Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 41

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 41
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people: a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 41

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).

441

THE TOWN OF CANTON.

tees. In 1829 this society united with the Universalists in the erection of a church building, which was used by the Baptists until 1849, when they erected a church of their own, which was dedicated February 8, 1849. This building was occupied until 1871, when the present one was built ; but it has been considerably remodeled since that date. At the present time (1893) there are about 125 members, and the pastor is Rev. S. Thomas Williams. The trustees are Charles Churchill, John Fields, Harvey Barber, Gilbert Bouck.

Methodist Episcopal Church .- As early as 1808 a class was formed in the western part of the town, where prayer meetings were held, and their numbers increased yearly. On the 3d of November, 1819, the Methodist Church Society of Canton was incorporated, with the fol- lowing trustees : Jesse Barnes, Hugh Montgomery, Isaac Buell, Jedu- thun Farwell, William Perry and William Richardson. The early meetings were held in school houses and in a building which had been used in connection with a distillery by Mr. Farwell. In 1823 measures were adopted to erect a church edifice, which resulted in the building of the brick church at South Canton, which is still in use. The lot was donated to the society by William Richardson for church and cemetery purposes. Rev. L. T. Cole is the present pastor in that church.

In the mean time the northern part of the town had become thickly settled, and to meet the necessity of a more convenient place of worship the Second Methodist Church and Society was formed on the 28th of August, 1827, with Solomon Boynton, Samuel Fish, Daniel M. Foot, Gershom Conger and Joseph Ames as trustees. A lot on Chapel and Court streets was purchased of David C. Judson, on the Ist of January, 1828, and there a frame church was erected, which was the home of the society for nearly forty years. It was displaced by the present brick edifice in 1856, which was dedicated February 25, 1857. A parsonage was erected in 1846, and the present one about 1884. The membership of the church is 209, and Rev. C. E. Dorr is the pastor for 1893. The trustees are : James Kingston, Nathan Barber, Dr. A. C. Drury, A. Watson, L. Barber, E. F. Tripp, D. W. Sherwin, W. D. Church and R. A. Barber.

Presbyterian Church .- The first Presbyterian society of Canton was organized from the Congregational body under the pastorate of Rev.

442

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

Hiram S. Johnson, a Presbyterian, and placed themselves under the St. Lawrence Presbytery. In 1816 the Presbytery of Oneida was divided, and the Presbytery of St. Lawrence created, comprising this county, Lewis and Jefferson counties. The northern and eastern parts of the county belonged in the Presbytery of Champlain. In 1821 the Albany Synod set off Ogdensburg, De Kalb, Canton, Potsdam, Hopkinton, Rossie and Gouverneur to constitute the Presbytery of Ogdensburg. In 1829 a change was made by which all of this county was placed in the Presbytery of St. Lawrence. In 1839, at the division of the church into the Old School and the New School, the Old School Presbytery was formed, and in 1870, upon the reunion of the two bodies, the last named Presbytery and that of Watertown were united in the St. Law- rence Presbytery, of which this Canton church became a part. The first pastor after the church became Presbyterian was Rev. Hiram S. Johnson. The church was incorporated July 22, 1825, its first trustees being Elias C. Page, Silas Wright, jr., Joseph Barnes, Henry Foote, William Richardson and Eden Ray. In 1826 a site for a church was deeded to the society by Silas Wright and Joseph Barnes, and the building was begun in 1828 and not completed until 1831. Mr. John- son's pastorate continued until 1838. The erection of the present beautiful stone edifice was begun in 1876, and dedicated January 4, 1880; its cost was about $25,000. The succession of pastors in the church has been as follows: Revs. Roswell Pettibone, John Waugh, James Gardner, who came in November, 1869, and remained until 1884. Rev. Rolla G. Bugbee was acting pastor one year and was in- stalled pastor in November, 1885. He served until February 6, 1888. The present pastor, Rev. Avery S. Walker, D.D., was installed July II, 1888.

The present officers of the church are as follows : Ruling elders, Henry L. Sackrider, Charles N. Conkey, Heman P. Matthews, Gilbert B. Manley; deacon, Hiram Sanderson ; trustees, Gilbert B. Manley (president), Charles Nickelson, Solon D. Kimball, Wm. H. Tallman, Thomas Fields and James W. Bailie. The membership of the church is 208.

Universalist Church .- This society was organized in November, 1829, at a meeting held in the school house in the village, with the

443

THE TOWN OF CANTON.

following officers: Minot Jenison, Joseph Ames 2d, and Thomas H. Conkey, trustees ; Alvin C. Low, clerk; Daniel Mack, collector. In 1828-9 a church edifice was erected by this society and the Baptists, each being entitled to the use of it according to the amount paid towards its construction. A few years later the interest of the Baptists in the church was transferred to the Universalists. The church was remod- eled in 1865, and again in 1887. The pastors who have served the church have been Revs. Mr. Briggs, W. H. Waggoner, L. M. Hawes, J. F. Goodrich, S. W. Remington, Richard Eddy, L. C. Browne, Simon Goodenough, A. G. Gaines, Joseph Crehore, George W. Weaver, Mr. Stowe, and the present pastor, Rev. J. W. Payson.

Grace Episcopal Church .- This church was organized in 1836 by the Rev. Richard Bury, who was also the first rector. The original mem- bership was nineteen. On the 22d of August of the same year a society was formed, of which Richard N. Harrison and Roswell Green were wardens, and John D. Burns, Darius Clarke, Elam Russ, Harry Foote, Lyman Ellsworth, Thomas Viner, Chauncey Foote and Henry Van Rensselaer, vestrymen. A small chapel was erected in 1841-2, and consecrated September 3, 1842, by Bishop Benjamin H. Onderdonk. With subsequent repairs and extensions this building has been used until the present time. In 1855 a rectory was built, which was dis- placed by the present one in 1887 at a cost of $3,700. The rectors of this parish have been as follows : 1836, Richard Bury ; 1838, William Latham ; 1840-41, Thomas P. Tyler ; 1843-4, F. J. Hawley ; 1845-6, William G. French; 1848, Minot M. Wells; 1851-53, Abel Ogden ; 1854-59, John Wells Moore; 1859-64, W. A. Rich ; 1864-5, Thomas H. Siel ; 1866-68, William Binet; 1868-71, John F. Potter; 1872-73, George T. Kaye; 1873-74, R. B. Van Kleek; 1875-76, R. D. Irwin ; 1877-82, John T. Pearce; 1883-85, E. R. Armstrong; 1886-90, R. G. Hamilton ; the present pastor is Rev. R. W. Brown. The wardens are L. W. Russell and Sheldon Brewer ; vestry, R. B. Ellsworth, Cleland Austin, J. D. Tracy, H. D. Ellsworth, H. B. Safford, J. C. Keeler, H. Liotard and C. J. Perkins.

St. Mary's (Roman Catholic) Church .- This church was incorpo- rated August 17, 1874, by Rt. Rev. Edgar P. Wadhams, bishop of the diocese of Ogdensburg, Very Rev. James Mackey, vicar general of that

444

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

diocese, Rev. James O'Driscoll, and laymen Dennis Woods and James O'Brien, as trustees Many years ago there was a large settlement of Irish emigrants in the western part of the town of Canton, on what be- came known as the Irish Settlement Road, who attended church at Potsdam. The pioneer priest was Rev. James Mackey, who at inter- vals visited this settlement and was the founder of this church. When the society was finally formed they purchased the lot on which their church now stands and erected a small frame edifice previous to 1868. There they worshiped until 1873, when it was burned by an incendiary December 12th. In 1862 the parsonage was purchased. After the burning of the old church, and while the present one was in process of construction, the court-house was used for services. In 1874, through the efforts of the present pastor, Rev. James O'Driscoll, the building of the present brick edifice was commenced, and the corner-stone laid by Bishop Wadhams, July 4. It was dedicated on the 15th of August, 1876, by the same person. It is a large and handsome edifice and cost with its furnishings about $55,000. The families in this parish number nearly two hundred, principally farmers.

Educational Institutions .- Since the first district school was taught in this town, said to have been in 1804, the development of its educa- tional institutions has been commensurate with the growth of the town in all other respects. . As population increased, new districts were created, until at one time there were thirty, which number has since been reduced to twenty -eight. The first school taught in the village of Canton was on the site of the Miner block.

It is evidence of the deep interest of the inhabitants that steps were taken as early as 1831 to establish an academy. At that time twenty- five citizens of the town pledged themselves to pay $1,250 towards the erection of a building suitable for academic purposes. The subscribers met on the 16th of May, in the year named, and adopted articles of association, in which it was provided, among other things, that a build- ing should be erected two stories high, with cupola, and not less than thirty by fifty feet in size. The sum of money pledged was to be di- vided into shares of fifty dollars each and each share entitled to one vote. To become a partner in the enterprise a person was required to sign his name to the articles and give his note to the building commit-

445

THE TOWN OF CANTON.

tee to be appointed, promising to pay five dollars in the following Au- gust, and the remainder in two annual installments, payable in cattle, on or before the first of October ; or grain on or before the first day of February following. The articles were to continue in force until the school was incorporated, for which application was to be made imme- diately. No subscription was binding until the sum of $1,200 was signed and the site selected for the building. Joseph Ames 2d, Isaac C. Paige, and William Noble were appointed a building committee, and the site opposite the county buildings was presented to the subscribers by David C. Judson. A committee was appointed to secure incor- poration from the Board of Regents, but the amount of property neces- sary for this purpose was increased about that time, rendering it impos- sible to accomplish the object until later. On the 8th of May, 1835, a legislative act authorized a tax upon the town of Canton of $500 for a classical school, provided an equal sum should be raised by subscrip- tion, the fund to be turned over to the trustees of the gospel and school lot for investment, the income to be paid annually to the support of the academy. These provisions were carried out, and on the 9th of April, 1837, an act was passed authorizing a tax of $500 annually for three years on the taxable property of the town, to be invested in a manner similar to the foregoing, provided an equal sum was raised by subscrip- tion. This was also accomplished. An act of incorporation was passed April 24, 1837, appointing Silas Wright, jr., Minot Jenison, Thomas N. Conkey, Chauncey Foote, Thomas D. Olin, Richard N. Harrison, Daniel Mack, Joseph Ames 2d, Simeon D. Moody, Darius Clark, Henry Barber, and Amos G. Smith, trustees. Previous to this time, and since 1831, a good classical school had been maintained. In 1839 the trus- tees purchased a lot of Mr. Judson adjoining the one they already owned, and erected thereon a building, a part of which was for the female department of the academy, and part as a boarding-house. It was burned in November, 1844, and in the following year the first building was repaired and an addition erected for the female depart- ment. The academy was successful from the beginning, when it had ninety-nine students, and reached its highest number in 1846, when it had 182. It was maintained as an academy until August 20, 1868, when it was merged in the Union Free School, established in that year.

446

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

In 1883 the present handsome and commodious school building was erected at a cost of $28,000.

SAINT LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY.1

BY NELSON LEMUEL ROBINSON, B. A., (ST. LAWRENCE AND HARVARD), SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION.

1. LA

LAS

FIDES

VERITAS

N .NOV .EBOR

SEAL OF THE UNIVERSITY.

Arms, Gules. cross bottony Argent; quartered with Sanguine, open book Argent; edges, covers, and clasps Or.

The seal contains a shield with the arms on a circular field Or, on which is the motto fides et veritas Gules, and on the rim the words VNIVERSITAS SANCTI LAVRENTII IN NOV. EBOR. MDCCCLVI.

The college colors are scarlet and brown.

The St. Lawrence University was chartered April 3, 1856, for the purpose, as stated in the act of incorporation, "of establishing, maintaining, and conducting a college in the town of Canton, St. Lawrence County, for the promotion of general education, and to cultivate and advance literature, science, and the arts ; and also to establish and maintain a theological school and department, in Canton aforesaid." As at present organized, it consists of two schools, the College of Letters and Science and the Theological School, independent of each other in their faculties and funds, and in the instruction and government of their students. A law school was estab- lished in 1869 and graduated two classes, but was discontinued in the fall of 1871. A field of twenty-six acres, on which a four-story brick building had been erected by the Universalist Educational Society as the foundation for a Universalist theolog- ical school, was transferred by the representatives of that society to the university in 1857; and during the same year the State appropriated for the new college $25,000, of which $10,000 were to be expended for " books and apparatus," and $15,000 were to be kept as a permanent fund, on condition that an additional sum of $25,000 should

1 The 'writer is indebted to Rev. Dr. T. J. Sawyer, of Tufts College, to Dr. F. S. Lee, of Columbia College, and to Prof. C. K. Gaines, of St. Lawrence, for valued assistance in the preparation of this sketch.

447

THE TOWN OF CANTON.

be raised for the endowment of the school by its friends. With this modest equip- ment the college began. It has struggled with poverty throughout its career, but has grown slowly and sturdily to a respectable rank among the colleges of the State. Designing to furnish an educated ministry to the Universalist Church, its founders cherished the true spirit of education by providing in its by-laws that the College of Letters and Science should remain unsectarian in its teachings and influence. This provision has been faithfully observed.

The charter trustees were Rev. Thomas J. Sawyer, D. D., Jacob Harsen, M. D., Rev. William Stevens Balch, Frederick C. Havemeyer, and Thomas Wallace, of New York; United States Senator Preston King, of Ogdensburg; Sidney Lawrence, of Moira; George C. Sherman and Rev. Pitt Morse, of Watertown ; Francis Seger, of Utica; James Sterling, of Sterlingville; Caleb Barstow and Norman Van Nostrand, of Brook- lyn ; Josiah Barber, H. W. Barton, and Rev. John M. Austin, of Auburn ; Rev. Lewis C. Browne, of Honeoye Falls; George E. Baker, of Albany; Peter H. Bitley, of Branchport; Rev. George W. Montgomery, of Rochester; and Hon. John L. Russell, Martin Thatcher, Barzillai Hodskin, Levi B. Storrs, and Theodore Caldwell, of Canton. Though not trustees, Rev. Dr. Edwin H. Chapin and Horace Greeley were among the founders of the university. A by-law of the corporation, enacted pursuant to Mr. Greeley's request, requiring that "the principal, professors and students in the Theo- logical School shall each be engaged in manual labor at least two hours in each day," fell speedily into innocuous desuetude ; but his liberal gift for the purchase of spades and hoes may still be seen on the treasurer's books. The presidents of the corporation have been :

Thomas Jefferson Sawyer, D. D. 1856-67

Martin Thatcher, Esq. 1867-68

Richmond Fisk, D. D. 1868-71

Jonas Sheldon Conkey, M. D. 1871-83

Arthur Guinness Rogers, D. D. 1883-87

Edwin Atkins Merritt, LL. D. 1887 --

The corporation consists of twenty-four members.

The Theological School was opened in April, 1858, by Rev. Ebenezer Fisher, D.D., who remained at its head until he died in his lecture room February 21, 1879. Its first class, of five members, was graduated in 1861. During Dr. Fisher's administration the school was permanently endowed, and achieved a wide reputation as the first and lead- iug Universalist theological school in America. More than 150 men passed from his training into the Christian ministry. He was succeeded, as President and Dockstader Professor of Theology and Ethics, by Rev. Isaac Morgan Atwood, D. D., its present head, under whose care its endowment has been doubled, while its standard of educa- tion has steadily improved. Other professors have been Massena Goodrich, M.A., Biblical Languages and Literature, 1861-63 ; Orello Cone, D.D., now President of Buchtel College, Craig Professor of Biblical Languages and Literature, 1865-80; John Stebbins Lee, D.D., Ecclesiastical History and Archaeology, 1869 -; Henry Prentiss Forbes, D.D., Craig Professor of Biblical Languages, 1881 -.

448

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

Edwin Cortland Bolles, Ph. D., D.D., Alpheus Baker Hervey, Ph. D., William Augus- tine Poste, M.A., Oscar Fitzalan Safford, D.D., Adoniram Judson Patterson, D D., William Henry Ryder, D.D., George Landor Perin, D.D., John Coleman Adams, D.D., and Alonzo Ames Miner, D.D., LL.D., have been lecturers in the Theological School. Rev. Dr. Ryder died in 1888, and made the school one of the five residuary legatees of his estate. Thus far $32,808.40 have been received from his bequest. The corporation has voted to establish a Ryder Professorship of Pastoral Theology on this foundation ; and Rev. Lewis Beals Fisher, T. S. 1881, of Bridgeport, Conn., a nephew of President Fisher, has been elected to the chair. The course of study leading to the degree of Bachelor of Divinity requires four years, but most of the students pursue a three years' course, for which a diploma is given.

Pioro ENG. Co. N.

FISHER HALL.

In April, 1859, an academic department was opened by Rev. John Stebbins Lee, D.D., a graduate of Amherst College, as Principal and Professor of the Latin and Greek Languages. Dr. Lee continued at its head until 1868, and in 1869, after a year abroad, was called to the chair of Church History in the Theological School. He was assisted in his work in the College by John White Clapp, M.A., an honorary graduate of Amherst, who was Professor of Mathematics until 1865. Professor Clapp was suc- ceeded by Nehemiah White, Ph. D., D.D., now President of Lombard University. Dr. White had charge of the mathematical department until 1871. At the beginning of Dr. Lee's administration the work in the academic department was wholly preparatory, but subsequently classical and scientific courses of study, similar to the ordinary courses in the New England colleges of that period and leading to the degrees of B.A. and B.S., were laid out and were entered upon by a number of the students. In 1865 was grad- uated the first college class, consisting of Hon. Hiram Henry Ryel, now District At. torney of Lewis County, and Hon. Delos McCurdy, formerly District Attorney of St.

449

THE TOWN OF CANTON.

Lawrence County, now a leading lawyer in New York City. Hon. Pardon C. Will- iams, of Watertown, Justice of the Supreme Court, and Mr. Leffert L. Buck, of New York, a civil engineer of distinction, left college before graduation, Mr. Buck to serve the Union in the Civil War, and have since received their degrees nunc pro tunc as of the year 1863.

Rev. Richmond Fisk, D.D., a graduate of Union, was elected President of the College in 1868, and served for three years. On his accession the preparatory school was dis- continued, and only college work has since been done in this department.

HERRING LIBRARY.

Dr. Fisk was succeeded in 1872 by Rev. Absalom Graves Gaines, D.D., LL.D., a native of Kentucky, educated at the University of Virginia. To him are largely due the char- acter and influence of St. Lawrence University. His strong intellect, profound scholar- ship, uprightness and purity of character, and persevering, unselfish devotion, have built up the College. All but about thirty-five of its graduates has been educated under him. A man of earnest convictions and marked individuality, his influence in moulding, both intellectually and morally, the minds of his pupils has been notable. Under his administration were fully developed the true college feeling, an esprit de corps shown in many college songs and local usages, and a hearty loyalty to St. Law- rence, which has been proved in many ways. No college can boast a more patriotic body of alumni. Resigning on acount of illness in 1888, Dr. Gaines was succeeded as President in 1889 by Rev. Alpheus Baker Hervey, Ph.D., the present head of the College; but retains his chair as Craig Professor of Psychology and Ethics, and Politi- cal Economy, and is now fully restored to health. President Hervey is a graduate of the university, and holds the Cummings Professorship of Natural Science.

Among the professors and instructors in the College of Letters and Science have been Moses Marston, Ph. D., late Professor of English Literature in the University of Min -

450

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

nesota, Latin and Greek, 1868-73; William Alexander Rich, LL.B., D.D., Latin and Greek ad interim 1871-72; James Henry Chapin, Ph.D., Geology and Mineralogy, 1871-92; John Stocker Miller, M.A , LL.B., Latin and Greek, 1871-74; Almeron Zenas Squires, M.A., LL.B., Mathematics, 1872-80 ; Walter Balfour Gunnison, Ph.D., Latin Language and Literature, 1875-85 ; Bernhard Jaques Pink, M.A., LL.B., Modern Languages, 1875-82 ; Charles Kelsey Gaines, Ph.D., Greek Language and Literature, and English Literature, 1876 -; Henri Hermann Liotard, M.A., Modern Languages, 1882 -; Henry Priest, M.A., Hayward Professor of Mathematics and Physics, 1883 -; Clement Morelle Baker, M.A., Latin Language and Literature, 1885-92; Frederic Schiller Lee, Ph.D., Physiology and Biology, 1886-87; Robert Dale Ford, M.S., Mathematics, 1887-90; George Robert Hardie, M. A., Latin Language and Literature, 1892 -; Ceylon Samuel Kingston, B.A., Mathematics, 1892-93. The professors in the Law School were Leslie Wead Russell, LL.D., lately Attorney-General of New York, Property, 1869-71; William Christopher Cooke, Practice, 1869-70; Stillman Foote, M.A., Contracts, 1869-71.

The requirements for admission to the College and the courses of study leading to the degrees of B.A., B.S. and Ph.B. are of essentially the same grade as in the best colleges of the State. Instruction is offered at present in :

Greek (Language and Literature). Latin 66

German 66

French

Algebra.

Mechanics.

Geometry.

Physics.

Trigonometry.

Electricity.

Surveying. Analytical Geometry.

General Chemisty.

Analytical (Qualitative).

Analytical " (Quantitative).

Physiology.

Ancient and Modern History, with more detailed courses in Greek, Roman, English, and American History.

Zoology.

Botany.

Mineralogy.

Geology. Microscopy.

Civil Government. Parliamentary Law. International Law. Political Science. Political Economy.

Metaphysics .. Psychology.

Rhetoric.

Logic.

Ethics. Evidences of Religion.

Differential Calculus. Integral Calculus.

Astronomy.

451

THE TOWN OF CANTON.

No pains are spared to develop in the student right methods of study, power of attention, close observation, and independent judgment. He is encouraged to original thought and assisted by judicious criticism. Especially in the sociological and kindred studies of the junior and senior years, propositions are not dictated but denionstrated, and opportunity is given him to maintain his own opinions; oral drill in the lecture room is supplemented by a system of written reviews. Throughout his course he is required to write themes and essays, subject to detailed criticism. Successful classes for parliamentary practice and debate are conducted on a system which originated at St. Lawrence. In the treatment of English literature, especial attention is given to the study of literature itself by means of an extended course of critical reading ; thorough- ness is enforced by weekly examinations. In the languages, proper appreciation of the classics as literature and the historical bearings of what is read, are particularly in- sisted on. Full courses are given in both pure and applied mathematics. The courses in physics, chemistry and biology include a large amount of practical work in the labor- atories. Students designing to do advanced work in any department are encouraged and assisted. A course of four years is required for the Bachelor's degree. The studies of the freshman and sophomore years arc prescribed, while in the junior and senior years a considerable number of electives is offered. Since 1886 the Master's degree has been conferred only on examination after the completion of regular courses of work. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy for independent research has been given upon thesis and examination in one instance. It is intended that this degree shall be con- ferred only when warranted by the standard of the best American universities.

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Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 41

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