Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 49

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 49
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people: a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 49

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).

529

THE TOWN OF RUSSELL.

Notes .- The town records show that a bounty of five dollars was offered for each wolf destroyed, and one dollar for foxes. It seemed to be the custom to take a vote at their town meetings to raise one hun- dred dollars each year, from which sum bounties were paid. Should this bounty money accumulate beyond what was required for the space of a few years, then a certain portion of this money set apart to pay the bounties`on wolves or other obnoxious animals was devoted to making roads or building bridges. A regulation was passed in 1810 that sleds should be four feet wide, and a fine of two dollars was the penalty for going on the public highway with a sled under that measure. A pen- alty of one dollar was voted for allowing Canada thistles to grow and go to seed.

The following names are given of persons who were active in build- ing up the various interests of the town after the period of adversity before alluded to: Rollin Smith, Philip Viall, Ezra Moore, Stephen Kimball, James Williams, Timothy Kimball, Enos Wright, Consider Hall, Benj. Gibbons, James Mathews, John Boyd, Anthony C. Brown, Enos Green, David Loop, Wm. Danforth, Elanson Ray, Thomas Gibbs, Royal and Justus Stiles, Erastus Lloyd, H. Van Ornam, Charles and Benjamin Smith.

The town of Russell has prided itself upon the results of its efforts in aid of the government during the great war of 1861-65. She furnished 423 volunteers, among whom were thirty-one commissioned officers ; raised $21,369 for the various war purposes, and seventy-one of her brave soldiers sleep in heroes' graves. The customary bounties were paid to volunteers, and so liberal were the contributions that nearly $1,000 remained on hand when the last of these obligations was paid.

Following are names of the supervisors of the town from its forma- tion, with the years of their service :

1808-9, Russell Attwater; at a special meeting, March 27, 1809, Reuben Ashman ; 1810-14, Reuben Ashman ; 1815-17, Anthony C. Brown; 1818, Reuben Ashman ; 1819-21, Phineas Attwater ; 1822, Reuben Ashman; 1823-27, James Williams; 1828- 33, Rollin Smith; 1834-38, Elihu Phelps; 1839-40, Holmes Nevin; 1841-42, Rollin Smith ; 1843-46, Benjamin Smith; 1847, Rollin Smith; 1848, James Williams; 1849- 50, Nelson Doolittle ; 1851-54, Rollin C. Jackson ; 1855, Nelson Doolittle; 1856, Wm. B. Rose; September 27, 1856, John Goodside was elected to fill vacancy ; 1857-59, Joseph H. Gibbons ; 1860-61, Charles Smith ; 1862-66, Julius M. Palmer; 1867-68, Wm. E. Boyd; 1869-70, Benjamin Smith; 1871-76, Hiram Bartlett; 1877, Wm. H. 67

530

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

Lewis, jr .; 1878, Julius M. Palmer; 1879-80, Hiram Bartlett; 1881-86, James R. Smith ; 1887-8, H. Stanley Derby ; 1889, Wm. Stephenson; 1890, H. Stanley Derby ; 1891-4, Rollin G. Smith.

Russell village is situated near the center of the town on both sides of the Grass River. The place was settled in 1805, when Nathaniel Higgins located near the village site; Russell Attwater came the next year with Reuben Ashman, Nathan, David and Loren Knox, Jesse and and Moses A. Bunnell, and in 1807 the Phelps brothers, Horace Dick- inson, John Watson, and Dr. Goddard came in. The manufacturing interests of the place began with the building of a saw mill by Mr. Att- water in 1807, and the site was occupied for the same purpose until recent years. A saw mill, however, was put in operation on Plum Creek, about half a mile from its mouth, near Russell, by Joel Clark, in the fall of 1805. Mr. Clark and Higgins, with their families, were the only ones settled in that neighborhood until 1807. In 1810 Mr. Att- water put up a small grist mill near the site of the present mill; the latter was erected in 1863 by Hiram Bartlett, and is now operated by Charles Bartlett. Other manufactures that have been carried on here were a fanning mill factory, which subsequently became a furniture shop, run by Palmer & Boyd; a cloth dressing business carried on by George L. Hosford, M. Van Brocklin and others, now abandoned. A forge was built by Benjamin Smith at the village on Grass River in 1846. It had two fires capable of producing about 400 pounds of bar iron per day. It was worked with bog and magnetic ores and with scrap iron. The ores were obtained from beds about eleven miles from the forge in unlimited quantities. The business was abandoned a few years later. An axe factory was established in 1850 and discontinued a few years later. The present manufactures are a furniture shop by Daniel Colton, who also deals in furniture; Hepburn, Brown & Co. make butter tubs; and F. W. Blanchard is proprietor of a cheese fac- tory ; James Gore is a harness maker and deals in horse fittings.

The first school in Russell was taught in a log house in the Knox settlement by Phineas Attwater. In January, 1814, three school dis- tricts were formed, which have been subdivided until there are nineteen districts at the present time.

THE TOWN OF RUSSELL. 531

Russell is prominent as a dairy town, and considerable attention has been given to raising blooded stock. There are now eight cheese fac- tories in operation, and the product enjoys a high reputation.

The village of North Russell is situated near the Canton line, and the immediate locality was settled by nine members of the Knox family, of whom John came in 1805 and with him his son Chester. Joseph Hutchinson, Samuel Clark and his six sons, Rollin Smith, Alvin White and others located in that section of the town, the latter on Rensselaer Creek. On that stream Jacob Hutchins built a log grist mill in 1806. The present mill succeeded the first one, and is operated by Almon Gilman. At a later day Dr. Alanson Ray built a saw mill here for Joseph Pitcairn, which was swept away; but a mill has always been maintained, and is now operated by Almon Gilman in connection with the grist mill farther up the stream. Other saw mills were built and are now operated, one by A. E. Burdick, known as the Robinson mill; and one by A. Gates at what is called "Palmerville; " and one by Chester Van Ornam at what is called "Silver Hill." The post-office was established in February, 1848, with Linus Clark, postmaster. The present official is Leland D. Clark. Clark Brothers carry on a mer- cantile business, and one of the cheese factories is established here.

The first store was opened by Anthony C. Brown, a lawyer, of Og- densburg, about 1814 William Danforth and J. P. Moulton were also pioneer merchants, and later came John Goodrich, Hiry Derby and J. M. Palmer, Charles Smith, O. Baker and others. Present merchants are R. G. Smith, J. M. Palmer, O. M. Baker, George W. Burt and P. G. Carr.

The first tavern was built in 1812 by Moses A. Bunnell, and kept by him a number of years. The building, with many others, was burned in 1874, and another built on its site. It is now kept by O. Richard- son. The post-office was established in June, 1812, with Pliny God- dard postmaster. The present official in the office is J. M. Palmer.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

In the summer of 1806 the missionary, Rev. Royal Phelps, visited the new neighborhood and held services at the house of Russell Att- water, where meetings were occasionally held until the erection of

532

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

school houses. In the spring of 1817 Rev. James Johnson held meet-> ings in the village in connection with the De Kalb Mission, when a con- gregational church was organized with ten members, and James Will- iams and Enos Wright were elected deacons. In 1840 the membership had increased to thirty, when they contemplated building a church, the Revs. Mr. Montague and Graves having officiated in connection with other charges up to this time. But the removal of several of the lead- ing members prevented this purpose, and the services shortly after were discontinued.

The Zion Episcopal Church .- The first meetings of this denomination was held in the summer of 1807 by Bishop Hobart. A parish or church was formed on July 15, 1809, with fifteen members, Russell Attwater and Jesse Bunnell as wardens; Justus Ives, Levi Frost, John Boyd, Moses A. Bunnell, Reuben Ashman, Phineas Attwater, William Att - water and Nathan Knox, vestrymen. The church never had a regular rector, and after a few years the work was abandoned.

The Baptist Society .- Servicesof this denomination were held here as early as 1809 by Rev. Samuel Rowley, who was one of the advance missionaries sent out to look up this people. Meetings were held in the house of Philip Viall and in school-houses for a number of years, when a society was formed without a legal organization previous to 1845. At this time a small frame church was erected, being the first church edifice in town, which was dedicated October 15, 1845. The society in connection with this church was incorporated December 29, 1846, with H. Van Ornam, William G. Gibbons, and Gilbert Stewart, trustees.

In 1874 the old church was thoroughly reconstructed, a basement and tower added, and finished off in good style, valued now at $4,000, and rededicated in August of that year by Rev. A. W. Barnes, mostly through the efforts and means of J. M. Palmer.

A second Baptist church was organized at Monterey settlement in June, 1877, with twenty- five members, most of whom had withdrawn from the above named church for the purpose of forming this one. A. Colton and A. A. Baker were elected deacons. Services were held in school houses.

A Methodist Episcopal church of Russell was formed in 1847 with eight members. Services in this faith had been held here prior to that

533

THE TOWN OF LOUISVILLE.

year at North Russell and at Elm Creek. In February, 1851, the so - ciety was incorporated with Hiry Derby, M. Van Brocklin and Charles Rundell, trustees. In 1857 a substantial frame church was erected costing, with a parsonage built in 1851, about $2,500. The present pastor is Rev. Linus Green. Preaching and other services under this charge are held at North Russell, Silver Hill, Belleville, South Russell and Monterery, with Sunday schools organized at most of these places. The Universalists and other denominations also hold services occasion- ally in some parts of the town.

CHAPTER XXXI.

THE TOWN OF LOUISVILLE-ORGANIZED IN 1810.

T T HIS was the eleventh town erected by an Act of the Legislature, passed April 5, 1810. Louisville is one of the northern towns of the county, borders on the St. Lawrence River in the northeastern part of the county, and comprises the larger portion of the original township No. I. It now contains 33,424 acres, and was formerly under the ju- risdiction of Massena. It is bounded by Massena on the east, Norfolk on the south, Waddington on the west, and the St. Lawrence River on the north. The Grass River flows across the central part nearly paral- lel with the St. Lawrence. The surface is level or gently rolling, and the soil a fertile loam £ Several islands in the St. Lawrence, the more important being Croil's and Goose-Neck, belong to the town.

Louisville was settled about ten years before its formation. The first town meeting was directed to be held at the house of John Wilson, but the loss or absence of the records of the first five years of its existence renders its history somewhat obscure for a time. In April, 1800, Nahum Wilson, the first settler, arrived in the town, coming in from Canada, where he had lived a year. He was originally from Peru, N. Y. He was accompanied by his two sons and Aaron Allen, but did not bring his family until the following winter. He settled on the lot next east of the one recently occupied by his grandson, Jeremiah

534

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

Wilson. They raised some corn the first season and in the next some wheat, the first produced in the town. Mr. Allen and Samuel W. Wilson, son of Nahum, cut down the first tree in their clearing and built the first log house in the town. The next settler was John Wil- son, who came from Vermont in the spring of 1801. He was soon fol- lowed by Lyman Bostwick, Dr. Elisha W .. Barber and several of his brothers, Griffin Place, Joseph Bradford, Alexander Loughrey, Charles Whalen, Jube Day, Jeremiah Wood. Among those of later arrival were Samuel Wells, Ephraim Wood, Thomas Bingham, C. S. Willard, Amos Underwood, Levi Cole, Chistopher G. Stowe, Timothy W. Os- borne, and others whose names will appear in the succeeding pages. The first birth in town was a son of Nahum Wilson, Nahum, jr., born October 28, 1801, and the first death that of Philo Barber, in either 1801 or 1802. After about 1805 settlement was quite active and the lands were eagerly taken up. In 1805 Asa Day, one of the pioneers, erected a saw mill on the Grass River about a mile below the site of Louisville village. The first school was taught by Elisha Barber, probably in 1809, in a log school-house in the Wilson neighborhood. Sylvester Drake and Lucinda Cole, and Joel Case and Lucy Haws, were married in the year 1809, but which twain has the honor of priority is not now known.

On the 6th of January, 1806, a sad event occurred in the town which spread a pall of gloom and mourning in the little community. The fol- lowing account of it is condensed from Mr. Hough's writing :

Dr. Barber and Mr. Chapman, from Madrid, and Messrs. Powell and Alexander, of Louisville, were accidentally drowned while crossing the St. Lawrence, about opposite the center of the town. They had been over to Canada, where they were detained by the roughness of the river occasioned by a strong east wind. Towards night, the wind having abated, they attempted to cross in a log canoe, but their boat capsized and two of their number are supposed to have drowned immediately. The other two clung to their boat and endeavored by cries to obtain assistance. These cries were heard on both sides of the river and to a great distance below as they floated down, but no one paid any particular attention to them, not realizing that they proceeded from persons in distress, and these two also perished. Three of the bodies were found several miles below, and the fourth a great distance from the place of the capsize, among the islands. A large dog which was aboard had been tied to keep him quiet, and he is supposed, in his struggles to get free, to have overturned them. This sad accident spread a gloom through the settlements, and was a cause of unavailing regret to those who had heard

535

THE TOWN OF LOUISVILLE.

the cries without hastening to their assistance. No blame was attached to any one, and the darkness of the night and roughness of the river were such that aid could scarcely have been afforded had the situation of the sufferers been appreciated. A touching incident that occurred in the morning of the day on which the accident hap- pened was rendered peculiarly affecting by the fatal event. As one of the number was about leaving home, a little daughter, who evinced great fondness for her father, came to him in a manner unusually affectionate, tenderly embraced and kissed him, and ex- acted of him a promise that he would certainly return before night. She seemed to have an instinctive foreboding of evil, and by the artless innocence of childlike entreaty endeavored to prevent him leaving home.

The formation of Norfolk in 1823 diminished the size of Louisville nearly one half, but a small part of that town was reannexed to Louis- ville in April, 1844. Among the regulations adopted in 1819 was one offering a bounty of ten dollars for wolves killed, and two years later one of one dollar for foxes. Relative to proposed divisions of the town in 1823, two notices were promulgated; one was to form a town six miles square from Lisbon, Madrid, Stockholm and Potsdam, with Nor- folk village as its center; the other was for the division which was sub- sequently made in the formation of Norfolk. An attempt was made in 1849 to take a part of the town and annex it to Massena. This project was undoubtedly most objectionable to the people of Louisville, for they voted to lay the proposition under the table.

Mr. Hough has made special reference to the fact that the pioneers of Louisville previous to the War of 1812 were the recipients of nu- merous favors from their neighbors on the Canada shore. Why this should be true of Louisville any more than of other towns is not wholly clear, unless it was a fact that the residents across the river at that par- ticular locality were in better circumstances than others farther east or west. Many of those Canadian settlers were Germans who had come from the Mohawk Valley during the Revolution-were Tories, in fact- and they had early become well and comfortably established, had built mills, were raising crops of grain and vegetables, and it is a credit to them that they contributed to the necessities of the pioneers on the south shore, though they had differed in their former attitude towards the English king and the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Hough says :

Previous to the declaration of war (1812) the most friendly relations existed; families exchanged visits with as much freedom and frequency as if the river was but a common

536

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

street, and they were constantly in the habit of borrowing and lending those articles which their limited means did not allow each one to possess. The war for a time made each suspicious of the other and entirely stopped all intercourse for a time, but neces- sity led them ere long to look back with regret on the customs of former times and secretly long for their return. During the first summer of the war many of the Can- adians were called off to perform military duty and labor on the fortifications at Pres- cott, and their families were left to provide for themselves as they might best be able. Provisions became scarce and want stared them in the face. Pressed with hunger the children of one of the families, remembering the homely but wholesome fare which they had formerly observed on the south shore, one night entered a boat, and being skillful in its use, crossed over and humbly begged at the door of a house at which they were acquainted for food. The family were overjoyed at the visit, and on their return sent back an invitation for their parents to come over on a certain night and renew their old acquaintance. They did so, and never were people more delighted than these when they met, exchanged salutations and learned by those expressions which come from the heart that although the two governments had declared them enemies they were still friends.

It is said that from that time onward the nightly clandestine visits were of constant occurrence until the close of the war made them un - necessary. With the end of that struggle settlers came more rapidly into the town ; the forests fell before the pioneer's axe, and the found- ations of future prosperity were securely laid.

Inhabitants of Louisville were directly interested in that struggle, and early in the summer of 1812 organized a volunteer company for self- protection, consisting of forty men. That number comprised all the male population who were capable of bearing arms. Benjamin Daniels was chosen " high sergeant," an office which they must have created for their own special accommodation. Soon after their organization they received orders from General Brown at Ogdensburg to stop all craft on the river opposite the town. This led to the capture of a raft, in the cabin of which they found a large quantity of stores, most of which they forwarded to the collector of the district. Before the close of that season a regular militia company was organized, with Benjamin Willard as captain, which drew arms from the arsenal at Russell and was in service from August to November, but they did not come into active conflict with the enemy.

It is worthy of rcord to state that the first death penalty inflicted in St. Lawrence county was for the murder of three persons in this town on the 22d of February, 1816, details of which event have been given on pages 354-6.

537

THE TOWN OF LOUISVILLE.

Croil's Island, which has been mentioned, has had several different names, that of the French being " Ile au Chamailles," while its inhabi- tants in later years have called it Baxter's, Stacy's and now Croil's, after the names of its owners. Previous to 1818, when the boundaries between the two countries was fixed, this island was considered British territory ; under that belief, Asa Baxter, who then owned it, was drafted into the British army in 1812, and on his refusal to serve, the island was confiscated. Baxter appears to have been made of patriotic ma- terial, for he deserted the British and fled to Vermont, where he remained to the close of the war. Returning to his island, he was promptly arrested as a deserter and confined in the Cornwall jail from April to August, 1814. On the way to Kingston for his trial he escaped from the officers. When the island was finally assigned to this country he he gave himself up for trial at Cornwall, but the court, of course, had no jurisdiction over him, and he returned to the island and lived there several years. He was dispossessed through the purchase of the islands in the St. Lawrence by Judge Ogden, owing to a misunderstanding be- tween the land commissioners and the attorney-general, but he was in some measure recompensed at a later date. The island contains about 1,800 acres and is now divided into several farms.

This town, in common with others, on the river was visited by the cholera in 1832, but not with great severity. There were ten cases, only one of which was fatal. A board of health was organized, with Dr. Ira Gibson as health officer, and designated the shore of the St. Lawrence " between Robert Crawford's and Allen McLeod's farms " as quarantine grounds.

The chief industry of the town has always been farming. Aside from that a few mills and manufacturing industries have been started, but most of them have gone out of existence. The site of the little village of Louisville ( formerly called " Millerville " from the Rev. Levi Miller), is on the Grass River and has a good water power. Mr. Miller was a licentiate Methodist preacher, originally from Massachusetts, but later from Turin, Lewis county, N. Y., and came to this town as agent for James McVicker, the purchaser from Macomb of the tract which em- braced the village site. Mr. Miller arrived in March, 1823, and found a small clearing made a few years earlier by Oliver Ames. A bridge

538

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

which had been built in 1820, also crossed the river, and the founda- tions for a saw mill were also laid. Mc Vicker began making improve- ments and in 1833 built the stone part of the grist mill now standing. In 1837 George Redington came in and purchased the water power, of which Mr. Miller owned one-quarter, finished the mill building, put in the machinery and put it in operation. This mill has since been en- larged by a wooden part and is now operated by M. & E. Whalen. Redington owned the mill until his death in September, 1850, and after- wards it passed through various hands to the present owners

There was a dam and a small grinding mill built about a mile lower down the river, but it long since passed away.

Other manufactures were a carriage factory established in 1853 by a Mr. Sullivan, but it was closed up after a long and successful career. A saw and shingle mill now in operation was lately taken by S. F. Wells ; it had been carried on about twenty years. The post office here was established in 1827, with Levi Miller as postmaster. The present official is Willard Loughrey, who also conducts a mercantile business. John B. Willson was a merchant and hotel keeper for many years and a prominent and useful citizen ; he held the office of super- visor for many years and was held in high respect. He died August 14, 1893. Wm. J. Mien & Co. are merchants and A. G. Taylor sells boots and shoes.

Settlement was begun at what is known as Chase's Mills, by Alden Chase, and hence its name. Others who settled early in that section . were Eben and Varnum Polley and James and Elijah Stearns. The hamlet is in the southwest part of the town and for many years had only a few houses and a grist mill ; but the water power is excellent and led to starting several other manufactures. The first grist mill was built in 1834 and burned ten years later. Elijah H. Stearns erected the second mill in 1860, which suffered the fate of its predecessor after some twenty years of existence. A feed mill is now operated by M. Fobair. A successful tannery owned by George Graves & Son, of Rut- land, Vt., was operated several years, and also a shingle and saw mill. A pump factory was carried on by Haggett & Son, but it has gone down. L. E. Barnett has been many years and still is a merchant, and a second store is kept by Nolan & Ballou. Mr. Barnett is postmaster and has held the office niany years.

539

THE TOWN OF LOUISVILLE.

Louisville Landing is a port of entry from Canada, with a few houses and two stores, a hotel and a few shops. James Matthews has one of the stores and is customs officer in 1893. H. T. Clark carries on the other store, and Adelia Gibson is postmistress.

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Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 49

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