USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 14
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people: a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 14
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150
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
In the fall of 1813 Colonel Lucket with a regiment of U. S. dragoons was sent down the river in advance of General Wilkinson's army to examine the country. He arrived in Ogdensburg just before sundown October 11, and either by design or accident (some thought it purposely done) made a display of his dragoons, which was observed by the British at Prescott fort, greatly exciting the garrison, and they made prepara- tions to retaliate. Ogdensburg was filled with people who had come to attend the county court, which was to begin the next day, Judge Raymond presiding The grand jury had just retired and a case was being tried when cannonading was heard from the fort in Prescott, causing much confusion in the court. The grand jury adjourned for the day and left the hall which was over the court room. Just as the last person was leaving the room and while in the doorway, a twenty- four pound shot entered the gable end of the building, shattering an end beam of the house, cutting obliquely across the seats a moment before occupied by the jury, and lodging in the partition on the oppo- site side of the hall [see engraving]. General R. W. Judson, of this city, claims to have the ball, which was secured by parties up Black Lake, among his valuable collection of relics.
In August, 1813, a plan was proposed to bring a combined force upon Canada, a part to descend the St. Lawrence and another to go by way of Lake Champlain, which forces were to unite and co-operate as circumstances might dictate. The former of these was to be under command of General Wilkinson, and the latter under General Wade Hampton. On the 5th of November Wilkinson's army, consisting of about 6,000 men and some 300 small craft and boats, arrived from the upper country at Morristown and camped for the night. On the 6th the expedition proceeded on to within three miles of Ogdensburg, and preparations were made for passing the fort at Prescott. At this place General Wilkinson issued the following proclamation to the Canadians :
The army of the United States, which I have the honor to command, invades these provinces to conquer but not to destroy ; to subdue the forces of his Britannic Ma- jesty, not to war against his unoffending subjects. Those, therefore, among you who remain quietly at home, should victory incline to the American standard, shall be protected in their persons and property. But those who are found in arms must necessarily be treated as avowed enemies. To menace is unjust, to seduce dishonor- able; yet it is just and humane to place these alternatives before you. Done at
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WAR OF 1812 TO 1815.
headquarters of the United States Army, this the 6th day of November, 1813, near Ogdensburg on the River St. Lawrence.
JAMES WILKINSON, By the General Command'g.
N. PINKNEY, Major and Aid-de-Camp.
The powder and fixed ammunition were debarked and placed in carts to be transported by land under cover of night beyond the enemy's batteries. As soon as the general returned from the shore, orders were issued for the debarkation of all the men (except so many as were necessary to navigate the boats), who were directed to march under cover of the night, to save useless exposure to the enemy's cannon, to a bay two miles below Prescott. About 8 o'clock P. M. a heavy fog came on and it was believed they could pass the British fortress unob- served ; orders were accordingly given for the army to march and the flotilla to get under way. The general in his gig proceeded ahead, followed by his passage boat and his family ; but a sudden change in the atmosphere exposed his passage boat to the enemy, and upwards of fifty twenty-four pounder shots were fired at her, but without effect, while the column on land being discovered by the gleam of their arms, were assailed with shot and shell, but without injury. General Brown, who was in command of the flotilla, judiciously halted until the moon had set, when he began to move his men ; but he was perceived by the enemy, who opened upon his forces, continuing their fire from front to rear for a space of three hours, and yet out of more than three hundred boats not one was touched, and only one man was killed and two wounded. Before ten o'clock the next morning the whole of the flotilla except two vessels reached the place of rendezvous. After this event there was no further hostile movement of any importance by either side in the vicinity of Ogdensburg during the war.
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152
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
CHAPTER XII.
AFTER THE DECLARATION OF PEACE.
Ogdensburg after the Declaration of Peace -- President Monroe's Visit -- Removal of the Public Buildings -- Description of the Buildings --- The New Jail -- "Jail Liberties " -- Destruction of the Court House by Fire -- Measures for the Erection of a New One- Description of the Building -- The New County Clerk's Office -- The Poorhouse and Asylum -- Statistics of the County's Charities.
T HE war thus far had not proved of any material benefit to either nation. In the interests of New England centered in ships and factories-the former were captured at sea, while the latter came to a standstill. Industry was paralyzed. The Federal party cried out against the continuance of the contest, and the Democrats, being the dominant party, were inclined to peace. In the summer of 1814 five commissioners were selected to meet ambassadors of Great Britain at Ghent in Belgium. After several months spent in negotiations a treaty was agreed to and signed on the 24th day of December, 1814. On the 18th day of February, 1815, this treaty was ratified by the Senate of the United States, and peace was publicly proclaimed.
It was in the interim, between the conclusion of the treaty and recep- tion of the news in the United States, that the battle of New Orleans was fought. If a telegraph had been in operation at that day many valuable lives could have been saved by an earlier reception of the proclamation of peace.
As the war cloud rolled away our dock yards began to ring with the sound of saw and hammer, the factory was set in motion, and new hopes were inspired among all classes of people. Ogdensburg, which had been nearly deserted at one time, began to bristle with industry. Work upon Fort Oswegatchie (near the Creighton place), the construc- tion of which had been commenced, was abandoned, but on the recep- tion of the news of peace, citizens who had been absent began to re- turn and take possession of their property, which had been at the
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AFTER THE DECLARATION OF PEACE.
mercy of lawless people. The place, like most frontier towns, was greatly impoverished by the ravages of war. With the returning citi- zens came many wealthy and influential men to make Ogdensburg their home. Such a class of men as George Parish, David C. Judson, John Fine, and Henry Van Rensselaer greatly assisted in restoring order, and materially helped in reorganizing society which had become some- what corrupt during the struggle. .
In the summer of 1817 President James Monroe made a tour through the Southern States. He was met on his way home from Plattsburg by a party of men from Ogdensburg, August I, and brought into town, received by a band of music, and became the guest of George Parish. He there received the trustees and citizens through Louis Hasbrouck, who addressed him as follows :
SIR-The trustees and inhabitants of this village welcome with peculiar satisfaction your arrival among them. In common with the nation we have viewed with much interest your important tour along our seaboard and frontier, particularly confiding in your observation, wisdom and experience, for the establishment of such points of national defence along our immediate border as will best promote our individual pros- perity and strengthen the national security. Born and educated under a government whose laws we venerate, enjoying a soil rich in the bounties of Providence, and grate- ful for the invaluable blessings of liberty bequeathed to us by the heroes of the Revo- lution, no effort shall be wanting on our part to maintain, defend, and transmit to our posterity the benefits we so eminently possess.
His excellency replied as follows :
I thank you, citizens of Ogdensburg, for your attention and very polite reception. I receive them as marks of respect to the first magistrate of the nation, not by any means arrogating them to myself as an individual. It gives me great pleasure, because it evinces an attachment of the people to that form of government which they them- selves have established. I am satisfied you hold its value in just estimation and are sincerely devoted to its preservation. In administering it I will support its principles and, to the best of my ability, promote the interests of the country.
In the evening the president was joined by Major-General Brown of the United States army and his whole suite, accompanied by whom he repaired to Morristown and logded with Hon. David Ford. On Satur- day, the 2d, he viewed Mr. Parish's extensive and valuable iron works at Rossie, considered at that early day to be an establishment of great public importance and usefulness. From Rossie he proceeded south-
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154
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
ward by way of Antwerp, where he was met by Mr. Le Ray and others, who conducted him to Le Raysville, where he spent the night.
The natural advantages of this place and the surroundings, such as water power, lake navigation, mines near by, plenty of forest timber and good arable lands in the immediate vicinity, excited extravagant anticipations of the future prosperity and growth of Ogdensburg and the county. Capitalists entered largely into land speculation and held the farms at such high prices that only a few were able to take con- tracts for land with any degree of certainty of making for themselves a home.
The landed proprietors and settlers of the central and southern sec- tions of the county were never satisfied with the location of the public buildings at Ogdensburg. Among the various arguments then adduced in favor of the removal of the county buildings to a more central place was that of the exposed situation of the frontier and the liability to hostile incursions in case of war; and the fact was cited that the board of supervisors, in the fall of 1814, had made an appropriation to repair the damage done to the court house by the British on February 22, 1813. A petition was circulated for the appointment of commissioners to select a new site for the public buildings, which received seven hun- dred signatures, and a remonstrance also circulated had seven hundred and sixty- two names. The inhabitants of Potsdam also petitioned for the removal of the buildings to their village. Against the removal it was urged that the condition of the buildings at Ogdensburg did not call for a change; that a large amount of money was about to be ex- pended on the roads, which would make that place easily accessible ; that the county buildings worth $2,000 will become forfeited by re- version to the proprietor ; that the taxable inhabitants of the county, then numbering about 2,000, were thinly scattered, and an uncertainty still existed where the weight of population would ultimately pre- ponderate.
A plan was at this time proposed to divide the county by a line run- ning between Lisbon and Canton on the west, and Madrid and Potsdam on the east, to extend in a direct line to the southern bounds of the county. The new county was to have been named Fayette. An esti- mate made at the time is interesting as denoting the number of taxpay- ers in the then fifteen towns as follows :
155
AFTER THE DECLARATION OF PEACE.
Western Division-Oswegatchie, 193 ; Gouverneur, 89; De Kalb, 126; Russell, 119; Fowler, 28 ; Rossie, 62 ; Lisbon, 115 ; Canton, 202. Total, 934.
Eastern Division-Madrid, 260; Potsdam, 302; Parishville, 133 ; Stockholm, 99; Hopkinton, 81 ; Louisville, 106; Massena, 85. Total 1,066.
The subject of dividing the county was abandoned for the time being, but the removal of the county buildings was agitated from time to time, yet no definite action was taken as long as Nathan Ford was in health that would permit him to take an active part in suppressing a movement of this kind. At length his health failed and he was con- fined to his room more or less in the last few years of his life. Mr. Ford was the first pioneer settler of St. Lawrence county, as well as the founder of Ogdensburg, and it grieved him to learn that in his declin- ing years influences were at work to have the county seat changed to another locality. He continued to feel a deep interest in public affairs after his strength had denied him the power of taking an active part in them.
The subject of removal of the county buildings to a central location again came up for legislative action in the session of 1827, but was per- mitted to lie over till the next session for the purpose of obtaining a more distinct expression of the popular will on the measure. Under these circumstances it became a test question in the election of member of assembly of that year. Party considerations were dropped for the time, and it was expected that the canvass would decide the preferences of the electors of the county upon the subject of removal. There were then two assembly districts in the county, and candidates were nomi- nated who would work for or against the project; the result was that the candidates who favored removal polled 4,542, and the candidates against removal polled 3,757, a difference of 785 in favor of re- moval.
The petition, dated December, 1827, upon which the law was founded authorizing a change and appointing commissioners to designate a new site, was not numerously signed, but it bore names of those who pos- sessed much influence in the county. The petition was sent to the Sen- ate January 18, 1828. After the most active opposition from many of
156
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
those interested in Ogdensburg, a bill was passed January 28, 1828, es- tablishing the location of the court-house and other public buildings at Canton, and the appointment of Ansel Bailey, David C. Judson, and Asa Sprague, jr., commissioners to superintend the erection of the court-house, jail, and clerk's office. The act authorized a tax of $2,500 to be levied on the county for the buildings. The sum designated was found inadequate, and an act was passed April 16, 1830, authorizing the supervisors to raise $600 more for the purpose.
SECOND COURT HOUSE AND PRESENT CLERK'S OFFICE.
Each building was of stone. The court-house was of two stories, forty-four by forty feet. The lower story was divided into four rooms, besides passages and stairways, consisting of a grand jury room, a room for constables and witnesses, and two rooms for petit jurors. The upper story was devoted entirely to a court room forty-one by thirty- seven feet in size.
The jail was thirty six by forty feet, with the basement story rising about five feet above the ground and a story and a half above the base- ment. About twelve feet of the easterly end of all the stories was ap- propriated to prison rooms, except a small room in the lower, for a sheriff's office.
The clerk's office was of the same height and size of the private clerk's office, differing in its construction only in making the front room smaller,
157
AFTER THE DECLARATION OF PEACE.
and the rear one larger. The plan of the criminal rooms was soon afterward entirely changed.
The accommodations of the court-house being found insufficient, the subject of enlarging the building was brought before the board of super- visors in 1850, and it was resolved to expend not to exceed $2,000 in the necessary changes, including an extension of twenty-four feet. Messrs. Fisk, Thatcher, and Cogswell were appointed to carry out the plans, which they did in the summer of 1851.
In 1858 a bill was passed providing for the building of a new jail. Parker W. Rose, Benjamin Squires and George Robinson were ap- pointed commissioners in charge of the work, and to dispose of the old jail and fixtures The building was finished in 1860, and cost, includ- ing the site, fixtures, and interest, $13,637.31. It was built of Potsdam sandstone, 44 by 72 feet in size, and two stories and an attic. It con- tains twenty-four cells, four debtor rooms, and one parlor, chambers, and two sleeping rooms for the sheriff's family. In 1877 an addition of wood was erected on the north side of the jail, enclosing the prison court, fronting west forty seven feet and running to the east sixty seven feet, including the wood house. This addition is two stories, and sup- plies four rooms for the sheriff and his family. The jail was extensively repaired, and the court room painted, papered, ventilators and wains- cotting put in, etc. The cost of the addition to the jail and the repairs on the jail and court room was $6,200.
The "jail liberties " are certain prescribed limits contiguous to the jail, where a certain class of persons may range at pleasure by giving security that they will not leave the limits without authority from the court. The limits were laid off in 1873 and contain about 455 acres, and marked by stone monuments at the corners of the tract. The " liberties " are rectangular with the jail centrally located therein, and include the entire business portion of the village on both sides of the river and the railroad depot, giving the prisoner who gives bail for his presence thereon, a limited liberty, or he may engage in some kinds of labor, which is often done, to advantage of both employed and employer.
The court house took fire by some unknown means about 2 o'clock A. M. February 21, 1893, and was burned, leaving only the bare walls, which were damaged so as to unfit them for further use. The County
158
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
Court was being held by Judge Kellogg at the time and a session con- tinued until a late hour on the evening previous to the fire. A portion of the books and papers were burned, rendering it necessary to adjourn the the court for two weeks. On receipt of the news of the disaster, immediate steps were taken by citizens of Norwood, Potsdam, Gouverneur and Ogdensburg to have the county buildings located at their respective places. Under a call of the mayor, the citizens of Ogdensburg assem- bled at the town hall on the afternoon of the day of the fire, appointed a committee to take legal steps and assemble the Board of Supervisors in an endeavor to have the county buildings removed to that city. A resolution to that effect was passed, and a petition, dated February 23, signed by ninety-nine freeholders, was prepared and public notice given that it would be presented to the Board of Supervisors at their meeting. The people of Potsdam also petitioned in a similar manner on the 4th of March. Meanwhile the citizens of Canton took action, causing the board to be called together on Tuesday, March 21 At that meeting a motion to adjourn was lost, and a committee was appointed, consist- ing of Messrs. Flaherty, Ives, L. P. Hale, Kellogg and Vance, to look up plans and cost of materials, etc., to rebuild the court house, and to report at the adjourned meeting of May 17. The committee, with Architect Johnson, of Ogdensburg, visited several public buildings, made plans, and called for bids to execute the same. On the 5th of July they met to examine the bids, when a sub-committee was selected to open them. Seven bids were received, two being for the stone work only, and five for the whole building, exclusive of the heating and plumbing, which ranged from $54,000 to $80,000. Some of the bids being somewhat indefinite, they adjourned over to July 10. At the assembling of the committee, the following persons were named as a building committee, and authorized to close the contract with the bidder selected: Hon. Newton Aldrich, of Gouverneur; George W. Hurlburt, of Oswegatchie; Hon. Leslie W. Russell, and Ledyard P. Hale, of Canton ; M. V. B. Ives, of Potsdam ; and Michael H. Flaherty, of Massena. On the IIth the committee met to award the contract, which was awarded to Evans & Ackerman, of Binghamton, N. Y., for the sum of $53,966. The appropriation being $60,000, it leaves a sufficient margin to pay for the heating apparatus and the plumbing.
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AFTER THE DECLARATION OF PEACE.
The body of the building is built of Canton stone and trimmed with red sandstone. The design is Romanesque; it has a tower 120 feet high, and two immense arches at the entrance, with carved capitals. Over the entrance is carved in large letters and figures, " 18-Court-
F
NEW COURT HOUSE.
House-93." On the pinnacle of the entrance is placed "Scales of Justice." The size of the main building is 121 by 70 feet. On the first floor is a corridor 64 by 10 feet. On the right of the main entrance is the supervisors' room, 32 feet square, one end a circle. The seats are arranged in amphitheatre style, with a private chair and desk for each supervisor, finished in oak. At the right of the main entrance is a ladies' waiting room and toilet room attached. At the left entrance is the surrogate's room, consisting of a court room, 27 by 16 feet, private office and clerk's office. On the second floor is the court room, 48 by 65 feet and 23 feet high, finished in oak. At the south of the room is the lawyers' room, law library and the county judges' room. At the
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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
south of the court room are also three jury rooms, and at the west two more. The floor is tiled, also the roof. When finished, this will be one of the handsomest, most convenient and complete court houses in the State.
The old county clerk's office becoming too contracted for the rapidly increasing business of the county, in 1870 a committee recommended the erection of a new and more extensive one, and reported that no re- pairs could be made to advantage on the old one. There was no further action taken in the matter until the annual meeting of the supervisors ' in 1876, when a committee of five was appointed to report plans for a building and estimates of its cost. At the special session of the board, held in January, 1877, the committee reported plans and specifications of a building which were adopted by the board. A building committee consisting of L. W. Russell, Robert Dalzell, and E. S. Crapser, was ap- pointed and authorized to contract for the erection of the building in accordance with the plans, at a cost not to exceed $15,000. The build- ing contract was let to Moore & Fields, of Canton, for $14,500, and some changes made in the plans brought the entire cost up to $15,000, and the work was finished in the spring of 1878.
The foundation or trench walls are laid with granite five feet thick, and the wall from the ground, including the water tables, is of the black limestone of the Norwood quarries, as are also the corners, window trimmings, cornice and coping. The body of the building is of the light gray granite of Gouverneur, and the two colors present a unique and beautiful appearance. The main building is thirty by forty-eight feet with a projection of five feet containing the entrance, and two stories in height. The lower story is twelve and the upper one eleven feet in the clear. A hall ten feet wide passes through the center, on either side of which are four rooms above and below seventeen by twenty feet. An annex thirty-six by forty feet of one story of fourteen feet between joints, is built at the rear of the main building, connecting therewith by two passages secured by iron doors at both ends. The annex is in- tended to be fire proof for the storage of records. The floor is tiled with marble and supported by three heavily built arches of brick. The roof is of copper and heavy limestone coping protects and ornaments it. The basement is light and dry and fitted up with furnace for heating.
161
AFTER THE DECLARATION OF PEACE.
Solid granite pillars support the first floor of the main building and give a sense of strength and durability that is satisfactory and pleasing. The roof of the main building is slate and is surmounted by a very neat and proportionate cupola.
Poorhouse and Asylum .- The Legislature in 1778 provided for the support of the poor by towns and city, and later on for the building of poorhouses by towns and counties. Previous to the adoption of the poorhouse system by St. Lawrence county, each town in the county supported its own poor. The first action taken by the Board of Super- visors in regard to a poorhouse for the county, was at the annual meet- ing in 1825, when a vote was carried to raise by tax $2,400 to purchase a farm and build a house. Smith Stillwell, Josiah Sanford, and Chaun- cey Pettibone were appointed commissioners to locate the site and make the purchase. The committee, through disagreement, failed to select a site, and at the session of the board in 1826 they were discharged. A second committee consisting of John C. Perkins, Samuel Northrup and Reuben Streeter, was appointed with power to purchase a site. A lot of eighty acres, known as the " Nathan Walker " lot, situated one mile west of Canton village on the De Kalb road was bought for $1,250. An appropriation of $500 was made to repair the buildings and stock the farm. A board of seven superintendents of the poorhouse was ap- pointed, viz .: Asa Sprague, jr., Daniel Walker, Smith Stillwell, Samuel Partridge, Silas Wright, jr., Joseph Barnes, and Ephraim S. Raymond. In the year following an additional sum of $500 was raised by tax to build an addition to the poorhouse.
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