Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 35

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 35

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).

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS FEOPLE.

tures and all expenses finally made the cost of the Home, $175,000. More than this sum was in bank to the credit of the trustees.

The ceremonies of laying the corner stone were conducted by John W. Vrooman, who succeeded Mr. Lawrence as Grand Master on May 21, 1891. The number of eminent craftsmen present, the military escort, and the general magnificence of the pageant made this one of the memorable Masonic gatherings of the century. Work progressed on the building through that and the following years, and considerable delay was caused by the failure of the contractors, compelling the trustees to finish the work themselves. It had been the intention to dedicate the Home on July 1, 1892, but the delay made it necessary to change the plans and October 5 was selected. Again there was a great gathering of the fraternity to participate in the inspiring ceremonies. Irrespective of the departments of Masonry, 8,524 Master Masons took part in the proceedings. Thirteen Commanderies, and seventy-three Chapters of Royal Arch Masons, with their officers, preceded the Master Masons. In the words of the historian of the Grand Lodge, " The enthusiasm of the occasion marked a notable event in the history of Free- masonry in the State of New York. The Utica Home is the monument of Masonic charity."

In June, 1893, the trustees reported that the total cost of the Home and appurtenances to that date was $230,685. 18. The balance in bank was $155,572.55. The Grand Lodge instructed the trustees to set aside each year thirty per cent. of the net receipts of the fund as a revenue fund, until such revenue fund reached $300,000.

Past Grand Master Jesse B. Anthony took charge of the Home as superintendent in February, 1893, with Mrs. Anthony as his assistant. No better selection for this important position could have been made. The first inmates were received on May 1, 1893.

In the hallway of the building are three tablets, one of which was erected in honor of M. W. Frank R Lawrence, for his unselfish labors ; a second one commemorates the laying of the corner stone and the dedication of the building, while the third bears the following inscription :

This Asylum for the Aged and Infirm Brother, the Destitute Widow, and Helpless Orphan, was Erected A. D. 1891-1892, by the Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York, under the Supervision of the Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund. Edward B. Harper, John Stewart, Jerome E. Morse, Horace L. Green, Alexander T. Goodwin, George Hayes, George H. Wiley, Herman H. Russ, Trustees. William H. Hume, Architect.

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THE CITY OF UTICA.

St. Luke's Home was incorporated December 23, 1869, as the re- sult of a suggestion made two years earlier by Rev. E. M. Van Deusen, D. D. Truman K. Butler in the fall of 1869 offered the use of an un- furnished building then in course of erection, rent free for eighteen months, with the condition that if the project proved practicable he would then give a deed of the property. The object of the institution was stated as " The establishing and maintaining in the city of Utica of a refuge for the poor and friendless members of Grace Church parish in Utica and such others as the Board of Managers may think entitled to its benefits." The Home was opened and it was soon found that a hospital was necessary, and September 1, 1870, a double two-story brick dwelling adjoining the Home was purchased of Mr. Butler. The Hospital was opened July 9, 1872. In 1875 a lot owned by the city, west of the Hospital, was purchased and in February, 1883, Mr. Butler conveyed to the corporation the lot used as a lawn. In 1886 a new brick building was erected, costing nearly $14,000, and in June, 1887, the dwelling No. 305 Whitesboro street was also purchased. The prop- erty is clear of indebtedness. In January, 1888, the name St. Luke's Home and Hospital was adopted, and in the same year " The Lancas- ter House " was fitted up for the use of nurses. A school for nurses was established in 1878. The first medical director was chosen in 1880,

The City Hospital was erected by commission in 1856 at the expense of the city and it was intended for a workhouse. Two years later it was made a hospital, under the superintendence of the poormaster, who was superseded by the Board of Charities upon its creation in 1873. The building is of brick, three stories high, on the corner of South and Mo- hawk streets, and surrounded by extensive grounds. A physician ap- pointed by the Board of Charities is in daily attendance.

The Board of Charities just mentioned consists of six commissioners, one half of whom are elected by popular vote and one-half appointed by the town auditors. To this board in Utica are intrusted all the ordi- nary powers and duties of the poormaster and they serve without com- pensation. The board appoints a clerk who acts as the paid and author- ized agent in administering the city charities. The clerk is aided by a secretary. This system has been found to be far superior in every way to the former administration of poormastsrs.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

In addition to the foregoing benevolent organizations, Utica has a Woman's Christian Association, organized in 1870, which owns the "Georgia Porter Memorial " building, costing $10,000. The associa- tion was incorporated April 15, 1886, and accomplishes a vast amount of good. There is also in the city St. Joseph's Infant Home, the Indus- trial Home, the Homeopathic Hospital, and the Utica Dispensary or- ganizations.

Schools and Libraries .- The first school in Utica of which any thing is now known was kept in a building on the south side of Main street, between First and Second streets. The reader has already learned something of the various secular and religious meetings that were held in that old building in the earlier years. The teacher in 1797 was Joseph Dana, who was succeeded by a Mr. Clark and he by Roswell Holcomb about 1804. Gideon Wilcoxson taught in 1805. In 1807 Jonathan Child kept a school for a short time in the Welsh church cor- of Washington and Whitesboro streets. In 1808 Eliasaph Dorchester was teaching there, while David R. Dixon occupied the building on the site of Grace church, which served as a school house and also for the meetings of the village trustees. During the years 1810 and 1811 Thomas Colling taught in that school, and in the year 1813 a private school, called the Juvenile Academy, was kept in the third story of a building on the north corner of Broad and Genesee streets. The first teacher was Henry White, who was succeeded by S. W. Brace and he by Obed Eddy in the year 1816.

In 1813 nineteen citizens of Utica asked the Regents of the Uni- versity to incorporate an academy in their village. A charter was granted March 28, 1814, naming the following trustees: Jeremialı Van Rensselaer, Arthur Breese, Talcott Camp, David W. Childs, Fran- cis A. Bloodgood, Bryan Johnson, A. B. Johnson, Thomas Skinner, Thomas Walker, Apollos Cooper, Solomon Wolcott, Anson Thomas and Ebenezer B. Shearman. Mr. Van Rensselaer was chosen president, Mr. Walker, treasurer, and Mr. Shearman, secretary. A fund was raised by subscription and when $1,600 were obtained the trustees accepted their charge, and in June, 1815, requested Rev. Jesse Towns- end to take charge of the institution ; he was then teaching a gram - mar school in the village and remained with the academy about two

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THE CITY OF UTICA.

years. In 1816 a committee of citizens proposed to the trustees to aid them in erecting a building, which would serve as " An Academy, Townhouse and Court House," and a new subscription was started. The usual contest as to the site followed and it was finally decided that every subscriber of $5 or more should have a vote for either of the two proposed sites, one of which was the one finally adopted and the other on Genesee street. The vote polled showed a majority of 222 in favor of the site adopted. The subscription amounted to $5,- 000, to which was added other minor pledges, and the building was erected and completed in the summer of 1818. It was a two- story brick edifice 50 by 60 feet in size. In August of that year Rev. Sam- uel T. Mills, a Presbyterian clergyman, was appointed the first precep- tor at a salary of $800, and in October a Mr. Whiteside was chosen assistant for six months, with compensation at the rate of $300. In January, 1819, William Hayes was employed to teach writing and arithmetic at $50 a quarter of eleven and one-half weeks. There were three classes of pupils, one of whom paid $5, one $4 and one $3 a quarter. In 1851 the trustees determined to sell to the county for a court house the John street front of the academy, on condition, in ad- dition to a pecuniary consideration, that the release of the remainder should be obtained from the original grantors and from the city. This was finally consummated. Mr. Roberts's place was for a short time occupied by a Mr. Newcomb and next by a Mr. Kenget. In April, 1852, a committee of the trustees was appointed to confer with the school commissioners to effect an arrangement under which the offices of superintendent of schools and principal of the academy might be united ; such arrangement was carried out and was the last act of the trustees under the old charter. In May, 1853, by act of the Legisla- ture, the school commissioners became the trustees of the academy, thus preserving the venerable charter. The new organization was ef- fected in February, 1854, when Edmund A. Wetmore, chairman of the school commissioners, was chosen president and Daniel S. Heffron, superintendent of the schools, was made secretary. Since that date the academy has remained a part, and the head, of the public school sys- tem. Under that arrangement Mr. Weld, a graduate of the university, was appointed principal, with three women teachers as assistants. He

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

resigned in the winter of 1857 and was succeeded by George C. Saw- yer, A.B., a graduate of Harvard, who for nearly forty years has re- mained the efficient head of the institution.

The first act of the Legislature in relation to a free school in Utica was passed April 27, 1817. Section 28 of that act vested in the trus- tees of the village " All the property of the Twelfth district of Whites- town," which then included Utica, for the use of a free school. In the same year the trustees erected a building and employed Ignatius Thomp- son to teach for three months from the first Monday in December, at $40 a month. This building was of two stories, stood on the south side of Catherine street, nearly opposite Franklin, and was afterwards known as the Lancaster School. The Lancaster system was introduced in 1819 when Andrew L'Amoureux was the teacher. He remained until 1824, when he was succeeded by Roswell Holcomb. Rev. Joseph Carter be- came principal in 1828 and the school was reorganized. About 150 pupils were in attendance and the school was flourishing. Mr. Carter was succeeded by Eliasaph Dorchester, who remained some years and was assisted by Susan Wright. An act of Legislature passed in 1830 gave the trustees of the village power to establish schools at their pleas- ure and distribute the public money as they thought best. In April of the following year a committee of the trustees was appointed to sell the free school lot on Catherine street and to buy another suitable for school and fire purposes. The school was next kept in the session room of the Second Presbyterian church, corner of Charlotte and Elizabeth streets. In 1831 the school district was established in the eastern part of the vil- lage and a school located on the corner of East and Linden streets. A third public school was added in 1834, with Abraham Yates, principal.

In April, 1828, an infant society was organized, the object of which was to give care and instruction to the infant poor, thus relieving their parents during the day. Mrs. Moses Bagg was the first directress and Mrs. R. M. Crowley the preceptress. In 1829 a similar institution, called the Pattern Infant School, was started under the patronage of Jesse W. Doolittle. Each of these received in 1832 an appropriation of $92 from the council.

During the period thus far considered private schools in the village were numerous. Among them was one established about 1819 by Am-

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THE CITY OF UTICA.

brose Kasson on the corner of Whitesboro and Division streets. Will- iam Sparrow opened a classical school, but soon left it for the principal- ship of the academy. In 1824 Elisha Harrington taught a school and was aided by his sister. The Utica High School, afterwards known as the Utica Gymnasium, was founded as a boarding school for boys in 1827 by Charles Bartlett and flourished successfully for about eight years. He had previously conducted a select school on Washington street, which he turned over to Isaac Wilmarth. For the High School he leased a house and farm at the lower end of Broad street which had formerly belonged to Dr. Solomon Wolcott. The farm was placed under charge of the brother of Charles. There was an annual attendance at this school of over forty, the expense to each being at first $200 an- nually, afterwards reduced to $150. Mr. Bartlett had the assistance of a number of eminent men as teachers, and among the students were many who became conspicuous in later years.

Another successful educational institution established a few years later than Mr. Bartlett's was the Classical and Commercial Lyceum of Messrs. Phillips and Kingsley. Mr. Phillips was soon succeeded by Mr Bailey. The school was situated on the east side of Washington street, between Whitesboro and Liberty, and continued to about 1840. Another classical and commercial school was begun in 1832 on what is now Blandina street by John Williams, who conducted it for forty one years and until his death in 1873. A little later, about 1835 to 1838, William Barrett presided over the school on Genesee street, a little below Blandina. Two other schools of that period for ladies were con- ducted, one by Miss Dickens and the other by Miss Bowen. The earliest school for ladies exclusively was in existence in 1806 by Solo- mon P. Goodrich, a bookseller, but little is known of it. About 1818 a young ladies' school was opened by Montgomery R. Bartlett, which met with success, but was not long lived. A school of the year 1822 was taught by Madame Despard on Broad street ; she gave more atten- tion to French. music and deportment than to English branches. Rev. William Woodbridge, a veteran teacher, conducted a young ladies' school in 1824 and later, on the northwest corner of John and Catherine streets, which was patronized by many of the best families of the place. Charles C. Everts, aided by his wife and three assistants, opened a school

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

on Whitesboro street in 1826, which was successfully conducted a num- ber of years. In the York House, nearly opposite, Rev. Samuel Whit- tlesee and wife established a boarding school in 1828. In 1833 their school was situated on the corner of Genesee and Pearl streets, while Samuel McLauren succeeded them in the York House.

While many of these schools for girls were in a high degree credit- able, the people of Utica eventually felt that an institution was needed which would give to their daughters as good educational facilities as was enjoyed by their sons in the academy. Public interest was aroused on the subject, a stock company was formed and the Utica Female Academy was chartered April 28, 1837, with a board of trustees com - prising twenty-one leading citizens. In the same year four lots lying between Washington street and Broadway with the buildings thereon were purchased at a cost of $6,300. The school was first opened in what was known as the United States Hotel, corner Genesee and Pearl streets. In December, 1838, the number of students was 168 and dur- ing that and the following years a three-story brick academy building, 50 by 100 feet in size, was erected. The first principal was Miss Urania E. Sheldon ; she was succeeded August, 1842, by Rev. James Nichols and wife, who were followed in June, 1844, by Miss Jane E. Kelley, who continued until 1865. The academy building was burned March 27, 1865, and the present handsome structure was erected on the site in 1869-90 at a cost of $75,000. In 1871 Mrs. E. S. Hammill leased the building and conducted the school until the summer of 1875, when she was succeeded by the present principal, Mrs J. C. Piatt. As " Mrs. Piatt School " the institution has an extended reputation for thorough and careful training of pupils.

Returning to the history of the public schools, it is found that in 1843 they were in a deplorable condition ; the city owned only three indiffer- ent school buildings and hired three or four, in all of which about 1, 100 children sought instruction. The Board of Commissioners of that year, consisting of Rudolph Snyder, Hiram Denio, Spencer Kellogg, Robert T. Hallock, Francis Kernan, and James Watson Williams, immediately inaugurated a thorough reorganization ; they greatly improved the old school buildings, soon began the erection of new and better ones, and adopted a graded system, extending upward from the primary depart-

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THE CITY OF UTICA.

ment through the ward schools and the advanced school to the academy. In 1850 Daniel S. Heffron, a man well fitted for the position, was ap- pointed superintendent of schools. From the meagre accommodations in existence at that time the school facilities increased before 1868 (the date of the first published report of the commissioners) to twelve school houses of various grades, besides the academy. The list embraced the following: the Advanced school building, corner Elizabeth and Char- lotte streets, completed in 1847 on a lot donated by John R. Bleecker ; this building has been considerably enlarged and improved ; the Hamil- ton street and Steuben street schools, built in 1851 ; the Blandina street and Aikin street schools, begun in 1852 ; the Catherine street school, built in 1855; the Whitesboro street school, erected in 1853; the Al- bany street and Lansing street schools, built in 1858 ; the Court street school, built in 1860, and the South street and Francis street schools, in 1867. These were all good brick buildings, two stories in height, and similar in design. The Albany Street school was burned in 1893 and rebuilt in 1896.

On the morning of May 13, 1865, the Utica Academy and its con- tents were destroyed by fire ; the school was temporarily continued in the Court House. The commissioners took immediate steps toward re- building and enlarging the grounds and obtained possession of a lot corner Academy and Bleecker streets. There in the autumn of 1867 was completed the present handsome and commodious structure.

On the 13th of July, 1867, Mr. Heffron resigned his position as sup- erintendent of schools, after a period of seventeen years of faithful ser- vice, and was succeeded by Andrew McMillan. The latter was'a man whose natural and acquired qualifications made him pre eminent for the position, and under his watchful care and unremitting labor the schools of Utica rapidly advanced to their present high standing. His annual reports published since 1868 are at the service of all interested persons and are model works of their kind.

In May, 1869, St. Patrick's Parochial school, occupying a brick build- ing on Columbia street, was organized as one of the city public schools. In 1870 the commissioners purchased the Welsh Congregational church and remodeled it for school purposes, and in 1870 and '71 the large brick school building, corner of Miller and Leah streets, was erected.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

The Union Street school was erected in 1874. The Court Street school house was enlarged in 1878 to double its former capacity and otherwise improved. The following year the Lansing Street school house was similarly enlarged and improved. In 1880 a new and commodious school building was erected on the corner of James and Kemble streets. To accommodate the increasing population in the eastern part of the city a school site extending from Blandina street to Mary street, near Jefferson avenue, was purchased in 1879. Thereon was erected in 188 1 one of the finest brick school structures in Central New York. In 1888 tho old landmark known as the Washington Street school was sold and the proceeds devoted to building the spacious brick and stone structure on Whitesboro street, known as school No. 18. Faxton Hall, in which Faxton school is located, was built in 1868. Mary street school was erected in 1882-83 ; school No. 19 in 1892; school No. 20 in 1893; and school No. 21 in 1896.

Prof. Andrew McMillan resigned at the close of the school year 1892 and George Griffith, Ph. D., the present efficient superintendent, suc- ceeded to the position. The present (1896) Board of School Commis- sioners consists of Horatio S. Moore, chairman ; John E. Carberry, John B. Jones, John E. Brandegee, John C. Schreiber, and John H. Siemers. George C. Sawyer, A. B., is principal of the academy and Herbert J. Pease is principal of the Advanced school. About 190 teachers are employed in all the schools of the city.

Libraries .- The first public library in the village was incorporated March 5, 1825, undor the title of the Utica Library, and was opened in the following July with 1. 100 books. It was owned by shareholders and controlled by a board of twelve trustees. There were 400 shares, of three dollars each. The librarian was Justus Rathbone, who attended for the drawing of books once in each week. Within a few years the number of volumes increased to 2,500, and the library was removed from Mr. Rathbone's office on Broad street to the Mechanics' Association Building. No record of this library exists after 1837.

When in the year 1838 $55,000 of the income of the U. S. Deposit Fund was directed to be distributed to the school districts of this State for the purchase of library books, Utica received her share, and a free library was established. By legislative act of 1842 this library was placed

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THE CITY OF UTICA.

under the control of the school commissioners. Their first report showed 1,700 volumes on hand. The library was located over the Central N.Y. Bank on Franklin Square, and Francis Grosvenor was the first librarian and continued to act until 1851. In 1865 the library had 4,000 vol- umes ; in 1868, 5,000; in 1873, about 6,000. In 1856 the library was removed with the Superintendent's office to the City Hall building where it remained until the completion of the present library building in 1878. This building stands on Elizabeth street, and is admirably adapted to its purposes. By a bequest by Theodore S. Faxton made in 1881 the library came into possession of $2,500 for the purchase of additional books. In 1885 the librarian's report showed that there were on the shelves a little over 10,000 volumes In the present year (1896) this number has increased to over 21,500.

The Press of Utica .- The first newspaper printed west of Albany in this State or in Oneida county was the Whitestown Gazette, which be- gan July 11, 1793, in New Hartford. The publication was suspended in the following winter but was resumed in May, 1796, William McLean being its printer and shortly afterward its proprietor. In July, 1798, he moved his office to Utica and changed the title of the paper to the Whitestown Gazette & Cato's Patrol. The second paper in the county was the Western Centinel, first issued in January, 1794, in Whitesboro ; it was discontinued a few years later. In February, 1804, Mr. McLean sold his paper to John H. Lothrop, who changed its name to the Patriot, and one year later to the Utica Patriot, which title it retained until 1816. William H. Maynard succeeded Mr. Lothrop as editor and pro- prietor in 1811. On January 1, 1815, Seward & Williams began the publication at Utica of the Patrol, which was united with the Patriot January 2, 1816, under the name of the Utica Patriot and Patrol. It was issued semi- weekly for about a year, and then weekly until 1821. The prospectus gives the proprietors as Asahel Seward, William H. Maynard, and William Williams. The Utica Sentinel appeared in place of the Patriot and Patrol on March 31, 1821. This change in the name was brought about through an alteration in the politics of the editor who abandoned the Clintonian party. The Sentinel announced that it was " printed by Ira Merrill for William Williams editor and proprie- tor." The establishment was sold to Samuel D. Dakin and William G. 45

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Bacon and by them united with the Columbian Gazette, May 6, 1825, under the title of the Utica Sentinel & Gazette. In 1828 S. D. Dakin became sole editor and owner, and in 1829 sold out to his printers, Northway & Porter. The paper was published semi-weekly until Jan- uary, 1829. In 1831 Rufus Northway became sole proprietor and The- odore S. Gold succeeded Mr. Dakin as editor, continuing until the es- tablishment of the daily paper in 1842. The Columbian Gazette, which was united with the Sentinel, was first issued in Rome, August 17, 1799, by Thomas Walker and Ebenezer Eton, under the title of the Colum- bian Patriotic Gazette. It was removed to Utica March 21, 1803. In January, 1830, the American Citizen was united with the Sentinel and Gazette. On August 7, 1832, the Utica Intelligencer, started Febru- ary 2, 1826, by William Tracy, also joined the Sentinel and Gazette. E. S. Ely and Joseph H. Buckingham were at different times editors of this paper. The American Citizen, just mentioned, first appeared June 8, 1830, with George S. Wilson, editor and proprietor. The Elucidator, Organ of the Anti-Masonic party, was started August 7, 1829, by Be- riah B. Hotchkin, who edited the paper until January 1, 1833, when he was succeeded by Samuel P. Lyman. William Williams became pro- prietor of the paper January 1, 1830. It was consolidated with the Sen- tinel and Gazette May 20, 1834, under the name of the Oneida Whig, "R. Northway, printer and publisher." The Whig was published by Mr. Northway and his associates until October 12, 1853, when it was sold to Lyon & Arthur, J. M. Lyon, editor, and the name changed to the Weekly Gazette. On July 25, 1856, it was transferred to N. D. Jewell, C. J. Radford, editor, and called the Weekly Gazette and Courier, con- tinuing thus to January, 29, 1867, when its subscription list passed into possession of Ellis H. Roberts, purchaser of the Utica Daily Gazette, with which it had been associated since 1842.

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Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 35

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