Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 58

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 58

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The West Carthage fire department comprises two companies, known, respectively, as the M. P. Mason and W. B. Van Allen hose company. Each has a good hose cart and sufficient supply of serviceable hose on its reel.

Notwithstanding the difficulties required to be overcome to attain the complete municipal character, and regardless of the fact that the village has been slow in progressing to its present condition, the people here have ever been regarded as thrifty and generous. Serions fires have destroyed many attractive buildings, and in the manufacturing district, along the river front, several large factories have been lost through like disaster. But in this locality the old burned buildings have been replaced with new, and to-day West Carthage is a place of much importance in commercial industry. Briefly noting them, men- tion may first be made of the Carthage lumber company whose large mill and property stands above the railroad bridge and generally gives employment to several men. First down the river, below the drive bridge, is the pulp mill owned by Augustus Maxwell, and then, in the

549

THE TOWN OF CLAYTON.

order mentioned, Kelsey Coffeen's tub factory, Edward Brace's fur- niture factory, Hutchinson & Clark's large flouring and feed mill (es tablished 1872), William Farrar's saw mill, Farrar & Myers' sash, door and blind factory and planing mill (old and new buildings), Harvey Far- rar's tub factory (established 1856), Howard & Buck's hosiery knitting mill, and M. P. Mason's extensive handle factory and planing mills. Up the hill, in the mercantile and residence locality, the business in- terests comprise Charles A. Beyer's grocery and drug store, R. S. Hill- man's general store, and A. M. Hawkins' bakery. This apparent lack of mercantile interests is caused by the proximity of the village to Carthage, where purchasers may choose from the larger stocks kept by business men of that enterprising municipality.

The first Congregational church of West Carthage was organized by Rev. Nathaniel Dutton, March 31, 1835, and was the direct offshoot from the mother society at Champion. There were twelve constituent members, and the early meetings were held in the old school building. The church edifice was built in 1852, and was enlarged in 1893. The present pastor, Rev. Jesse B. Felt, came to the church June 11, 1893. Under his pastorate the members number 162, with 120 children in the Sunday school.

The Free Methodist church at West Carthage was organized June 6, 1891, with 16 members, under the charge of Rev. E. N. Jinks, pastor. The society is small and only occasional services are heldl.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE TOWN OF CLAYTON.

At some unknown period during the Indian occupation of the St. Lawrence region, a fort was built at the month of French creek, with- in the limits of this town, but by whom neither record nor tradition gives us any reliable information. The Oneidas claimed the territory, but it is probable they were induced to enlarge the extent of their alleged domain at the suggestion of John Duncan, a resident of Sche- nectady and the agent of Penet in locatingthe hundred square miles of land granted the latter as "a benevolence" from the Indians. In

550

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Arent Marselis's survey the map made at the direction of the attorney- general, and supervised to a certain extent by Duncan, the Oneida possessions were in part bounded by a line which run "westerly to an old fort which stood on the creek called Weteringhra, and which empties into the St. Lawrence river about twelve miles below Carlton or Buck's island, and which fort the Oneidas took from their enemies a long time ago." Another writer treating of the Indian occupation, re- fers to this ancient structure of Wet-er ingh.ra gu-en-te-re, which being interpreted means " fallen fort." Oneida tradition says the fort was taken by that people from their old Canadian enemies, but at what time is not known to any reliable authority. All traces of the fortifica- tion were gone when the pioneers first came to open the country to ad- vancing civilization during the early years of the century.

At a later period, during the last French and English wars, this par- ticular part of the St. Lawrence valley was a much frequented thorough- fare of travel for Indians and troops, but history gives us no record of any conflict waged within the bounds of this town. During the revo- lution, too, this vicinity was, as it ever since has been, the great gate- way to the entire Thousand Island region.

The town of Clayton includes portions of three separately patented tracts of land. The first of these was Penet's square, a somewhat historic district, comprising 64,000 acres of land (two-fifths of which are within the bounds of this town), which was granted to John Dun- can in behalf of Peter Penet, as a gratuity to him from the Oneida In- dians. The second tract includes a small fraction of great lot No. 4 of the famous Macomb purchase, while the third tract comprises the islands in the St. Lawrence which were originally intended to be a part of the Macomb tract, but on account of the uncertainty of the bound- ary line between the United States and Canada, they were not patented until 1823, when they became the property of Elisha Camp. From these proprietaries the land titles in the town have descended, but it is not deemed necessary to further pursue the subject in this chapter.

So far as we have present knowledge the first white occupants of this part of the county were lumber thieves, who came unannounced and unauthorized and cut from the land much of its choicest timber. Some of these bold operators carried on their work in this town, and in 1299 a surveying party found a small log hut on the site of Clayton village which had undoubtedly been one of their habitations. So great indeed did these depredations become that Nathan Ford, the pioneer of Og-

551

THE TOWN OF CLAYTON.

densburgh, addressed a letter to Governeur Morris, agent for the pro prietary, informing him of the fact, and suggesting that some means be adopted to bring the offenders to justice. Pioneer Ford had him- self suffered from these trespassers, but did not await the law's slow operation as he administered punishment according to his own ideas, and with such effect that the work was partially stopped.

The first settlement in the vicinity of Clayton was made in 1801 or 1802 by one Captain Bartlett, who was sent to a point on the river about a mile above Clayton village to establish and maintain a ferry between what then became known as Bartlett's point and Gananocque ; and while the real purpose of this was to keep open traffic with the Canadian side, the captain was also instructed to keep an eye on the operations of the lumber thieves. But this evidently proved a monot- onous life for the worthy captain, as after a year or two he is said to have set fire to his cabin and departed for more congenial quarters. Soon after this, during the winter of 1803 -1, Smith & Delamater, agents for the proprietor, began the erection of a saw mill near the mouth of Wheeler creek (probably Carpenter creek as now known), but the ven- ture proved unsuccessful and was discontinued after a short time. Following this there was little real attempt at development until just before the outbreak of the war of 1812-15. In the meantime, however. settlement on Penet's square was well advanced. The squatters began to come about 1806, and as the lands were without a resident agent they were supposed to be free, therefore were quickly occupied, and improved to the extent of being stripped of their forest growth and opened as farms for visible profits. None of these occupants held under any title, nor had many of them more than a temporary interest in the lands. Some, however, afterward remained and paid for their farms, while others left when confronted with the demands of the proprietary.

Although actual and permanent settlement was not begun until after the close of the war, the town was the scene of several events of his- toric importance before and during that time. During the embargo and non-intercourse period, the mouth of French creek was a noted rendezvous for smugglers, whose operations were carried on quite sys- tematically and with a good degree of success In 1808 the famous embargo road was opened from the Black river, near Brownville, to the month of French creek (now Clayton village), and for that year was a great thoroughfare for smugglers whose operations on Black river bay were too closely watched by the authorities; but even this com-

552

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

paratively unknown route was soon closed through the vigilance of the officers, so far as open violation was concerned, although it was secretly used throughout the smuggling period.

There being no special occupancy of the region, other than the opera- tions of lumbering concerns, during the war, the locality made no his- tory worthy of mention, except the single important event which took place on Nov. 1 and 2, 1813. Late in the fall of that year the general in command at Sackets Harbor determined upon an invasion of Canada, Montreal being the proposed point of attack. General Jacob Brown was ordered to command the advance with his troops of militia, and to take a position at French creek, where the detachments were ordered to rendezvous preparatory to the general movement down the river. On the evening of the 1st of November, the British observed the con- centration of American forces at the creek, and about sunset on that day made an attack with two brigs, two schooners and several boats loaded with infantry. Gen. Brown's encampment was a short distance up the creek from its mouth, but he had wisely caused a battery of three 18-pounders to be planted on Bartlett's point, which from its ele- vated position gave it practical command over the approach of the enemy. Capt. MePherson was in command of the battery, and so vigorously did he send shot among the enemy's boats that they soon dropped down the river out of range, The next morning the attack was renewed, but without success, and one of the British brig's was with difficulty towed off to the squadron. The American loss was two men killed and four wounded; the British loss was much more. On the morning of the 5th the expedition started down the St. Lawrence, and on the 11th occurred the disastrous battle at Chrysler's Field; an affair which brought Gens. Hampton and Wilkinson into disgrace, and resulted in the suspension of the latter from his command.

Throughout the period of the war this region was in a wholly un- settled condition, and in view of the uncertainties of the contest, there was made but little attempt at settlement in what is now Clayton. After the return of peace development was begun in earnest, and during the next half score of years two new towns were created in this part of Brownville: and in less than another ten years still another town was erected, and was called Clayton. Lumbering began on Penet's square in 1809 in much the same manner as along the river ten years before, and it was not effectually stopped until the proprietors sent agents to live on the tract and compel recognition of their ownership. On that

553

THE TOWN OF CLAYTON.

part of the square now a part of Clayton, Simon and Jared White were among the first Jumbermen squatters, but being "warned off" by the agent, abandoned the locality and lived for a time at Three Mile Point, in Lyme. In 1817 they gathered together their property and families and started in an open boat for the west. In the party were eleven persons, all of whom safely arrived at Hounsfield, above the harbor, where they camped for the night on the shore. None of them were ever afterward seen alive.

Among the purchasers of large areas of the Penet lands were the Wilkes, of whom there were several. C. 11. and E. Wilkes became possessed of 12,000 acres adjoining the Depau traet, and in 1816 sent Nathaniel Norton, jr. (who, by the way, was one of the prominent characters of the town in later years), to represent them in the sale of the land in farm parcels. He was one of the first permanent settlers in the vicinity and withal a worthy and respected citizen, About the same time David and Nathaniel Holbrook, brothers, with their father, came to Catfish Falls, as Depanville was then known, under a contract with Alexander Le Ray, the latter the agent of Depau, and began the erection of a primitive saw and grist mill on Chaumont river, but through some failure regarding payments, the property was sold in 1821 to Stephen Johnson and Peter Martin, Imbermen and merchants, and among the most extensive operators in the region at that time.

Phineas Osborn was one of the early settlers in the town. He came from Herkimer county in ISE and located about three miles northwest of the falls. His descendants are still living in Clayton. In 1818 Jerry Carter settled near Clayton Centre. His father, who came at the same time, was the "mighty hunter" of the region, and it is said his stories never grew Jess from frequent repetition. Amos and James D. Gloyd, Vermont Yankees, came in 1819 and settled on lot 39, where the family afterward lived so many years. In 1820 Adam Fry came from Lewis county, and was afterward a respected resident of this town. Gaylord Enos came in 1824, and purchased fifty acres of the Depau lands, but gradually increased his possessions until he became one of the most forchanded men of the vicinity, and built and occupied a splendid resi- dence,

But there were other carly settlers in Clayton equally worthy of mention with those whose names have been recalled, and among whom were several who saw service in the army during the revolution. They were Hosea Randolph, Solomon Ingalls, Amos Richards, James Bothel.

554

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Major Abiatha Joy, Thomas Fetterly and James Rankin, and also two others named Dixon and Davis, but whose christian names are now lost. There were also among the settlers many who had served during the second war with Great Britain, but it was then expected that every able-bodied and loyal American would see more or less service during that period, or at least was among the enrolled militia and at all times ready for active duty.

Indeed it would seem that after the close of the war the tide of set- tlement set strongly in the direction of the St. Lawrence valley and its adjacent territory, for during the next ten or fifteen years the number of inhabitants in what is now Clayton increased from less than twenty to more than one thousand in 1820, and almost double that number in the next ten years. However, let us recall some of these settlers by name that at least some brief memory of them may be preserved in these pages, while in another department of the work will be found more extended mention of them, their families and their lives. Glean- ing information from all sources the following persons were found among the more prominent early families of Clayton (the year after the name indicates the date of settlement) :

John Norton (1816), Anthony Atwood (1817), Daniel Abby, William Thompson, J. Wilson Wright, E. M. Winslow, Alfred Fox, Luther Brown, A. Buskirk, Warren Hall, Aaron Kittle (a Pennsylvanian), Joseph Adams, Elkanah Corbin (1818), John Putnam, John Ackert (1819), John Spencer (1819), Archibald Marshall and Zebulon Bass (both in 1820, and the latter on Grindstone island) John Marshall, Jacob Seeber (1821). Daniel Hill (1822), John Vandewalker (1823), Oren W. Smith (1828), Daniel Porter (1829), John Johnston (1830), Gideon Lowe (1831), Dr. Wm. Frame, Lynn Barney, Henry Walt, James Plumb, William Murdock, Lewis Consaul, George Steele (1831), Francis Barrett, Elijah Fox, Eben Rees and Ira A. Sylvester (all in 1832), Thomas Faire and Erastus Wright (both in 1834), Stephen Hale (1835), Moses C. and Hubbard Garnsey, Henry and Thomas Elliot (1836), John Lingenfelter, Charles A. Commins, Peter Fetterley, Alexander Robinson and Rufus Parish (all in 1838), Joseph Petlow (1839), Joseph Thibault and Jacob Seeber (1840), Sylvester H. Slate (1840), Elijah McCarn (1842).

At a little later period there came other families, among whom may be mentioned such familiar names as Spencer, Wright, Manson, Gar- lock, Heyl, Walrath, Swart, Shire, Allen and Hollenbeck, all good and true men and settlers, and each of whom was in some manner identified with the town in its early history. Indeed, this list might be con- tinued to an indefinite length, for in Clayton it was difficult to deter- mine just when early settlement was lost in the general growth of the town.

555

THE TOWN OF CLAYTON.

Thus have we recalled the names of many of the early settlers in one of the most interesting civil divisions of the county; a town possessing as many natural resources as any in the region ; favored by nature with a soil which for general productiveness is not surpassed in the county, and scenery equal to any in all the Thousand Island locality. Of course man's art and energy have done much to establish this fortunate condi- tion, but in this particular portion of the St. Lawrence valley nature dealt bountifully with all who were destined to make it their place of abode. However, in the early history of the county that portion of the town now known as Grindstone Island was subject to the same lumber thiev- ing operations as elsewhere, and so bold were the acts of the operators that the service of legal papers was accomplished only with the aid of military force, for the civil authorities were opposed by desperate resist- ance. Many of the so-called thieves came from across the border, and when rafts were constructed they were frequently floated into British waters, from all of which the inference was drawn that these operations received at least partial sanction from that side.

Organisation .- On April 3, 1821, the legislature passed an act en- titled "An act to divide the towns of Brownville and Le Ray, in the county of Jefferson," by which the towns of Alexandria, Philadelphia and Orleans were created. Previous to this, in 1818, the legislature had erected the town of Lyme from Brownville. By an act passed April 22, 1833, Clayton was created, the effective portion being as fol- lows: Be it enacted, &e., that all that part of the town of Lyme lying easterly of a line beginning at the southwest corner of Penet's square and running north 31 degrees west to the north bounds of the county in the river St. Lawrence; and all that part of the town of Orleans, in said county, lying northerly of Penet's square and west of a line begin- ning at the northeast corner of lot No. 40 of Penet's square, running south to the southeast corner of lot No. 97 of said Penet's square, shall be and the same is hereby erected into a new town of the name of Clayton ; and the first town meeting shall be held at the house of Isaac L. Carter on the first Tuesday of May next.

The town was named Clayton in honor of John M. Clayton, then in the senate from the state of Delaware. Within the limits of the town as now constituted are 47, 197 acres of land, but this also includes the area of the several islands in the river which form a part of the juris- diction, Since the town was created changes have been made in the boundary lines, but none of them were material modifications of the

556

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

original. The largest and by far the most important of the islands is that called Grindstone, which has an area of 5, 291 acres, or about one- ninth of the entire town. It is well populated, has about 100 voters, contains some of the best farming and grazing lands in the county, and possesses one of the richest stone quarries in this part of the state. Round, Hemlock (Murray). Robbins ( Picton), Grinnell (Stuart), Craw- ford (Bluff) and Packingham are among the smaller islands, but are not of special importance from a historie point of view. Each has its summer hotels and cottages, whose occupants during the pleasure sea- son purchase large quantities of produce from the farmers, and thus are desirable temporary residents of the town.

As provided in the act erecting the town, the first town meeting was held at the house of Isaac L. Carter on the first Tuesday in May, 1833. when these officers were elected :

Supervisor, Hubbell Fox; town clerk, B. F. Faxton ; justices of the peace, Gurdon Caswell; Stephen Martin ; assessors, Jesse Noyes, Abram Burdick, Beriah Carpenter, jr. ; overseers of the poor, Caleb Closson, James Barney ; commissioners of highways, Samuel P. Payne, Lloyd B Farrar, Elkanah Corbin ; com'rs of common schools, Al- fred Fox, John Consaul, Joseph Mason; inspectors of schools, Josiah Farrar, David Baker, B. F. Faxton; collector, Erastus Warner.

From first to last the history of Clayton forms an interesting chapter in the annals of the county. Settlement in fact was begun about 1816 and increased so rapidly that in 1833 the erection of a new jurisdiction in this part of the county became necessary. The lands of the gore (the portion taken from Lyme) were equally fertile and productive with the rich areas of Penet's square, and after the forests were cleared away fine farms were opened and Clayton began to assume a position of importance among the towns of the county. As an agricultural re- gion the town has always stood high in the county, but during the last quarter of a century farming pursuits have undergone a material change. It was not until 1843 that the town was given the benefits of a railroad, and all previous communication with the county seat was by wagon travel. True, the St. Lawrence offered a natural highway to market in that direction, yet the people needed ready access to points south and east. The energetic inhabitants of the south part of the town in a measure overcame these embarrassments by the incorpora- tion and operation of the Depauville steamboat company in 1861, which company was authorized to carry freight and passengers between De- pauville and Chaumont and other points on Lake Ontario and the river

557

THE TOWN OF CLAYTON.

for a period of thirty years from the time of incorporation ; but, how- ever commendable this enterprise may have been, it failed of snecess as a financial investment on the part of its originators, and was soon abandoned.

During the last twenty-five years the St. Lawrence water front to- gether with the numerous islands in the channel of the river, have brought a prosperous condition of things to the people of the town, both on the islands and mainland. Previous to that time general agri- culture was the chief pursuit of the inhabitants; and so it is to this day, yet the character of the product has materially changed. In the sum- mer season the town's population along the river front and on the islands is almost doubled. Every island of inhabitable extent has its cottage and generally a wealthy owner and temporary occupant. At least 2,000 people are thus added to the town for three or four months each year, all of whom must be fed and provided with the best produc. tions of the region. During the season vegetables, poultry, lambs, eggs, milk, butter and like produce of the farm command excellent prices and ready sale among these cottagers, all to the profit and advantage of the farmer of the vicinity. The other staples are hay and cheese, particularly the latter, which has brought to the town an enviable fame; and the St. Lawrence river cheese to a considerable extent es- tablishes and controls the price of that commodity in the markets. In this manufacture are several factories, known and located as follows: The Empire State factory, about two miles south of Clayton village (which has been in operation about twenty years), owned by Robert P. Grant and several farmers; the Lyme road factory, about ten years old, located between Clayton and Depauville, owned by Mr. Grant and others; the Depauville factory (farmers), an old industry, owned by F. B. Haas, John Dorr, jr., and R. P. Grant; the Depanville valley fac- tory, owned by Grant, Haas and Mrs. Sarah J. Norton; the Thousand Island factory, established about twenty years ago at St. Lawrence, now owned by Mr. Grant and several farmers; and the Grindstone Island factory, located on the island, owned by Mr. Grant and others.

"The greatest population in the town was attained in 1860, the census then showing 1,696 inhabitants. Indeed, when created in 1833 the population was more than 3, 000. showing that this part of the county was rapidly developed when settlement was once fairly begun, and when the question of titles was settled beyond dispute. How- ever, as tending to show the growth of the town, recourse is had to the census tables, according to which the number of inhabitants at the beginning of cach half decade has been as follows; 1835, 3,814; 1840, 3,990, 1845, 4,682; 1850, 1,191; 1855, 4,232; 1860, 4,696; 1865, 4,446; 1870, 1,082, 1875, 1,20%; 1880, 4,211; 1890, 4,411; 1892, 1,250.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 58

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