Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 90

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 90

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The Carthage national bank was organized March 20, 1887, and began business May I following with 850,000 capital, and with Gilbert B John . son, president ; Orlin Holcomb, vice-president; and Mark S. Wilder, cashier James Pringle succeeded Mr. Holcomb as vice-president, other than which no change has been made in the officiary. The bank has a surplus and undivided profit account of $10,000, and is in all re- speets a successful and solid institution.

The directors are Gilbert B. Johnson, James Pringle, Chester E. Francis, Henry l'. Flynn, Walter S Hartwell, Fred W. Colburn, John W. Clark, Charles P. Ryther, William Boshart, John L. Coburn, Richard C. Otis, Lloyd G. Chase, Mark S. Wilder.

Masonic .- Carthage lodge, No. 158, F & A. M., was the outgrowth of a lodge organized in the village July 11, 1826, of which Dr. Eli West was master, Thomas Brayton, senior, and Nathan Starks, junior war- den. However, during the so called anti masonic period the old lodge, like many others of its kind in the state, suspended, and was not re- vived until June, 1819, when lodge No. 158 was brought into existence. Dr. West was again the first master, and Joseph Crowner, senior war- den, and K. E. Parker, junior warden. From that time the history of the lodge has been a record of constant growth, both in membership and work. The present members number 140.

The past masters have been. Leonard G. Peck, James Pringle, John L. Norton, L. G. Chase. H. Houghton, W. C. Sherwood, H. J. Radin, L. D. Thompson, L. E. Bossuot, F. A. Dexter.

Carthage Chapter, No. 259, R. A. M., was organized February ", 1822, with John L. Norton, high priest. The present members num- ber 75. The succession of high priests has been as follows:

John L. Norton, 1872-81, '87, '91; james Pringle, 1882-83; L. G. Chase, 1884, 1888 90; S. D. Ilunt, 1885-86; C. H. Wing, 1891; L. E. Bossuot, 1892-93; II. J. Radm, 1895; F. M. Wing, 186; Hiram Iloughton. 1897.

Odd Fellows .- Carthage lodge, No 365, I. O. O. F., was instituted

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

May 28, 188s, and from that time has continued to grow until it is rec- ognized as one of the strongest Odd Fellow bodies in the county. Its membership is now 130.

The succession of past grands has been as follows. E. R. V. Plant, May to Dec., 1``S: George Reynolds, Jan .- June, 18-9; George Vinner, July-Dec., 1889; C. W. Bullard, Jan .- June, 1890; J. 1. Locklin, July-Dec., 1890; F. A. Dexter, Jan .- June, 1891; S. C. Rice, July Dec., 1891 ; F. L. Hall, Jan .- Juue, 1892 ; E. D. Rice, July-Dec., 1892. W. S. Corhs. Jan .- June, 1-93; George E. Spicer, July-Dec., 1893; John R. Coburn, Jan. - June, 1894; Melvin Pierce, July-Dec., 1894; W. N. Wrape. Jan .- June, 1895; George Pitlock, July-Dec., 1895; W. C. Root, Jan .- June. 1896; Fred J. Kel- logg. July-Dec., 1896; J. H. B. Reed, Jan .- June, 1897; A. F. Balcom. July-Dec., 1897.

Oriental encampment, No 135, I. O. O. F., was organized at Sandy creek January 31, 1893, but in pursuance of permission granted by the grand patriarch of New York, the lodge was removed to Carthage June 6, 1895. The present members number fifty. The succession of chief patriarchs has been as follows:

F. H. Elmer, Jan .- June. 18-3, and July-Dec., 1993; C. J. Robinson. Jan .- June. 194: B. N. Bailey. July, 1894-June, 1895; George Vinier, June-Dec .. 1895; W. C. Root, Jan -June, 1896; A. F. Balcom, July-Dec., 1896; C. J. Thompson, Jan -June. 1897: Henry Noblet, July-Dec., 1-97.

Churches .- St. James church. Roman Catholic, was founded in Car- thage in 1819, and on July 20, 1821, the society organization was per- fected. The spacious grounds on which the edifice was built in 1821-22 were donated by Vincent Le Ray, who was also a generous contributor to the building fund. The first trustees were Claudius S. Quilliard, Edward Galvin, John Finley, James and Vincent Le Ray, John Daley and James Walsh. The edifice was constructed from trees growing on and near the church property, and was the first Catholic church in this part of the state. The erection of the present edifice was begun in 1864. Connected with the parish is St. James parochial school, built in 1885, and is under the direction of sisters of St. Joseph. The school is large, well attended and liberally supported. In the parish are about 200 Catholic families. The church is under the pastoral charge of Rev. Father F. J. McShane, assisted by Rev. Father Ryan.

The Methodist Episcopal church of Carthage dates back in its history to about the year 1820 when, and for a score of years following, occa sional services were held in the village by the circuit itinerary who traversed the region both on foot and on horseback. Classes were formed in various localities but the local society organization was not perfected until 1840, when a church home was erected. A second edi-

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THE TOWN OF WILNA.

fice was built in 1823, and the present structure in 1893-94. The men- bers now number 286; probationers, 105. Pastor, Rev. S. W. Brown. Value of property, $21,000.

The Baptist church of Carthage was formed as a separate organiza- tion at a meeting held January 29, 1833. The house of worship was completed and dedicated in April, 1840, services previous to that time having been held in the schoolhouse and private buildings in the vil- lage. The society has grown constantly to the present membership of about 280, and that notwithstanding the fact that twice during the period of its history-July 15, 1861, and October 20, 1881-the edifice was destroyed by fire. The present house of worship was erected in 1885. The pastor is Rev. Edwin F. Hard, who came to Carthage, No- vember 1. 1893.

The First Presbyterian church of Carthage was organized November 11. 1861, yet as early as 1835 an informal Congregational society with twelve members had been formed, including residents of both Champion and Wilna. The early ministers were Revs. Nathaniel Dutton and James H. Monroe. Indeed, in 1802 Mr. Dutton had an organized Con- gregational society in Champion. The local society soon adopted the name of "The First Congregational church of Carthage," which in November, 1851, adopted Presbyterian form of government. In 1852 the village society separated from that previously existing in West Carthage. The first church edifice was erected in 1851, and the second (both frame structures) in 1864. The latter was burned in October, 1884, and in 1886 was replaced with the present substantial brick edi- fice, at a cost of $10,000. Rev. Jacob V. Shurts has been pastor of the church since May 17, 1884. The members number about 200 persons.

Grace church, Episcopal, with its parish, was organized in the fall of 1860, although occasional services were held in the village for several preceding years, by clergymen from Watertown, beginning with Rev. J. Winslow in 1857. In 186; the church edifice was completed, and was consecrated on Sept. 14; rector, Rev. L. R. Brewer, now Episco- pal bishop of Montana. The building was destroyed by fire, October 20, 1881, and in the next year was replaced with a more modern and substantial brick edifice, having a seating capacity of 550.

Present number of communicants, 110; rector, Rev. George D. Ashley, whose connection with this church began April Is, 1897, succeeding Rev. Charles E. S. Rasey. The wardens of Grace church are Henry W. Hammond and James Pringle ; vestrymen, John L. Norton, E. HI. Myers, Fred W. Coburn, Alonzo Kring, Arthur C. Root, A. F. Mills, Everett E. Wagoner, Wilbur A. Porter.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

CHAPTER XLH.

THE TOWN OF WORTH.

In many respects worth is one of the peculiar towns of the county, and in connection with its early settlement and civil history were events not common to the region. The town lies on the high, slaty and shaly ridges in the extreme southeast part of the county; the sur- face averages from twelve hundred to sixteen hundred feet above tide water, and is the most elevated land in the county, hence subject to early frosts and deep snows. Where the surface is exposed to the action of running water, deep gulfs have been worn in the soft, yield- ing rock. Several sulphur springs have been found, but their waters have never been utilized to any great extent. The soil is chiefly de- rived from the disintegration of underlying rock, and is well adapted to grazing, while oats and potatoes yield abundantly throughout the town. The principal water course is the south branch of Sandy creek, which has numerous tributaries, the larger being Abijah and Chloe creeks. The north branch of Salmon river crosses the southeast corner of the town.

In the early history of the Boylston and Black river tracts, the terri- tory of what is now Worth was used as compensation lands to make up the difference in area and value of other towns and tracts. In 1995, William Constable, agent for John Johnson Phyn, sold to Nicholas Low, William Henderson. Richard llarrison and Josiah Ogden Hoff- man the Black river tract, then supposed to contain 300,000 acres, but on measurement was found much less in area, whereupon Constable, to make good the difference, conveyed township No. ? (now substan- tially Worth) to these proprietors, except 948 acres in the southwest corner, which he reserved to himself. The owners of the eleven towns divided the land among themselves, by ballot, and to make equal any apparent differences in value, Worth was again utilized as " boot money." By this proceeding Harrison & Hoffman acquired 1,283 acres of land in Worth; Nicholas Low, 1,516 acres, and William Hen- derson, 649 acres. The remainder of the township (22,004 acres, as

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THE TOWN OF WORTH.

then bounded) also fell to Harrison & Hoffman, who caused it to be surveyed and laid out by Medad Mitchell in 1995. In December, 1997, these proprietors made a partition of their lands in the town, Hoffman taking the north half. He then conveyed to Daniel MeCormick in trust to sell the land and hold the proceeds until certain debts were paid.

The township was again in part surveyed in 1801-2 by Joseph Crary, under the direction of Abel French, one of the early and energetic land agents of the region, and under whose management the first settle- ment in the town was in fact begun. In the course of his travels through the state French chanced to visit Litchfield, Herkimer county, where he offered his lands for sale. His representations attracted at - tention and resulted in the organization of a company of prospective purchasers, and Timothy Greenly, Joseph Wilcox and Elihu Gillet were appointed a committee to visit and explore the tract with a view to purchase. The report was favorable, and on their recommendation, on July 22, 1802, the company made a contract of purchase with French for the northwest quarter of township No. 2, then called Fenelon, later forming a part of Malta or Lorraine, but now Worth, The agreed price was $2, 662. Later on a deed was given the purchasers, in trust for themselves and their associates, and a purchase money mortgage was given in return to the grantors. The land was divided into lots, and was drawn by ballot by the members of the company, each of whom paid on his parcel according to his means, the committee hold. ing the money until all was paid and a good title secured to each pur- chaser.

The members of this somewhat historie company of purchasers and organizers were Greenly, Wilcox and Gillet, the committee, and also Asaph Case, Leonard Bullock, W. Flower, Eli Gillet, Lodwick Edwards, John Griswold, Ezekiel Chever, Phineas Case, Joel Caulkins, Abram Ford, Nathan Mattoon, Asa Sweet, John Pinear, Phineas Stevens, Elijah and David Richmond, John and William Sagas and John Hough- tailing. All, however, did not become residents of the town, nor did all of them complete the payments for the land, but suffered much of it to be sold for taxes and thus passed into other hands. This unfortunate condition of affairs in the town's history was not so much the fault of the settlers as the unnatural obstacles against which they were obliged to contend. The company having bought their lands in the northwest part of the town, it was there of course the settlement was begun.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

The lands were partially but not fully surveyed, and when that work was completed many lot numbers were duplicated, resulting in a con- fusion of locations and consequent trouble among settlers. At that time the whole region was covered with a dense growth of forest trees, and the lands must be cleared before agriculture could become the occu - pation of the settlers. They made potashes and carried them to Can- ada for sale, but the embargo laws deprived them almost of the means of livelihood, and much suffering was the result. Then followed the war, which had the effect to frighten many families from the town, and as by the peculiar terms of the agreement of purchase the members of the company were severally bound, as well as individually, the burden of debt fell upon those who were disposed to remain and face the other dangers of the period. This led still others to abandon their improve- ments and return to their former homes or seek for more favorable localities. Then, too, the cold season of 1816 had a serious effect on all interests in this part of the county, causing further discouragements and desertions from the little colony ; and the final result was that of the dozen or so families who had made settlements in Worth under the company's purchase in 1802, not more than half remained permanent residents. These misfortunes told seriously against the locality and delayed its subsequent settlement for several years, for the belief had got abroad that this was an undesirable place of abode, whereas in fact the lands after being cleared and developed were among the best in the county for general agricultural pursuits. Indeed, after a proper system of surveys had been established and town and lot lines were perma- nently fixed, many families came into the town from Ellisburgh, and other low, marshy localities, preferring the high and dry lands of Worth to the then more unhealthful regions referred to. However, before proceeding further with this branch of the town's history, let us return to the pioneers of the northwest " quarter " and recall something of the lives of those who braved and overcame the difficulties of frontier life.

Abel French not only sold the lands to the pioneers, but was also in- strumental in effecting their settlement. Through his efforts in the fall of 1802 Leonard Bullock and Asaph Case came to the town and lo- cated on lots ? and 8, and made the first improvement. In pioneer Bullock's family were twelve children, cleven of whom grew to matur- ity. Ten of these children were born in Worth. This pioneer began the erection of a grist mill on Sandy Creek, in 1808, but did not com- plete his work. He was accidentally killed by falling from a scaffold

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THE TOWN OF WORTH.

in his barn, in 1828. His descendants still live in the town. Asaph Case, the companion of Bullock in making the settlement in 1802, was also a worthy pioneer, and during his residence here devoted himself to clearing and improving the land. In his barn in 1807 the widow Nobles opened the first school taught in the town. Later members of the Case family have been prominent in local history and identified with the best interests of this part of the county.

Elihu Gillet and John Houghtailing also came in 1802 and settled on the company lands. In the Gillet family were four sons and one daughter, who, with their descendants, were important factors in the later history of the town. The sons were George, David, Alanson and Elihn. John Houghtailing located on the farm so many years after- ward in the possession of his descendants. He had several children, the surname being still well preserved in the town, and stands for in- tegrity and worth.

Joseph Wileox came in 1803 and settled on the lot he had drawn in the northwest part of the town, where the pioneer died in 1839. His sons were Samuel, Luman, Sterling and Daniel, and his daughters Chloe, Luey and Clarissa. Chloe creek was named for the daughter first mentioned. Joseph Wilcox, and his sons Daniel and Sterling, were in service during the war of 1812-15, the father as captain of a company, while Sterling afterward gained the title of colonel by reason of his military services. He died in the town in 1885.

Timothy Greenly, who was an Englishman by birth, also came during the year 1803, and afterward became the owner of a large traet of land in the town. He was highly respected in this part of the county and his deseendants were active factors in the subsequent history of Worth. Nathan Mattoon eame about the same time probably in the same year, and settled in the west part of the town. He, too, was a worthy citizen and an earnest plodder along life's path to the time of his death, in 1883.

The pioneers who have mentioned in preceding paragraphs laid the foundation for the subsequent history of the town. They had to con- tend against many hardships and privations, but they were men of firm determination and great physical and moral courage, else in the face of all their trials they could not have accomplished what was done. Dur- ing the succeeding five or ten years a few more of the original pur- chasers also came to the region, and still others who were drawn here by the ties of kinship with their predecessors, or in hope that their

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

condition in life might be bettered by settlement in a new country. In many cases this hope was realized, but others were discouraged by the hardships daily confronting them, and when the foreclosures came upon the owners of lands purchased through the company they left the town for other places. These things, with the dangers growing out of the war had a disheartening effect on nearly the entire settlement, and for a period of about fifteen years Worth was partially an abandoned town However, we may briefly note some of the improvements ac- complished by the early settlers in the northwest quarter previous to the " abandoned period," as it has been called.

About 1808, as has been mentioned, Leonard Bullock began the erection of a saw mill, but a foreclosure proceeding compelled him to abandon the enterprise before it was finished. In 1810 Joshua Miles built a combined saw and grist mill on Sandy creek, east of the corners, as the locality of Worthville was then known. Miles was something of a genius and fashioned his millstones from stones found in the town, and so constructed them as to serve the purpose very well. After five or six years he sold the mills to Timothy Greenly, and the latter to Abner Rising. This was the only grist mill in the town for many years, and a great convenience to the settlers, who had before been obliged to go to Adams or Whitesville with their "grist," taking two days for the journey and work. About 1816 Joseph Wilcox and Green Kellogg built a saw mill near the corners, on the site of the present grist mill.

'The reader will understand that these settlements and improvements were made in the northwest part of the town, on the tract purchased by the company in 1802, and no record gives us any reliable informa- tion as to when or under what direction the other parts of the region were settled or developed. Indeed, from the variety of ownerships in other localities, and the stony character of the lands, there seems not to have been any special effort in this direction for several years, The whole town was divided into four surveyed tracts, the first of which was the northwest quarter, comprising nine great lots of one square mile each, which was, of course, the company's lands, and was subdi- vided among the owners according to their interests. East of this was the northeast quarter, of like extent, and surveyed into 24 lots and so sold to purchasers in later years, but not yet fully developed. The third tract comprised the south half of the town, which was surveyed and divided into eighteen lots of one square mile each. Added to this

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THE TOWN OF WORTH.

was the "mile strip," which was set off to the town (then Lorraine) in 1813, having formerly been a part of Lewis county. This, together with the south half, is yet in great part timber lands.

From about 1818 to 1830 this part of Lorraine, as then organized, made but little history and progress. True, several of the settlers on the company lands remained and established themselves firmly in their possessions, and built up excellent farms, but outside of the northwest quarter there was no attempt at settlement. The purchasing commit - tee chose wisely when they explored the region at the suggestion of Abel French, for the south and southeast portions were then wholly undesirable for places of abode, being low and wet in some places and stony in others, though heavily timbered. Indeed, the southeast quarter has not yet been cleared to any considerable extent, but where the forests have been cut away some excellent grazing lands, and tracts desirable for general agricultural pursuits, await the hand of the pioneer.

Notwithstanding the period of adversity which followed the war of 1812-15, and the subsequent unfortunate seasons in the town's history, an occasional settler found his way into the region. The year 1830 showed the male residents, freeholders and householders, to be less than forty in number, who may be recalled by name substantially as follows:

Joseph Sterling and Daniel Wilcox, Asaph, Abel and John Case, John Russell, E. West, Chester Bushnell, John Wilson, Andrew Craig, Paul Prior, Peter Wakefield, Joseph 11. and Venus C. Rising, James Potter, Joseph Totten, Zadoc Hale, Henry, Erastus and Richard Lyon, Leonard and Alanson Bullock, Joel Overton, Boomer K., Charles aud Lyman Jenks, William, Simeon and James Houghtailing, El, Elihu, David and George Gillet, Daniel and Joseph Caulkins, Leonard Parker, Nathan Mat- toon, and also Albert S. and Lorenzo P. Gillet, both of whom came to the town in the year mentioned.

Then began a new era in the history of the town, these later comers building up the foundation established by their predecessors, the the pioneers of 1802 and 1803. Gradually settlements were advanced into the northeast and southwest sections of the town, and as soon as necessary trading hamlets were established at Worth Center and Dia- mond, the latter, however, quite recently. The southeastern portion is comparatively undeveloped, but lumbering is extensively carried on at this time. The Snell lands include more than 3, 000 acres; the Littlejohn tract is large and is being cleared of its timber; the Denning tract of 1,500 acres is fast being stripped of its forest growth, while sheriff

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Sammel P. Kellogg's three hundred and more acres also has a steam saw mill in constant operation on the tract, with a water-power mill at Worthville.

Organisation .- On February 6, 1810, a special town meeting was held at the house of Benjamin Gates, in Lorraine, at which time the assembled electors unanimously determined upon a division of the ter- ritory, and the creation of a new jurisdiction from the western half of Lorraine. llowever, before any further action was had the war of 1812, with the other troubles of the period, had such a disturbing effect on all local interests that the subject was dropped; and not until about 1847 was the matter again seriously discussed. On April 12, 1848, the legislature passed an act dividing Lorraine, and creating a new town from its portion, called Worth; so named in honor of General William J. Worth, an officer of the U. S. army, who was in command of the troops sent to the frontier during the period of the patriot war. He was stationed at Sackets Harbor, and was active in quelling the disturbances of the period, holding at the time a colonel's commission.

The first town meeting was held at the school house at Wilcox's Corners, May 2, 1848, at which time officers were elected as follows: A. S. Gillet, supervisor ; Daniel Wilcox, town clerk; A. S. Gillet, Riley W. Green and Jonathan M. Ackley, justices of the peace; George W. Gillet and Albert Nichols, assessors ; Leonard Bullock, Levi Smith and William Bell, commissioners of highways; Boomer K. Jenks and Sterling Wilcox, overseers of the poor; Matthew Fox, collector; Robert R. Bell, superintend- ent of common schools.

At the first town meeting 43 voters were present, and as the occasion was one of importance it may be assumed that nearly all the voting population was in attendance. In 1850 the number of inhabitants in the town was 320, and during the next ten years increased to 634. In 1870 it had still further increased to 727, and in 1880 to 951, that being the greatest number in the town's history. In 1890 the population had decreased to 905, while the enumeration of 1892 showed the number to be 933. It may be seen from this that Worthi has been a progressive town, and has been less affected by the causes which have worked against many of the interior towns of the county and state. The re- sources are and ever have been general agricultural products and lum- bering, the latter gradually increasing, while as rapidly as the lands are cleared good farms are developed and placed under cultivation. The town abounds in excellent grazing lands, and in all products of the soil it yields abundantly in response to proper effort, oats and potatoes

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Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 90

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