USA > New York > Jefferson County > Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York > Part 95
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those of the majority party in the county, and naturally he could not well avoid being drawn somewhat into the arena of politics. In 1861 he was chairman of the Union Republican County Committee, and con- tinned practically in that capacity until elected county judge in 1862. llis nomination for that office was by acclamation, and throughout the entire ten years of his service on the bench Judge Sawyer was esteemed for his urbanity and fairness, whether in the civil or criminal branches of the court.
In 1818, soon after leaving the bench, Judge Sawyer was elected general counsel for the Agricultural Insurance Company, which position he still retains. On May 28, 1898, Judge Sawyer was elected president of the Agricultural Insurance Company, in place of J. R. Stebbins, deceased, having previously for several years held the office of vice president of the company. During this time, and particularly since the death of Mr. Starbuck, Judge Sawyer's law practice has been largely devoted to matters relating to corporations, but notwithstand- ing the constant pressure of professional duties he has taken an earnest interest in many local affairs and enterprises. He has been one of the directors of the National Union Bank since 1880, and has been both vice president and president of the bank In various manufacturing and railroad enterprises he has for the last twenty years been an active factor in their direction and management.
During the war of 1861-65, he was president of the Union League of Watertown; for nine years he was a member of the Board of Educa- tion, and for two years its president. He became a communicant in Trinity church soon after coming to the city, and has been senior war- den for more than twenty-five years. He was vestryman previous to that time. For more than fifteen years he has been a member of the standing committee of the Diocese of Central New York, and is now chancellor of the diocese. In June, 1896, the degree of LL. D. was conferred upon Judge Sawyer by the faculty of Hobart College.
On November 3, 1859, Azariah H. Sawyer was married with Caroline M the daughter of William Buckley. One child was born of this mar- riage, Jenny Starbuck Sawyer, now the wife of Sylvester H. Taylor, of New York city. Judge Sawyer's wife died April 16, 1867, and on December 15, 1869, he was married with Frances C. Fox. Josephine C. Sawyer is the daughter of this marriage.
TURK FUE GIAARY
JA AND
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
JOHN AVERY SHERMAN.
JOHN AVERY SHERMAN was born in the town of Rutland, June 13, 1809, and was the oldest son of Alfred Sherman. He was also the grand- son of Dr. Abel Sherman, one of the pioneers of Rutland and the first sheriff of Jefferson county. Dr. Sherman came originally from Massa- chusetts to Oneida county, and thence removed to Rutland in 1803, where he and various of his descendants were prominently identified with the carly history of the region. Alfred Sherman succeeded his father on the old home farm, where he was a successful farmer for sev- cral years, but later on business misfortunes swept away much of his fortune. He died in 1827, leaving to his son, John Avery Sherman, the care and maintenance of the family. The young man gave his at- tention willingly to this service and provided a comfortable support for his mother and younger brothers and sisters until they were able to work for themselves. On November 12, 1832, he married with Julia Ann Larned, a native of Utica, who was then living with her uncle, an early settler in the Black River region. Of this marriage one child was born: Caroline Amelia Sherman, who married with Daniel S. Mar- vin, and who died October 24, 1896. She was an artist of unusual merit, and from earliest childhood seemed to draw inspiration from everything that was beautiful in nature; and she also possessed the fortunate faculty of faithfully reproducing on canvas the most charm- ing landscape effects. She was equally proficient in portrait work, yet her tastes inclined to landscape painting. Moreover, Mrs. Marvin was a woman of rare social and mental qualities, a close student, a thought- ful reader and cultured conversationalist and entertainer. She was also an accomplished vocalist and pianist. She had a wide circle of acquaintances, and all who knew her loved her as a sister.
In the spring of 1834 Mr. Sherman purchased a dairy of twenty good cows, and in that year, with the assistance of his wife, made the first market cheese manufactured in this county. The product was shipped to New York and sold for six cents per pound. In this work Mr. Sher- man was very materially assisted by his wife. Indeed, she learned the art of cheese-making from a neighbor who had recently come into the town, and then suggested to her husband that he purchase a dairy of cows. This was done, and the cows were mortgaged for the purchase price, but before the end of the season the whole debt was removed. In later years Mr. Sherman increased his number of milk cows to sixty,
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
and also purchased much additional land for his growing business opera- tions. This was the beginning of an industry which in later years grew to vast proportions and was the source of much profit to farming inter- ests in a region which is now noted for its cheese product. However, the building up of this industry by Mr. Sherman was not accomplished without some embarrassments and reverses, and on one occasion he was weather-bound on Carleton island, while attempting to cross into Can- ada with a wagon load of cheese. He remained on the island three weeks, and when he finally arrived on the other side the market was seriously depressed. He at length sold out the cheese, with his horses and wagon, taking notes which were never paid.
Again, in 1839, in partnership with Henry Hopkins, of Rutland, and two others, Mr. Sherman made extensive investments in cheese, which he proposed to hold for the fall market; but when the time arrived the com- modity was not in demand, except at greatly reduced prices, and a sale then meant serious financial loss. In this extremity Mr. Sherman was forced to ask his ereditors for an extension of time, which, being readily granted, he at onee shipped his cheese to New Orleans, he himself taking passage on the same vessel. Here he arrived in due time and found a ready sale in a good market. The money for his cheese was paid wholly in silver, and this he packed in kegs and brought back to New York, where, fortunately, coin was at a premium. His partners demanded their share of the money, which he refused to give up, saying that the Jefferson county farmers must first be paid; he was threatened with imprisonment, but sternly adhered to his determination to first pay those from whom the cheese was purchased. He at once turned his specie into paper at a good advance, then returned to Watertown and satisfied his ereditors in full, and realized for his partners and him- self a considerable profit on the original investment, where many other dealers of the same period, but less fruitful of resources, suffered great financial loss.
On the whole Mr. Sherman's life on the farm was reasonably success- ful, but after about twenty-five years he removed to Watertown. In 1859 he came to the village and purchased the Washington Hall block, then one of the most pretentious buildings of the county seat. He made extensive repairs, secured desirable tenants for all the stores and offices and opened the spacious hall for public entertainments and as- semblages. This building Mr. Sherman retained throughout the period of his life, and at his death generously devised the property to the
921
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Young Men's Christian Association of the city, subject only to a modest annuity for the benefit of his wife. This liberal gift only revealed Mr. Sherman's heart, for both on the farm and in the city he was ever noted for kindness, philanthropy and public-spiritedness. Yet many of his best acts of generosity were done in a manner not calculated to draw attention to himself, for his whole life and nature were entirely devoid of ostentation or personal ambition. High places in political life might have been his had he been willing to enter that field, but all suggestions to that end he firmly declined. Previous to the war of 1861-5 he was a Democrat, but afterward a Republican. He was brought up and baptized in the Congregational church of Rutland, but was not a mem- ber of any religious society.
Soon after coming to Watertown Mr. Sherman became a stockholder and director in the Agricultural Insurance Company, and was active in advancing its usefulness and field of operations. During the last five years of his life he was president of the company, and much of its suc- cess was due to his efforts. He was likewise prominently connected with the Watertown Fire Insurance Company, and also with numerous other industrial and financial undertakings of the city. Indeed, in some of these manufacturing enterprises Mr. Sherman was occasionally led into investments at his personal cost, and thereby a portion of his well earned competeney was swept away. llis old farm property in Rut- land was sold to compensate this loss, but his widow still retains a two and one-half acre tract in the town, with its comfortable cottage, in memory of pleasant days of long ago; and this property she has con- veyed, subject to her life interest, as a parsonage for the Congrega- tional society.
In banking and financial circles Mr. Sherman was for many years a prominent figure, but a detail of his connection therein is found in the history of the city, hence needs no repetition here. Indeed, in almost every worthy enterprise he was in some way a factor, and was ever re- garded as one of the most substantial and honorable men of the county. His interest in the Cemetery Association was commendable, and through his personal endeavors that "silent city " was beautifully adorned. Ilere he found a final resting place in the early spring of 1882, his death having occurred on March 25, of that year. When he passed away all Jefferson county mourned the loss of a benefactor and friend. His widow still survives, and is honored and loved throughout a wide circle of acquaintances, for she was his faithful and devoted helpmeet
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
through almost half a century of married life. On October 20, 1897, Julia Ann (Larned) Sherman was married with Benjamin F. Hunt, the son of Simeon Hunt, a pioneer of Rodman. The Hunt family in Rod- man, and indeed in all later generations of descendants wherever resi- dent, has been noted for probity and worth, high-standing and charac- ter, both in business and social life.
JEAN R. STEBBINS.
JEAN R. STEBBINS was born in the town of Marshall, Oneida county, on the 24th day of August, 1836. His father was Dr. William Burrell Stebbins, a graduate of Fairfield Medical College. His mother was Elvira S. Griswold, daughter of Col. Amos Griswold, of Salisbury, Herkimer county.
In 1839 the family removed to Herkimer county and resided at Brocketts Bridge (now Dolgeville) until the subject of this sketch was about nine years old. They then went to Salisbury, where Jean spent his youth, and where his character was largely formed. His father, when a young man, had lost a leg from a disease of the knee, the original cause of which was a fall from a load of logs; therefore, his son, at a very early age, was called upon to do work which most boys, even in that day, were not expected to perform.
At the age of fourteen he began an academic course at Fairfield Seminary where he remained for parts of five years, preparing for college, "boarding himself" with the aid of a small cook-stove in his single room, studying earnestly and successfully, and graduating as valedictorian of his class in 1855. His school life was varied by teach- ing in rural districts during the winter months from the time he was sixteen years old, and also by other work, peddling maps and canvass- ing for local newspapers during summer vacations. At this point his health failed and he was forbidden to take a college course, although prepared for the junior class. In the autumn of 1855, he " went west." He crossed the State of Iowa, then a vast prairie, and spent the winter in a log house near the present site of Fort Dodge. The following year he returned to llerkimer county, his father's family having mean- time removed to Little Falls. In the fall he entered upon a course of law study with Arphaxed Loomis, and subsequently changed to the office of George A. Hardin, studying summers and teaching school
7
THE NEV PUBLIC LI AR
ASTOR, LENOV. :: TILLEN FOLYT
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
during the winter until on April 5, 1860, when he was admitted to practice law at a term of the Supreme Court held in Oswego.
In January, 1861, Mr. Stebbins bought the Herkimer County Jour- nal, published in Little Falls, giving notes for the entire purchase price. Three years later he purchased the Mohawk Courier, the other Little Falls weekly, consolidating the two papers under the name of Journal and Courier. This paper is still published by Mr. Stebbins's brother, George G. Stebbins, and 1. T. Burney. Under J. R. Stebbins the Journal and Courier became the leading Republican paper of Herkimer county, in regard to the conduet of which the editor of the history of Herkimer county says: "Mr. Stebbins was a forcible and vigorous writer, especially on political subjects, and in the broad field of Republican politics his journal exerted a wide and powerful influ- ence. Its circulation was extended and its character and prosperity were built up under his able administration." Mr. Stebbins remained in the management of the paper until October 1, 1888, when, after a newspaper experience of nearly twenty-eight years, he sold his interest to the present owners and removed to Watertown, in the spring of 1889, to assume the active duties of president of the Agricultural Insurance Company, to which position he had been elected in May, 1886. Ile had been a director of the company since January 17, 1877. Hle was married July 13, 1861, to Miss Adelaide C. Cooper, daughter of the late John C. Cooper, of Adams, N. Y., who was president of the Agricultural Insurance Company from January, 1855, to the time of his death in January, 1877.
During his residence in Little Falls Mr. Stebbins filled several prominent positions. For several years he was chairman of the Re- publican County Committee ; director of the Herkimer County National Bank; of the Little Falls Gas Company; of the Warrior Mower Com- pany, and was also prominently connected with other local business enterprises.
In April, 1869, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Mr. Stebbins collector of internal revenue for the Twentieth district of New York, then comprising the counties of Jefferson, Lewis and Herkimer. This was at the time an office of great importance and much responsibility. On January 1, 1876, the counties of St. Lawrence and Franklin were added to the district. On the 30th of September, 1876, his account with the government was audited and balanced and he was retired by reason of the abolition of most of the internal revenue taxes, and by
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
the consequent consolidation of districts. His deputy collectors for Jefferson county were George A. Bagley, from 1869 to 1870; Watson M. Rogers, from 1870 to 1874, and Edwin M. Gates, from 1874 to 1877. The total amount collected by Mr. Stebbins was more than $1,250,000, all of which was faithfully paid over to the government without the discrepancy of a single cent in the final settlement.
It is believed that the county does not contain a record of the taxes imposed and collected to meet the debt incurred for the preservation of the nation, in view of which Mr. Stebbins has furnished a substantially complete list of these taxes as follows:
Statement of Revenue Account for period from May 1, 1869, to December 31, 1875, J. R. Stebbins, Collector Twentieth district of New York: (First term).
Dr. To Amount collected on lists of Merry (predecessor) __ $ 7,676,80
.. To Taxes receipted for on Form 2312 436,059.33
.. To Excess in accounting for assessments 26.02
To Tobacco Stamps from L. L. Merry (predecessor).
2,887.58
.. To Tobacco Stamps from Commissioner 36,071.25
To Spirit Stamps from L. L. Merry
To Spirit Stamps from Commissioner 900.00
1,727.29
To Beer Stamps from Commissioner 84,250.00
78,800.00
To Special Tax Stamps from Commissoner
ʼTo Excess in accounting for Special Tax Stamps 1.78
To Excess in accounting for Beer Stamps 1.39
To Excess in accounting for Tobacco Stamps 1.20
Total $704,773.68
Cr. By Cash deposited $610,922.47
By Collections by L. L. Merry 937.20
..
By Taxes abated by Commissioner 7,541,66
By Taxes released by Auditor. 914.59
By Tobacco Stamps returned. 905.90
By Tobacco Stamps transferred to successor 2,268.36
By Spirit Stamps transferred to successor
341.70
By Spirit Stamps returned
36,159.25
By Beer Stamps transferred to successor
2.838.00
By Discount on Beer Stamps sold
6,235.45
..
By Special Tax Stamps transferred to successor
100.00
By Special Tax Stamps returned
31,911,25
..
By Taxes transferred to successor 3,697.85
Total. $704,673.68
Statement of Revenue Account for period from January 1, 1876, to September 30, 1876, J. R. Stebbins, Collector Twentieth District of New York, (second term).
56,371.04
.. ʼTo Beer Stamps from L. L. Merry
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
Dr. To Taxes received from E. D. Brooks I7, N. Y. $ 283.33
.. To Taxes from J. R. Stebbins 20th District. 3,697.85
To Taxes receipted for on Form 2316 8,681.91
. .
To Taxes collected on list of J. P. C. Kinkaid 14.58
. . To Taxes abated in excess. 10.01
.. To Spirit Stamps from E. D. Brooks 17th District. 7.70
To Spirit Stamps from J. R. Stebbins
341.70
.. To Spirit Stamps from Commissioner 580.00
-
To Tobacco Stamps from E. D. Brooks 2,268.36
To Tobacco Stamps from J. R. Stebbins 6,865.80
To Tobacco Stamps from Commissioner
. .
'To Beer Stamps from E. D. Brooks, 17th N. Y. Dis't .. 885.00
To Beer Stamps from J. R. Stebbins. 2,838.00
To Beer Stamps from Commissioner 8,350.00
To Special Tax Stamps from E. D. Brooks 400.00
To
Special Tax Stamps from J. R. Stebbins 100.00
. .
To Special Tax Stamps from Commissioner 13,150.00
To Excess in accounting for Special Tax Stamps. .06
To Excess in accounting for Beer Stamps .25
Total $79.579.71
Cr. By Cash deposited $55,019.38
+
.. By Taxes abated by Commissioner
375.39
By Taxes released by Anditor 438.33
.. By Spirit Stamps returned 62.90
By Tobacco Stamps returned
298.04
.. By Beer Stamps returned. 299.00
..
By Special Tax Stamps returned. 15,485.00
.. By Special Tax Stamps transferred to 21st N. Y. District
3,800.00
By Beer Stamps transferred to 21st N. Y. District. 1,835.25
By Tobacco Stamps transferred to 21st N. Y. District .. 579.12
By Spirit Stamps transferred to 21st N. Y. District. 795.70
By Taxes transferred to 21st N. Y. District.
379.19
By Taxes collected by E. D). Brooks 17th District 17.00
..
By Discount ou Beer Stamps sold. 745.41
Total. $79,579.71
As has been mentioned, Mr. Stebbins came to live in Watertown in the early part of 1889, from which time he had been a permanent resi- dent of the city and had also been identified with many of its best interests. As president of the Agricultural Insurance Company his time was largely devoted to the duties of his position, and in connection therewith he was instrumental in adopting the policy of loaning the company's money at reasonable rates of interest on local real estate, and thereby helped workmen of limited means to secure comfortable
117
1,105.16
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
homes. He was one of three organizers and owners of the Watertown Land Company, whose efforts contributed largely to the development of the park tract in the south part of the city. For several years pre- vious to his death he was one of the trustees of Jefferson County Insti- tute, and a portion of the time was president of the board. He was for several years a director of the National Union Bank, one of the safest financial institutions of northern New York. He was also prominently connected with the First Presbyterian church, and one of its elders. Indeed, in all respects Mr. Stebbins was looked upon as one of the public spirited men of the community, of his means con- tributing generously to every worthy enterprise, and having at heart the best interests and welfare of the city.
In the latter part of March, 1898, Mr. Stebbins visited New York on the occasion of Judge Sawyer's departure for Europe, and on the return journey he stopped at his old home at Little Falls, intending to visit a day or two, as was his custom, with relatives and friends. Here, at the house of his sisters, he was stricken ill, and in spite of every attention and effort he gradually failed until April 25, when he died. As the result of constant attention to business and prudent manage- ment, Mr. Stebbins accumulated for his family a comfortable fortune. He had several children, of whom three grew to maturity. They are William C., of the firm of Sherman & Stebbins, of Watertown; Grace, who became the wife of Charles N. Sherman; and John Cooper Steb- bins, a clerk in the National Union Bank.
BYRON B. TAGGART.
BYRON BENJAMIN TAGGART Was for more than thirty years one of the most enterprising and successful business men of Watertown and its vicinity, and his sudden and untimely death was regarded as a serious Joss to the entire county. He was a native of Le Ray, born April 28, 1831, and was the son of Henry Taggart, a prominent farmer of that town, and the grandson of Joseph Taggart, who came to the Black River country from Rhode Island, about the beginning of the nineteenth century. The ancestor of the family in this country was Henry Tag- gart, a Scotchman, who emigrated from the Isle of Man more than a century and a half ago. The wife of Henry Taggart was Julina Dighton, daughter of John Dighton, the latter an early settler in Pa-
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
melia, and of English descent, his father having first visited America during the Revolution as a soldier in Burgoyne's army; but after the surrender at Saratoga (Stillwater) he became a citizen of the United States and served in the American army.
Byron B. Taggart was one of eight children in his father's family, and his young life, until about his eighteenth year, was spent on the old farm in Le Ray. He attended district school, and when old enough began teaching winter terms; but appreciating the necessity of a more thorough education, he became a student in the State Normal School at Albany, remaining a year, after which he spent three years in the West. In the spring of 1856 he returned east, and in May following was married with Francis L. Brown, daughter of Jabez and Lefa Brown, of Watertown. After his marriage Mr. Taggart remained in the county until the second year of the war of 1861-5, when he recruited and or- ganized Company K of the 10th N. Y. Heavy Artillery, he, by virtue of his services in enlisting the men, being commissioned captain. The company served for a time in New York harbor, but soon went to the defenses of Washington, serving at Fort Ricketts and its vicinity. Camp and army life, however, worked injuriously upon Capt. Taggart's health, and on November 23, 1863, chiefly on account of physical dis- abilities, and in part through the need of his presence at home, he re- signed and returned to Watertown.
In 1865 Mr. Taggart purchased a small stock of manila flour sacks, also a hand printing-press, and established a business on Beebee's island. Here he remained about a year, realizing a fair profit, but as he could not procure a sufficient supply of manufactured sacks to meet the de- mands of his trade, he conceived the idea of making them himself, and thus realize a profit on the entire business. To do this satisfactorily required more capital than he then possessed, therefore, in 1866 a com- pany was organized (comprising George West, Lewis Palmer, William W. and Byron B. Taggart) for the manufacture of manila paper, in which Mr. Taggart was a leading factor. It was the first industry of its kind on the river, and was operated successfully a little more than five years, when William W. and Byron B. Taggart succeeded the former partnership, and originated the firm of Taggart Brothers, which has ever since been known in connection with several of the most extensive and successful manufacturing enterprises of northern New York. In all their various undertakings the brothers comprising the firm worked in perfect harmony, and the statement may be made, with a full meas-
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
ure of truth, that until his death in 1897 Byron B. Taggart was the active man of the concern, and devoted himself wholly to business affairs.
In 1886, for business convenience, the firm of Taggart Bros. was in- corporated under the name of Taggart Brothers Company, which has been preserved to the present time. Byron B. Taggart was president of the company to the time of his death, and was also one of the founders and president of the Taggarts Paper Company, doing business at Felt's Mills.
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