Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 91

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 91

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873

THE TOWN OF WORTIL.

leading, and cheese and butter almost in like proportion. The town, however, has but one cheese factory, the majority of farmers taking their milk to factories in the adjoining towns of Rodman and Lor- rainc.

Worth has an interesting political history, worthy perhaps of a pass- ing notice. Previous to 1869 the town was strongly democratie, and the election of a single republican nominee was a thing almost unknown in local annals; but a change was brought about, due in part to extreme party methods, aided by the efforts of several prominent republicans. In the year mentioned Jabez West attempted to vote, and was refused that privilege by the officers in charge at the polls, all of whom were uncompromising democrats. West brought suit against them, but finally the matter was settled, the town board agreeing to pay all costs, amounting to about $80. The board, however, did not pay the amount from their individual pockets, but each of the four added $10 to his account against the town, and in the same manner charged the balance as a gross sum, thus having the entire cost paid out of town moneys. About the same time there arose the well remembered Stowell case, in which the board again exercised an arbitrary and ex- traordinary power. These things, with the acquisition of several strong republicans to the voting population, in a measure changed the political complexion of the town, and in 1870 Solomon Kellogg was elected supervisor, almost the first event of its kind in Worth. Previous to this, and in 1869, Samuel B. Kellogg had been elected town clerk, which was the entering wedge of republicanism in the town; and he was thereafter continuously elected for eight or nine years. In 1896 the same officer was nominated for the county office of sheriff, and one of his chief arguments in the convention was that the town had never been properly recognized in the distribution of public offices.

Worthville, to which frequent reference has been made in this chap- ter, is a small village in the northern part of the town, containing about 100 inhabitants, and dates back in its history to almost the first settle- ment in the town, when it was known as Wilcox's Corners. It was at this point on south Sandy creek that Joseph Wilcox made his improve- ment, hence the place took his name. However, nearly half a century passed before the corners became a trading center, for not until 1819 did Lorenzo Gillet open his store and tavern, both under one roof. In 1858 A. S. Gillet succeeded to the business, and continued it to 1866, when the store was closed. The tavern was afterward kept by Horace

110

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Streeter, Ormsby D. Moore, Alanson Pettengill and Levi Colvin, in succession. In 1858 another public house was started by Orlin A. Chase, who was followed as landlord by Duane Earl and Leonard Parker. Another store was opened about 1865 by Henry L. Potter, who was in business until 1871, when George D. Macomber suceeeded. About fifteen years later Flaherty & Grimshaw followed Potter, and the firm was succeeded by the present owner, C. B. Grimshaw. A post-office was established at Worthville in 1848, but in September, 1897, the name was changed to Klondike.

In 1856 several prominent men of the town interested themselves in the erection of a suitable grist mill in the village. Among those fore- most in the enterprise were A. S. and L. P. Gillet, Abel Case, Sterling Wilcox, Leonard Parker, Horace Chapin and Boomer K. Jenks, who bought a site of John Henderson, and offered it, with a generous cash bonus, to Pealer & Fox, by whom the mill was built in 1861. It afterward passed into the hands of Solomon Kellogg, who also kept a stock of merchandise in the building. He was succeeded by his son, Samuel Kellogg, who soon dropped the store attachment but has since owned the grist mill. He also owns a water power saw mill in the village, and a steam saw mill on the "mile strip." Numerous saw mills, and one or two other wood-working establishments, have in the past been operated in the village or its near vicinity, but as the lands of the town are not yet fully cleared, and these structures come and go as occasion demands it is not necessary to recall them all.

The present business interests of the village comprise the general stores of C. B. Grimshaw, C. G. Van Brocklin (who is also postmaster) and E. C. Hforth; the Worth- ville hotel, kept by C. P. Ramsey ; S. B. Kellogg's saw and grist mills; A. B. Gillet's saw mill; Monroe Bullock's cheese factory (managed by William Denny), and N. H. Hyde's blacksmith shop. The public buildings are the district school and the union church.

The Worthville union church was built in 1875, by a committee comprising Leonard Bullock, Levi Wilcox and L. D. Monroe. It was intended for occupancy by whatever denomination sought its use, and while other societies have availed themselves of the generosity of the builders, the Methodists are the only denomination having a regularly organized body in the vicinity which holds regular meetings. The pulpit is supplied from Lorraine.

Worth Center is a small hamlet of about fifty inhabitants, sitnated near the center of the town, where Edward Cornell settled about 1850.

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THE TOWN OF WORTHI.

A saw mill built soon afterward, led to the hamlet, although not until 1874 did Mr. Cornell open a store for the accommodation of residents of the locality. The store was afterward closed, and now the interests of the place comprise three saw mills, owned, respectively by L. L. Cornell, Jasper Larrabee and William D. Snell. The local postmis- tress is Mrs. Sidney Cornell. The Methodist Protestants are strong in this vicinity and hold meetings in the school house, The society is now erecting a house of worship.

Diamond is a post office station in the southeast part of the town, in a locality where until quite recently several saw mills were in oper- ation. In 1892 the Methodist Protestants of this part of the town built a house of worship, and have since held regular services. Their pres- ent pastor is Rev. Mr. Clark.

Frederick's Corners is a name given to a locality in the west part of the town. Here is located St. Paul's Episcopal mission church, built in 1888. The communicants number 16, and are under charge of Rev. Anson J. Brockway, missionary.

Supervisors of Worth .- A. S. Gillet, 1849; Riley W. Green, 1850; Jonathan M. Ackley, 1851; Riley W. Green, 1852; Jonathan M. Ackley, 1853-51; David Gillet, 1855; Lorenzo P. Gillet, 1856-57: Carlton C. Moore, 1858 62; Solomon B. Stears, 1863; C. C. Moore, 1864-69; Solomon W. Kellogg, 1870; Henry V. Jenks, 1871-72; J. M. Ackley, 1873-74; 11. V. Jenks, 1875-76; Samuel B. Kellogg, 1877-78; O. D. Moore, 1879-82; Oren Greenly, 1883 86; S. B. Kellogg, 1887-89; Philip II. Brenan, 1890; L. I. Cornell, 1891-92; A. D. Boyd, 1893-95; Charles W. Van Brocklin, 1896-99.

PART II.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

LEVI II. BROWN.

LEVI IT. BROWN, senior active member of the Jefferson county bar, and unquestionably one of the most widely acquainted lawyers in north ern New York, was born in Lorraine, March 27, 1818, and was the third of the children of Aaron and Betsey (Burpec) Brown who grew to maturity. Aaron Brown was the son of Ebenezer Brown, who came from Killingsly, Conn., during the early years of the century and settled in Adams. From that town the family drifted with the tide of emigra- tion to Lorraine, where Aaron was a pioneer and also one of the fore- most men of the region, as may be seen by reference to the history of that town.

'The young life of Levi H. Brown was spent on his father's farm or in his mills when not attending the district school. When he had at- tained his eighteenth year, Levi was sent to the Florence (Oneida county) Academy, where he remained about three months, and then attended one or two terms at the Union Academy at Belleville. Later on he attended the Hamilton (Madison county) Academy, followed by something like a year's course at the old Oxford (Chenango county) Academy. In 1811 he entered the junior class at Union College, and was graduated in 1843. In October of the same year he began reading law in the office of Calvin Skinner, at Adams, but previous to that time, and while in college, our young student had devoted his leisure to reading law under the direction of Counselor Jones, a prominent lawyer of Schenectady. In 1845, at Watertown, Mr. Brown was ad- mitted to practice in the Common Pleas Court, the examining committee of the occasion comprising Lawrence J. Goodale, Charles D. Wright and John H. Dutton, all of whom were prominent members of the Jefferson county bar. In July, 1846, Mr. Brown was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court, and during the same month was also

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

admitted by the old and honored Chancellor Walworth to practice in the Court of Chancery. Incidentally, in this connection it may be mentioned that in June, 1855, Mr. Brown was admitted to practice in the United States Circuit Court; in May, 1865, was admitted to practice in the United States District Court, and in March, 1879, became a practitioner in the United States Supreme Court.

In 1846 Mr. Brown began law practice in Adams and was a resident in that thrifty village until 1852, when he removed to Watertown and formed a law partnership with Joshua Moore, jr., under the style of Moore & Brown, a relation which was maintained to the time of Mr. Moore's death in April, 1854. In May following the old and well known firm of Brown & Beach (Allen C. Beach) was formed, and was thereafter known in legal circles in northern New York for many years; and if all current report be true, the members comprising this firm were not wholly unknown in political circles in this part of the State, for in the councils of the Democratic party each of them was widely and favorably known. Mr. Beach in fact retired from the firm in Janu- ary, 1869, although a formal dissolution of the partnership was not made until 1871. Mr. Brown's next partner was Henry Gypson (a former student in the office) the firm being Brown & Gypson. This partnership was continued until about 1828.

Since the firm of Brown & Gypson was dissolved Mr. Brown has practiced without a partner, and despite his more than half a century of hard, active work in the profession, he apparently still retains all the mental and physical vigor of earlier years, when Moore & Brown and Brown & Beach were acknowledged to be among the strongest law firms in this part of the State. Indeed, Levi H. Brown has lived to see nearly all the members of the old bar one after another drop out of the professional ranks, while he, almost alone, has practiced under three State constitutions. This practice, too, has been general to the profes- sion, no special class of cases having the preference, yet the study and interpretation of the law and the preparation of causes and their trial appears to be his strongest forte. He is also a shrewd cross-examiner and often displays remarkable genius in exposing the rascality of dis- honest witnesses. He always had an especial contempt for knavery and sham, and utterly despises all that is mean and narrow and low. In the course of his practice Mr. Brown has been associated with many of the most important cases brought to trial before the courts of Jeffer- son and adjacent counties, and has in the same manner been retained,

881

BIOGRAPHICAL.

as attorney of record or as counsel, in several litigations of statewide interest and importance.

We refer only to one class of cases. Under Chapter 598 of Laws of 1869 authorizing "the Canal appraiser to hear claims of owners of property on the Black River for damages caused by the escape of the waters of North Lake Reservoir in April, eighteen hundred and sixty-nine," two hundred and sixty odd claimants filed claims for dam- ages amounting in aggregate to more than $639,000. The claimants were represented by more than thirty different attorneys and counsel, including Francis Kernan, Charles H. Doolittle, Waterman & Hunt, James F. Starbuck, Lansing & Sherman, Charles D. Adams and Nelson J. Brach. Mr. Brown, Charles Rhodes, of Oswego, and Samuel Earl, of Herkimer, defended the State against said claims, the former having main charge of preparing and conducting the defense.

Taking of evidence commenced August 22, 1869, and continued at Utica, Lowville and Albany, on numerous days each month to Decem . ber 30, 1869, being taken and written out by a stenographer. Prior to December 21 about 1, 200 pages thereof had been printed, and on De- cember 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 evidence making near 100 printed pages was taken and had not been printed at close of the evi- dence on the 30th, on which day over forty publie documents were put in evidence. Appraiser Watson was not present that day and most of the 20th at the giving of the evidence, and had not been present at some of the previous hearings. At close of the evidence on December 30 Appraisers Brockway and Brooks were present and an application of counsel for the State for time to January 10, 18:0, to submit brief, on one class of the the claims and to January 20 on the other class, was announced by Appraiser Brooks, who had acted as president of the Board of Appraisers, as granted, Appraiser Brockway suggesting no objection thereto and said Brooks left Albany for his home in Elmira that day. At close of the evidence it was ordered that all the evidence on each claim should, so far as applicable, be applied in every other claim.

On January 10, 1820, the counsel for the State appeared before the appraisers and furnished them with their brief in the one class of the claims. Before January 20th it was ascertained that prior to January 1, pretended awards upon about two- thirds of the claims filed had been made and signed by Appraisers Watson and Brockway without consul- tation with or the knowledge or approval of Appraiser Brooks, which

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

awards aggregated the amount of $461, 957.62. At meeting of counsel for the State and some of those for claimants, including Mr. Kernan, who had not been present at most of the hearings, it was agreed that said awards were illegal and void, and that the claimants should sever- ally enter into a written stipulation consenting to an appeal therefrom and a reversal thereof, and such stipulations having been executed by the claimants and filed, a return was made by the canal appraisers to the Canal Board, which at its meeting, held June 30, 1820, as appears at page 182 of the record of its proceedings in that year, ordered reversal of said awards and a rehearing of the cases, on the ground that it ap- peared from said return "That no legal awards had been made on either of said cases or in respect to any or either of said claims; that the canal appraisers never met and deliberated upon the same, but that the acts and papers purporting to be awards were the acts of two of the appraisers, made and done when the appraisers were not in session, and had not been notified to meet as a board, and when all were not present. This board does, therefore, adjudicate and decide that said cases have not been legally decided, or the claims passed upon by the said appraisers." The cases were reheard before new canal appraisers upon the same and new evidence, and awards made on all the claims were for $324,536.60 only, including interest on those allowed, showing the State relieved from payment of nearly $400,000 of the amount claimed.

Mr. Brown devoted a large part of two and a half years' time to those cases and received less pay therefor than, within the last few years, has been given to lawyers employed by State and Legislature for one- eighth as much and as valuable services.

Throughout the long period of his career Mr. Brown has always ap- plied himself diligently to the labors of the profession, and many years ago he gained, and to the present time has maintained, an enviable position among its ablest members. In the conduct of his legal busi- ness he is cautious and methodical, but never laborious. He will dis- courage rather than promote litigation, and in his intercourse with clients mature deliberation always precedes counsel. He rarely in- dulges in rhetoric and never in ostentatious display, but addresses him- self to the understanding of his hearers and approaches the subject in hand with dignity, self possession, and in the light of principle and common sense.

In character Mr. Brown is a man without reproach, and neither in

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BIOGRAPHICAL.

professional nor private life has there been any imputation of wrong to mar his fair name; a good classical scholar, a profound lawyer, a blame- less citizen, an upright public servant, a faithful friend, and a trusted counselor; these attributes are his by the frank expression of his fellow men and associates at the bar. In polities he has always been a firm and unyiekling Democrat, standing high in the couneils of the party in the county and State. During the greater part of his life, the princi- ples he has advocated have not been in accordance with the majority party in the county, yet he has occasionally been pressed into political contests where it was hoped professional and personal influence might turn the scale of doubtful contest. In 1844 he attended the Democratic State Convention that nominated Silas Wright for the governorship, and from that time he has been an active figure in State polities. He was the candidate of his party for the district attorneyship in 1853; for State senator about 1868, and later on for Congress in a distriet which was strongly and hopelessly Republican. He was elected mayor of Watertown in 1876, and otherwise has taken an earnest interest in the welfare of the city.

In addition to his legal business, which has always been large, Mr. Brown has been interested in several manufacturing and industrial en- terprises in the city and elsewhere. He has been a director of the Jefferson County Bank more than thirty years, and president of the Watertown Spring Wagon Company since 1876. He has equally ex . tensive interests in other localities, and his investments as a whole have been profitable and brought to him a fair share of this world's goods. llis social and domestic life have also been pleasant, and nothing is more agreeable after the day's work is finished, than the companionship of friends at home or the exchange of pleasantries at the club. Mr. Brown was a bachelor until somewhat late in life. His wife, with whom he married November 27, 1861, was Delia M. Cole, of Palmyra, Wayne county. Mr. Brown was reared under Baptist influences, but since it was founded in the city, he has been one of the vestrymen of St. Paul's (formerly Grace) Episcopal church.

JAMES M. CLEVELAND.

JAMES MONROE CLEVELAND, the greater portion of whose long and active business life has been spent in the thrifty town of Adams, and

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

who during that period through his enterprise and capacity furnished to the farmers of that locality an additional and profitable means of livelihood, was a native of Brookfield, Madison county, N. Y., and was born June 5, 1820. His parents were Elihu and Lucretia Cleveland, direct descendants of sturdy New England stock, and both of whom lived to be octogenarians. Indeed, several of Mr. Cleveland's ancestors lived beyond their eightieth year, thus indicating both temperate lives and hardy ancestry. The pioneer of the family in America was Moses Cleveland, who emigrated from Suffolk county, Eng., in 1635 and set . tled in Woburn, Mass., and from whom have descended all persons in the Northern States bearing the surname Cleveland. The pioneer of the family in Jefferson county was Elihu Cleveland, who settled in Adams in 1834.

The young life of Mr. Cleveland was spent on a farm, and when he started out upon his own career farming was his chosen pursuit. He was an earnest, industrious toiler, year by year adding to his accumu- lations, yet the period was uneventful until about 1851, when he con- ceived the idea, and at once put it into practical operation, of growing peas, beans and other seeds for the market. His personal experiments in this production began in a small way, and as his seeds were of supe- rior quality and found a ready sale, the business gradually increased to large proportions. At length he began furnishing seed to other farmers in the locality, agreeing to take their products at a stipulated price, on condition that the same be of standard quality. At one time, when the industry was at its height, Mr. Cleveland had contracts with two hundred farmers, and his annual sales not infrequently exceeded $40,- 000. As many as thirty varieties of peas and eighteen of beans were grown, and were sold to dealers throughout the country. To meet the requirements of his business, Mr. Cleveland established (about 1868) a large seed house in Adams, and thus was the founder and successful owner of one of the most profitable industries for the farmers of his locality, while he, too, deservedly acquired a comfortable fortune. But throughout his long business career Mr. Cleveland's operations were always characterized by honesty and straightforward dealing.

In 1812 the business was removed from Adams to Cape Vincent, af- ter which its founder practically retired from active work, still retain- ing, however, a part of his land interests and devoting his attention to their care and management. He erected and occupied one of the most substantial dwellings in Adams village, and so beautifully adorned its

Cornwall

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BIOGRAPHICAL.

surrounding grounds as to attract attention from all over the region. But Mr. Cleveland has not confined his energies entirely to personal concerns, for in many ways, especially in agricultural eireles he is known throughout the county. He has long been an active member of the Jefferson County Agricultural Society, and his suggestions for the gen- eral welfare of farming interests have been accepted and followed. In polities he has ever been a consistent and conservative Democrat, and once yielded to the persuasions of his party convention in a candidacy for the Legislature in a district overwhelmingly Republican. Eight times he was elected president of Adams village, and has always taken an active interest in all that pertains to its welfare.

Mr. Cleveland has also been an extensive traveler, having visited at one time or another nearly all the principal cities of the Union, and extending his journeys to the extreme south and the Pacific slope; but now, full of years, and in the enjoyment of a full measure of health and the reward of a life of industry, he is content to live in comfortable re- tirement surrounded with friends who respect him for his acknowledged integrity and worth. In 1841 Mr. Cleveland was married with Levina, the daughter of Artemas Bates, one of the substantial men of Adams. Of this marriage four children were born, only one of whom, Artie Bates Cleveland, is now living.

ANDREW CORNWALL.

ANDREW CORNWALL, associated with his partner, John F. Walton, was the practical founder of the now world-famous Thousand Islands as a watering place. He was born in Pultneyville, Wayne county, N. Y., March 25, 1814. His father, with two brothers, Ancil and William, had left Connectient about 1800 and removed to what was then looked upon as the "far west," or Genesee county. They first located near the present site of the city of Rochester, but think- ing it was not a good place to settle, went to what is now Pultney- ville, where there was a small settlement with a saw and grist mill. The advent of the family to this country was in 1:10 and three gener- ations lived and died in old Chatham, Conn. (now Portland). The third of the line was the grandfather of the subject of this notice. He was a soldier of the Continental army and died from the effect of a wound received at Bennington. Andrew Cornwall attended the district schools

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

and worked on the farm until he was thirteen years old. At this time he entered the country store of John Reynolds, with whom he remained for thirteen years as clerk and bookkeeper. At the end of this period. his health having failed from too close application to business, he pur- chased a small sailing vessel and went on the lakes as a sailor. He was engaged in this business for three years, and then, his health fully restored, sold his vessel and left the water. In July, 1844, he removed to Redwood, N. Y., and entered the employ of De Zing & Burlingame, manufacturers of cut glass. He was given the management of their store and remained in this capacity until November, 1846, when at the solicitation of Azariah Walton he removed to Alexandria Bay and took an interest in the firm of L. A. Walton & Company. This firm continued for seven years or until the death of Mr. Walton (1853). At this time a new firm was organized under the firm name of Cornwall & Walton, John P. Walton being the junior partner. Cornwall & Walton were undoubtedly the largest business men in this section for several years. They both retired April 1, 1826, and a new firm, Cornwall Bros., was formed, consisting of the four sons of Andrew Cornwall : Andrew C., Charles W., John I. and Harvey A. This firm is still in business and very popular, dealing in everything required in a country store.

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Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York, Part 91

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