thrown out of employment as a result of this fire, and the people of the village generously contributed $1, 100 for their relief.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

On Sunday morning, May 13, 1849, the village was visited with the most disastrous and sweeping fire of any during all its history, and one by which the greater portion of the business section was destroyed. The fire originated in a storage in rear of the First National, on the east end of the square (where is now Baird's jewelry store) and thence by a sudden explosion spreal to the American hotel and Paddock buildings, both of which were soon in ruins. The flames crossed Court street to the Wooster Sherman bank, and thence were blown by a brisk wind down the street to the Safford, Hayes and Peck blocks, and thence to the new Woodruff building, then one of the finest structures in the village. Here it was hoped the heavy walls would stay the flames, but the wooden cornice soon became ignited and in less than an hour the building was in ruins. The fire then worked down the square, and was only checked by tearing down a building in advance of it. In the meantime the Fairbanks stone block at the angle had taken fire, and down Court street as far as Jackson street was a complete line of flame. The fire also worked up Arsenal street, burning everything as far as the Post building, and the intermediate space between Arsenal and Court streets was entirely burned over. To the southward, every building between the square, Arsenal street and the Stone street church was burned to the ground within two short hours. In this conflagration which has ever been known in history as the " great fire, " the buildings destroyed included the Episcopal church (on Court street), three print- ing establishments, about thirty stores, the post-office, the Black River bank, Wooster Sherman's bank, Henry Keep's bank, the town clerk's office, the surrogate's office, the Y. M. C. A. rooms, and many dwell- ing houses.

Norris M. Woodruff was at this time chief of the fire department, and on that eventful night might be seen mounted on his horse, riding to and fro through the thickest of the smoke and falling embers, giving orders to everyone " to man the brakes," save property, and he did not ask any man to go where he dared not lead the way. When Court street was a lane of fire, and the goods of the merchants were piled in the streets, the chief galloped his horse through the street, and over the obstructions, encouraging every man to do his full duty. But almost before the smoke of the ruins had died away preparations were made to rebuild, and the following summer was the busiest of all in the early history of the village.

On September 24, 1850, the Universalist church was burned. On

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January 27, 1851, Perkins' hotel (on the site of Washington Hall) with the large block adjoining on Washington street, were burned; loss about $25,000. In the fall of 1852 there occurred six fires, on as many successive Fridays, and all of undoubted incendiary origin. Among the buildings destroyed in this year was the old " sugar house," which Judge Coffeen built many years before at the corner of Massey and Coffeen streets. On October 16, during this period, the llinger- ford building, the Citizen's bank and Sherman's bank, on the west side of Washington street were burned; and on November 5 following, "Mechanic's row, " below the Union mills, was also destroyed, causing a loss of $20,000, and the death of Iludson Haddock, who perished in the flames while attempting to save some property.

One of the most disastrous fires in the history of the village, which was all the more serious because of the fatalities and personal injuries that accompanied it, was the burning of the old Black river woolen mills, on Friday, May 6, 1859. The fire started in the " pieking room " between five and six o'clock in the afternoon, and despite every effort to subdue the flames the most serious disaster followed. The building was filled with operatives at the time, and so rapid was the progress of the flames that at least a dozen employees were unable to make their escape without injury. Two persons, Angeline Sloan and John Shep. herd, died from burns and injuries received from jumping from win- The injured were Mrs. Vincent White, Maria Greenwood, Celia Blod- gett, James M. Griffin and child, Mr. and Mrs. Marshall, Thomas Farrar, Elizabeth French, Mary Harris, Mary A. Huntley, Hannah Rogers, Thomas Osborne and Miss Simms.

Subsequent to the period indicated in preceding paragraphs, fires of greater or less importance were frequent occurrences in local annals, but after the village and city had attained considerable population, and correspondingly large business interests, such events did not appear to attract the attention of those of early years, and passed into history without special notice. The faet nevertheless appears that hardly a prominent site within the business center has entirely escaped the rav- ages of fire at some time during the period of its history.

In this connection it is interesting to note the date of erection of some of the more prominent business buildings of the village and subsequent city, viz. :

The Woodruff house, the commonly known Iron block, and also the Areade buildings, were built immediately after the fire of 1849, or dur-

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ing the years 1849-52. Washington hall, which for years was regarded as one of the finest business buildings in the village, was built in 1853, by Walter and Gilbert Woodruff, and came into the possession of John A. Sherman in July, 1859. The Streeter block, at the corner of the square and Mill street, was erected in 1843. The Hubbard building was erected in 1869. The Doolittle & Hall block was built in 1871. The marble front building, formerly the office of the Agricultural In- strance company, and the Van Namee block, were all built in 1873. The Winslow block (now the Taggart block) was built by Norris M. Winslow in 1874. The Ryan block was built in 1876. The Flower building was erected in 1889; the Smith building in 1892; the Burdick building in 1893; the Jefferson County Savings Bank building in 1894.

Educational Institutions.'-The educational system of the village and city of Watertown, like that of all other of its institutions, has shown a slow, conservative and uniforin growth from the earliest years of the century, and during that long period has developed from the primitive germ into an organism as complete and perfect as modern meth ods and science can produce. School houses and books now open up to the poorest student the lights and opportunities of knowledge which royalty could not command one and two centuries ago, and it is no longer possible to compress the domain of learning within the narrow limits of the " Seven Professorships." The highest institutions of learn- ing of a hundred years ago seldom offered the opportunity of education equal to that of the present high school. However, let us trace the history of the schools of this city from their infancy and thus learn something of their growth and development.

In 1802, two short years after pioneer Henry Coffeen made the first settlement on the city site, his daughter Sally taught the children of the settlers in a little log barn which stood about on the site of the Times office in Arcade street, and soon afterward Heiress Coffeen (sis- ter of Sally and daughter of the pioneer) opened a primitive school in a more comfortable log house on the road leading to Adams (Washing- ton street. )

This school was maintained until 1804, when the town of Water. town became an organized school district, and a school house was built on the hill south of the mall, on the site of the present Universalist church. This was indeed a primitive building, well worthy of the

1 Compiled from a historical sketch prepared by David G. Griffin, William G. Williams and others, and published in the public school reports.

mul Millions

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name " the first village school house." It was elevated about four feet from the ground on the west side, and was " underpinned " at the corners and in the middle by three logs set on end. The interior was furnished with pine boards running the entire length of three sides, on which the children sat, while the teacher occupied the middle of the room. This was a somewhat historie structure, and in 1802 served the double purpose of school and court house. The first teacher was a Scotchman named MeGregor, who remained a short time, and was fol- lowed by an itinerate missionary who fortunately possessed the com. bined qualities of preacher and pedagogue. After about two years he was succeeded by Roswell Babbitt (the unele of former Sheriff George Babbitt), who, in turn, gave way to one Laidlow. Next came Jere. miah, better known as "long-legged " Bishop, who "taught the school with book and rule," but whose slender income failed to properly main- tain him, whereupon he was held for debt and placed on the "jail limits." Fortunately for the worthy pedagogue, the historic jail limits then included the school building. The later teachers, in succession, were Mr. Cowan and Joel Everett, the latter of whom left in 1816 to take charge of a school at Sackets Harbor. About this time the school building fell into disuse and was removed to the corner of Arsenal and and Arcade streets, where it was burned in 1849. Thus passed out of existence another of the pioneer structures of the village.

In 1816, as is fully narrated on a preceding page, Watertown became an incorporated village, and soon afterward the territory was divided into two school districts, with Washington street the dividing line. In the next year the trustees purchased from Hart Massey the lots at the corner of Arsenal and Massey streets, whereon was erected a plain one- story brick school house, at a cost of $696. " In the meantime, " says the Griffin narrative, "the brick academy on Washington street was refitted for the eastern district school," and Avery Skinner (who after- ward became distinguished in public life) taught there from 1817 to 1823. Ile is remembered as one of the most efficient teachers in the early history of the village. In 1820 the old academy building was sold to the Presbyterian society, hence a new school for the district became necessary, but then arose a controversy which resulted in dividing the district. State street was the agreed dividing line, and the district north of that thoroughfare purchased a frame building on Factory street and refitted it for school occupancy. On the south side the trustees continued to occupy the academy until 1823, when the lot

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

whereon was afterward built Grace church was bought and a stone school house was erected. This building was replaced with another in 1846, the latter being occupied for school purposes until sold to the trtistees of Grace church, in 1868.

In the course of a few years the trustees in the district north of State street replaced the old frame building with a new brick structure which served its required purpose until 1852, when the property was sold (and later was occupied by Eli Hamlin as a carriage shop) and the Lamon street school house was erected. The building was materially enlarged in 18:1, and repaired in 18:6, and in the last year mentioned was re- garded as the best school house in the city. In the same manner the growth of the village at length necessitated the erection of a larger school house in the eastern district, therefore in 1856 a considerable addition was made to the building. In 1888 its capacity was doubled.

The condition of the village schools in 1840 is well illustrated in the following statement which was published in that year, viz. :

"There are three school districts in the village of Watertown, and are numbered in connection with the school districts of the town, 2, 3 and 8. School in district No. 2 is taught by J. W. Weeks; school house on the corner of Arsenal street and Madi- son square (Massey street); number of scholars 95; has a library of 98 volumes; trus- tees, William Hinckley, P. Howk and H. Merrill. School in district No. 3 is taught by C. J. Wright: school house on Factory street; number of scholars 140; has a library ; trustees, Baker Massey, Alexander Cummings and Harlow Scoville. School in district No. " is taught by Samuel Myrick ; school house on Sterling street; num- ber of scholars, 50; trustees, Dr. William Sykes, William H. Robinson and N. W. Streeter."

"The progress of the schools from 1840 to 1864," says Mr. Griffin's account, " did not wholly satisfy those interested in their welfare. Their supervision by the town superintendents, and afterward by the county school commissioners, was necessarily imperfect. There was no uniformity in text books in use, consequently people moving from one district to another were subjected to renewed and useless expendi- tures. Private schools had become quite numerous, and while they did much to lower the standard of the public schools. yet none of them aimed at a thorough and systematic education. Owing to frequent changes of school officers, the full realiza tion of any reform system was found impossible."

According to the district trustees' report for 1864, the year next pre- ceding the incorporation of the board of education, the number of teachers employed in the village schools was 29; the number of chil. dren of school age in the several districts was 2,633; number of pupils registered, 1,28 ;; or only 48 per cent. of the children in the district.

The Board of Education of the village of Watertown was incorpo-

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THE CITY OF WATERTOWN.

rated by an aet of the legislature, passed April 21, 1865, and immediately afterward there followed a radical departure from the district system, and the establishment of the village schools upon a more efficient, pro- gressive and substantial basis. The original act has been frequently amended that the schools might keep pace with the constantly improv- ing methods adopted by the state department of public instruction, but it is hardly within the scope of this chapter to follow and note the sev- eral changes inasmuch as the substance of the creating aet has ever been preserved.

The act provided for the election (on the first Monday in June after its passage) of nine commissioners,' who should comprise the board, and also that within ten days after the election the trustees should de- termine by lot which three of their number should serve for three, two and one years, respectively. In accordance with the act the election was held, and at the first meeting held June 12, 1865, the personnel of the board was as follows: Theodore Babcock, John W. Armstrong, La- fayette Lyttle, William V. V. Rosa, Allen C. Beach, Charles A. Sher- man. Delano C. Calvin, Solon B. Ilart and Talcott II. Camp. Com- missioners Armstrong and Calvin resigned, and Mr. Camp failed to qualify, whereupon John M. Sigourney, Lotus Ingalls and I. S. Bing- ham were appointed to fill the vacancies. The appointees from the institute were John C. Sterling and Milton H. Merwin.

In June, 1865, the board leased for the term of three years all the property then held by the trustees of the institute, and in September following the Watertown high school was opened in the building, under the temporary principalship of William Reed, jr. From that time the board has held possession of the old institute by general lease, and the annual appointment of commissioners from its trustees is yet main- tained, although there prevails a strong sentiment in favor of an abso- lute transfer of the property to the city.

The subsequent history of the village and city schools is written in the results of more than thirty years of constant progress and advance- ment from one degree of perfection to another; in the passing of the old and the incoming of the new generation of pupils; in the abandon- ment of the primitive school buildings and the erection of others of

1 Section 2 of the actprovided that in addition to the nine elective members of the board, the trustees of the Jefferson County Institute should designate two of their number to serve as members of the board of education so long as the it stitute building should be lease I to the vil- lage for school purposes. This enstom has ever since been purs ied, and among the designated members from that body has come to the board some of its very best material.

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modern style, and adapted to the more recent and approved methods of instruction. In no respect was this change more noticeable than in the adoption of the Quincey system of school conduct, which necessi- tated radical alterations in several school buildings. As the village de- veloped into an enterprising city and rapidly increased in commercial importance and population, the erection of new school buildings be- came necessary, and as one has followed another so, too, has there been shown a close adherence to advanced methods, and particularly in re- gard to comfort and health of pupils. The result of all this care and outlay of moneys has been to place the schools in a position of enviable prominence among the educational institutions of the state, and to re- flect credit upon the commissioners and also upon the superintendents and the corps of teachers to whom the immediate management has been intrusted. In 1869 Watertown became a city, and in establishing its boundaries the small villages of North Watertown and Juhelville were included. This brought three additional schools within the corporate jurisdiction and they have since formed a part of the general system. The old stone school house on Bradley street was built in 1824, and was in use until about 1891, when it was abandoned for the present Mead street school house.

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Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 33

Author: Emerson, Edgar C., ed Publication date: 1898 Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Co. Number of Pages: 1368

Author: Emerson, Edgar C., ed
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Boston] Boston History Co.
Number of Pages: 1368