Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 32

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co.
Number of Pages: 1612

USA > New York > Oneida County > Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York; > Part 32

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The appearance of the committee was an incentive to whatever rowdy element was present in the church, as well as on the outside, to create a disturbance; there was much noise, some threats of violence, hymn books and other missiles were tossed about, and some personal assaults, in one of which Spencer Kellogg's coat was torn from his back. Meanwhile an immense crowd gathered in the streets. While the committee were still in the church a sudden disturbance occurred on the borders of this crowd, and there was a swaying of the multitude toward Genesee street. This was caused by a lot of roughs who broke through the crowd with the ladder of one of the hook and ladder companies. The ladder was raised against

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the church and two men sprang up it. Then some one started hurriedly into the church, crowding his way as best he could, and informed the assemblage of the im- pending danger, and soon Charles A. Mann, then agent of Charles E. Dudley, of Al- bany, the owner of the building, came upon the porch of the church and asked the crowd to disperse, telling them that the building was private property. He begged of them to respect it and protect it from violence. The men on the ladder then came down. The excitement was intense and it was remarkable that a destructive riot did not follow. Strangers were denied admittance to all the taverns on the street and to many of the stores, or were indiscriminately hustled out into the rain, which had begun to fall. A cannon was brought out and fired as a signal of triumph, the abolition convention having adjourned. In the assemblage within the church was Gerrit Smith as a spectator. When the necessity of breaking up the convention became apparent he invited the people to go home with him, where they would find a warm welcome. About 400 accepted the invitation and the work of the convention was finished at Peterboro,

The foregoing is a cool and dispassionate account of that event and is based upon what was given in a lecture on the history of the Bleecker street church, by Thomas W. Seward, an eye-witness of the proceedings at the church.

On the 24th of June, 1836, the fire department was asked to recom- mend a suitable person for chief, and R. B. Miller was appointed, July I. In the same month the engine on Division street was removed to Hotel street. On the 23d of September a committee was appointed to report " upon the expediency of paving Genesee street with wooden blocks."

Cars now began running on the new railroad and were liberally patronized. In August the Clinton House was demolished to clear the site for the Mechanics' Hall, and a contract for the erection of the new building was let to James McGregor.

It is a noticeable fact that an unusual number of new streets were opened in 1836, which was, doubtless, one of the features of the speculative and inflated condition that had for some time been gaining ground through- out the country. Landowners laid out their property into lots and sales were active. On the 13th of January, 1837, a committee of five was ap- pointed to confer with a Deerfield committee upon the expediency of annexing a part of that town to the city. The report was favorable and was considered in a public meeting held in February. The annexation of a part of New York Mills was also agitated, both measures indicating the prevailing desire for extension. The tide was rising ; banks multi- plied in various parts of the country and their managers, with large re- sources within their reach, engaged heavily in real estate and other speculations, indulged extravagantly in luxuries, thus aiding in turning

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the heads of the more conservative. Prices of land and goods were greatly inflated, money was plenty, easily obtained and as readily spent. Usurious rates of interest prevailed, as high as three to five per cent. a month being frequently paid, the apparent anomaly being caused by the fact that many were led into borrowing at enormous rates of interest in the hope that the use of the money thus obtained would yield them great profits. In this manner almost the entire community was drawn into the whirlpool of speculation and an era of financial frenzy followed. Tracts of land which even at this late day are not considered very de- sirable residence or business property, were mapped and sold over and over at constantly advancing figures, until the crash came. The mort- gage record in the county clerk's office reveals a long list given by one man as securities for the purchase of " lots" which in fact lie within the bounds of New Hartford or beyond the limits of Utica on the east. Some persons saw the oncoming storm and protected their holdings or sold them in time ; but many were wholly bereft of judgment and clung to the impossible theory that money could be actually created by such operations, and were overwhelmed. The general crash was finally pre- cipitated by President Jackson's " specie circular," requiring all pay- ments for public lands that had been easily absorbed in the West, to be made in specie, and the withdrawal of deposits from the United States Bank. In Utica the general demand for a greater volume of circulating medium and larger banking facilities began several years before the speculative era, as before intimated, and manifested itself in repeated efforts to organize the Oneida Bank. When the day of general disaster arrived a meeting was called in Utica at which a resolution was adopted that a public meeting should be called at once to consider the question of the suspension of specie payments by the local banks. The meeting was held on the 16th of May, 1837. A resolution was adopted ex- pressing confidence in the banks and the belief that their notes would be paid. The suspension followed, as it had generally throughout the State. There was much ruin and distress, and many, especially among the young business men, were financially stranded. Flour sold in Utica at one time for $10.50 a barrel, higher by one dollar than the New York quotation, and for a few days there was not a barrel of it in the city.

The force of the panic finally passed and early in 1838 the banks be-

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gan resumption. A local paper said on the 8th of May : " The banks of the city have for some time paid specie on all demands, and they issue their own notes without reserve." In that year the general bank- ing law was passed which exerted a powerful influence in restoring public confidence. Utica did not recover from the effects of the panic as rapidly as many places, but the reaction in the country at large in- augurated an era of prosperity in which the city shared. Mercantile operations improved, building progressed, and some new manufactures were projected.

On the 3Ist of March, 1837, the city suffered from the most destruc- tive fire it had yet experienced. It broke out at 2 o'clock A. M. over the jewelry store of C. V. Brooks, on the east side of Genesee street north of Broad street, destroyed the whole block on Genesee street down to the square, every building on Broad street as far east as John, and all the buildings on the west side of John to the square, excepting the brick store of Thomas E. Clark, corner of Main and John, John E. Hinman's store on John, and the fire proof building of E. B. Shearman & Co., in rear of their Genesee street store. On the west side of Gen- essee street, every building was burned from the store of Stocking & Hunt down to Whitesboro street. The flames were finally checked a short distance up Whitesboro street.

On the 24th of May, 1839, a company was organized called the Utica Fire Bucket Company No. 1, with sixty members, each of whom was required to furnish himself with two buckets to be kept at his residence. On the 26th of June of this year the committee on fire department was authorized to sell engine No. 7 and on the 12th of July were authorized to buy a new engine at not to exceed $800. In the following year the records show that the following fire companies were in existence : Clin- ton, Hardenbrocke, Fulton, Lafayette, Neptune, Mechanics, Mohawk, Eagle, Osceola, a hook and ladder company, and the bucket company. Alrick Hubbell was chief. Osceola company was organized in 1840. and was No. 9. and No. 7 was removed to the engine house in West Utica.

From the treasurer's report for 1841-42, published in the spring of the latter year, it would appear that the expenses of the city were $11,734.96.

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The close of the first decade of the history of Utica as a city found the place with a population of about 13,000 (it had 12,782 in 1840) and with evidences of general prosperity visible in all directions. But it was in debt, as most cities are, whether large or small. In February, 1842, the Gazette said :

Our city affairs are now in peculiar condition. Deeply in debt, with a revenue en- tirely inadequate to allow of a hope that it can ever be met from ordinary means, we need all the ingenuity and financial knowledge that can be possessed by one Board of Aldermen to devise some means of relief.

The creation of political capital was perhaps the object of this para- graph, at least partially, for the debt was then less than $5,000, outside of bonds. The following statement shows the city indebtedness for the ten years succeeding its incorporation :

1833, $1,366.17; 1834, $2,316.54; 1835, $2,500; 1836, $2,292.05; 1837, $3,492.86, 1838, $3,500; 1839, $3,600; 1840, $3,590; 1841, $1,592.64; 1842, $3,246.87; 1843, 84,458.24.

In February, 1843. the council resolved that application should be made to the Legislature for a charter amendment authorizing the coun- cil to raise the annual sum of $10,000 for city expenses, or else for a special act under which a tax could be laid with which to pay off the city debt. On the 23d a public meeting was held at which it was re- solved to submit the whole question to a citizens' committee, who would report at a subsequent meeting ; the committee appointed were E. A. Wetmore, Spencer Kellogg, Hiram Denio, Robert T. Hallock, Thomas Colling, Martin Hart, and Horatio Seymour. The result of this action was the recommendation that application be made to the Legislature for authority to borrow on bonds for three years $3,500 for the payment of liabilities exclusively. The same committee also recommended that future work on streets, bridges and roads and the street lighting be let on contract to the lowest bidder ; that the city watch be reduced in numbers, and that in future no appropriation be made except as au- thorized by the charter. Steps were taken in November of that year for the division of the Third and Fourth wards, the establishment of a recorder's court, and the election of a supervisor from each ward. These changes were made in the following year. An era of retrenchment and economy began.

The history of the city from this time to the breaking out of the last

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war may be briefly told. The population in 1850 was 17,565; in 1855 it reached 22,169, a period of unexampled growth ; and in 1860 it was 22,529. Institutions and industries had multiplied and the city had the reputation of being not only one of the most beautiful of the interior cities of this State, but also one whose future was among the brightest. In 1845 the place contained the following manufactories : Two grist mills, five iron works, one oil cloth factory, three tanneries, two brew- eries, one ashery, two saw mills, and had a total manufactured output of $236,811 in value. The plank road era was now inaugurated, as described in Chapter XVIII and added another element of prosperity to the city.

At a special meeting of the council held January 21, 1844, a com- munication was received from E. H. Broadhead asking permission to procure legislation incorporating a water supply company for the city. This was granted and on March 21 a resolution was adopted urging the passage of the water bill. On March 31, 1848, the Utica Water Works were incorporated, with capital stock of not less than $30,000 nor more than $100,000. James Watson Williams, Nicholas Devereux, Alfred Munson, Andrew S. Pond, Charles A. Mann, Horatio Seymour, Silas D. Childs, Willard Crafts, and Thomas Hopper were the trustees. A gas company was also incorporated in that year.

A local paper of June 30, 1847, said :

Our city is beginning to feel sensibly the influence of the newly awakened spirit of enterprise which has induced the investment of a portion of the capital of her citi- zens in manufactures, in her present prosperity, and the prospect which is opening for her future advancement in wealth and population.

In 1849 the project of erecting a city hall was before the public, but was postponed temporarily. An arrangement was finally agreed upon under which the city should pay $24,000 and the county $12,000 and the supervisors took action accordingly. A bill passed Congress pro- viding that the United States should pay $12,000 for a perpetual lease of one third of the building, the former action of the supervisors having been found to be illegal. The question of site was settled in 1851, 417 votes being cast in favor of the one on the corner of Pearl and Genesee streets, against 173 for "the Thorn and Maynard lot" on Genesee street. The court house and jail were also erected in 1851. Complaint

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having been made of a lack of school accommodations, a vote was taken in the charter election for and against new school houses, resulting in a very large majority in favor of six new school houses, costing nearly $20,000.

It was determined early in 1852 that $10,000, the sum at that time being raised annually for city expenses, was wholly inadequate, and it was resolved to procure a change in the charter raising the amount to $15,000. Nothing was accomplished, however, in this direction until 1853, when the amount was raised to $12,000. Agitation began in 1853 of the project of building what became the Utica and Black River Railroad.1 The first organization of the company was effected at a meeting at Bagg's Hotel on the 25th of January.

In March of this year there were two incendiary fires, and two men were arrested for the crime. Evidence developed the fact that there was in the city a regularly organized gang of conspirators who had habitually started fires in such places as they fancied would enable them to escape detection. They met in saloons and on street corners and coolly discussed where and when they should next burn a building. This remarkable state of affairs attracted attention throughout the State, and led to a more liberal equipment and rigid discipline of the fire de- partment which had then recently been placed on a paid basis. .

The year 1854 witnessed a special election on August 17 at which 135 votes in favor and 100 against the project of erecting a city hospital and workhouse near the corner of Mohawk and South streets were cast, and the extension of the city limits on the west by the width of one great lot and on the south by upwards of a mile. The city was then to be divided into six wards with two aldermen from each.

The city was now growing fast and also getting deeper in debt. On the 9th of November the mayor invited the taxpayers to meet him at the court house on the 13th to consider the condition of the city treas- ury and the propriety of disbanding the existing fire department. At the meeting the mayor stated the purpose of the meeting and said that

1 James S. Lynch was born in New York April 3, 1823, and came to Utica in 1639. He resided here with the exception of about nine years until his death, April 3, 1889. Employed most of the time in the Ontario Bank as clerk, teller, and cashier. He was also made treasurer of the Black River Railroad. In 1850 and 1853 he was a member of the council and in 1856 a presidential elector.

GEO Ralph

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" the seeming conclusion has been reached that the whole burden [of taxation] had been induced by the weakness or wickedness of your pub- lic servants." After presenting several items of expense that must be met and long discussion, a committee of five was appointed to take the whole subject in hand and report at a future meeting. The report, made January 16, 1856, showed the total indebtedness including the Black River Railroad bonds, to be $304,047.60, and it was estimated that $6,328 would be needed to take the city through the fiscal year. The report continued that if the suggestions of the committee were fol- lowed they believed that the ordinary annual expenses would not ex- ceed $16,000. The tax levy of 1855 was almost $50,000, the great increase of the few preceding years having been caused by the exten- sion of school facilities, and building the city hall and the hospital. After making various recommendations for charter amendments the committee and meeting adjourned to January 21, when a public meet- ing was held and the proposed amendments were voted upon, nearly all of them favorably. The principal changes were, the raising of $6,300 and $1,000 for a hose depot at once ; the mayor to have the appoint- ment of the commissioner, surveyor, watch, and police constables; to abolish the office of marshal; to have only one official paper ; making the treasurer's salary $600; appropriating $4,000 for the City Hospital ; granting more power in the opening of streets; and dividing the city into school districts of 100 scholars each. All of these changes and other minor ones were soon embodied in charter amendments.

At the first meeting of the new council of 1857, when the resolution was offered to determine which bank should receive the treasurer's de- posits, under the charter amendment, the resolution was laid on the table. At the next meeting it was called up, but the announcement was made that this particular amendment was no longer in force, a bill repealing it and restoring the treasurer's former salary of $800 having been passed and signed that day. When these proceedings became known there was intense excitement. A citizens' meeting was called, but before the hour set for it, the cheap political device of filling the room with partisans was resorted to and the organization of the meet- ing was captured. A gathering of the indignant citizens was then held at Mechanics Hall, where a police guard was established. At this

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meeting the mayor presided, assisted by every living ex mayor as vice-presidents. Speeches were made by many prominent citizens, a resolution was adopted for the restoration of the repealed amendment, and a committee appointed to attend to it. The section was restored to the charter in 1858.

In 1857 the memorable financial panic overwhelmed the country. Utica was then a thriving and prosperous city and her citizens shared in the general feeling of independence and over-confidence in the future which was universal. The surrounding country had reached an advanced condition ; the farmers had largely paid for their lands ; plank roads had been built in many directions to the doors of farm houses and over them were easily drawn the products that were ex- changed for cash in the city. The tide of prosperity brought its own destruction ; business of all kinds was excessively overdone ; railroads and other large undertakings were projected in all parts of the coun- try ; the banks in many of the States inflated the currency beyond necessity or prudence, and a crash followed. In the fall of this year specie payment was suspended in New York city, which was followed by similar action by local banks. Money had never before been so scarce, and no paper was so good as to secure discount. The Ontario Bank and the Bank of Central New York failed, causing much ruin and distress. The hard times continued through 1858-9, and the Common Council appointed a committee to take action for the relief of the poor.

The year 1860 found the city again with a large current indebted- ness. In his inaugural of 1861 Mayor Grove expressed himself very forcibly upon the importance of keeping expenses within the amount authorized. The debt was $12,000, for which there were no resources, and something had to be done. To prevent a recurrence of such a state of affairs in future the following iron clad proviso was incorporated in the charter, and so remains to the present time :

Sec. 3 of Chapter 24, Laws of 1861 In case any alderman of the said city shall vote for any appropriation or for the expenditure of any moneys not authorized by the charter of said city or by some law, or in violation of any of the provisions of law, every such alderman shall be liable to a penalty of $100, to be sued for and re- covered in any court with costs, by and in the name of any citizen of said city. And in case the common council of said city shall contract any debts after the first Tues- day of March in any year and before the first Tuesday of March thereafter, which shall remain unpaid for one month after the last mentioned day for want of sufficient

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funds in the treasury to pay the same, or in case the common council shall authorize any expenditure for any purpose in such year, exceeding the amount which the said council are authorized by law to raise for such purpose, the aldermen voting for the contracting any such debt or to authorize any such expenditure shall be personally liable to each and every party entitled to payment; the city of Utica shall not be liable to pay the same, nor shall the common council credit or pay any debt so con- tracted or expenditure so made.

And now the cloud which was to envelop the country in civil war could be seen upon the horizon, " no bigger than a man's hand." The events which took place in Oneida county during the great struggle for the maintenance of the Union have been given in detail in their proper place in the chapters of county history earlier in this volume. As far as relates to the city, it responded ardently and promptly in every in- stance to the calls of the government for men and means for the prosecution of the war, and the streets were constant scenes of military activity. A meeting was called for February 1, 1861, of all " who be- lieve a real and substantial difficulty exists in the administration of the Federal government." The meeting was held with Ward Hunt in the chair, and speeches were made by John F. Seymour, C. H. Doolittle, Hiram Denio, Ward Hunt, Roscoe Conkling, E. H. Roberts and others, and a series of resolutions was adopted pledging support to the gov- ernment. President Lincoln passed through the city on the 18th of February, and made a brief address from the car platform, to which Mr. Hunt responded.

During the war public improvement was largely abandoned. Every energy of the people was turned into military channels to promote the enlistments necessary to fill the quotas under the various calls for troops. Changes were made in the police force through charter amend- ments in 1860-61, and provision made for wiping out the floating debt. In March, 1862, the salaries of the new police force were fixed at $40 per month for the chief and his assistants, and $35 for the members.

In 1862 the former State Armory was completed on the old market lot, which had previously been deeded to the State for the purpose. The corner stone of the present new armory was laid in 1893 and the build- ing was finished in December, 1895. The site cost $28,000, the build- ing $50,000, and the county expended about $10,000 more in furnish- ing, etc. In May, 1864, the first steam fire engine was introduced, and

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the act creating the Utica Police Commission was passed April 17, 1866; the first police commissioners were Hawley E. Heath, Joseph Shearman, William N. Weaver, and William W. Long. In the same year the amount authorized to be raised annually for city expenses was raised to $25,000, and $15,000 was raised for the fire department, of which $7,250 was for two new steamers, and $6,000 for 3,000 feet of hose. At about the same time the city was bonded $500,000 in aid of the Utica, Che- nango and Susquehanna Valley Railroad.

It was a period of great prosperity. The war was over, money was plenty, and public improvements and extensions, as we have seen, were prodigally inaugurated. A local paper gave the following sums that were expended in the several wards for buildings in 1867 . First ward, $134,500; Second, $52,300 ; Third, $795,600; Fourth, $538,300; Fifth, $147,500; Sixth, $65,400; Seventh, $222,450. Building opera- tions continued several years with great activity and it was believed that the future of the city was brighter than ever before. In the Her- ald of January, 1869, was published a list of buildings just finished or in course of erection to the value of more than $750,000. The population was nearly 30,000. To improve the water supply, the company agreed to lay twelve miles of mains in 1868 and build a new reservoir of 50,- 000,000 gallons capacity, and the city agreed to pay $10,000 annually for its supply.

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Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 32

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896 Publication date: 1896 Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co. Number of Pages: 1612

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co.
Number of Pages: 1612