Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 37

Author: Curtis, Gates
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1328

USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 37
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people: a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 37

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).

398

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

springs by James Reed, and a post-office named " Madrid Springs " is established there with C. A. Chandler as postmaster. The latter also has a store and a feed mill.

The time at length arrived when the people at Waddington village, which had become a considerable center of trade and population, were reluctant to travel to " Columbia," or Madrid village, to transact town business, and the proposition for a division was agitated. The people in the southern part of the town were not averse to the project, and ac- cordingly on the 22d of November, 1859, an act passed the Legislature erecting the northerly half of Madrid into a new town called Wadding- ton. This left Madrid a rectangle, ten miles by five, except that in the northeast corner the Waddington line diverges and runs for about two miles along the center of Grass River.

The breaking out of the War of the Rebellion found the inhabitants of this town unanimously responsive to the calls of patriotism. Not only did the citizens volunteer with enthusiasm to fill the quotas under the various calls, but the authorities also made liberal provision for the payment of bounties. In 1862 a town bounty of about $50 was voted to every volunteer. In December, 1863, a bounty of $300 was voted to each volunteer, without a dissenting voice; and in several town meetings held in 1864 and 1865, other bounties of from $300 to $1,000 were voted, and usually without dissent.

Since the close of the war the town has steadily advanced. Its agricultural interests have been conserved by her progressive farmers, particularly in dairying. The production of butter in factories is largely followed, and the character of the product ranks high in the markets. A creamery was built at the village in 1877 by Thomas Coats, who sold it in 1880 to W. R. Boynton & Co. (the company is J. E. Boynton), and the firm makes a ton of butter per day, which is shipped to Boston. They are now enlarging their facilities. There have never been extensive manufactures in the town, and those now in activity are described in the village history. A fine town hall in Madrid village was erected in 1871 at a cost of $6,000. It is of brick, seventy by forty feet, with one lofty story and a basement.

Following is a list of the supervisors of the town from its formation to the present time, with the years of their service : Joseph Edsall,

399

THE TOWN OF MADRID.

1802-5; Asa Freeman, 1806-7; Alexander Richards, 1808; Asa Freeman, 1809; Joseph Freeman, 1810-12; William Meach, 1813; Joseph Freeman, 1814-15; Jason Fenton, 1816-22 ; Joseph Freeman, 1823-28 ; J. S. Chipman, 1829-32; George Redington, 1833-37 ; Richard Blood, 1838; Walter Wilson, 1839; George Redington, 1840; Alfred Goss, 1841-42 ; A. T. Montgomery, 1843-44 ; T. Sears, 1845- 46; A. T. Montgomery, 1847-48 ; Jesse Cogswell, 1849-50; Richard Edsall, 1851; Francis Fenton, 1852; Austin J. Goss, 1853 ; John S. Chipman, 1854 ; Jesse Cogswell, 1855 ; Cyprian Powell, 1856; Charles C. Montgomery, 1857-59 ; (division of the town) ; Charles R. McClel- land, 1860; Cyprian Powell, 1861 ; Williani S. Reed, 1862-64; Henry N. Sweet, 1865-73 ; John H. Robinson, 1874-80 ; Ira L. C. Lockwood, 1881-90; John A. Haig, 1891-93.

The first bridge built in Madrid was of logs across the Grass River. on its present site, a few rods below the saw mill of Roberts & Clark in the winter of 1803-4. This bridge has been renewed twice since and at various times repaired. In the years of 1880 and 1881 the people of Madrid discussed the bridge question very thoroughly as to the propriety of building a new bridge in place of the old one, either of wood, iron or of stone. At a special town meeting held in April, 1882, the question was settled to build of stone, when a committee consisting of H. C. West, W. O. Sweet and Ralph Aitchison was appointed to act with the highway commissioners, M. A. Gilbert and John A. Meeker. The plan and specifications were procured of Hinds & Hodgkins of Watertown, N. Y., and the contract to build of stone work given to M. L. & M. A. Cleveland of the same place. The contract for the iron railing was awarded to Gates Curtis of Ogdensburg. The stone was raised in a quarry at the end of the dam. The piers rest on the solid rock in the bed of the stream, six feet wide and twenty-six feet long. There are nine arches, one thirty-two, one thirty-six, and seven thirty- eight feet span, making the length of the bridge about 400 feet. The arches are about one-third of a circle, which leaves a space under the center of about fifteen feet. The west end is a trifle over twenty feet high and the east eighteen feet.

The bridge was commenced on Monday, August 23, 1882, and the work continued without delay or any serious accident, and was com-

400

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

pleted in the short space of three months. The cost of the structure, including grading, etc., was nearly $17,000. The event of its comple- tion was celebrated by the tax payers and their families with music, speeches, and an elegant dinner served in the town hall.

Madrid Village .- The early mills that have been mentioned as estab- lished at the village site were destroyed by fire in 1814, when they were owned by Jarah Meach, to whom the property had been sold by the firm of Lord & Price, who purchased of the builder. After the fire the site and water-power were purchased by Timothy Reed, who erected a grist and saw mill under one roof. An old resident a few years ago gave her memory of the village at that time as comprising a tavern kept by a Mr. Bigelow, four or five frame houses and eight or ten log ones. Captain Goss probably had a store at the time. Again in 1823 Dr. Caleb Price, who settled in that year, described the village as not much, if any, larger ; but there was then the cloth-dressing mill ^of Captain Goss, with two stores kept by Samuel Greenough and Charles McFarland ; and there were two small taverns. In 1826 Jesse Cogswell settled in the village and opened a grocery, but the village at that time had very little additions since 1823, except the distillery and a number of dwellings. Still, nearly all of the business of the southern part of the town was centered at " Columbia village." Anson Cham- berlain kept a tavern and sold some goods at what was then known as " Chamberlain's Corners," but that passed away long ago. In 1852, judging by Mr. Hough's statement, the village had grown considerably and was probably more active in its business interests than it is at the present time. He reported two taverns, six stores, one drug store, four groceries, one book store, two shoe stores, a tannery, besides the mills and various kinds of shops. The present building used for cloth- making was erected by Alfred Goss in 1833. This property passed on the 20th of March, 1893, to possession of the Madrid Woolen Mills, a stock company organized for the manufacture of cloth and pants. The capital of the company is $27,000, and the officers as follows : Pres- ident and treasurer, A. D. Whitney ; F. J. Merriman, secretary ; Dr. E. C. Walsh, vice-president ; D. D. Bryson, manager. The old store formerly occupied by Mr. Goss is used for the manufacture of pants, of which it is expected 100 pairs a day will soon be turned out. Thirty

G. D. Reynolds, M. D.

401

THE TOWN OF MADRID.

hands are employed. The old tannery property has been purchased, new machinery put in, and electric lights and other modern machinery are contemplated to be put in next season. The directors of the com- pany, besides the officers before mentioned, are M. A. Whitney and R. N. Walsh.

One-half of the mills built by Timothy Reed, as before stated, was sold by him to Safford & Horton. The property was finally sold on execution and Hiram Horton bid it in. The mill burned about 1856, and Horton built the stone grist mill standing opposite the saw mill, and subsequently sold to G. M. Douglass and his brother. The latter failed, and after one or two other changes the property passed to Smith & Hall (B. B. Smith, W. H. Hall) in May, 1893, who now operate it. Mr. Douglass now runs the saw mill under a lease. The tannery once operated here was long ago discontinued, as was also a flax-mill. J. N. Pike carries on a furniture factory.

The Columbia House, which has been mentioned as once standing on the site of McCall's Hotel, was burned in the destructive fire of 1878. The house built on the site was called the Madrid House, which was taken and given its present name in 1893 by H. W. McCall.

The mercantile interests of the village at the present time are drugs and groceries by J. M. K. Horsford, A. T. Hepburn and John Haig ; dry goods and groceries by I. L. C. Lockwood, A. W. Abernethy, J. C. Gage & Son, and J. H. Robinson ; hardware by John Sullivan & Son, Bullard & Keenan ; shoe store by F. H. McCormick ; furniture store by John Aitchison ; besides which there are the usual blacksmiths, tailors, wagon makers, harness makers, etc. The present postmaster is F. W. Robinson.

Madrid has long been noted for its schools and their excellence. There are ten districts, besides several others, parts of which are in this town and parts in others. Madrid Union Free School, District No. I, was organized April 24, 1867, by the union of old districts Nos. 10 and 20. For several years schools were kept in the two houses, one being on each side of the river. In the summer of 1873 a handsome two story brick school-house was erected on the north side of the river and a graded school established. The cost of the building, site and furnish- ing was $8,000. The twenty-sixth annual announcement of this school

402

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

gives the faculty as follows : Erwin L. Hockridge, A.M., principal ; Lilian Hadley, principal's assistant ; Lilian McBrien, intermediate de- partment ; Mary Hadley, primary department. The present Board of Education are A. T. Hepburn, Dr. E. C. Walsh, and A. D. Whitney.

Religious Societies .- The first christian organization in town was a Congregational Church, which was formed February 17, 1807, with ten members, by the assistance of the missionary, Rev. Amos Pettengill. The church was supplied for a number of years by missionaries, when, in 1811, Rev. John Winchester was engaged for three years at a yearly salary of ninety-one dollars cash and $274 to be paid in wheat at mar- ket price.

In 1824 the members pledged themselves to set apart certain patches of ground and to cultivate the same in raising corn, potatoes and onions to be disposed of for the support of the church. This plan proved so profitable to the society that in 1825-26 they built a stone church forty- six by fifty feet, at a cost of $4,000. Many of the members furnished labor or materials for its construction. The society was incorporated May 8, 1820, with Salmon Grey and five others as trustees. The free use of intoxicants were increasing among the members to such an ex- tent that in 1829 an attempt was made to pass a total abstinence vote, which failed to carry, when ten members signed a total abstinence pledge, which was the first temperance movement in town, and which proved a blessing to the chureh. In 1850 a bell costing $300 was pur- chased for the church by a general subscription. The following named

ministers have served this church : Rev. Joseph Hurlbut, in 1829; Rev. James Taylor, in 1833 ; Rev. S. M. Wood, in 1840; Rev. J. Burchard and Rev. A. Wicks, evangelists, between 1841 and 1848; Rev. B B. Parson, in 1849; Rev. Mr. Williams, in 1882, and several others. In the summer of 1889 the church was thoroughly overhauled, furnished with new circular seats, the walls and ceilings decorated and stained glass windows. On September 26, just before it was occupied, it took fire from other burning buildings and was consumed. The people nobly rallied at the call of their pastor, Rev. F. A. Hatch, and built the fol- lowing year the present beautiful wood church at a cost of about $7,000. The membership is now about 150, under the care of the Rev. George H. Hancock, pastor. This was the first Congregational Church organ- ized in the county.

403

THE TOWN OF MADRID.

Baptist Church .- The first Baptist church was organized September 7, 1808, with ten members, by the assistance of Rev. Samuel Rowley. He preached for them several years, and was succeeded by various elders and missionaries. The first regular pastor was Rev. Solomon Johnson, who began in 1818. In 1829 the hand of fellowship was withheld from Free Masons. A small frame church was built at the village in 1836, which was used until 1869, when Capt. Hugh Smith negotiated with the trustees for the property and it was sold to the Catholic society for $2,000. Shortly after A. R. Peck and J. E. Murphy, two of the trustees of the Baptist society, purchased a frame building which had been erected for a union church at Madrid Springs, with the expectation that a village would be built there and the society accept of the house. But the other trustees and the larger portion of the society preferred to remain in the village of Madrid, when in 1872-3 a handsome brick church was erected at the village at a cost of $11,000. This church was burned in the fire on the 26th of September, 1889. A new brick church was built on the old site the following year, at an expense of $14,000.

The Universalist believers in this town effected an organization in 1814, and employed Rev. John Foster, who preached to them until some time in 1816. The little society struggled for nearly ten years, but afterwards experienced a revival of interest, and in 1838 a reorgan- ization was effected, with William Richard, Ansel Pain, Charles Bar- tholomew and Thomas Hesselgrave as trustees. In 1842 the society built a frame church at a cost of $3,000, and a parsonage was built in 1851. For many years there has been only desultory preaching. The church is not used at present.

The First Methodist Church .- Prior to 1847 the services in this faith had been supplied only by itinerant preachers. On the 3d day of June in that year a society was organized at Buck's Bridge . called " The Society of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Columbia Village," with Solomon S. Martin, Stephen F. Palmer and William S. Reed, trustees. Measures were at once adopted to have regular services at the village, and Rev. Mr. Blackburn supplied the pulpit two years. In 1852 the society bought the store building of Alfred Goss, which was fitted up and used as a house of worship. In 1868 a beautiful brick

404

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

church was built, at a cost of $14,000, and afterwards a parsonage was built costing $1,200. The church was always prosperous, but it met a disaster in the great fire of 1878, when it was burned to the ground. But the members did nobly respond to a call to rebuild, and promptly erected the present handsome wood edifice. The present pastor is Rev. A. J. Felshaw.

The Church of St. John the Baptist ( Catholic) .- A mission church with the above name was established at Madrid village in 1869. Capt. Hugh Smith, one of the trustees of the society, purchased the old church property of the Baptist society for the sum of $2,000. The building was remodeled and otherwise greatly improved at an additional expense of $3,000, which accommodates the congregation of fifty. five families of that parish. The Rev. Father John Varriety is the present officiating priest.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE TOWN OF MASSENA -- ORGANIZED IN 1802.

M ASSENA, the fourth town organized, lies in the extreme north- east part of the county, and received its name in honor of Marshal Massena of the army of the first Napoleon. The town was incorporated in the same act that formed the county, March 3, 1802, and included in its area the original townships of Louisville, Stockholm and the whole of Great Tract No. 2. By the formation of Hopkinton, Brasher, Lawrence and other towns on the southwest, Massena was reduced to its present area, 30,67 1 acres. A large portion of this tract was not a part of the Macomb purchase. The St. Lawrence River forms the northern boundary of the town, and the Long Saut and Barnhart's Islands are a part of the town. The surface of the town is nearly level ; the soil a fertile loam, mixed in parts with sand and clay. During the early settlement Massena was overspread with a heavy growth of woods that afforded superior lumber and a good quality of timber for spars, many of them measuring from 80 to 110 feet long.

405

THE TOWN OF MASSENA.

Business of lumbering was one of much prominence for many years. It is said that in 1810 one man rafted to Quebec $60,000 worth of timber. This enormous draft of lumber soon denuded the forest of its best timber in that part of the county, when the settlers turned their attention to grain raising.

The early records previous to 1808 having been destroyed by fire, also again in 1853, which included all the documents which had accu- mulated up to that period, the history in a measure concerning the town affairs up to this last date is gleaned from the memory of the settlers of that time. It is said that the first town meeting to organize and elect officers was held the second week in April, after the passage of the act to erect the town, and that the first supervisor elected was Amos Lay. In the spring of 1808 the town officers were : John Willson, supervisor ; John E. Perkins, clerk; Elisha W. Barber, Thomas Steadman, Enoch French, assessors ; Aaron Wright, collector ; Benjamin Willard, Jarvis Kimball, Enoch French, commissioners of highways; John Reeve, Aaron Wright, constables; Griffin Place, John Garvin, fence-viewers ; John Bullard, Griffin Place, pound-masters.

The town is well watered by both the Raquette and the Grass Rivers, which flow nearly parallel across the town from west to easterly, and about one mile apart, near the village. There is a fair water power on both streams in the western part, but they are subject farther east to the backwater of the St. Lawrence. This backwater sometimes performs remarkable freaks. While the great river seldom freezes in its rapid current from St. Regis so as to permit crossing on the ice, it does freeze into a sort of anchor ice, which obstructs the current, allowing further freezing above, thus creating a temporary dam. Mr. Hough says :

" This has occurred during severe snow storms and intensely cold weather so rapidly as to raise the waters of the St. Lawrence, at certain points, fifteen feet in as many minutes; and the Long Saut rapids, where the waters usually shoot downwards with the swiftness of an arrow, have been known to be as placid as the surface of a mill-pond from obstructions below. The descent of the water is of course the same, but the rapids are carried farther down stream, and still water occurs at points where it is rapid at ordinary seasons. The extreme difference of level hitherto observed from these obstructions is about

406

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

twenty-five feet in Robinson's bay ; in Massena, about nine miles above St. Regis, and in Grasse River, it has been known to rise to an equal height. No winter passes without more or less of these ice-dams and reflex currents, which usually happen towards the latter part of winter, after the waters have become chilled, and ice has formed below. Above the head of the Long Saut they are seldom or never noticed. Similar occurrences happen at Montreal and other places along the rapids at certain seasons, and have often caused serious accidents. The apparent solidity of the obstructions thus temporarily formed is seldom trusted by those acquainted with the river, although there have been those foolhardy enough to venture across the channel upon them. They will sometimes form and break away with astonishing rapidity, for such is the irresistible force of the mighty current that no obstruction can long withstand its power. In 1833 a bridge at Massena Centre, supposed to be placed sufficiently high to be above the reach of all floods, was swept away from this cause, the waters having arisen nearly five feet higher than had before been observed, and it has been found quite im- practicable to maintain bridges below Massena village across Grass River. The water has been seen to pour over the dam at Haskell's mill up stream for a short time, and the dam at Massena village has been preserved against the backwater with extreme difficulty."

Settlement had begun in this town previous to its formation. In the fall of 1798 Amos Lay, a native of Lyme, Conn., and a surveyor, began laying out the lands of Massena for the proprietors. In 1799 a road from Oswegatchie to St. Regis was surveyed and partly opened. Henry Child was probably the first agent, and was succeeded by Mr. Lay, and he by Matthew Perkins. Previous to the dates just named, and prob- ably as early as 1792, a saw mill was built on the site of the Haskell mills by a Frenchman, name unknown, who was succeeded in their ownership by Amable Foucher, from old Chateaugay, who continued in possession until 1808. These lands were claimed by the St. Regis Indians, and a mile square at what was then called Haskell's Falls was reserved to them by the treaty of 1796. It is said that the first dam here was swept away up stream by the action of the backwater before described.

407

THE TOWN OF MASSENA.

The early settlers in this and adjoining towns suffered much from the depredations of the Indians, and they finally sent, under date of June 24, 1800, the following petition to the governor :

To His Excellency, John Jay, Esq .. Governor of the State of New York, in council :

The petition of the several persons whose names are hereunto subscribed, settlers in the townships of Massena and Louisville, on the banks of the river St. Lawrence, in the State of New York, Humbly representeth : That the Indian chiefs and warriors of St. Regis are possessed of a tract of land, chiefly wild ineadow, extending from the mouth of Grasse river, in the township of Massena, up to the falls, which is about seven miles. That your petitioners, having settled in the said townships of Massena and Louisville, are greatly annoyed by the said Indians, who threaten to kill and destroy their cattle unavoidably trespassing upon these meadows, they being exposed chiefly without fence, and several of their cattle are missing. Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray your excellency, in council, to take such measures of accommodation with the said Indians as shall seem meet, in order to secure to your petitioners the peaceable enjoyment of their lands and property against the depredations of the said Indians. And your peti- tioners will ever pray, etc.

Signed, Amos Lay, Mamri Victory, Calvin Plumley, Kinner Newcomb, Samuel New- comb, G. S. Descoteaux, William Polley, Anthony Lamping, Aaron Allen, and two illegible signatures.

In consequence of this action the State purchased the Indian Reser- vation, paying more for the land than was afterwards realized from it. The signatures to the petition are of interest, as indicating who were interested in the matter at that early date.

Among the settlers who came in, mostly from Vermont, as early as 1803, were Mamri Victory, Calvin Plumley, Bliss Hoisington, David Lytle, Seth Reed, Leonard Herrick, John Bullard, Jacob and David Hutchins, Nathaniel Kezar, and Elijah Bailey. The latter kept a pioneer tavern on the St. Lawrence, and a two-story house erected for this purpose is still standing. In 1803, also, Daniel Robinson brought in his family, having purchased his land the previous year, and lived here until his death. He had five sons, two of whom, Horatio N. and Luther H., are still living. The father built a saw-mill on a small creek near his place in 1815, which was in operation many years. In 1803 Royal Polley settled at Massena Point, and in 1807 Thomas Steadman. In that year there were ninety-eight voters in the town. Massena Point is formed at the mouth of the Grass River, with the waters of that stream on its southern side and those of the St. Lawrence to the northward.

408

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

The first school was taught at the site of Massena village in 1803 by Gilbert Reed, and in the same year the first bridge was built across the Grass River at that point, and shortly after one across the Raquette River at the Springs.

Among the prominent settlers who followed soon after those before named were N. Denison, E. M. Denison, E. Howard, L. A. Robinson, D. Tracy, all of whom have descendants still living in town ; Enos Beach, who is still living ; Elijah Flagg, J. C. Stone, John E. Perkins, John Garvin, Lemuel Haskell, Calvin Hubbard, W. S. Paddock, John B. Andrews, Benjamin Phillips, all of whom have descendants in the town ; U. H. Orvis and L. E. Waterbury.

The town records after 1809 bear the usual proceedings for the proper government of the district, but nothing of paramount importance. In 1849, however, the people voted to raise $100 to built a float and furnish wires for a ferry across the Grass River near the center of the town.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 37

Author: Curtis, Gates Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1328

Author: Curtis, Gates
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1328