Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 72

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 72

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689

THE TOWN OF LORRAINE.

In this respect at least the town is in marked contrast with other civil divisions of the county, for this unnatural display does not elsewhere occur in the jurisdiction. The south branch of Sandy ereek. along which are found the deepest defiles, crosses the town from east to west, traversing a distance of eight full miles in its course, throughout the entire extent of which is a succession of gorges varying in depth from 80 to 180 or 200 feet, and eutting a channel in the earth's surface in places of as great width as 300 feet, although the average is much less. At one point in the northwestern part of the town, and along the creek, Dr. Rosa, of Adams, in former years frequently lighted a natural gas which issued from the bottom of one of these strange depths, thus in- cheating the presence of illuminating gas or possibly petroleum oil in this vicinity. Old operators, however, always contended that Lorraine was " off the belt," therefore boring for either of these valuable products was discouraged. All the principal streams of the town possess the gulf peculiarities, but none have the prominence of the south branch of Sandy ereek.

Settlement in what is now Lorraine (then a part of the old town of Mexico, Oneida county) was begun in the fall of 1802 by James MeKee and Elijah Fox, brothers-in-law, who came from Vermont originally and settled in the south part of Oneida county, and thence came to the township called Attieus of the Boylston tract. These pioneers built a log house on a fifty acre lot of land, on the line of the state road as laid out two years later. About this time Benjamin Wright, the agent, by his certificate system had drawn many prospectors to the region, and our pioneers turned their log house into a tavern for the accommodation of travelers. When MeKee and Fox first came the country was a densely wooded wilderness, where the foot of white man had not trod, except as Surveyor Wright and his men had explored the lands and established town and lot lines. The pioneers remained at their cabin through the winter and made a substantial clearing, but during the time Fox sold his interest to McKee and soon returned to the south part of the county, where he married, and in the following spring brought his young wife to the spot where he made the permanent im- provement which led to the Fox homestead of later years. George A. Fox, son of the pioneer, still lives in the town, and is one of four oldest children of the first settlers now living in Lorraine. He was born in 1814. His father, the pioneer, died in 1862, but during his long life in the town was one of its most prominent and useful men. He had ten

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

children, but of his many descendants only a few are left in this part of county. James McKee lived in the town a number of years and raised a large family of children, but later on removed to Canada, where he died.

The news of a settlement in this part of Mexico, and on old township No. 1 of the Boylston tract, seemed to spread throughout the south part of the county and also in the east, and the McKee tavern was greatly taxed to furnish accommodation for all travelers who sought its entertainment. Prospectors and settlers even then were numerous in the region. Benjamin Wright was also active in bringing purchasers to the locality, and introduced a system of issuing certificates, allowing an examination of lands before purchase and giving long time for pay- inent at moderate prices per acre. This new idea seemed to find favor and drew many persons to the locality who sought to make actual set- tlements, and still others who secured the time certificates for purposes of speculation, selling them to new comers at advanced prices. This abuse of generosity was the source of much annoyance to the agent and proprietary, but the result was to accomplish the sale and settlement of the lands of the town as rapidly as any in the Black river country. In the meantime Adams on the north and Ellisburgh on the west were settling rapidly, and those who came, hearing of the cheaper and more elevated lands of this town took certificates and either made settlements or sold to others. But whatever may have been the canse, in two years after the pioneer improvement was made it became necessary to create a new town in this part of Oneida county, and Lorraine under the original name of Malta was the result. In 1806 the town contained 128 families or settlers, and in the next year the same territory had 161 legal voters with property qualifications. The construction of the old turnpike or state road, from Rome to Brownville in 1804 (the route being afterward changed to Sackets Harbor, and the thoroughfare known as the military road) had much to do with this remarkable de- velopment. However, let us recall some of these early settlers by name, and also something of their lives.

In the early spring of 1803 a number of native New England fami- lies who were then living in Herkimer county, N. Y., came to the town and settled along the surveyed and partially completed Rome and Brownville turnpike, where several of them made improvements, while others afterward removed elsewhere. These settlers had heard of the region through the operations of the company from their county

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THE TOWN OF LORRAINE.

which had just purchased and settled the northwest quarter of Worth (then Fenelon), the township adjoining on the east. The settlers of this year in Lorraine were Comfort Staneliff, Benjamin Gates, Seth Cutler and John Alger, the last mentioned of whom in that year built a dwelling on the site of Lorraine village. ITis home was soon turned into a tavern, and stood at the forks of the road, on the site where a public house was kept many years afterward. Not all of these settlers remained in the town, but some of them sought homes in other locali- ties. Clark Allen also came in this year, and took lands on Sandy creek, in the northwest part of the town, where he died in 1855. He was in many ways prominent in political affairs in Lorraine, a noted federalist, but is said to have served loyally in the army during the war of 1812. Ilis title of general was honorary, however. He was supervisor six years. Another prominent family of that or the next year was the Lanfear surname, the pioneers being William and Isaac. The name is still known in the town, but is not numerous.

The Brown family, of whom Aaron was always regarded as the pio- neer, although his father, Ebenezer Brown, afterward removed to the town, were originally from Connecticut, but came to this region about 1803 or 1804 from Washington county, N. Y. The brothers who came were Aaron, Ebenezer, Walter, Parley and Joel Brown, all of whom first settled in Adams with their parents, and thence, except Joel, re- moved to Lorraine. Aaron married with Betsey Burpee, one of the early school teachers of the south part of the county. Their children were Moses, Levi H., Henry M. and Allena, now Mrs. Bishop, one of the few surviving children of pioneers still living in Lorraine. Aaron Brown was a farmer, miller and merchant, and withal one of the most prominent men of his time in town, was justice of the peace from 1820 to 1828; town clerk in 1827; commissioner of highways from 1818 to 1826, and member of assembly in 1830. He was in trade during the war of 1812-15. He died in May, 1870. Ebenezer and Walter Brown were farmers, good substantial men, but not specially active in town affairs. Walter Brown died Dee. 24, 1875. Parley Brown, grandfather to Senator Elon R. Brown, of Watertown, was a clergyman of the Baptist church, and spent a portion of his useful life in the north part of the county. When Levi II. Brown was a boy his father had a grist mill, two saw mills, a store and a distillery in the town. Levi, who is now the senior member of the county bar, left his native town about 1832 or 1838. Moses Brown, also son of Aaron, was a merchant of

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Lorraine village, and mentally was one of the strongest men the town produced. He went into trade about 1840, and died in 1853. At one time he was county loan commissioner. Philo M. Brown, now of Lor- raine, was a son of this worthy pioneer.

About this time settlement in the town became very rapid, and with- in the five years following 1804 the lands were fairly well occupied. The numerous streams furnished abundant water power, and lumber- ing was almost as much an established pursuit as farming until the forests were in a measure cleared away.

Among the more prominent names of settlers during this period may be recalled. in addition to those already mentioned, Hezekiah Lord Bushnell (who came from Norwich, Conn., about 1810), William Hosford, Asa Brown, Ormond Butler, Asa Sweet, William Funter Calvin Clifford, John Griswold, James Perry, Elnathan Doane. Ozias Barton, Michael Risley, Thomas Stancliff, Oliver Miller, Allen Hill, Henry Von- ers, David Steadman, Charles Thompson, Nathan Gould, Britell Minor (settled 1×13: removed to Henderson 1814), John Cowles, Hubbard Randall, Abner Baker, Dr. Isaac Weston, Timothy Heath, David Webb, George Sampson, John Brewer, Joseph Stud- ley. Allen Pitkin, William Adams, Benjamin Gates, and perhaps others whose names are now forgotten or who lived in the town for a time only and then sought homes elsewhere.

Those who have been named and their cotemporaries in early life and development in Lorraine were as sturdy and earnest a set of men as either Oneida or Jefferson county could then boast. Their town was not possessed of all the advantges or possibilities of development which were found in the lake and river towns, and pioneership here was quite monotonous when compared with regions more favored by nature. Yet for moral and physical courage and worth, Lorraine was the equal of any, and the period of its history has shown the town to produce as strong and faithful men in public life as any division of the county.

This spirit of courage and patriotism was pretty well displayed at the outbreak of the second war with Great Britain, for when the news was carried to the little settlement a meeting was at once assembled, a military company was quickly formed, and a message was dispatched to Gen. Jacob Brown, as follows:

" LORRAINE, July 21, 1812.

" Dear Sir-Viewing our country in danger, and feeling a willingness to defend the same, sixty men assembled in this place and made choice of Joseph Wileox as captain ; James Perry, lieutenant; Ebenezer Brown, jr., ensign. This is, therefore, to desire your honor to furnish us with arms and ammunition, while you may have the assurance that we shall be ready on any invasion within the county of Jefferson at a

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THIE TOWN OF LORRAINE.

moment's warning to defend the same. The above men met at the house of John Alger, on the 16th inst., and may be considered as Silver Grays, that is, men who are exempted by law from military duty. We wish you, sir, to forward the arms to this place as soon as possible, and be assured we are, with respect, your humble ser- vants.

"JOSEPH WILcox, Captain. "JAMES PERRY, Lieutenant. "E. BROWN, JR., Ensign."

This notable military organization of men of mature years held them- selves in readiness for action during the trying period of the war. They also held regular meetings for exercise and drill, and on the occasion of the battle at Sackets Harbor started for the place, but did not reach it until after the British had retreated. This martial spirit among the settlers was only natural, for among the pioneers were several who had served during the revolution. They were Elijah Fox, Jacob Weaver, Benjamin Fletcher, Caleb Tiff:, Martin Rice, John Wiswell, Ebenezer Brown and Ebenezer Burpee.

At an early period, but perhaps a little later than is indicated in pre- ceding paragraphs relating to settlement, still other men and families came to the town, and were in after years closely identified with its events and history. In this connection may be recalled John Boyden, who carried on a carding and fulling machine; was supervisor several years, justice of the peace, and otherwise prominent in town affairs. Silas Lyman was another prominent figure among the settlers, a farmer and devoted member of the Congregational church; a strong anti-slav- ery man and one of the pioneer abolitionists in the county. State ex. cise commissioner llenry H. Lyman, of Oswego, was the son of a worthy settler. Sardis Abby succeeded John Boyden in the earding mill and was otherwise prominent in local affairs. Joseph Grimshaw was also a well known figure in early history in the town. Daniel Caulkins was a good farmer. His sons and descendants are still in the county. Loren Bushnell is recalled as an early and prominent merchant of the village, partner with Luther Lamson. He was father of Albert Bush- nell, a leading business man of the county seat. He afterward removed to La Fargeville. Simeon Parkhurst was the first mail carrier on the old turnpike road. Elijah Fox, the pioneer, had the contract to carry mail between Rome, Brownville and Sackets Harbor, but the service was performed by his son, George A. Fox,

In the same connection we may also recall the names of still other factors in early life, mentioning them briefly in this place, for in an- other department of this work will be found extended recollections

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

of pioneers and early settlers. Dr. Isaac Weston, the first physician, built a tavern in the village in 1807, being the first regular public house in the town. David Webb was also an early hotel keeper. A Mr. Frost (whose first name is thought to have been Michael) in 1804 built a dam across Sandy creek, and erected the first saw mill in the town. His buildings were soon taken away by high water, and having no means with which to rebuild, the mills were not replaced until 1810, when Mabb & Aldrich built the afterward known Gen. Allen mill. This building was burned during the war of 1812 but was at once re- placed, and was run by Allen until about 1820, when Jared and Asa Gleason became proprietors. Seth Cutler built the first grist mill about 1805, on what was called Hull (now Deer) creek, on lot No. 45, and operate 1 it about 10 years. In 1805 Thomas Stancliff built a saw mill on the same stream, but within two years afterward he was killed by a falling tree. Comfort Stancliff then run the mill. John Alger had an early mill on Deer.creek, on lot No. 31. Other early saw mills in the town were those owned and known as Gilman's, Lyman's, Bart- lett's, Lapper's and Nathan Gardner's. Many years ago one S. Warner had a chair factory on upper Deer creek. David Smith had a saw mill on Abijah creek. Sylvanus Lockwood, Daniel Wheeler, Newman Hawley, Mr. Chafin, C. R. Totman, Nelson Cox, J. O'Neil, Wm. Standish, John Brigham and Eli Moore were also connected with saw mills in the town more than 25 years ago.

Having thus recalled as many as possible of the early settlers of Lor- raine, and having in the same manner referred to the early institutions which were factors in local annals, the reader will see that in spite of the disadvantages of location and the absence of attractive features which always draw settlers to a new region, the lands were rapidly occupied by a class of inhabitants as determined and energetic as those of any town in the Black river country. One hundred and twenty- eight settlers were developing the lands within four years from the time the first improvement was made, and within five years 161 legal voters with the requisite property qualifications were living in the territory. It is not surprising, therefore, that the people should seek a division of Mexico and the creation of a new town from the territory.

Organization .- The act creating the town was passed by the legis- lature March 24, 1804, at which time several other towns were also erected. The portion of the act relating to this town was as follows: " And all that part of the said town of Mexico known and distinguished

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THE TOWN OF LORRAINE.

by townships Numbers one and two of the Boylston tract, shall be and the same is hereby erected into a separate town by the name of Malta; and that the first town meeting shall be held at the dwelling house of John Alger." It was found, however, that on March 3, 1802, a town named Malta had been created in Saratoga county, and duplicate naming of towns could not be permitted on account of .complications which were apt to follow. Therefore, on April 6, 1808, the name of the new town was changed to Lorraine. Several years before the town was erected, and as far back as the time of the surveys on the Boylston traet, the territory now comprising Lorraine was designated by the name of Atticus, and was so known until created a separate jurisdiction under the name of Malta. Worth was also a part of Malta, or Lor- raine, but was made a separate town April 12, 1848, as previously stated.

The first town meeting was held at the house of John Alger on March 5, 1805, when the following officers were elected, viz. Asa Brown, supervisor; William Hosford, town clerk ; Clark Allen, Ormond Butler, Warner Flowers, assessors: Ormond Butler, collector; William Hunter, C. Allen, poormasters; William Hosford, Michael Frost, Asa Sweet, commissioners of highways; William Lanfear, Joseph Case, Elijah Fox, fence viewers; James MeKee, John Griswold, poundmasters. 1

The settlers were fortunate in having laid out and opened through the town the state road between Rome and Brownville, as they were thus afforded a good and convenient route of travel to business centers. Still, the opening of highways was one of the first matters to receive attention from the town officials. In 1805 the town comprised six road distriets, but in 1807 the number had increased to eighteen. In this year also the first school was opened in a log house standing on the village site near the Baptist church property. Betsey Burpee is said to have been the first teacher. In 1813 the town, then including Worth, was divided into eighteen school districts.

Other than as indicated in preceding paragraphs, the civil and polit- ical history of Lorraine have been uneventful, and during the period of its history no unusual events have marred its progress. The enforce- ment of the embargo laws caused some temporary inconvenience in cer- tain localities, yet the inhabitants never wavered in their loyalty and and patriotism during that period and the important struggle which followed. Lawlessness in any form was frowned upon, and in 1806

1 Wolf bounties of $ Were offered in 1809, and almost annually thereafter until 1x20. In 1806 the bounty was $10. Panther bounties of $5 were paid in 1810, '17, '19 and '20 ; and of $10 in 1816. A fox bounty of 50 cents was offered in 1816.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

the town meeting voted to set up "a pair of stocks in Malta, at the crotch in the road near John Alger's." This was for the public good and was aimed expressly to warn a certain character that his presence in the community was not desired. The effeet was salutary, for the person at once departed from the town.

After the close of the war of 1812-15 there followed an era of peace and prosperity, in which the resources of the town were developed to their full extent. The condition came slowly yet surely, as the statis- ties show that during the years 1810 and 1814 there was no increase in population, the number of inhabitants in the first mentioned year being 812 and 810 in the last.

In later years the various fluctuations in population are best shown by extracts from the census reports. In 1820 the population was 1,112; 1825, 1,400; 1830, 1,727; 1835, 1,615; 1840, 1,699; 1845, 1,640; 1850, 1,511 ; 1855, 1,470; 1860, 1,687; 1865, 1,580; 1870, 1,377; 1875, 1,275; 1880, 1,435; 1890, 1,174; 1892, 1,136.

From this it is seen that the greatest population was attained in 1830; the territory of the town then included both Lorraine and Worth. The latter was set off in 1848, yet in 1850 Lorraine had 1,511 inhabitants. Since that time the greatest number was reached in 1860. Later years have shown a gradual decrease, a condition due to the same causes which have in like manner reduced the population in nearly every in- terior town in the state, and particularly in localities where agriculture is the only pursuit of the people. Indeed, Lorraine is in all respects a purely agricultural town, producing abundantly in hay, grain, potatoes and corn, but the lands are specially adapted to grazing, henee butter and cheese have become staple produets of the soil.

The first cheese factory in the town, and one of the first in the re- gion, was the Maple grove factory, built in 1865 by Joseph Grimshaw and L. D. Reed, and was raised the day President Lincoln was assassin- ated. It is located on the Worthville road about a mile and one-half east of Lorraine village. It has been in continuous operation to this time, and is now owned by Adelbert M. Brown. The Pitkin factory on the old state road was built the same year by Webb & Pitkin, and is now owned by Erwin Pitkin. The Lorraine central, or village factory, was established in 1868 by Ira Page, and was burned in 1845. The present village factory was started as a creamery by J. D. Grow and was by him converted into a cheese factory. It is now owned by W. R. Grow, E. A. Harding, L. F. Caulkins and M. H. Fox. The other present operating factories are the Winona, in the southwest part of

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THE TOWN OF LORRAINE.

the town, owned by Mr. Anthony, and the E. L. Stone factory in the extreme southwest corner of the town, both of which are comparatively new industries. Among the other old factories were those owned by G. A. Fox, and the Excelsior (both started in 1870); the A. J. Bet- tinger factory, and the Tifft factory, the latter established about 1866, and burned in 1869. It was replaced in 1873 by John Wilcox.

One of the early institutions of the town, but not now in existence, was the Congregational society formed in 1829, but dating back in its history to the year 1807 when meetings were held by Elder Spear and other clergymen of that denomination. On Dec. 3, 1829, the church society was regularly formed, Silas Lyman, Wm. Carruth and Alfred Webb being the first trustees. In 1830 a small meeting house was built in the south part of the village, which was occupied by the society as long as its existence was maintained. But at best the members were few in number and in the meantime other societies had sapped the strength of the old organization, therefore about 1850 it was dis- solved.

In 1817 the legislature passed an act authorizing the electors in any town to vote a sum of money in dollars to double the number of voters, for the purpose of a town house and site. At the town meeting in 1858 a resolution was passed to purchase the old Congregational church prop- erty for a town hall, which was done, but through some defect in giv- the notice of the meeting the legality of the proceeding was questioned. Thereupon recourse was had to the legislature, resulting in another act legalizing the proceeding, and appointing Sardis Abby, John Boyden, Silas Lyman, E. R. Fox and Joseph Grimshaw a committee to procure title to the church property (taking title to the town), to repair the same and convert the building into a town hall, agreeable to the reso- lution of February 16. Thus was the town hall brought into existence.

The Lorraine rural cemetery association was another of the old and permanent institutions of the town, and was formed January 8, 1852, by

Aaron Brown, John Boyden, John Bentley, Eben Brown, Knapp Macomber, Joseph Grimshaw, Allen Pitkin, Lorenzo Reed, John Hancock, Moses Brown, Elihu Gillett, Sardis Abby, Augustus L. Baker, Peter Hanson, Leonard A. Parker, Joel Buel, Latham Lanfear and Parley Brown.

Lorraine Village .- This pretty and interesting little hamlet, which has never attained the importance or dignity of the corporate character, but which is nevertheless recognized as one of the cleanest and best regulated rural villages of the county, dates its history to the first set-

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

tlements in the town. Its population was perhaps never greater than now, nor have its business interests been more extensive and diversi- fied, yet in Lorraine, as in all similarly situated hamlets, it seems as if the good old days of long ago were the best and most prosperous, es- pecially during the period in which the mail stages were in active opera- tion on the old state road.

The village is pleasantly situated at the point where Hull creek empties into Deer creek. John Alger made the beginning of the settlement in 1803 when he built a log tavern. Soon afterward other buildings were erected, and the little settlement thus established became known as the " Huddle," or " Lorraine Huddle." a name which was applied for many years. The old Alger tavern was afterward occupied by Pardon Peck and Lemuel Hunt, both for terms of years until about 1865. when it was used as a dwelling and grange hall. Dr. Weston, physician and inn keeper, opened a public house about 1801. The old building stood the wear of time, enjoyment and mirth for many years, and was the scene of all the dancing and merry-making parties of early days, events equally trying to the patience of the worthy doctor. The building was removed about 1850 by Daniel Caulkins. David Webb's tavern stood two miles above the village, and was opened about 1816. Gillman's inn was opened in 1841 by Chester Gillman. Later proprietors were D. B. Lockwood. O. C. Tucker, C. J. Snow and Horace Streeter. Elisha Allen's old tavern was below the settlement. The present hotel, the Grow house, is one of the best country hotels south of Black river. The proprietor is G. F. Grow.

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Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 72

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