Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 62

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 62

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Thus have we brought to the notice of the reader the names of the pioneers and many of the carlier settlers in what has ever been re- garded one of the most historic, interesting and important civil divis- ions of Jefferson county. Asearly as 1803 there were at least thirty or forty families in the town, while in the adjoining town of Henderson was about the same number. In that part of Ellisburgh known as the Brown and Eddy district, where squatters were numerous, and where there was a certain disregard of good order and the rights of persons, it became necessary that some sort of an authority be exercised, where- fore the inhabitants of the town at large petitioncd the legislature for an act creating a new civil division in Oneida county, to comprise the territory of the present town of Ellisburgh and Henderson.

Organisation .- The creating act was passed by the legislature Feb- ruary 22, 1803, and the first town meeting was therein directed to be held at the house of pioneer Lyman Ellis. The first officers elected were as follows:

Edward Boomer, supervisor; Lyman Ellis, town clerk; Caleb Ellis and Amos B. Noyes, overseers of the the poor; Jeremiah Mason, Samuel Rhodes and Benjamin Boomer, commissioners of highways; Matthew Boomer, collector; Abiah Jenkins, constable ; John Thomas, Christopher Edmunds and Dyer McCumber, fence viewers ; Caleb Ellis, Jeremiah Mason, Timothy Harris, Benjamin Boomer, Dyer MeCumber and Joseph Holley, overseers of highways.

At this meeting, and in the year immediately following 1803, the town affairs which appear to have required the attention of the author- ities were the necessity of good roads and the destruction of wild ani- mals, the latter having proved a serious nuisance to the inhabitants. Wolf bounties were offered and paid as follows: $2.50 in 1803; $15 in 1807 and '8, and $10 in 1811 and '12. The first road laid out in the

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THE TOWN OF ELLISBURGHI.

town, as shown by the records, was recorded Oct. 7, 1803, and extended from Six Town Point across Ellisburgh to Adams. In December fol- lowing a road was laid out from a point near the house of Lyman Ellis, on the north line of lot No. 76, thence north 81 degrees west, 164 chains, 66 links, until it intersected the road laid out from Christopher Edmunds' house to the Adams line. In May, 1804, Lyman Ellis laid out a highway from the cast line of lot No. 25 to intersect the road leading from Ashel Harrington's to the south side of North Sandy creek. During the same year pioneer Ellis laid out three other important roads; one from the south line of Adams to connect with the road first above described, another from the north of Bear creek to the west line of township No. 1 (now Hounsfield), and still another which began on the ridge, where the road last mentioned crossed it, thenee to the south branch of Sandy ereck to a point near Isaac Burr's house.

Thus did Lyman Ellis (who combined the art of surveying with his other useful qualities), strive to make a success of his scheme to pur- chase and colonize a township of land, but notwithstanding his most strenuous efforts misfortune overtook him and compelled him to sacri- fice much of his property. But the Constable agency proved not un- grateful, and paid the proprietor for the improvements he had made, and also released to him certain tracts of land with their buildings. Ellis was a substantial developer, and whatever he did was well done. lle brought to the town a worthy and energetic class of settlers, and as a result of their efforts the waste lands were improved and made use- ful for cultivation, and even before the outbreak of the war of 1812-15, Ellisburgh had become known as one of the best agricultural towns in the county. Indeed, in all subsequent years it has lost none of this old-time prominence, and to-day the town stands foremost in the shire. The old companion town of Henderson was set off in 1806, since which time there has been no change in the boundaries of Ellisburgh. In 180; the town contained 96 voters, who possessed the requisite property qualifications, a less number than any organized town then in the county. From this we may infer that the squatter contingent was still numerous, as in 1810 the town contained 1, 225 inhabitants, being then third in point of population in the county. Watertown and Rutland alone exceeded Ellisburgh at that time. Between 1810 and 1814 the number of inhabitants increased from 1, 225 to 2,325, and that notwith- standing the period was perhaps the most trying, burdensome and em . barrassing of any in its history.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Outside of the incidents usual to pioneer life in a new region nothing occurred to disturb the progress and harmony of growth and develop- ment until the so-called embargo act went into effect, when, in Sep- tember, 1808, there was an outbreak of litigation which for a time threatened open rupture between the federal authorities and the set- tlers. According to published accounts, it appears that on the occa- sion mentioned a party of officers from Oswego, under Lieut. Asa Wells, entered Sandy creek, and after seizing a quantity of potash pro- ceeded to Captain Fairfield's house and there forcibly took and carried away a swivel (gun), the property of the doughty captain. A com- plaint was at once made to a justice by Mrs. Fairfield (the captain being away at the time), whereupon a warrant was issued to a constable to arrest the invading officers; but the latter would not yield and threat- ened the constable, upon which he called for help and rallied about 30 armed men, who went with him to capture Lient. Wells and his party. But the revenue officers promptly presented bayonets, causing some. thing of a stampede among the constable's forces, and those who did not retreat were taken and bound, and borne away as captives to Os- wego. On Sept. 25 the Wells party returned to the town to take into custody the magistrate who issued the warrant, and also the constable, upon which a warrant against Wells, charging him and others with felony in breaking into a house, was issued at Sackets Harbor, and given to constable Ambrose Pease to serve. This cautious officer scented difficulty in serving the process, and at once raised "a hue and cry." In this way he assembled about 200 persons in Ellisburgh, where a consultation of several magistrates was held, and the next day at sunrise about 70 or 80 men, armed and equipped, volunteered to aid in the arrest. But the magistrates dared not issue the order for their march, being apprehensive that some excess or injury might be done; and the question having been raised whether a constable had the right to demand aid before he had been resisted, the armed men were advised to disperse, which was accordingly done. Eventually the feeling subsided and the event passed into history as a purely polit- ical attempt by certain persons to resist the federal authority. The affair found its way into the press and naturally drew much attention in this direction, whereupon those who had been chiefly active in at- tempting to incite the citizens against the federal officers issued a man - ifesto justifying their position. A large public meeting was held in Ellisburgh and the speakers gave vent to their feelings in relation to

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THIE TOWN OF ELLISBURGH.

the alleged outrage. A committee was appointed to prepare a declara- tion setting forth the facts, and also a series of resolutions suitable to the occasion, all of which were made publie through the press at Utica, Albany and elsewhere.

The embargo laws and their enforcement had a serious effect on the struggling inhabitants of Ellisburgh, as almost the means of livelihood were thereby taken from many families. The Sandy ereeks were large and much used thoroughfares in those days, and hundreds of boat loads of prohibited merchandise were shipped down the streams to the lake and thence down the St. Lawrence river to market. Yet, while there were no more violations of law in this town than elsewhere in the re- gion, it so happened that nearly all the products of Adams, Rodman and Lorraine found their way to the lake through Ellisburgh. But not- withstanding the people were at mneh loss through the enforcement of the rigid laws of the period, they were none the less loyal and patri- otie during the war of 1812. At the outbreak of hostilities the popula- tion of the town was about 2,000 and all the able bodied men were among the enrolled militia, while the old men organized a company of "Silver Greys " and performed guard duty at the mouth of Sandy creek. The boys of the town, too, had their military company and were in service with the old men at the mouth of the creek. However, there appears to have been no invasion of the territory of the town previous to the spring of 1814, when Sandy creek became the scene of one of the most spirited battles fought on the frontier, and one which has ever been a noted event in local annals, although some writers of the period have given little importance to it. In a preceding chapter of this work may be found a general account of the battle of Sandy ercek as one of the events of the war; but in local annals the engagement was of such importance that still further allusion is pardonable.

In the early spring of 1814 the war frigate Superior was built at Sack- ets Harbor, and was to be armed with 66 guns. Its completion would have given the Americans a supremacy on the lake, and the British were using every effort to delay and if possible defeat the work of put- ting the ship on the lake. The principal work of construction was fin- ished during the latter part of May, and the vessel was ready for her armament which was being transported to the harbor by way of Wood creek, the Oswego river and the lake. This the enemy knew, and at once laid plans to capture the armament and thus eripple our squadron, for the transporting party also carried the rigging and armament for the

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Mohawk and the Jones, which were still on the stocks at the harbor. To accomplish their purpose the British made a descent upon Oswego and drove the defending force under Col. Mitchell up the river (from which direction the supplies were coming) and then returned to their former station at the Galloup islands to blockade the channel and make a sure capture of the supplies when they were on the lake. In due season the party reached Oswego, under charge of Lieut. Woolsey, and escorted by Maj. Daniel Appling with a company of 150 riflemen and Oneida Indians.

The party left Oswego on the evening of May 28 in nineteen boats, hoping to reach Stony creek before daylight and without interruption, but Woolsey took the precaution to send out a scout boat in charge of Lieut. Pierce, that he might have warning of the approach of the British. Be- fore daybreak the next morning (29th) Pierce sighted the enemy and at once returned to Woolsey with the news, whereupon the latter quickly put in to the mouth of Sandy creek and run about two miles up the stream. Messengers were at once sent to Ellis village, Sackets Harbor, Adams and elsewhere, whence help might be expected. At nine o'clock Capt. Harris with a squadron of dragoons, and Capt. Mel- vin with a company of light artillery and two six pounders, arrived at the creek unknown to the British, and were so arranged and disposed as to completely surprise an attacking party. About the same time the Adams and Ellisburgh companies arrived, and made a formidable defensive force.

In the meantime the enemy with three gunboats, three cutters and one gig entered the creek and at once began a cannonade in the direc- tion of Woolsey's boats, with the evident intention to frighten away the Indian allies of his force. Captain Popham, the British commander, made a landing and attempted to work his men up the creek by land. but failing made a prisoner of one of Christopher Edmunds' family and compelled him to pilot the boats up the stream. At nine o'clock Pop- ham landed his men on the south shore of the branch, but running afoul of the marshes there, soon crossed to the north side and formed a line of battle under Midshipman Hoare. The men then advanced into Appling's ambush, and at the word fire 19 sturdy Britons fell dead,' and 50 others were wounded. Then followed the charge upon

1 This engagement took place on the north bank of the south branch about 50 rods below the present bridge. A large grave was dug on a small knoll about 25 rods back from the creek at this point in which the dead British soldiers were all buried. During the cannonading a bal

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the disheartened enemy with such vigor that no resistance was offered and of all the attacking party not one escaped to tell of the defeat to the British commander at Kingston. Among the prisoners were 27 marines, 106 sailors and 11 officers. The wounded were taken to the neighboring houses and cared for as well as possible, and the MeKee family gave up their dwelling for hospital purposes, and moved to the " Fuller place."

According to the recollection of Harriet MeKee Ward, the British prisoners were quartered at her father's house several weeks, during which time she, then a child, learned many incidents of the battle which in later years furnished a desirable addition to the published ac- counts of the period. N. W. Hubbard's recollections of the occasion are also interesting. After the battle he helped lay thirteen dead Britons on the grass, side by side, also helped to care for sixty four wounded and guard 234 prisoners taken. He, with others then in serv- ice, marched back to the harbor after the battle, laid on their arms that night, and returned to Sandy creek the next day. Col. Clark Allen's men guarded the supply of stores, and at least two weeks passed before the last load was removed overland to the harbor. Teams and wagons were hired for this work, and all but the famous cable, weighing about five tons, was thus removed. The men were clamorous for their dis- charge, as the spring work at home needed attention, but the cable must be guarded until safely delivered at the harbor. The officers of Colonel Allen's command held a meeting and proposed carrying the great cable overland by hand, and that none should be exempt from the work save Colonel Allen himself. The men agreed, and took up the cable about noon, and at night reached Roberts corners. During the night about one-third of the men deserted, but the remainderstuck loyally to the task, and on the next day reached the harbor with their burden uninjured, but themselves seriously bruised and battered from the long march. In many cases at least a week passed before the men could use their arms. When they arrived at the harbor they numbered just 100, and each man received $2 from Com. Chauncey. Among the officers who assisted in carrying the cable Mr. Hubbard remembers Maj. Arnold Earl, Captains Gad Ackley, Brooks Harrington, Daniel

from one of the British boats struck a rock in the creek about half a mile up, breaking a piece out of the stone and fell back in the creek were it was afterward picked up. This rock was about ten feet high and still stands in the bed of the stream exhibiting the mark of this historic conflict.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Ellis, Oliver Scott, Lieuts. Charles Hollister and Grout Hosington, and also Capt. Jacob Wood, an old revolutionary patriot. M. W. Gilbert, of this town at the time, superintended the removal of the supplies from the battlefield to the harbor.

The collection of reminiscences of Sandy creek made by Nat Frame also affords interesting reading matter, but does not add materially to what has already been stated, except that Capt. Gad Ackley was in command of the Ellisburgh company of militia both in the battle and in afterward guarding and removing the property.

According to the recollections of Harley G. Otis, his father, John Otis, helped carry the "hawser of the big ship" to the harbor, and was also directed to take nine men in a boat and row out into the lake to watch the movements of the British gunboats. They fired on his boat upon which he returned to the creek. He also remembers the arrival of a company of riflemen from Adams, who were placed in the ambush and ordered to remain quiet until the signal to fire, which was given by Major Appling firing his own pistol. John Otis and Major Appling stood behind a large elm tree. Harley Otis is also authority for the statement that the British threw overboard from one of their boats a brass cannon, which he says is still in the creek. Many of the dead and wounded were taken to John Otis' house, and fifteen of the dead British were buried in one grave not far from the dwelling. In this vicinity many of the tree-tops were shot away by the balls and cannister from the cannon. Among the incidents of the occasion, Mr. Otis remembers that Charles Hollister ran his horse to Adams to call out the militia; also that Gad Ackley, Loomis Adams, Samuel Me- Nitt, Robert Ellis, Chester McBain and others were conspicuous figures at the battle.

With the close of the war and its stirring events, both general and local, the period passed into history, and the farmer returned to his plow, the mechanic to his workshop and the tradesman to his store. From this time on the history of Ellisburgh has been uneventful and nothing has occurred to mar the current of its progress and develop- ment. The town has been almost without serious accident except those which occurred on the lake off Sandy creek, where has been the scene of many wrecks. This has always been regarded as a dangerous locality, and several years previous to 1814 there was built just south of the mouth of the creek a structure which served as a lighthouse and as a place of refuge for shipwrecked sailors. The tender of the house

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kept a sort of hotel for fishing parties. At the time of the battle of Sandy creek the house is said to have been occupied by John Tull and wife, the former of whom went up the creek with the Americans, but the good wife remained, and when the British came and ordered her to cook some chickens and have them ready on their return, she retorted that they "might get all they wanted of something else than chickens up the ereck." '

The life saving station at the mouth of Sandy creek was established in 1876, and is now under charge of Capt. Wm. Fish and a complete crew of men. According to Capt. Wm. Jenkins, previous to the estab- lishment of the regular station 80 boats and vessels were driven into the Mexico bay region, and of this number one-half were total wrecks, while the fatalities aggregated 80 lives lost. Since the station was es- tablished the only three total wrecks have been that of the Cortez, the Ariadne and the Hartford, with a total of seven lives lost.

Returning from this brief digression, let us note the growth of the town as indi- cated by census statistics. As has been stated, in 1807 the qualified voters numbered 96 persons, and at the first census enumeration in 1810 the inhabitants numbered 1,725. Since that time the changes have been as follows; In 1814, 2,325; 1820, 3,531 . 1825, 4,733; 1830, 5,292; 1835, 5,029; 1810, 5.319; 1845, 5,531; 1850, 5,522; 1855, 5,339; 1860, 5,614; 1865, 5,286; 1870, 4,822; 1875, 4,819; 1880, 4,810; 1890, 4, 145; 1892, 4,223.

From this it may seem that Ellisburgh is one of the largest towns in the county. The statement may also be made, without danger of seri- ous criticism, that it is one of the best, most productive and richest regions in all the Black river country. For more than three-quarters of a century the town has been noted for its agricultural productions, and in the same time its people have become noted for thrift, enterprise and public-spiritedness. Were the contrary true the town never could have attained the position of prominence it has so long enjoyed and so easily maintained. Nature has been a factor in reaching this condition as the lands in general are fertile and easily cultivated .? In localities the surface is quite uneven, yet this makes these areas susceptible of early spring cultivation. As is seen in the preceding paragraph, the greatest population was attained in 1860, the number then being 5, 614, while subsequent years have witnessed a decrease of about 400 inhab- itants.

1 Mrs. Tull survived her husband and died on Pillar Point about 1855. She was buried in the Luther Hill cemetery. Several now middle-aged persons remember her residence on the point, and the interesting tale of the battle often told by her.

2 In the vicinity of Rural Hill are some of the most fertile lands in the state. Indeed, it is doubtful if richer areas can be found in the entire country.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Outside of the villages, one of which has gained some prominence as a manufacturing center, the chief pursuit is farming, although breeding fine cattle, sheep and swine for the market, and also for domestic use, has been carried on to a considerable extent. The persons most ac- tively engaged in this direction were James and Hugh Brodie, the founders of the industry, and also Messrs. Hungerford, James F. Con- verse, Samuel Campbell, Wm. H. Ellsworth, Marlin Wood and per- haps a few others of less note.

Dairying has been an established pursuit dating from the earliest settlement, but only within the last forty years has the industry been carried on to any considerable extent. The Mannsville cheese factory was one of the first in the town, and was started in 1863 by Shepard & Grenell. It soon afterward passed into the hands of E. L. Stone, and is still owned by him. The Ellis village factory was built in 1869 by James Rogers, and has since been in successful operation, being one of the large factories of the county. The present owners are Salisbury & Peach. The Overton factory, at Belleville, was started more than twenty years ago, and for the last ten years at least has been regarded as one of the very best in the region. Among the other cheese making industries of the town may be mentioned the Graves factory, at Ward- well Settlement; the Silver Spring factory, owned by C. J. Curtis; the A. J. Smith factory, in the Goodenough neighborhood, and perhaps others of less prominence in remote parts of the town, but all of which have contributed to building up a substantial condition of prosperity among the farming classes.

T'illages and Hamlets .- Unlike the majority of large towns in this county Ellisburgh has no single established trading center. In the early history of the town there were selected several convenient and pleasantly situated localities and in each of them a store was opened and generally saw and grist mills to supply the wants of the people of the vicinity. As years passed these centers grew in size and impor- tance, a number of industries and institutions were established and eventually three of them attained the dignity of the corporate character. Mentioned in the order of importance these villages are Ellisburgh, Belleville and Mannsville, each of which is incorporated, and Pierrepont Manor. Woodville, Wardwell Settlement and Rural Hill. Of each of these a brief special mention is appropriate

Ellisburgh .- Among the inhabitants of the town this place has always been known as Ellis village, and since the incorporation was effected

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TIIE TOWN OF ELLISBURGH.

the townsfolk always refer to it as " the village." The pioneer and founder of a settlement at this place was Lyman Ellis, in whose honor both town and village were named. The first mills built by the pio- neer were below the village site, but after the second destruction of the buildings, in 1799, Mr. Ellis rebuilt on the present site of the village, where in the course of a few years a considerable settlement was built up. The new mills, however, were burned in 1813, and being unin- sured the loss seriously crippled their owner. Notwithstanding his early business misfortunes Lyman Ellis is remembered as a generous and enterprising developer. He was chosen one of the assistant judges of the county, hence was commonly called " Judge" Ellis. Ile gave an aere of land for cemetery purposes, and also the site whereon the first school house was built in 1805. A post office was established here about the same time and he was the postmaster. This worthy pioneer and founder lived in the village until his death, March 13, 1842. An- other of his enterprises was the oil mill, in which Wm. MeCune and Joseph Bullock were also interested. This mill was built about 1818.

In 1810 the village contained a saw and grist mill, a fulling mill, distillery, a school house and about fifteen dwellings. The erection of the stone grist mill was begun by Peter Robinson about 1826, but the property soon passed into the hands of Samuel Cook. The stone for the mill were quarried by Benjamin F. Wilds, who also built the stone dam across the creek. The present dam was built about 1851 by George and Henry Millard. Among the later owners of the mill and water privilege have been Henry Millard, Martin & llyde, L. P. Gillette, Hopkinson & Dennison and A. P. Dennison. One of the earliest mer- chants was Noah M. Green, who was in trade previous to 1820. Later storekeepers were John Shaw, Peter Robinson, Theodore Dickinson, Newton Mann, Daniel 11. Fiske, E. D. Sherwood, James and William T. Searles, George M. Hopkinson, Franklin Waite, Theron Holley, jr., Edward Dennison, H. M. Wilds, and perhaps others whose names are forgotten.

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Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 62

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