Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 77

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 77

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Orleans Four Corners, formerly called Shantyville, is a post-office and station in the east part of the town, on the line of the Clayton and Theresa railroad. The hamlet contains about fifty inhabitants, an Evangelical Lutheran church (built in 1852, of which mention has been made), a district school, cheese factory, and a store, the latter now kept by E. T. Sargent. In the history of the town the place is of small im- portance, yet is a convenient trading center and shipping point for a prosperous agricultural region.

Fisher's Landing, De La Farge's Corners, Port Orleans and Collins' Landing are the names of places in the north part of Orleans, one of which (Fisher's Landing) has a post-office. All except De La Farge Corners derive whatever importance they possess from their proximity to the St. Lawrence river.

Supervisors .- Amos Reed, 1822-23; William H. Angel, 18244-26; Woodbridge C. George, 1827; Jesse S. Woodward, 1828; records lost, 1829 32; Chesterfield Persons, 1833: William Martin, 1834; Peter Dillenback, 1835: Chesterfield Persons, 1836; Daniel C. Rouse, 1837; John B. Collins, 1838-39; C Parsons, 1840; Peter P. Folts, 1811: James Green, 1842; Edmund W. Eldridge, 1843; Abram J. Smith, 18444; Loren Bushnell, 1815; A. J. Smith, 1846; 1). C. Rouse, 1817: John N. Rottiers, 1848 19. Iliram Dewey, 1850-55; Luther Lamson, 1856-58; John Tallman, 1859-60; Hiram Dewey, 1861; Jerome Bushnell, 1862-63; Pliny Newton, 1864; Russell B. Biddlecom, 1865: Jerome Bushnell, 1866, and R. P. Biddlecom after Sept. 24, by appointment ; R. P. Biddlecom, 1867-69; Pliny Newton, 1870; Wayland F. Ford, 1871; Pliny New- ton, 1872; Timothy D. Flansburgh, 1873; Pliny Newton, 1871 76; Brainerd Everett, 1877 28; Isaac Mitchell, 1879-84; Pliny Newton, 1885; Byron J. Strough, 1886-99.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

CHAPTER XXXV.

THE TOWN OF PAMELIA.

By an act of the legislature passed April 12, 1819, a new town was created in Jefferson county, and was named Pamelia, in allusion to the wife of Jacob Brown, her maiden name having been Pamelia Williams. However, in 1824 the name was changed to Leander, but the action by which the change was made was soon rescinded (April 9, 1825), and the original name restored. When the new town was created Brownville surrendered more than 20,000 acres of its territory, and to the new form- ation was subsequently added an irregular tract of land taken from Orleans, a portion of the hundred square miles of land granted by the state to Peter Penet at the request of the Oneida Indians. Therefore, within the town, as then and now constituted, are portions of three separately patented tracts; the southern portion being on the Chassanis tract ; the northern locality a small part of great lot number 4 of the Macomb purchase, and the part acquired from Penet's square by the act of April 1, 1829. In turn, Pamelia has been called upon to sur render a part of its territory to the city of Watertown, taking a small portion, but one of great value on account of its water power and priv- ileges, and as well several manufacturing industries of importance. Whether Pamelia was benefited by this surrender is questionable, yet the constantly increasing population and commercial importance of the city made the enlargement of its corporate boundaries a necessity.

As now constituted the town contains 20,383 acres of land, and as good land for all general agricultural purposes as is found in the region. The surface is comparatively level and gently undulating in certain localities, while the soil is clay and sand. In the north part is the body of water commonly called Perch lake, in the vicinity of which was dis- covered several " barrows," or sepulchral mounds, which were factors in the old-time belief in pre-historic occupation.1 The town is without

1 There are eight or ten of these earthen mounds or lands now owned by the George H. Sherman estate and Alonzo Van Dewalker. They are located about ten or fifteen rods back from the shore, and are circular in form, from two to three feet in height, and from two to four

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THE TOWN OF PAMELIA.

other distinguishing features, unless we casually mention in this place the prominence it enjoys in the manufacture and output of Limburger and English cheese, in which respect it stands among the first in the county. .

The history of early settlement and the hardships of pioneer life in Pamelia is not unlike that of other towns similarly situated, but the absence of reliable record makes it very difficult, if not quite impossi- ble, to determine who were the first comers. At that time the town was a part of Brownville, or of the still older town of Leyden, and whatever attempts at settlement were made were accomplished under the proprietary agencies, or under the subsequent personal ownership of James Le Ray. All past chroniclers of Pamelia history accord to pioneers Boshart and Kitts, whose christian names are unknown, the honor of being first in the region, but their stay was short. The severi- ties of climate with the hardships of pioneer life so discouraged them that they left for more desirable localities. Their improvements were made about 1799, but after their departure no further record of settle- ment appears until about 1804, although in the meantime in adjoining towns settlers were constantly making clearings. On the river were several families but their names are not recalled, while in the north part of the town pioneer Makepeace (probably Thomas) had made a permanent home in 1804. In the next year came Mr. Haven, whose christian name is not mentioned, and settled back from the river, within the present city limits. Others soon followed, among whom were the Parish and Gould families in the northwest part of the town. Indeed, this locality seems to have been first taken up, as Philip and Elijah Ainsworth, Isaac and Jacob Meacham, Caleb Bates, William Morse and Jacob Lowell were there previous to the war of 1812-15. In the north- cast part, near the four corners, were Curtis Goulding, Henry Becker, Aaron Dresser and Alvin Twing, founders of the settlement, while in

rods in diameter, with holes in the center about two feet deep, as if a vault had formerly existed there which had fallen in. The largest of the mounds stands on the Sherman farm, near the ruins of the old La Farge mansion. A hemlock tree about eighteen inches in diameter stands in one cirele. Excavations disclose unglazed pottery of Indian make, charcoal, burned corn and other evidences of the Indian period of occupancy, and the relics found in adjacent fields indi- cate that it was anciently a favorite hamlet of the aborigines. The exact number originally of these mounds or tumuli can not now be definitely determined, many of them having been leveled by cultivation. Some have placed the number as high as two hundred at the time the county was first explored. They are supposed to be burial places for the dead, although some writers maintain that they are the remains of ancient Indian dwellings, antedating in period of con struction the long house system of the Iroquois. However, the size of these mounds and the findings made on excavations as above stated, would seem to favor the theory that they are places of sepulture, as there is presented the usual indicia of Indian burial places

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

the same locality were Stephen Farr, Obadiah Rhodes and Benjamin Cole, all, it is believed before the war. Smith Scoville was in the town before 1811, and opened a public house. The next year John Brown moved in from Brownville and built a framed house. David Angsbury also came in 1811, and was followed a year later by his father, John Augsbury, and other members of the family. The senior Augsbury bought the Makepeace improvement, and was one of numerous and prominent families in the early history of the town.

Naturally, lands along the river brought better prices than those farther back, and as nearly all the first settlers were men of limited means they took the lands which they felt most able to pay for. In the southwest section John Folts settled in 1812, one of the very first in that locality, but he was soon followed by others, among them Peter Acker, David and Belshazzar Tillapaugh, Simeon Woodruff, the Bakers and Coopers, and possibly others whose names have been lost with passing years. All added to the settlement in the vicinity where Smith Scovill lived and kept tavern. However, without attempting the un- satisfactory task of naming and locating all the early families, for the same cannot be done with any reasonable accuracy, we must content ourselves with mere mention of the names of other settlers.

Previons to the separate organization of the town, settlements had been made by Theron Converse (near the river and opposite the village), William McGinnis, in the southwest part; and also in other localities, as their names are disclosed by records still in existence. William and John Waful, heads of a family afterward prominent in town affairs: Elijah Wright, Russell Weaver, Benjamin Still, Joseph Mayo, Joel Nims, John Stewart, James Wright, Daniel and Isaac Pettit, Nehemiah Van Nest, Osman Bannister, John N. Gunn, Conrad Waful, Benjamin Pease, John and William Six- bury, Elias Wager, Thomas Goodrich, Charles Brown, Abram Spalsbury, and at least three other heads of families named Nichols, Gardner and Combs, whose christian names are not recalled.

Several of these settlers were in the town before the war of 1812, but the uncertain memory of man does not recall them by name, nor the place of their residence. Indeed, settlement previous to the war was of an uncertain character, and some of the settlers left through the fear that their improvements might be laid waste by the Canadian Indians, and their families subjected to the tomahawk and knife. At that time, too, but little had been done in the way of building roads, the agents of the proprietary being engaged in developing more desir- able localities or waiting action by the state, hoping thus to relieve themselves of this expense. The highway leading northeast from

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THE TOWN OF PAMELIA.

Brownville to the east side of Perch lake had been opened but not com- pleted, while another from the same place running in the same direc- tion, though farther cast, was also laid out but little settlement along it had been made. This was substantially on the line of the military road, as afterward known.

For several years previous to the war things in this region were in an uncertain condition. The lands were heavily timbered, and the only reliable source of revenue for the settlers was the sale of pot. ashes, but the stringency of the embargo and non-intercourse laws de- prived them almost of the means of livelihood. There was little in the condition of things to tempt settlement and much to retard it. When the war did come the inhabitants were ill prepared for it, and while the able-bodied men freely enrolled themselves in General Brown's militia and went to the frontier, many of them left their families in want. But on these scenes we cannot dwell; the records are silent and give no in - formation whatever as to who were the soldiers of Pamelia in that struggle. However, after peace was declared and the political affairs of the state were settled, improvements were resumed and new families came to make homes in the town. It was during these years that the population increased most rapidly and the necessity of a new town be- gan to be felt. About 1815 Aaron Dresser opened a public house in the northeast part of the town, where the roads crossed, and in the next year John Gunn opened a stock of goods and began trade, he being the pioneer in this direction, though he was in business only a few years. Dresser's tavern was the first step toward a hamlet settlement, and Pamelia Four Corners was the result; a hamlet which has been in existence to the present day. In the south part of the town settlement also increased, and in the locality opposite Watertown the lands were soon cleared, and a few small industries were built along the river. Still later in its history these little settlements became known as Williamstown (North Watertown) and Juhelville, places of considerable note for many years, but both were absorbed by an extension of the city limits, and their history became a part of that of the county seat.

In treating of the early settlement and history of Pamelia the writer is embarrassed by the absence of records, a condition chiefly due to the fact that previous to 1819 the town formed a part of the still older town of Brownville. Town records are always a fruitful source of informa- tion and from them may be gleaned many incidents of history not else-

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

where obtained. However, it is said that soon after the close of the war of 1812-15 there were at least fifty families settled in Pamelia, of whom more than half have been recalled by name; and in another de- partment of this work will be found a more extended reference to them, and also to others of the same and a later period. Whatever the truth may have been it is nevertheless a fact that settlement once begun in- creased rapidly, and the year 1820 found the town containing more than 1,300 inhabitants. Therefore it is small wonder that the people sought to be set off from the mother town and erected into a separate jurisdiction of the county. The chief factors in bringing about this end are unknown, but we may fairly assume that those who were chosen as the first officers of the town were instrumental in accomplishing the work.

Organisation .- The town was created April 12, 1819, the act direct- ing the first town meeting to be held March 7, 1820, at the school house near the dwelling of Elias Wager. The officers chosen were as follows:

John Stewart, supervisor; Henry Gotham, town clerk; Russell Weaver, Benjamin Still and Simeon Woodruff, assessors; Simeon Woodruff and Benjamin Still, over- seers of the poor; Alfred Commins, Simeon Woodruff and Benjamin Still, commis- sioners of highways; Horace Mather, collector; Osman Bannister, Nehemiah Van V'est and Joseph Mayo, commissioners of common schools; Amos Eames, William Usher, Russel Weaver, John N. Gunn, Baker Massey and Charles Brown, inspectors of schools; Jacob J. Green, Benjamin Pease and Horace Mather, constables.

From this time history of the town has been a record of success, growth and development. The first settlers were chiefly farmers and lumbermen. the latter being in a measure the enforced occupation of nearly all the male population until the lands were cleared for agricul- tural purposes; but incidental to this was the work of the faithful housewife at the spinning wheel, for statistics show that in 1820 there were made in families 8, 206 yards of cloth. At that time there was also in operation five grist mills, one saw mill, one fulling mill, one carding machine and two pot asheries. A total of 6,323 acres of land were cleared and under cultivation, while the husbandmen of the town owned for domestic purposes 318 horses, 1,339 cattle and 2,644 sheep.

As evidence of subsequent industry on the part of the inhabitants, the statement may be made that in 1855 the acres of improved land numbered 19,810, and nnim- proved, 3,836; number of dwellings, 420; number of families, 442; freeholders, 223; school districts, 12: children taught, 884; number of horses, 585; working cattle and increase, 1,006; cows, 1 990; sheep, 1,68 ;; swine, 891; bushels of winter wheat grown, 5,855; spring wheat, 16,079; tons of hay, 4, 729; bushels of potatoes, 7,780;

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THE TOWN OF PAMELIA.

apples, 1,529; pounds of butter made, 151,117; of cheese, 192, 127; domestic cloths, 1,626 yards.

However, the succeeding quarter of a century witnessed many more and remarkable changes. The pioneers were nearly all gone, but their sons and daughters remained, and the agricultural resources of the town were developed almost to their fullest extent. A civil war also inter- vened and took from the town some of its bravest and hardiest young men, the story of whose services is told in another chapter, but the most noticeable change was in the character of products and industries. The forest lands were substantially cleared, but wheat and cattle raising for market purposes was made unprofitable by reason of western competi- tion, therefore the provident farmer turned to dairying and cheese mak- ing in connection with general agricultural pursuits, and established for the town a reputation second to none in this part of the state. The character of the soil was peculiarly adapted to grazing. Hay, corn, oats and potatoes yielded abundantly in answer to proper tillage; cattle thrived under proper care, and butter and cheese making became an established and profitable industry. Indeed, at one time, it is said, there were no less than twelve cheese factories in operation, the product of which brought to the town many thousand dollars each year. This is of course the staple product of the town, but in other respects Pamelia ranks well among the civil divisions of the county.

As another indication of growth and development recourse may be had to the cen- sus tables, from which it is learned that in 1820 the inhabitants numbered 1,342; in 1830, 2,263; in 1840, 2,101; in 1850, 2,528; in 1860, 2,789; in 1879, 1,292; in 1880, 1,143; in 1990, 1,104, and in 1892, 925.

From this it is seen that from 1820 to 1860 there was a constant in- crease in population, while subsequent years have shown a correspond- ing decrease, the latter dne to the same causes which have reduced the number of inhabitants in nearly all the interior towns of the state. In 1860 the maximum population of 2, 789 was reached, but in 1869 a con- siderable portion of Pamelia was absorbed by the city, the part in which the population was most dense and industries most numerous. This alone took from the town half its inhabitants and also much valuable taxable property. With this acquisition to the city was the village formerly called North Watertown but originally Williamstown and afterward Pamelia village; and also the neighboring hamlet of Juhel- ville, so named by James Le Ray in honor of his wife, who was the daughter of John Juhel, a prominent and wealthy merchant of New

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

York city a century ago. Among the business interests thus trans- ferred from the town to the city may be mentioned the Watertown steam engine company, now occupied by James B. Wise; Lasher's flour mill; the "checkered" flour mill, now the electric light works, and the Farmers' mill, the latter owned by Wm. H. Angel, and also the adjoining distillery, both on the site of the Taggart paper company's buildings. There were also the cloth and fulling mill of which Ezra Wait was owner, the old Jacob Cramer saw mill, then out of use, and some shops on the corner opposite the checkered flour mill, at the end of the bridge. In the neighboring hamlet of Juhelville the city acquired the Wilson & Stewart carriage works; the O'Dougherty mills (now belonging to Remington Paper company) and the hosiery factory, together with other interests of perhaps less note.

However, Pamelia is not without manufacturing industries of in- portance. Nearly half a century ago two Germans named Butler and Yager came to the town and began making limburger cheese, in a small way at first but gradually enlarging their product as the demand required, for the commodity was found good and sold readily. Their success induced others to engage in the business, and in the course of twenty years this special manufacture became a staple industry, and resulted in at least a dozen factories scattered through the town; but as years passed trade fell off, hence several of the works were closed. The buildings remain and may be designated as follows: The Walters factory, located in the north part of the town, now owned by a stock company; Scovill's, near Military corners; Parish's, in the north part, but now closed: Ganter's, in the north part, closed; G. G. Waggoner's, now in operation in the north part; the Mills factory, owned by a com pany, but now closed; Oscar Hinds' factory, closed; Charles Fox's factory, closed, and Peter Rebscher's factory, also closed. In addition there are the English or "Yankee" cheese factories, known, respect- ively, as the Fairview, operated by a stock company, located centrally in the town; the Cloverdale, at the corners, owned by A. E. Gove, and the Pamelia creek factory, owned by a stock company. Each of these is in operation and doing a successful business.

The other manufacturing interests of Pamelia comprise the carriage works of D. F. Moyer, at Knowlesville, and the similar works of William Ashton, at Pamelia Four Corners; the Remington paper and pulp com- pany's extensive works on Black river in the southwest part of the town, and the lands and works of the Watertown pressed brick company

745

THE TOWN OF PAMELIA.

in the same locality, and about three-quarters of a mile back from the river.

Pamelia Four Corners is the only hamlet and post station in the town. Aaron Dresser seems to have been the active factor in founding the settlement, although Henry Becker, Curtis Goulding and Alvin Twing were improving lands in the vicinity about the same time. Dresser opened publie house about the time of the war of 1812, and thenceforth this was a center of trade. A store was also opened, one or two shops were built, and about 1830 a post-office was established. Since then a store has been kept here, but the tavern became unprofitable and was closed. The present business interests comprise the general stores of Gove & Timmerman and A. F. Shaftner, the latter being sometimes called the grange store. There are also the Cloverdale cheese factory, two or three small shops, the district school and two nearby churches. The local postmaster is Alanson E. Gove.

The First Methodist Episcopal church of Pamelia was organized as a class in 1817, and developed into a church body in February, 1848, in which year the edifice at the corners was built. The first trustees were Charles G. Harger, James Jones, Orvis Goulding, Asa Barnes, Curtis Goulding, Joseph Countryman, Daniel Gould, Jacob Harwick and Abram Augsbury. From that time the society has maintained a con- tinuous existence, formerly with a large membership, but in more re- cent years somewhat reduced, and now is a station supplied from Le Ray. The present pastor is Rev. John Wagoner. The conference minutes makes no separate report of this society.

A union meeting house society in Pamelia was formed Nov. 16, 1847, the trustees of which were Jacob II. Zoller, Reuben Lock and Peter M. Salisbury, representing the Protestant Methodist, Universalists and Christians of the town, neither of which was strong enough to maintain a separate church. In 1848 the meeting house was built on the mili- tary road, about half way between the four corners and the military corners. The edifice was used in common by these denominations several years, but when the Methodist Protestants withdrew and built an edifice north of the corners the strength of the local organization was weakened, and finally all meetings were discontinued. In 1824 the Christians attempted to revive an interest, but with only partail success, and now the house is closed.

The society of the Methodist Protestant church of Pamelia was formed about 1845, but regular services were not held until the completion of

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

the union house of worship. About 1866 the society withdrew from the union plan, and in 1867 erected a meeting house two miles north of Pamelia Four Corners, where the organization has ever since been maintained with a fair measure of success. The active membership is not strong, although services are well attended. The society has no resident pastor, and the pulpit is supplied from Evans' Mills by Rev. Byron G. Sanford.

In the southwest part of the town, where the old military road inter- sects the highway leading from the county seat to Depauville, is a lo- cality known for more than three quarters of a century as " Military corners, "' and so called from the fact that during the war of 1812-15 small bodies of soldiers were occasionally stationed there, and were wont to meet whenever their services might be required on the frontier. Thus made a central point for military gatherings, Smith Scovill, who came to the town about 1810 or '11, built a tavern, and from that time a public house has been maintained at the corners. The hostelry was kept in the Scovill family until less than ten years ago, and has since been managed by other landlords. The corners has no other hamlet features except the cheese factory before mentioned.

Supervisors of Pamelia .- John Stewart, 1820-26; Russel Weaver, 1827-28; Gus- tavus A. Foster, 1829-30; Bernard Bagley, 1831-35; Chillingsworth Colwell, 1836; Bernard Bagley, 1837-41; William Wilson, 1842; Henderson Hawk, 1843-45; Josiah Bonney, 1846-47; Bernard Bagley, 1848-49; Abram M. Harger, 1850; Charles D. Wright, 1851-52; Josiah Bonney, 1853; Isaac McGinness, 1854-57; Charles W. Bur- dick, 1858-59; James Jones, 1860; Charles W. Burdick, 1861-63; Elliott Makepeace, 1864; Charles W. Burdick, 1865-67; Dexter W. Haven, 1868-72; Justus B. Leavitt, 1874-26; George H. Countryman, 1877-78; Dexter H. Haven, 1879-80; George A. Fenner, 1881-85; Emery E. Ward, 1886; Charles E. Makepeace, 1887-88; Edward B. Nichols, 1889-92; Silas D. Ball, 1893-97; F. W. Mayhew, 1898-99.

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Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 77

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