Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 50

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 50
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people: a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 50

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).

The agricultural industry of this town, since the days of lumbering and black salts, has in recent years undergone the same changes wrought elsewhere in this section. The dairying interest is large and almost wholly devoted to the production of butter. There is one large factory and several smaller ones which are tributary. to it, and the product en- joys a high reputation.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

It is believed that there was no church organization within the pres- ent limits of this town until 1820. There was a church in Raymond- ville at an earlier date, which was, until 1823, in this town. Meetings for religious services were, however, held by different denominations long before the year mentioned, often by ministers from Canada. Through the efforts of Benjamin and Peter Powers a small society was gathered and meetings held in the dwelling occupied in recent years by John Whalen, and there the Rev. Levi Miller formed a Methodist class. The church was not organized until 1839, and on the 3d of June of that year the following trustees were chosen: Levi Miller, Levi Miller, jr., Israel G. Stowe, John Power and John Doud. The house of worship was erected in 1840 at a cost of about $4,000. The present pastor is Rev. W. T. Best.

The Second Methodist Church was organized at Chase's Mills with about twenty-two members, July 12, 1869. The first officers were L. E. Barnett, Robert Bardon, R. C. Allen, Apollos Jones, and I. A. Harriman, trustees; William Bardon, treasurer ; L. E. Barnett, church clerk. The house was erected in the same year of brick, and cost $2,400. Of this amount $1,000 were contributed by the inhabitants, and on dedication day, contrary to predictions of many, the $1,400 re- maining was all paid up. Athough not numerous in membership, this church has always been active and prosperous. The pulpit is now sup- plied by Rev. Frank H. Taylor.

A Methodist Society was organized with forty members at Louis- ville Landing in 1852, by Rev. H. Chittenden, and a church was built

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HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

in the same year. Services have been regularly held. The member- ship is small and the pulpit is supplied from Louisville village.

The Presbyterian church of Louisville was organized just previous to the erection of the present brick edifice in 1880. The building cost $4,500. The membership is about fifty five, and the church is now supplied on Sabbath afternoons by the congregational minister, Rev. A. S. Warden, from Massena.

The St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church was organized with sixty- four families, October 2, 1869. John B. Whalen presided, and Michael Power was secretary of the meeting held for the purpose of effecting the formation of the society. The church was erected in 1871-72, at a cost of $7,000. The first trustees were Bishop Wadhams, Very Rev. James Mackey, Father Welsh, then pastor in charge, and John B. Whalen and Michael Power. The membership is about 300, and Father D. Nolan is in charge.

Since the opening of the first school in the town by Elisha Barber in 1808, in the Willson neighborhood, and of another a little later by Rev. Levi Miller, near the Louisville village site, great changes have been ef- fected. The rude log school house has given way to tidy frame buildings, comfortably furnished and supplied with teachers of educa- tion and experience. There are now fourteen districts in the town, all of which are in prosperous circumstances

Following is a list of the supervisors of Louisville from 1816 to the present, with dates of service :

1816, Elisha W. Barber; 1819, Christopher G. Stowe; 1820, Benjamin Raymond ; 1821, Timothy W. Osborne: 1822-23, C. G. Stowe; 1824, Samuel R. Anderson ; 1825- 23, William Bradford ; 1829, September 19, - Gould, to fill vacancy from Brad- ford's death; 1829-33, Jube E. Day ; 1834, Allen McLeod, jr .; 1835, J. E. Day ; 1836, Allen McLeod; 1837-40, Samuel Bradford; 1841-42, John Doud ; 1843, Thomas Bing- ham ; 1844, S. Bradford ; 1845, T. Bingham; 1846-47, Nathaniel D. Moore; 1848, John Gibson ; 1848, March 25, Levi Miller, jr., to fill vacancy ; 1849, Levi Miller, jr. ; 1850-54, John Gibson ; 1855, Mark A. Moore; 1856-57, Samuel Bradford; 1858, Will - iam Miller ; 1859-60, Samuel Bradford; 1861, Levi Miller; 1862-63, John Whalen ; 1864-65, James Miller; 1866-68, William Bradford; 1869, Otis H. Wells; 1870-71, John Whalen ; 1872, James Miller ; 1873-77, William Bradford; 1878-79, W. W. Tut- tle ; 1880, Otis H. Wells; 1881, W. W. Tuttle ; 1882, Otis H. Wells; 1883-84, Henry Mulholland; 1885-86, John B. Wilson; 1887-89, Guy R. Cook; 1890-93, John B. Wilson ; Otis Wells, 1894.

G. S. Longer

541

THE TOWN OF GOUVERNEUR.

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE TOWN OF GOUVERNEUR -- ORGANIZED IN 1810.

T HIS town was erected by an act of the Legislature passed April 15, 1810. It comprised the original township of " Cambria," No. IO, lying in the extreme southwestern corner of the ten towns and was under the jurisdiction of Oswegatchie. It was patented by the State to Alexander Macomb, December 17, 1787, after which it passed through various owners to Gouverneur Morris between the years of 1798 and 1808, and in honor of whom the town was named. The territory was somewhat dimished by the erection of Macomb in 1841. The first town meeting was held at the house of John Spencer, where the following officers were elected : Richard Townsend, supervisor ; Amos Comley, town clerk ; Rufus Washburn, Isaac Morgan, Pardon Babcock, assessors ; Amos Comley, Benjamin Smith, Ephriam Case, commissioners of high- ways; Jonathan S. Colton, Isaac Morgan, fence viewers ; Israel Porter, pound master. A portion of the surface of the town is rolling, while in other parts rugged hills and rocky limestone ledges prevail, furnish- ing valuable building material which will be more fully explained fur- ther on. The soil is sandy in places, mixed with clay and gravel suitable for agricultural purposes. The town is well watered with numerous springs, brooks and the Oswegatchie River passing nearly twice through the central part ( see page 109). The forest growth of timber of the various kinds was equal to other localities in the county.

This territory was first settled by white men, as far as known, in the summer of 1805, when several men under leadership of Dr. Richard Townsend, from Washington county, N. Y., came into the locality. Dr. Townsend had been engaged by Mr. Morris to act as his agent for the Cambray lands and to promote their settlement. The names of the party were Willard Smith, Isaac Austin, Pardon Babcock, John Alden, Ambi Higby and Morris Mead. Their route into the town was from the head of Lake George through the wilderness to the Smith settle-

542

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

ment in De Kalb, whence they proceeded southwest to the Oswegat- chie just above the natural dam. Thence they passed down and crossed the river near the present line of Rossie. After looking over the coun- try, they returned home by way of Indian and Black Rivers. In the fall of the same year Dr. Townsend, with a party of those before named and others, made a second visit to the town, coming up from the south to the Oswegatchie and up that stream to the small island on the site of Gouverneur village. This locality greatly pleased them. Lands were selected for settement, a surveyor secured, tracts laid out and a beginning made in clearing away the forest. The party then returned to their homes

Early in February, 1806, Willard Smith, Pardon Babcock, Isaac Austin and Eleazer Nichols set out with their families from Hartford, Washington county, to take up their permanent residence in Cambray. They were provided with eight bushels of beans, eleven hundred pounds of boneless pork, sugar, tea and coffee, with a small outfit of furniture and cooking utensils. Mrs. Austin had been many years a rheumatic invalid and was carried the whole distance in a crib. Seven cows and four yoke of oxen were driven in by the party. The women and chil- dren were left with Gershom Mattoon, who had opened a tavern on the site of Antwerp village, while the men went forward to build the first rude dwelling places. Isaac Austin established himself within the lim- its of the present village ; Babcock on what became known as the Joel Keyes place ; and Smith and Nichols built a shanty together where James Maddock recently lived. On the 31st of March, Isaac Morgan and his wife came in from Vermont, and Dr. Townsend came soon after- ward, but did not bring his family until the following year.

Through the influence of the first four pioneers and the reported value of the farming lands and the water power, other settlers soon arrived, and in the spring of 1807 there were twelve families, the eight besides the four being Dr. John Spencer, Isaac Morgan, Dr. Richard Townsend, Daniel Austen, Stephen Patterson, Benjamin Smith, Israel Porter and Stephen Smith. Land began to advance in value and a large tract was purchased and divided into farms. The original price was $2.50 per acre but was soon raised to $3.00 and $4.00. As con- siderable land was occupied on both sides of the river, the need of a

543

THE TOWN OF GOUVERNEUR.

bridge was felt as crossing was by boats or on a log foot path which was made by felling trees in the river. Therefore an effort was made to provide a bridge, and as the town of Oswegatchie declined to aid in the undertaking, the settlers with commendable zeal and energy raised the sum of $500, when Isaac Kendall built a log bridge, in the summer of 1807, which served its purpose about twelve years. In the same summer the route from Antwerp was worked in a more direct line and continued through to Richville. Many families of the St. Regis Indians were camping in the neighborhood, who were generally friendly when sober, though their native shyness proved a source of annoyance. Re- ligious exercises were regularly held, consisting of prayer meetings and the reading of Scripture and exhortation on the Sabbath, the latter ser- vice being often conducted by Stephen Patterson. In the spring of 1806, two Congregational missionaries, named Pettengill and Nicholas, came from Massachusetts and remained in the little settlement a short time, and a Methodist preacher named Heath came occasionally from De Kalb and held service. Previous to the organization of the Baptist church in 1811, religious harmony prevailed and no outward feeling was manifested regarding sect or belief, and all parties worshiped to- gether. The first families were Baptist, but a large Congregational element was early developed, each giving of his ability for the support of the Gospel by whomsoever declared. Concerning the privations of the pioneers, while establishing their homes in the wilderness, see Chap- ter IX. The nearest mill was at Cooper's Falls, a distance of many miles through the woods to go for a supply of meal.

The first birth in the town was that of Allen Smith, son of Willard Smith, born May 8, 1806. The first death was that of a two year-old daughter of Isael Porter, in August, 1808. Previous to the spring of 1807, the nearest physician was Dr. Seeley of De Kalb, until Dr. John Spencer arrived.

Other arrivals in 1807 were Colburn Barrell and Roswell Wilder, while in 1808 there came Joel Wilder, James Parker, John Parker, Ephraim Case, Jonathan S. Colton, William Cleghorn, Henry Welch, Jeremiah Merrihew, Jesse Dewey and Stephen Patterson. James Thompson, James Haile and Jonathan Paine came in 1808. Among those who came in the following year were Timothy Sheldon, Reuben

544

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

Nobles, William W. Rhodes, Richard Kimball and Capt. Rockwell Barnes, a millwright and a man of enterprise, who did much to advance the prosperity of the town. From this time forward, settlements in- creased rapidly and farms were cleared from year to year of the original forest. In 1809 a clearing of eighty acres was made in the vicinity of Natural Dam by Joseph Bolton, for Mr. Morris, who erected a saw and grist mill, which were long known as Morris's mills. In the autumn of 1809 the first district school was opened, and soon after- wards a small school house was built near the site of the Presbyterian church, taught by Silas Brooks. After a week he left the school and was succeeded by Betsey S. Sackett, who later became the wife of John Parker.

The first slave and probably the only one brought to town was one Jenny, a cripple, who came with the family of Dr. Richard Townsend, in the spring of 1807. She was conveyed to Ephraim Gates for the consideration of a span of horses and sleigh, but her health failing, so as to render her nearly useless, she was repurchased by her former owner, by whom she was treated kindly until her death a year later.

The customary regulations for the public good were voted, including the destruction of noxious weeds, bounty on wolves and other ferocious animals, the control of domestic animals, the building of a pound, etc. The encounter with wild beasts and the depredations committed, caused bounties to be offered for their destruction, which laws or regulations at the present time are a dead letter.

Dr. John Spencer, who came in with his family from Windsor, Ont., in the spring of 1807, was the only practicing physician within a cir- cuit of many miles. Several families in Antwerp were prostrated with a malignant fever, whom the doctor visited from time to time, going through the woods on foot. On one of his visits in December, in the year of his arrival, and when about three miles from the settlement, he was startled by the sight of a deer pursued by a black wolf. While watching the chase he observed eleven other wolves following after. The wolves, on discovering new game, abandoned the chase of the deer and circled around the doctor with loud howls and open jaws ready to attack him. Mr. Spencer's first thought was to retreat to the settle- ment, but this seemed to be impractical. The next thought was to

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THE TOWN OF GOUVERNEUR.

climb a tree ; this he also considered was not safe, as the cold was so intense he would freeze to death if obliged to stop there through the night, for the wolves would not be in a hurry to leave. He therefore resolved to fight ; so, divesting himself of unnecessary burdens, he cut a heavy beech cudgel and rushed at his assailants, beating the icy bushes right and left and making all the noise possible, when the pack of disappointed beasts retired ; he then pursued his journey unmolested. Encounters with wolves similar to this were quite frequent for several years after. The bear was just about as lawless as the Indian. He trampled down and carried off the corn, stole maple sugar when left in the bush, stuck his nose and paw into boiling syrup, tipped over sap troughs, and carried off pigs, calves and lambs. A Mr. Case adopted a novel mode of capturing a bear which was foraging on his premises. He attached a piece of meat to the end of a long rope and retired to a hill that was frequented by the animal. With his gun he waited for his victim, but becoming drowsy he fastened the rope to his leg and fell asleep, when he was awakened by an unceremonious journey down the hill. He at once fired in the direction of the motor when the bear took fright and fled.

The above is sufficient to show what had to be contended with in the settlement of a new country. For particulars see Chapter IX.

The first public house was opened in 1808, on the west side of the river, and was kept by Israel Porter. A commodious log school house was built near what became known as Fosgate's Four Corners, where John Cheney was the first teacher. This part of the town improved faster for a period than the east side, but the valuable water power, and the opening of a store by John Brown, soon turned the scale.

James and John Parker came into the town in April, 1810, and the former located on a farm. William Downs, a clothmaker, in 1814 operated a carding machine and fulling mill, as mentioned hereafter.

The first frame house built in the place was for Dr. John Spencer, by Rockwell Barnes and Isaac Austen, and is still standing. Rockwell Barnes was a noted mechanic and came to the town in 1808. He built many of the mills in the vicinity, and was conspicuous in the early militia.

546

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

The War of 1812-14 created much excitement in the town. For the history of the doings at Ogdensburg see Chapter XI. At the commencement of the war the people in the village of Gouverneur, be- ing panic-stricken in the fear of Indian excursions, erected a block house in the road between the residence of F. M. Holbrook and H. H. Hoover's livery stable, enclosed by a stockade containing about one acre of ground. The main building was formed of heavy timbers cal- culated to withstand a siege and stop musket balls. The modern Babel was not molested by the enemy, though a watch by day and sentinels by night were maintained for a time, when the people returned to their vocations. The building was finally sold and the timbers used in the construction of the dam, bridges and houses.

Stephen Patterson, William Fanning, Isaac Austen and Stephen Mitchell were among the volunteers who went to the frontier. Silas Spencer, a brother of Dr. John Spencer, went as substitute for John Parker, and by his heroism in firing a small cannon upon a party of British who were attempting a landing from the ice at Ogdensburg, gained local fame.

Dr. John Spencer, while living on the farm now occupied by Wallace Mckean, kept a small tavern. A company of soldiers on their way to Ogdensburg in the fall of 1812 stopped at his house for breakfast, and while they were thus occupied the doctor inspected their ordnance. Looking into the mouth of a cannon he discovered, instead of powder and ball, several of his own chickens, which a short time before were running around the yard, their necks having been rung and their cackle hushed. A few years later a stranger called on the doctor and asked him if he had kept a tavern down the river during the war time. Being answered in the affirmative, he added : "Did you breakfast some sol- diers one morning ? and did you miss any chickens ?" The doctor said he did and knew of the theft at the time, but felt it a privilege to do something for his country, and was willing that they should select their own provisions.

With the close of the war the prospects of the town were brighter than ever before. In 1816 there were one hundred and fifty families in the town and a population in the village of nearly two hundred, while immigration was active. This progress received a check between 1820

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THE TOWN OF GOUVERNEUR.

and 1825. A few additions were made in that period, among them Daniel Keys (1822) and Harvey D. Smith (1824), a most valuable citizen ; but on account of scarcity of money, poor markets for pro- ducts, difficulty in meeting the interest accounts on purchased lands, the people were much discouraged.

But a better and more prosperous era was at hand, and following 1830, and continuing to the present time, the inhabitants of the town have experienced almost uninterrupted progress.

The agricultural interests, in common with those of other sections, have undergone much change since early times. The most important feature of this change has been effected within the past twenty-five years, resulting in great increase of the dairying interest, at the ex- pense of grain growing. This has been, on the whole, beneficial to the farmers, for a large portion of their lands is better adapted for grazing than tillage. The first cheese factory in the town was estab- lished by A. G. Gillette in 1869; this was rapidly followed by one at North Gouverneur, by Elias Kelsey, 1870; one at Little Bow Corners, by S. W. Crandall, in 1867 ; one at Smith's Mills, by Conray & Drake, in 1875 ; one west of the village, by C. W. Overacker, in 1875 ; and one near the Rock Island bridge, by Caleb Thornton, in 1875.

Gouverneur Village was incorporated August 8, 1850. It is situated on both sides of the Oswegatchie, near the center of the town. The incorporation was accomplished in pursuance of an order of the Court of Sessions, under condition that the electors of the village should assent thereto. James Sherwin, Rodney Smith and John W. Overacker were designated inspectors of the election, which was held on the 7th of Sep- tember, 1850. The vote was thirty in favor of incorporation and four against. The first corporation election was held on the 12th of the succeeding month, and the following officers were elected : Trustees, N. D. Arnot, Edwin Dodge, Peter Van Buren, S. B. Van Duzee and J. P. Smith (Mr. Arnot being elected president by the board at its first meeting) ; assessors, H. Schermerhorn, Richard Parsons and O. G. Barnum ; clerk, Chauncey Dodge; collector, Zebina Smith ; treasurer, H. D. Smith.

The presidents of the village from that time until the present have been as follows :

548

HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.

Peter Van Buren, 1851; John Fosgate, 1852; Richard Parsons, 1853-55; Charles S. Cone, 1856; Whitfield M. Goodrich, 1857 ; James D. Easton, 1858; Gilbert L. Van Namee, 1859-60; Charles Anthony, 1861; Charles A. Van Duzee, 1861-62 ; Charles E. Clark, 1864-66; and J. B. Preston, in 1867.

By act of Legislature the original village charter was repealed in April, 1868, and a new act of incorporation passed, and the first elec- tion thereunder occurred on the 5th day of May, 1868. The list of presidents is continued :

W. H. Bowne, 1869-70; S. B. Stinson, 1871; Edwin G. Dodge, 1872-76; William Whitney, 1877; W. H. Bowne, 1878; A. K. Jepson, 1879; E. F. Beardslee, 1880; W. R. Dodge, 1881; Dr. J. B. Carpenter, 1882; Newton Aldrich, 1883; B. L. Barney, 1884-5; G. M. Gleason, 1886 ; John McCarthy, 1887-8; Henry Sudds, 1889-91; G. S. Conger, 1892; J. B. Preston, 1893.

Some of the early operations of the pioneers in the settlement here have already been noticed. The building of the first bridge across the river was in 1808. The second bridge was built by James Parker in 1820, at a cost of $1,000. This was also replaced by the present iron bridge in 1877, at a cost of $18,000. It was placed a trifle higher up stream than the former ones, and the approaches to it on both sides of the river were greatly improved.

In 1809 John Brown opened the first store, at the east end of the bridge. Not long after, Moses Rowley opened the second store. The products of the early manufacture of potash, maple sugar, grain, etc., found market in the village, whence they were sent to Ogdensburg, Watertown or Sackett's Harbor, to be exchanged for goods. Mr. Will- iam Downs in 1814 entered into a contract with Mr. Morris to build a dam and fulling mill at the village. The conditions of his contract were that his mill should be in operation in time to work the wool clip of that season, which was performed. This mill was operated many years, Downs being succeeded by Eli Robinson. Sylvester Cone was the next owner, and rebuilt it. It was afterwards converted into a wood- working establishment by Isaac P. Fisher, and was burned in 1853. Mr. Fisher erected on its site the fine grist mill now owned by Graves Bros. (C. H. and W. C.), who bought it April 11, 1893, of their father, S. Graves.

John Brown erected and carried on a distillery soon after the close of the war ; it was situated above the mills, and for a number of years

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THE TOWN OF GOUVERNEUR.

did quite a large business. What the effect of the distillery alone may have been on the morals of the community, we cannot say, but it was not beneficial, according to the recollection of the older inhabitants.

The first saw mill in the village was built on the west side of the river in 1815 by Israel Porter, Rockwell Barnes, Raymond Austin and Benjamin Smith, each having a quarter interest. After passing through the ownership of many persons, it was finally burned in 1853, when John Fosgate was its owner. He rebuilt it, and it afterwards passed into possession of Bidwell & Baldwin, who remodeled it and sold it to Starbuck, McCarty & Co., in 1869. In 1882-3 they erected the steam mill which was burned July 9, 1887, and was immediately rebuilt. The company continues to operate the steam and the water mill, have several lumber yards, and carry on a large business. They manufacture sash, doors and blinds, and run a planing mill.

The first grist mill was built by israel Porter about 1820, on the west side, and was furnished with two runs of rock stone brought from Ant- werp. This mill was burned in 1825 ; rebuilt by Porter, who operated it until his death in 1836, when it passed to Almeron Thomas, and later to John Fosgate, who operated it in connection with the saw mill above described. The mill was burned in the fire of 1853, but Mr. Fosgate rebuilt it. At his death it was purchased by Edwin C. Dodge. The firm was then Dodge & Beardslee. On the death of Mr. Dodge, Nelson H. Howard bought into the firm of Howard & Beardslee. Mr. Howard bought out his partner and sold one half to J. E. McAllaster in 1887. The two remained together until 1890, when Mr. McAllaster purchased the remaining half and took his son, A. F. McAllaster, and his son in- law, R. T. Allen, into the partnership, the same firm carrying on a large mercantile business also. In the summer of 1893 an extensive addition was made to the mill, which now contains six sets of rollers and all modern machinery for a merchant milling business.

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Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York, Part 50

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