Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 33

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 33

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The year 1870 was marked by various important amendments to the charter, changes in the fire department, and the creation of additional wards in the city. The Eighth ward was taken from the Fifth and the Seventh and the Sixth was divided, creating the Ninth. The proposed charter amendments were placed before a committee in January com- posed of one from each ward, consisting of Francis Kernan, A. S. John- son, P. V. Kellogg, De Witt C. Grove, E. H. Roberts, T. J. Spriggs, W. J. Bacon, and D. P. White. The amendments may thus be sum- marized :

To give the recorder power to try violations of the city ordinances; providing that only a synopsis of the reports of city treasurers be published in the newspapers; giving the council power to appoint the city attorney and the overseer of the poor, and making the term of the city clerk three years; (only the last of these provisions was adopted ;) organizing a new Board of Health with the mayor as president; rais- ing the amount of the city fund to $40,000; providing for more prompt payments of

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funds by the collectors to the treasurer; giving the council power to appoint police- men, making the strength of the force twenty, and giving the mayor power to dis- miss members for cause; compelling the street railroad companies to do certain pav- ing along their lines; giving the council power to open new streets without reference to the location of buildings on the line; giving the council power to enforce the proper connection to be made with sewers and gas and water pipes; divesting the council of power to order a pavement to which two-thirds of the poperty owners along its line object (which is still the law); ordering the council to raise annually not less than $15,000 nor more than $25,000 with which to redeem the bonds in aid of Utica and Black River Railroad Company; and a few other minor changes. These were, in many respects, radical alterations, and generally served a good pur- pose in the government of the city.

There had been opposition to the police commission ever since its organization and efforts were made to abolish it. A resolution to this end was offered in the council this year which raised a storm in the board, and at the next meeting, March 23, "a special meeting," twenty policemen were appointed with John Baxter chief and John R. Healy, assistant. This proceeding was decided illegal by the mayor and city attorney, requisite notice not having been given to the members of the board. The majority of the aldermen met in the Mansion House, while the mayor and the minority gathered at the regular place and sent first messages and then officers commanding the aldermen to attend the meeting. This was not heeded. The chief of police was then directed to place the room in the Mansion House in a state of siege. At eleven o'clock the landlord sent for the sheriff to protect his guests. The re- corder soon appeared and ordered the besiegers to disperse. By this time the mayor and others had reached the hotel and they refused to obey the recorder, who departed to obtain a warrant for their ar- rest. At 12:30 the sheriff arrested the chief of police and officers G. W. Miller, G. W. Keating, and Thomas Higginson and took them to the recorder's office. The ground was taken by the mayor and his ad- herents that, although they were in the minority, they could compel the majority to act; the recorder shared in this opinion. The majority finally went to the council room where they promptly carried a motion to adjourn. The record of these proceedings was expunged at the next meeting, April I, and the former action making police appoint- ments was reaffirmed and the number of the force raised to twenty- four.

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A similar struggle was soon enacted over the fire department, grow- ing out of an effort on the part of Mayor McQuade and his friends to place the department on a paid basis. Early in May the department disbanded and made a farewell parade. On the 20th a commission was appointed to report on a new organization. Nothing was accomplished and during the entire summer various committees attempted to reor- ganize the department on an acceptable basis, but failed, and in Octo- ber companies were formed substantially on the volunteer plan.

In February, 1872, measures were adopted for a better water supply. Three propositions were submitted by the company, under one of which the city was to pay the company $100,000 as it might be needed by them, and the company would then build a new and ample reservoir and at the same time reduce the annual charge to the city to $5,000. This proposal was accepted, and Francis Kernan, Ward Hunt, and Ephraim Chamberlain were appointed to procure the necessary legisla- tion.

In 1873 the site of the U. S. Government Building was selected on Broad street, where it was afterwards erected, and in the latter part of the year measures were adopted under which the new jail was built on Bleecker street. In February, 1874, Chief Engineer Wesley Dimbleby was removed from office, whereupon four of the five fire companies re- fused to serve longer. This resulted in March in the disbandment of Rescue, Tiger, Friendship, Neptune, Washington, Franklin, and Rough and Ready companies, which joined in another farewell parade. On March 28 their resignations were accepted by the council and a tem- porary new organization was made. May 7 the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners met and reappointed Mr. Dimbleby chief and on the 28th the department was placed on a paid basis and has so remained. In June the new police force was organized.

An ineffectual attempt was made in January, 1875, to secure a repeal of the act establishing the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners and soon afterwards a bill was drawn and submitted to popular vote placing the control of these departments in the council. The mayor and clerk failed to give proper notice of this meeting, and it was meagrely at- tended by a few leading citizens and non-tax payers, who voted to ap- prove the measure. In November charges were brought before the

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mayor against the Fire and Police Commissioners relating to misappro- priating of funds, selling city property and general unfitness for office. The result passed into history as "The Famous Investigation." In October, 1876, the mayor called attention to the condition of the station- house and recommended the building of a new one on land owned by the city, corner of Pearl and Washington streets. The building was erected in the following year.

The last twenty years of the city's history needs only a summary in this place, as the details of its progress are largely embodied in subse- quent pages. Some of the more important charter amendments of this period were one of 1883, authorizing the Police Board to appoint twenty-five policemen ; in lieu of a Recorder's Court there was estab- lished in 1882 a City Court having civil and criminal jurisidiction, and the number of justices of the peace was reduced to two ; the term of the treasurer was made two years and he was required to have an office in the City Hall. In 1886 the fund for Police and Fire Departments was increased to not exceeding $60,000. In 1889 the paving fund, which at first was placed at $20,000 and afterwards increased to $35,000 was raised to $50,000. From this fund was to be paid one-third of the cost of paving, the remaining two-thirds to be paid by property owners on the streets improved.

In 1890 a change in the charter made the mayor's term of office two years instead of one, required him to keep his office in the City Hall and provide a clerk, and largely increased his powers and responsibili- ties in various minor matters. A later act gave the aldermen $300 each, annually. Other important legislation of the period authorized the building of an engine house on Washington street for a chemical, the borrowing of $36,000 for constructing an iron viaduct over Ballou's Creek on Rutger street, and granting permission to the Baxter Tele- graph & Telephone Company to erect poles and wires in the city. This company was soon superseded by the Central New York Telephone Company Another charter amendment extended the northern bounds of the city by taking in a strip of land from Deerfield of nearly half a mile in width, reaching from opposite the western point of the original city line to a point some distance north of the northern point of Hub- bell's bend in the river,

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

The past decade has seen the development of an extended street railroad system. In 1886 the Utica Belt Line Railroad Company was organized and immediately began the construction of a new system extending to all important parts of the city. In December of the same year the company leased from the Utica, Clinton and Binghamton Rail - road Company its line to Hartford and the New Hartford and Whites- boro line to the latter village. This was followed by the extension of the latter line to New York Mills. In the same year the company ob- tained a franchise to lay the South street and Blandina and the West Belt lines. This system embraced twenty-three miles of track. In August, 1889, steps were taken resulting in the introduction of electric- ity as a motive power.

In 1883 the Government Building was finished, which cost $484,000 and about the same time the handsome and costly structure of the Young Men's Christian Association was erected.

The observant reader of the foregoing pages will not fail to notice that the city of Utica is now passing through an era of advancement and progress in various directions never before experienced. Manufactur- ing operations, which supply much of the business life-blood of commu- nities, have been considerably extended ; large tracts of beautifully situ- ated land in the suburbs have been opened up and improved for resident districts of the better class; electric lighting throughout the city, the construction of ample sewers and the many other improvements, which contribute to the modern thriving community, have all received the active attention of the various administrations and of leading citizens gen- erally.

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.

Churches -The existence of what was known as the " United Society of Whitestown and Old Fort Schuyler" down to the year 1801 has al- ready been described. The next church to which attention must be given is Trinity, which dates from 1798. This parish was named " The Rector, Wardens, and Vestrymen of Trinity Church, Utica," and for a time was under charge of Rev. Philander Chase, its founder. After a brief period and when the Presbyterian minister of Whitesboro had been engaged to hold regular church services, the meetings of the Episco-

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palians were discontinued and the society seemed to have slumbered until 1803, when a reorganization was effected as described further on. By this date the membership of the United Society, before mentioned, had increased to twenty, and the congregation was incorporated Novem- ber 15, 1805, with the following trustees : Jeremiah Van Renssaleer, Erastus Clark, Talcott Camp, Apollos Cooper, Benjamin Ballou, jr., Benjamin Plant, John C. Hoyt, Nathaniel Butler and Solomon P. Good- rich. On the 5th of January, 1805, Rev. James Carnahan was or- dained pastor of the United churches. His place of worship in Utica was at first in the school house on Main street and then in the new Trinity edifice until the society built its own church. On February 3, 1813, the United church was divided, fifty-seven of its members with two elders, being constituted a new church with the title of the First Utica Presbyterian Society. On the following day Rev. Henry Dwight, who had temporarily supplied the pulpits in both Utica and Whitesboro, was installed pastor of the Utica society. About six weeks later Rev. John Frost was installed over the Whitesboro church, thus establishing the independence of the two societies. The first church building was erected on a lot donated by John Bellinger, corner Washington and Liberty streets, and was finished in the summer of 1807. To accom- modate the growing membership the building was elongated in 1815. In 1821 a session room was built on Hotel street, which was also used for the Sunday school ; a second story was added to this building four years later. Rev. Samuel C. Aiken who was installed pastor February 4, 1818, in 1824 was given an assistant in the person of Rev. S W. Brace. For a time he preached alternately with the regular pastor and then in the session room, where a new society was formed May 6, 1824, as described further on. A few months later it was determined by the mother church to erect a new edifice. For this purpose liberal subscrip- scriptions were obtained and in the summer of 1826 the foundations were laid twelve feet north of the old one for a brick building 72 by 106 feet with a steeple 208 feet high ; session and Sunday school rooms were provided in the basement. This beautiful church stood until January 13, 1851, when it was burned in an incendiary fire. A new and a still more beautiful structure was. promptly erected on the corner of Wash- ington and Columbia streets, and dedicated October 19, 1852. With

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extensions made to the chapel and the Sunday school room and addi- tions of a church parlor, kitchen and pastor's study, the edifice is still in use. Three of the Utica churches are offshoots from this one, and four others now extinct also sprang from it. The first Sunday school west of Albany was organized by five young ladies of this society. In Decem- ber, 1890, the session established a mission Sabbath school in the west - ern part of the city, known as the Highlands Mission, since organized into the Highlands Presbyterian church.

The Second Presbyterian church, before mentioned, was organized with twenty-seven members on May 6, 1824. Near the close of that year Rev. Samuel W. Brace was established pastor. In the spring of 1825 steps were taken for the erection of the building, the contract for which was given to Samuel Farwell. The building was completed in the summer of 1826, was dedicated August 24, and was first known as the Bleecker Street Presbyterian. After a number of years of financial struggle a memorable revival took place in 1838. The society was dis- solved as a Presbyterian organization in 1840. After the abandonment of the church edifice, it was used for a short time by a Congregational society. It became the property of Charles E. Dudley of Albany and was then vacant until September, 1843, when it was hired by Rev. Joshua H. McIlvane. He soon gathered about him a congregation, started a Sunday school, and within three months after its organization the church was self-sustaining. On July 23, 1844, sixty- one persons organized the Westminster society and Mr. McIlvane was installed as pastor. Soon after this the church owned by the Universalist society on Devereux street was purchased and occupied. After being consider- ably improved it was a few years later destroyed by fire. In 1855 the present beautiful edifice at the head of Washington street was finished and occupied. Westminster is the parent of two other societies in Utica, Bethany and Olivet. The former is an outgrowth of the first Sunday school organized in East Utica, where a lot on the corner of Albany and Lansing streets was donated by Mrs. Harriet C. Wood ; there a frame church was built in 1869 by Mrs. Sarah A. Gilbert and her three daugh- ters. The Olivet Sunday school was established February 27, 1876, by workers in the Westminster society, and a chapel was built near the corner of Square and Miller streets, which was opened on June II of

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that year. On April 26, 1887, Rev. F. W. Townsend was installed pastor. In August of that year a lot was bought on Howard avenue and on September 15, 1889, the corner stone of the present stone structure was laid. The building was dedicated April 12, 1891.

The Memorial Presbyterian church at West Utica was organized February 10, 1868, and was the outgrowth of a Sabbath school which had been maintained there since 1848. A chapel was erected on Court street and dedicated December 15, 1867. Rev. J. W. Whitfield, who had acted as missionary of the school, was installed pastor. In 1883 a lot adjoining the chapel was purchased and there Theodore S. Sayre erected the present beautiful church as a memorial to his father. It was dedicated January 25, 1884.

The Elizabeth Street Presbyterian mission (colored) was organized under the auspices of the First Presbyterian church. In 1869 a chapel was built at 23 Elizabeth street, which was called Hope chapel. Ser- vices were regularly held by the colored people and the general direction of the church affairs remains with the First church.

The Bethesda Congregational church was organized on the Ist of January, 1802, as a Congregational or independent church by the Welsh families of the vicinity. It has ever since had an uninterrupted exist- ence. The first minister was Rev. Daniel Morris, who came from Phil- adelphia early in 1803 In 1804 a small frame house was built on the

corner of Washington and Whitesboro streets. In 1865 a portion of the congregation withdrew and established a church of their own, which was called the Second Congregational. They purchased the old Grace church on Columbia street, and called Rev. James Griffiths to the pas- torate. In 1871 the two societies reunited and built a new brick edifice at 108 Washington street at the some time taking the name Bethesda.

Plymouth Congregational church was organized September 18, 1883, as a result of the previous labors of Rev. Edward Taylor, D. D., of Binghamton. Services were temporarily held in the Council chamber and in Dobson's Hall, Oneida Square, until 1884, when the society pur- 'chased a residence property, on Plant street, near State, which included a frame cottage and a brick dwelling. On that lot a wood chapel was erected and first occupied in January, 1885.

The Reformed Protestant (Dutch) church in Utica resulted from

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

evangelical labors of John P. Spinner, of Fort Herkimer, in 1801, and of Rev. Mr. Labagh who visited the field about 1820. Services were held by these men in private rooms, in the Baptist church, in the old Methodist church and in Washington Hall until about 1828, when Rev. John F. Schermerhorn came to the field and in June, 1830, the Broad Street church was finished. On October 26, 1830, the Reformed Dutch Protestant church was organized. In 1863-1871, a new church was erected on the corner of Genesee and Cornelia streets. Rev. Isaac S. Hartlee, D. D., was pastor from November, 1871, to September, 1889, and during that time the church was burned and rebuilt.

Trinity church (Episcopal), organized as already mentioned in 1798, was imperfectly maintained by lay reading for about five years, and it was not until 1803 that steps were taken toward building a church edi- fice. In that year John R. Bleecker, of Albany, in fulfillment of a promise to the religious society who should first undertake the erection of a church, gave the society a lot on the corner of Broad and First streets. When about $2,000 had been subscribed the building was commenced, but it was 1806 before it was so far completed as to be consecrated. It was finished in December, 1810. The first officers of the church were Abraham Walton and Nathan Williams, wardens ; William Inman, Charles Walton, John Smith, Benjamin Walker, Samuel Hooker, Aylmer Johnson, James Hopper and Edward Smith, vestry- men. The first pastor was Rev. Jonathan Judd, who preached from 1804 to 1806 alternately here and at Paris Hill. The first regular rec- tor was Rev. Amos G. Baldwin, 1806 to 1818. Through the influence of Col. Benjamin Walker the Countess of Bath, England, in 1808 gave the church 265 acres of land in Eaton, Madison county. It was not of much benefit to the church and was sold for a small sum in 1815; at about the same time Trinity Church, N. Y., gave the society four lots in New York city, the income of which has been of great benefit. In IS33 the edifice was lengthened twenty feet by extending the front and rebuilding the tower.

Grace church (Episcopal), incorporated May 21, 1838, was originally a portion of Trinity parish. Rev. Albert C. Patterson was chosen rec- tor in April, 1839. A lot was leased on the corner of Broadway and Columbia streets for ten years and there a church was built, which was

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opened in August, 1839. Between 1850 and 1860 the present church site was purchased and a new church erected ; the tower was not com- pleted until 1870 and the spire in 1875. The latter was erected by the late Mrs. James Watson Williams as a memorial to her father and her husband. The late Alfred Munson gave $10,000 toward the purchase of the lot and $5,000 toward building the church. The entire cost of the edifice was $120,000. Between 1884 and 1888 a vestry, choir and Bible class room and a study were erected adjoining the church, and in 1890 a new and beautiful chancel was substituted for the old one ; all these were gifts of the late Mrs. Williams.

Calvary Episcopal church began its corporate existence December 15, 1850, as a result of the services of Rev. Beardsley Northrup, in a small school house corner West and Eagle streets. The lot on which the old church now stands was secured and there the first church was erected and twice enlarged. At a later date the lot on South street op- posite the old church was purchased as a proposed site for a new church. This plan was abandoned and the property was sold in 1869 and a site on the corner of Howard avenue and South street was pur- chased. There the new church was built and finished in the fall of 1872. The church was consecrated January 18, 1884.

St. George's church (Episcopal) was authorized by Bishop De Lancey and the diocese in 1862 to replace the former parish of St. Paul's, organized in 1849 and allowed to die out. The corner stone of the church was laid May 5, 1862, on State street near Cottage. The church was consecrated June 7, 1864.

St. Luke's Memorial church (Episcopal) began as a mission of Grace church in 1869 in a room of St. Luke's Home for Aged Women. In the following year a lot adjoining the Home was donated by Truman K. Butler and there a handsome stone church was erected and con- secrated October 18, 1876. The church rectory, 192 Columbia street, was purchased in 1886.

In 1871 the late Evan R. Goodwin and the late Philip Herbert in- augurated a movement for the establishment of Episcopal services in East Utica. Services were held in a private room, the worshipers taking the name of The Mission of the Good Shepherd, and later the Memorial Church of the Holy Cross. Rev. Edward Z. Lewis was the

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first pastor, continuing until his death in 1874. A frame building was erected on Mohawk street, which was afterwards moved to the lot pur- chased on Bleecker street and enlarged. On October 9, 1890, the corner stone of the new stone church on Bleecker street was laid by the Rt. Rev. F. D. Huntington.

Methodist services were held in the little village of Utica from the time the first sermon was preached by Freeborn Garrettson in 1792. At first the members of this faith were attached to a class which met in a small church on the road to New Hartford. In 1808 Solomon Bronson, a man of influence living near that church, was converted and began holding meetings in Utica in a building back of the line of Genesee street, which was used asa school house. About the same time, 1808, Rudolph Snyder built for the society a small one- story house of worship beside the shop of his brother Jacob, which stood on the corner of Elizabeth street. This was occupied about six years. In 1815 Utica was made a station in the recently formed Oneida district of the Genesee Conference. Rev. Benjamin G. Pad- dock was appointed preacher and a powerful revival followed. The society was now incorporated under the title of the First Methodist Episcopal church in Utica. A brick church was built on the north side of Main street, a little west of Ballou's Creek, which was dedicated August 16, 1816. In 1825 the chapel on Bleecker street was built and dedicated February 22, 1827. In 1832, a class having existed in West Utica for some time, a church was erected. The class was considered as a part of the Bleecker street society, and owing to embarrassments the property was eventually sold. In 1847 a new society was formed in West Utica under the name of the State Street Methodist Episcopal church. By the burning of the State Street church, February 3, 1867, a consolidation of the Bleecker Street and State Street societies was effected under the name of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Utica. The first pastor was William Reddy, under whose pastorate the present edifice on the corner of Court street and Broadway was built. The chapel was finished and dedicated February 28, 1869, and the church was dedicated February 2, 1871.

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Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 33

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