Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 60

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 60

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Christ church (Protestant Episcopal) of Clayton was organized in 1868, under the missionary labors of the Rev. 11. R. Lockwood, who became the first rector, and afterward a distinguished divine in other fields. In 1869 the pretty little stone church edifice was built in the village, and cost $10,000. There were ten original communicants; the present number is sixty-two. The rector is the Rev. Earl Henry Kenyon.

The First Congregational church of Clayton was organized March 16, 1890, and was incorporated Sept. 2, following. The original member- ship was thirty-six; the present number is 122. The church edifice was built in 1891, and cost $10,000. The first pastor was Rey. Thomas Hall. The present pastor, Rev. Wm. Excell, was called in 1896.

Clayton lodge, No. 296, F. & A. M., was organized under a charter dated June 11, 1853.

The first officers were James Green, W. M. ; John D. Augsbury, S. W. ; O. W. Cushman, J. W. ; T. M. Reade, treasurer, and L. J. Rice, secretary. From that until the present time the lodge has maintained a healthful existence. The lodge records prior to 1869 are not to be found, but since that time the masters have been as follows. A. Brooker, 1569 72; II. E. Morse, 1873; James Thompson, 1871; IL. Doncy, 1875 76, II. E. Morse, 1877; A. Brooker, 1878-50; James Johnson, 1881; 11. Doney, IS$2; G. M. McCombs, 1883; H. E. Morse, 1881 85; 1I. N. Estes, 1SS6; William II. Rees, 1857-94; H. Doney, 1895; Wm. H. Rees, 1896; Chas. E. Wells, 1897.

Montcalm lodge No. 69, 1 O. O. F., of Clayton, was one of the old- est and strongest bodies of its kind in the county. The lodge was or- ganized Feb. 18, 1848, and among its first members were John Masson (the first grand), John Johnston, Wm. H. Angel, George Brush, Arch- ibald Marshall, Leander Ilolt, Chauncey Pierce, S. D. Johnston, John

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Carey and George Smith. The lodge records were lost in a fire in 1853, but among the early members were many river sailors and boatmen, whose ultimate removal from the town reduced the active membership to a few persons, whereupon the charter was surrendered in 1856.

Clayton lodge No. 539, I. O. O. F., was organized under a charter dated August 18, 1886, from which time it grew in members and strength for several years. The present members number eighty one persons.

Depauville .- This interesting little village of about 300 inhabitants is situated in the southern central portion of the town, at the head of nav- igation on Chaumont river, and received its name from Francis Depau, a merchant and capitalist of New York city who invested quite largely in lands on Penet's square and the Macomb tract. He was the owner of fifteen lots on the square, being numbers 21 to 25; 41 to 45 and 55 to 60, for which he had paid $12,000; but from his purchase was ex- cepted certain parcels previously sold to Samuel Ruggles. In the locality in which the hamlet was built up there was a considerable fall in the river, from which the place took the name of Catfish Falls, and was so called for many years; and after the village was regularly called Depauville the name of Catfish creek was still applied to the river above the settlement.

It was near this place that Simon and Jared White made the first improvement by clearing the land and making lumber in a small way about the year 1809; but they were squatters, having neither title nor authority to protect their acts, hence were dispossessed, as has been mentioned on a previous page. They were among the first operators, but not the only unauthorized lumbermen in this vicinity. Nathaniel Norton, who had previously been in mercantile business at Russia, N. Y., came with his father, John Norton, to this locality in 1816, as agent for the sale and settlement of a 12, 000 acre tract of land adjoining the Depau lands, and then owned by C. II. & E. Wilkes. Ile made a per- manent beginning, and was soon followed by David and Nathaniel Hol- brook, who with their father, came to the place and built a rude saw and grist mill; but being unable to make the required payments, their purchase was sold to Stephen Johnson and Peter Martin, merchants and lumbermen, and founders in fact of the settlement, at least so far as its early history and prosperity were concerned. Other factors in the same direction were John Smith, who built the first dwelling house better than a log cabin and Peter B. Beadle, who conducted the store as clerk for Mr. Johnson. Mr. Winthrop opened a public house in 1820,

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THE TOWN OF CLAYTON.

and in the same year a school is said to have been started here. Peter Martin also had a store, and in 1824 Mr. Johnson built the stone mills, the same which were burned in 1851. They were replaced the next year by Wm. Huntington and John W. Ingalls, sons-in law to Johnson. Schuyler Osborn, Erastus Wright, Drs. William and Luke E. Frame, John W. Mount, Gaylord Enos, John Norton, Amos Otis, Deacon Linnell, Leonard Vincent, Jonathan Hall, L. K. and Hezekiah Patchen, John O. and " Squire " Spencer were also prominent characters in early life in the village and its vicinity, and through their united and indi- vidual action Depanville became a place of some note in this part of the county. But notwithstanding the fact that settlement here was founded as early as other similar hamlets, this locality seemed not to possess the natural advantages calculated to draw permanent and continued growth beyond the possession of a few stores, mills, shops and the other usual adjuncts of rural villages. Still, Depauville is a pleasant, comfortable and healthful village, in which all influences are for good. The stores, and there have always been two or more of them, are well stocked and managed and are liberally patronized by the thrifty farmers of the lo- cality. The village also has an excellent school and two church societies.

As a manufacturing center Depauville has not gained any special prominence. The early and more recent mills were built to supply flour and feed for home consumption, and but little of the product found its way to market on account of the limited means of transporta- tion offered by the established thoroughfares of travel. In this locality has always been found an abundance of good quality of lime rock, and in 1835 the manufacture of water lime was begun by Stephen Johnson, Joel Murray, Jared House and Mr. King as partners, the three last mentioned being non-residents. This business was carried on for a few years and then gradually declined through lack of shipping facilities and proper markets. However, it was the first industry of the kind in the country.

The Depauville steamboat company, to which reference has been made, was organized and incorporated Dec. 11, 1865, with $3,000 cap- ital, for the purpose of operating a line of boats and carrying freight and passengers between this village and Chaumont and other points on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence river. The founders of the enter- prise were E. M. Winslow, O. F. Osborn and Duane Ormsby. The company did some business for a time, but the investment was not

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

specially profitable and was soon discontinued. The business interests of the village in other channels have always been sufficient for the re- quirements of the inhabitants. The people are almost wholly agricul- turalists, devoted to the farm, thrifty and industrious, provident and saving. The village is their natural and convenient trading center, and for their accommodation several business places are constantly main- tained. Ilere, too, is the Depauville cheese factory, the leading in- dustry of the locality, and now owned by Sternberg Brothers. There are also two hotels, known as the Riverside and the Central houses. The merchants are A. D. Howe, Richard Terry and C. A. Fox.

The Free Will Baptist church at Depauville is one of the oldest re- ligious bodies in the town, and dates back in its history to March 20, 1820, when Elder Amasa Dodge effected a primitive organization with fifteen settlers of the vicinity as constituent members. In that year a little log meeting house was built by the settlers, in which they wor- shiped until 1834, when the stone church edifice was erected through the united efforts of the Free Will Baptist, Universalist, Congregational and regular Baptist brethren of this part of the town. Mr. Depau generously contributed $500 to the building fund. On August 20, 1841, the society organization was perfected. and Nahum D. Williams, Phineas A. Osborn and Helon Norton were chosen trustees. From that time the society has enjoyed a continued existence, and has been regarded as one of the strong churches of the town, and the only one of its denomination. The present members number about sixty per- sons, although the congregations indicate a larger number. The pas tor is Rev. E. E. Phillips.

The Methodist Episcopal church of Depauville was organized as a society Nov. 25, 1834, although as early as 1821 a class had been formed in this part of the town in connection with the Black river district of the Genesee conference. In 1823 a small meeting house was built, and stood in the rear of the stone school house site. The new church edi- fice was built in 1851-52. This is one of the largest churches of the town, and numbers 114 full and 83 probationary members. The church property is valued at $8,000, and the parsonage at $800. The pastor is Rev. U. E. Brown.

Depauville lodge, No. 688, F. & A. M., was organized in March, 1868, with Archibald Sternberg, master; J. A. Diefendorf, S. W. ; William Baxter, J. W .; John Howell, secretary; and William J. Lowe,

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THE TOWN OF CLAYTON.

treasurer. The present number of members is 20. George Miller, master, and W. A. Fox, secretary.

Grindstone Island in the history of the town occupies substantially the position of an independent jurisdiction, although it has no such character separate from the town at large. In area it contains 5,530 acres of land, and a population of about 350. In another part of this chapter is noted the names of several settlers and prominent residents on the island, and also something of the history of this locality, but in the present connection it may be said that Amariah Howe was the pi neer, he having made a squatter settlement as early as 1802. He was afterward followed by Daniel Cross, Lewis Jones, Anthony Lince, Samuel Johnson, William Wells and others, each of whom had some part in the early history of the locality.

The island contains much excellent farming and grazing land, and since the Thousand island region has gained such wide fame as a sum- mer resort, many of the inhabitants give special attention to the growth of such products as are most needed by the temporary occupants, and for which is paid the best prices. However, the island has long been noted for its quarries, from which have been taken a vast quantity of superior quality of granite, the product being second only to the im- ported Scotch granite. These quarries have been worked to a consid- erable extent by both local and foreign operators. The Syracuse gran- ite company was incorporated Oct. 12, 1889 (capital, $50,000), for the purpose of mining, manufacturing and selling granite from the island; and under its operation vast quantities of the product have been shipped from the locality. The little hamlet called Thurso, in the northern portion of the island, was the result of this industry. It contains a store, hotel, school, and an M. E. church, the latter, however, not now reporting to the conference. The Grindstone island cheese factory, previously mentioned, is also a local industry, although the farmers find far better profit in selling milk to the summer residents at five cents per quart than in taking it to the factory at eighty cents per hun- dred pounds.

Round Island, which is within the jurisdiction of this town, has made its most interesting history within the last quarter of a century. Round island park was the name of an association incorporated August 30, 1879, by John G. Harbottle, John F. Moffett, Ambrose E. Sawyer, Geo. L. Davis and Charles A. Waterman for the purpose of " purchasing, laying out, dividing and improving Round island, and erecting thereon build-

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

ings and leasing and selling the same." The capital stock was $50,000, and the company was authorized to continue business fifty years. The island was purchased and thus improved for the purpose of establishing a camp ground for members of Baptist churches, and while this inten- tion was carried out in fact, after a period of about ten years the prop- erty passed into the hands of a syndicate organized under the name of Round island park association, a non-sectarian body, whose purpose was to establish a summer hotel and resort on this beautiful tract. This was done, but in the performance of the work it became necessary to mortgage the island and its improvements. The hotel building was materially enlarged in 1889, and about the same time many other ex- pensive improvements were made. The final result was the splendid Frontenac house, one of the most attractive on the river, and about :5 cottages held by various persons under 99-year leases. But, notwith- standing the liberal patronage by the summer visitors, the association at last became seriously involved, a receiver was appointed, and fore- closure proceedings were begun to enforce payment of an outstanding mortgage. On August 21, 1897, the island and its belongings were sold, but this process in law was in a measure resorted to in order to make a perfect title in certain interested persons rather than from any lack of means to carry on the business. The property was "struck off " to Jacob Hayes, of New York.

Among the other localities within the jurisdiction of the town which have been laid out and improved in much the same manner as Round island, but which are less in extent and importance, are Murray Hill park, a noted resort with the large Murray Hill hotel, on Hemlock or Murray island; Grinnell park, equally attractive and famous, on Grin- nell or Stuart island; the Pullman house (the site of the one so long kept by Samuel B. Grinnell) also on Grinnell island; and Prospect park with its multitude of improvements on historic Bartlett's point on the mainland. Indeed. there is hardly an island of any size in the entire region which is not in some manner under control of an association, but to follow and note all of them would be difficult and of no material consequence to our narrative.

Supervisors .- Hubbard Fox, 1-33-34; Edward C. Bancroft, 1-35; Eldridge G. Merrick, 1×36-38. Henry D. Van Camp. 1839; E. G. Merrick, 1\40-4]; Woodbridge C. George, 1842; Alfred Fox, 1843-44; E. G. Merrick, 1845; Alfred Fox, 1846; Eras- tus Warner, 1847; James Plumb, 1445; Alfred Fox, 1849-53: Luke E. Frame, 1454- 58. John W. Ingalls, 1>59-61: Elijah MeCarn, 1862-64. James Johnson, 1865-66;

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THE TOWN OF ELLISBURGIL.

John Johnston, 1867 71; Richard M. Esselstyn, 1872; John Johnston, 1578 76, Rich- ard M. Esselstyn, 1877; E. J. Seeber, 1978; W. Il. Lingenfelter, 1879-80; E. J. Sce- ber, 1881-83; 1I. E. Morse, 1881 85; G. 11. Strongh, 1886; Fred. Haas, 1887 88; W. 11. Rees, 1889; Wm. 11. Consaul, 1890-94, Frank D. Lowe, 1895; Wm. Il. Consaul, 1896-99.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE TOWN OF ELLISBURGIL.

In many respects the history of this town is unlike that of any other civil division of Jefferson county. From its very carliest settlement, more than an hundred years ago, Ellisburgh has been, in a measure, and independent town, and has made history different from surround- ing towns. True, it was a part of the Macomb purchase, and on April 11, 1796, agent Constable contracted to sell to Marvel Ellis, of Troy, all the lands, except a certain marshy tract along Sandy creek, and a three thousand acre tract in the southwest corner which was reserved for Brown and Eddy. The Ellis purchase, according to Medad Mitchell's survey made in August, 1795, was 51,840 acres, but on re- survey by Benjamin Wright it was found to contain 52, 831 acres. Con- stable deeded the land to Ellison March 22, 1793, the sum of $22, 111.50 having been paid down and a mortgage of $98,913.45 being given for the balance. In later years this mortgage became a serious cloud on the title, and by reason of Ellis' subsequent insolvency was the cause of delaying settlement. However, in 1802 Constable foreclosed the mortgage, but died before the proceedings were terminated. There- upon his executors, James Constable, John MeVickar and Hezekiah B. Pierrepont, prosecuted the action to final judgment, and the Ellis pur- chase was sold at the Tontine Coffee house in New York, on March 1, 1804, to one McCormick, who the next day conveyed the tract to the executors. By subsequent conveyances, and by final release ( April 26, 1819) on the part of Wm. Constable's heirs, Pierrepont became pos- sessed of much of the land, and from him the unsold portions passed to his son, Wm. C. Pierrepont.

In the same manner on March 15, 1797, Constable conveyed to Robert Brown and Thomas Eddy the 3,000 acre tract in the southwest corner,

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

and in June, 1804, the proprietors sold half the land to George Scriba (owner of a vast tract of land in Oswego county), and about the same time exchanged the remainder with Lord Bollingbroke for a farm in New Jersey. Scriba afterward sold to Wm. Bell, by whom the lands were sold in parcels to settlers, as were also the Bollingbroke and and Pierrepont lands. However, for several years the Brown and Eddy tract was without a resident agent, hence the lands shared the fate of others in this part of the state in being occupied by squatters who were with difficulty dispossessed. In this town the squatter locality acquired the somwhat irreverent name of " No God," indicating an apparently lawless community. Some of these claimants were driven off while others made purchases and became desirable and progressive citizens.

According to acknowledged authorities, the territory comprising Ellisburgh was surveyed several times; first by Medad Mitchell in 1695; then by Benjamin Wright and Calvin Guitean in 1196, and again under the direction of Surveyor. General De Witt in 1802. From the fact that Ellis was the first individual purchaser, the town was given the name of " Ellisburgh tract," but De Witt's map and survey gave it the name of Minos. The town was a part of Mexico until created a separate jurisdiction of Oneida county in 1803, and included within its original boundaries the present town of Henderson, then known as No. 6 of the eleven towns. That part was separately set off February 11, 1806, leaving Ellisburgh 43,311 acres to comprise its territory (66.61: square miles).

It is a somewhat remarkable fact that, in the early history of this part of the state, the first land surveyors or explorers should have prosecuted their investigations with the care and caution which later events clearly proved, and yet should have made no mention whatever of the evidences of previous and aboriginal habitation. In all the Black river country no town possesses ancient history equal to Ellis- burgh, but it remained for later investigators to preserve for us the traces of Indian occupancy, while none of the early chroniclers appear to have discovered the fact that within the town were enacted events which far antedated the construction of the line of fortifications along the Sandy creeks. As early as the year 1615 Samuel de Champlain with a party of French and Indians crossed the western border of the town on an expedition into the Iroquois country; and on his return the intrepid Frenchman followed nearly the same course, though now he was wounded and was carried by his associates and Indian allies.

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THE TOWN OF ELLISBURGH.

Again, in 1681, De la Barre held a treaty with the Onondagas on the lake shore at the mouth of Sandy creek, where many of his men fell sick and suffered so seriously from the want of provisions and a malig. nant elimatie fever that the name Bay le Famine was given to the lo- cality, and has ever since been preserved, although erroneously applied to the mouth of Salmon river and also to points further down the lake. In one of the earlier chapters this subject is discussed at length, where- fore in this place it is not necessary to repeat the narrative.

The next notable visitor to the place, of whom we have any present record, was Father Charlevoix, the French missionary, who in May, 1221, spent sufficient time at Bay le Famine to carefully note all the surroundings, and also to write a letter to the Duchess de Lesdiguires, the missive bearing date May 16. Neither of these noteworthy visitors and explorers referred in any manner to the Indian fortifications for which the Sandy creek region became famous, from which it is inferred (or at least it appears reasonable to suppose) that none of the several defenses built along the stream were constructed prior to the visit of Charlevoix. The fort at Niagara was built in 1219, and was followed by that at Oswego, while the minor line of Iroquois defenses against the French and Canadian Indians were undoubtedly erected sometime between 1720 and 1735.

Ellisburgh abounds in evidences of the Indian occupation, and from the mouth of Sandy creek to the eastern boundary of the town there is hardly a farm or locality which has not disclosed some trace of the aboriginal period,

The town is crossed by the two branches of Sandy creek into which flow innumerable smaller streams or ereeks. All these were abundantly stocked with fish, particularly salmon, which in early days were known to have been plentiful in both branches of Sandy creek nearly to their source. This, together with the heavily timbered woods abounding with game, tended to make the town of Ellisburgh an ideal Indian hunting ground.

The surface of the land here subsides from the Rutland and Dry Ilill ranges to a gentler level toward the lake, and in the continuance of the Iroquois system of defensive works which studded those hills nearly every commanding spot in the town was devoted to fortifications and defenses.

The first white visitor to describe these evidences of aboriginal oceu- pation was the Rev. John Taylor, who in 1802 made a missionary

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

journey through the Mohawk and Black river country. This worthy divine started from Redfield on September 1, and after traveling about twenty four miles reached the south branch of Sandy creek, about three miles from the lake. Ile then journeyed up the branch to the present site of the village of Ellisburgh, and from thence proceeded northerly to the vicinity of Rural Ilill, and easterly through the region of Belle- ville to Adams.

He describes the town as being heavily timbered, and the land "as rich as land can be," and says that it is as fine a country as he ever saw. lle also records unmistakable evidence that at some remote period the land was thickly inhabited, among other things found being stone fire- places, and wells dry and stoned to a considerable depth. These fire- places were about two rods apart, indicating adjoining habitations, and thus furnishing reliable evidence that they were the work of Iroquois Indians, whose habit it was to build long dwellings for the occupancy of several families, supplied with a row of fire places in the center, the smoke from which escaped from the roof of the structure.

The missionary found the remains of an old fort on the present site of the village of Ellisburgh, on the north side of Sandy creek where the cemetery now stands. It was about twenty rods from the creek, and is described as having five sides and five gateways. The ground was scattered with fragments of earthen ware of peculiar construction, and in the spring of 1802 the point of a two edged steel sword 11/2 feet long was plowed up inside of the enclosure.

This sword was of undoubted European manufacture, and its discov- ery gives rise to the belief that this must have been the fort which was fitted up by the French at Le Famine, and was spoken of by Marquis de Beauharnois in his letter to Gov. Burnet, July 20, 1727.1 Neither Champlain, De la Barre nor Father Charlevoix record the existence of this work. It must, therefore, have been constructed early in the eighteenth century, and as the land around the lake was low and marshy, it is not strange that passing up South Sandy creek to higher land the wily Frenchman should have selected this spot for a defensive structure. This visitor made a plan of the work which is here pro- (luced.

The reverend gentleman also visited a fort about midway between

1 Early settlers are said to have found in this vicinity the fragment of a sword blade around which the wood of a tree had grown, undoubtedly a relic of the same period. Musket balls, hatchets, knives and other implements of metal have also at various times been turned up by the płow.

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Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 60

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