USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people : a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 60
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > Our county and its people: a memorial record of St. Lawrence County, New York > Part 60
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647
THE TOWN OF DEPEYSTER.
As late as 1835 the wild animals in Depeyster seemed to be as plenty as ever. George Perry was hunting deer that fall, and while groping along the foot of the ledge next to the Black Lake marsh above the Pearson's lot just before sun-down, discovered several deer, some stand- ing and others lying down, in a clump of small hemlocks. The moist condition of the leaves, preventing the crackling noise of his foot-steps, allowed him to approach within a short distance without attracting at- tention. He rested his rifle on a knot of a small tree and took delib- erate aim at a deer and shot it dead. The reverbrating sound of the gun so bewildered the animals that they only made a few bounds and came within range again, when Mr. Perry reloaded and dropped another deer. This process was repeated until he killed the whole drove of five without moving out of his place. The writer can vouch for the truth- fulness of the above statement.
The farmers had been so much annoyed by the depredations of wolves, that in the fall of 1836 a general hunt took place, which was participated in by every able- bodied man and boy in town and vicinity which drove every ravenous beast far beyond the limits of the town.
In the summer and fall of 1837 several sheep and calves were killed, one at a time, in different parts of the town, which indicated that it was either the work of a bear or panther. A close watch was kept, when a bear was started near the flat rock, making his way along the several patches of woods on the rear end of farms, endeav- oring to enter the big swamp just south of the Black Lake road. Several men, boys and dogs were in pursuit of the bear and just as he entered the Fleetham woods, he was shot, causing a slight wound in the hip, yet he out-ran his pursuers and was in a fair way to es- cape. The writer, then a boy in his fifteenth year, hearing the com- motion started from his home, which was about one-fourth of a mile from the woods, having a smooth-bore rifle loaded with shot. He dropped a ball into the gun and with a paper wad rammed it down while on the run to the woods. On arriving at about where the house of Philo Hydorn now stands, he saw the bear about ten rods away, coming down a slope directly towards him on a gallop. Being out of breath and alone, yet nothing daunted, he endeavored to draw a fine bead on the bear while he was passing between the trees, when
648
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
he suddenly turned to the right, leaped over a fence a few rods away, and endeavored to reach the swamp by a flank movement. When Bruin found that he was again confronted, he raised upon his hind feet and wheeled to take his back track. As he turned, the gun was discharged and the contents took effect just back of his shoulder, which set him reeling. With much difficulty the bear scaled the fence, knocking off a rail as he went over, and he fell to the ground and expired before the party in pursuit arrived. His color was black, and he weighed 420 pounds. The highly-prized gun used on this occasion was given away the following winter by the writer's father to a party of men whom he carried in a sleigh to " French Creek " (now Clay- ton), where the patriots assembled with the intention of making a raid on Kingston.
During the agitation, in 1828, to remove the public buildings from Ogdensburg, Depeyster voted in favor of High Falls on Grass River as a county seat.
Previous to the erection of Macomb the settlers had either to go to Morristown or Gouverneur to transact town business. In 1841 Depey- ster voted to have this territory annexed to this town.
Depeyster Corners, where a post-office was established in an early day, has been considered the central point for the inhabitants to assem- ble on business occasions. The former merchants were T. Morris, Harry Smith, Hartwell & Judd, Jesse Legg, Dr. G. W. Barber, Union Store, Ira and Frank Wheelock, Chandler & Loveland, George Fleet- ham. The present merchants are M. C. Mason, J. D. Willson, Orr & Day, a furniture store by Mrs. R. C. Ward, one carriage repair shop, one blacksmith shop, one hotel kept by H. O. Mason. There is one physician, D. M. Foss, and two clergymen.
There are nine full school districts and a joint one partly in Macomb ; a post-office in Depeyster village, one at King's Corners (Kokomo), and one in the Fish Creek settlement (Edenton) ; a steam saw mill at Mud Lake, and a shingle and feed mill at King's Corners. There was for- merly a steam saw mill run by J. Curtis, T. D. Witherell and Benjamin Eastman.
The military record of Depeyster will compare favorably with that of any other town in the county. The town was well represented in the
649
THE TOWN OF DEPEYSTER.
War of the Rebellion, having held the first regular war meeting and sent out a large number of men considering the small town and popula- tion, as will be seen by referring to page 196, the chapter on the War of the Rebellion. The efforts to raise volunteers, means and the neces- saries to be sent to the front for the use of the soldiers, was cheerfully complied with by the people in general.
Religious Societies .- In the winter of 1805 6, Bela Willes, a Metho- dist, opened a school in the house of Samuel Bristol, and held religious meetings on the Sabbath. Traveling preachers or missionaries had occasionally held services in the neighborhood. At the first town meeting held to organize the town, a committee, consisting of Smith Stillwell, Nathan Dean and Philo Hurlburt, was chosen to raise a sub- scription for a town house and a union church. A special town meet- ing was called on the last Monday in June, when a resolution was passed to erect a house at a cost not to exceed $1,500, which resulted, with the subscription, in the erection of the Bethel Union church.
The Bethel Union society was incorporated October 23, 1827, with Bela Bell, Luke Dean, Joseph Sweet, Zenas King, Jonathan Curtis, Horace Plympton and Smith Stilwell as trusttees. The house (owned in common) served the purpose of both town hall and church, it being open to all denominations to hold religious services in. The Metho- dists, Presbyterians, Universalists and Congregationalists were repre- sented by some one of the trustees, but they were so divided in their denominational views that no one body had a controlling influence. Each of the bodies had paid taxes and had subscribed to the building fund, hence were entitled to the use of the house. No regulation as to the time that each body could claim the use of the house having been made at the formation of the society, it happened quite often that two of them desired to use the house at the same time, which caused no little contention. This state of affairs continued until some of the societies became sufficiently numerous and able to build a house of worship for themselves. The records of the societies in those early days were so loosely kept, that it is impossible to give exact dates of their organizations. It is generally conceded, however, that the Meth- dists organized a church shortly after the Bethel Union church was com- pleted, or about 1830. Three trustees of the former Bethel or Union
82
650
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
society, Bell, Dean and Sweet, later became identified with the Metho- dist organization.
In the winter of 1856-7 the Methodist and Congregational societies held several meetings with a view of building a union church to be occupied in common, but failed to agree, when the Methodist society built the present frame church, late in the fall of 1857, and finished it the following spring. In 1870 the church was raised up, a basement finished off, and rebuilt in the present style, and the " town bell " before mentioned hung in the tower. In 1891 the church was thoroughly repaired and refurnished at an expense of $1,500, making it one of the most pleasant places of worship in the county. During the past few years the church has been greatly revived under the present pastor, Rev. George Sharp, having a mission board, ladies' aid society, Sunday school, etc. The present membership is about ninety ; value of church property, $3,500.
The Congregational Society, according to the recollection of the older members, was organized in Depeyster about the year 1832. The Rev. J. B. Taylor assisted in the organization, and Mansfield Bristol was one of the trustees. The Methodists and Congregationalists were the only regularly organized Christian bodies in the town that held regular ser- vices in the old stone church and kept the house in repair. In the sum- mer of 1858 the present church edifice was commenced, and completed the following year at a cost of about $3,000, exclusive of the bell and furniture, which cost about $800 more. The Rev. B. B. Parson, who served the church at Heuvelton in 1842, reorganized the church in Depeyster, and supplied it for a time, when Ira Day and F. G. Will- son were chosen deacons. It was again reorganized in 1848, and the society built the new church as before stated Chester Dyke, John Fleetham, and Jesse B. Willson were the trustees ; having a member- ship of about eighty. Recently the church has been put in good re- pair, the parsonage thoroughly overhauled and enlarged, to keep pace with the increased prosperity of the society, which apparently has taken a new lease of life. The preaching services, the Young People's So- ciety, and the Sabbath-school are well attended. W. H. Way is their present pastor.
The supervisors of the town with dates of service are as follows :
651
THE TOWN OF HAMMOND.
1825-29, Smith Stilwell; November 7, 1829-34, Luke Dean ; 1834-39, Horace Plymp- ton ; 1839-40, Jonathan Curtis ; 1840-43, Abner McMurphy ; 1843-44, Sylvester John- son ; 1844-46, Jonathan Curtis; 1846 47, John Blaisdel; 1847-48, David Fuller ; 1848 -51, Thos. D. Witherell; 1851-52, Levi Fay ; 1852-54, Thos. D. Witherell; 1854-56, Alanson Tuttle; 1856-59, Jessie McCurdy ; 1859-61, Benjamin F. Partridge; 1861-63, Alanson Tuttle ; 1863-64, John B. Chandler ; 1864-70, Robert Dorman ; 1870-72, John B. Chandler; 1872-74, Thos. D. Witherell ; Lewis W. Willson, to fill vacancy from April 4 balance of term ; 1874-77, Wm. Newcomb, to fill vacancy caused by Willson's resignation ; 1877- 82, Harry N. Hardy ; 1882-88, Geo. H. Fleetham ; 1888-91, Millard C. Mason ; 1891-92, Thaddeus L. Willson ; 1892-94, Robert D. Orr.
CHAPTER XLI.
THE TOWN OF HAMMOND-ORGANIZED IN 1827.
THIS is the twenty-first town erected by an act of the Legislature passed March 30, 1827. It was formerly under the jurisdiction of Rossie and Morristown. The town lies in the extreme western point of the county, with the St. Lawrence River bordering its northwestern side, Jefferson county on the west, Rossie and Black Lake on the south, and Morristown on the east. The first town meeting was held on the first Tuesday of May following, when Sylvester Butrick was elected supervisor, and the balance of the town officers, whose names are not given. On the 2d of May, 1837, its line on the Morristown side was changed slightly, and on the IIth of April, 1842, a corner south of Black Lake was attached to Macomb ; while on the 7th of February, 1844, the line bordering Rossie, which originally ran parallel with the origi- nal line of Somerville, was changed to its present course from the cor- ner of the old township to the head of Mile Bay. The town contains 35,815 acres, and the surface is generally level, but broken on the north- ern and southern borders by ledges of gneiss and white limestone, which are now being extensively quarried. A level terrace of sandstone ex- tends from the north shore of Black Lake through the center of the town. The soil is principally clay and is productive. It was formerly a great wheat growing country and for other grains and grass crops, but is now devoted principally to dairying.
652
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
Hammond derives its name from Abijah Hammond, of New York, who owned the township previous to 1814. He was a New York mer- chant and a brother-in-law of David A. Ogden, but he never visited his northern property. On the 12th of September, 1814, David Parish purchased of Hammond 28,87 I acres. On some of this tract beginnings of settlement had been made, but no titles actually passed to settlers until in July, 1818, when William Wiley took the first contract. On the 3 Ist of July, 1818, Loren Bailey came in as agent and from that time, in July, 1818, the town was rapidly settled. Mr. Bailey was afterwards succeeded by David W. Baldwin. The first actual resident was prob- ably William McNeil from Vermont, who was in the town previous to 1812, and lived on Chippewa Bay. The first clearing was made in that year by William Wiley, also from Vermont, on the site of the village. A Mr. Barker came in the following year and settled a mile south of Hammond, where he built and opened a tavern.
The War of 1812 affected the town only slightly, there being so very few dwellers at that time. The gang of pirates or horse thieves men- tioned in the history of Rossie and Morristown during the War of 1812, was very conspicuous in this town also. We are under obligation to A. S. Partridge of Depeyster, who obtained the following incidents last summer from N. F. Swain, his neighbor. Mr. Swain is now upwards of ninety years old, and his memory of what transpired in his younger days is especially good, and the incidents, together with the dates, places and names were so impressed on his mind that they may be relied upon as authentic. Mr. Swain's father, Abner, kept a tavern at the time on the windfall that grew up to briers, and for this reason when the village started it was named " Brier Hill," now in Morristown. This was on the route of an Indian trail and was frequented by people from Ogdensburg, Morristown, Hammond and Rossie, many of whom were members of the gang alluded to. Young Swain, then a bright boy of some ten or more years, had a good opportunity to become familiar with the names and operations of the band of theives. The names of the principal ones of the gang that operated in the vicinity of Chippewa Bay were James Patterson, the leader ; his brother, Ned ; John Hage- man, Darius Carpenter and his son, John ; and Zach Livingston. They had a spy, one "Binette," a Frenchmen, who was some way related
653
THE TOWN OF HAMMOND.
to the Pattersons, and worked on the outside. The gang was well- rigged out with scows, bateaux and small boats. They had several places on the islands in front of Chippewa Bay to secrete their plunder. One island near the Canadian shore could not be reached only by a circuitous route and an obscure inlet, and there they kept most of their horses, as they could not be seen or heard when passing by on the water or from the shore. They had also several places up Chippewa Creek to secrete their plunder. Their plan of operation was to send Binette out through the Canadian settlements on a peddling tour. He being familiar with the English as well as the French language could easily learn where the finest horses, cattle or merchandise were kept, and that knowledge was cautiously communicated to headquarters and at the proper time a raid was made on the settlement thus spied out. Their plan was to start out well-armed, with several boats and a scow, and leave them in the bushes at different points near the place of oper- ation, so in case they were hard pressed and their retreat cut off at one point, they could go to another and find a boat. Their plundering ex- peditions became successful and the band was a terror to the Canadians. The British had a garrison of reserves stationed in Kingston, com- manded by one Major Carley, and the soldiers were paid every month in specie, which was sent up in two or three divisions, by land and water, so in case of an accident to one the other might be safe. Bin- ette, through some of his French allies, learned that a bateau manned by three or Frenchman and an English officer would leave Montreal for Kingston with the specie, and would pass the Islands on such an evening following. This news was communicated to the Patterson gang, who went prepared and laid in wait until the supply boat came along, when they made a bold dash, overpowered the crew and took possession of the bateau and landed their prisoners on an island, With the bateau and contents they made directly, under cover of darkness, for the American shore, and thence up Chippewa Creek where the boat and specie were secreted for the time being. When this act became known at Kingston, Major Carley selected a squad of men and rowed down to these islands with the fierce intent of exterminating the gang. They soon discovered their rendezvous and every man was prepared to fire at a moment's notice. Suddenly they came upon the pirates who
654
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
were in their boats, as they were passing around an island, and each soldier, taking deliberate aim, fired. Four of the six pirates were killed outright, and James Patterson was mortally wounded. Zach. Livingston, who was in the same boat with Patterson, was unharmed, and rowed around the island and escaped. Patterson died soon after reaching the American shore. Mr. Swain states that on that night, which was late in the summer of 1814, his father had a beautiful mare, valued at $150, stolen and he believed that Livingston stole her. His father also had eleven head of fine cattle stolen that summer.
The success of the British in breaking up this gang of pirates, en- couraged them to follow up other depredators, and a party of fifty or more Canadians shortly after made a search for one or two refugees who had located in the town and had made themselves obnoxious to their Canadian neighbors by repeated depredations. The party landed in Chippewa Bay early in the morning, but in pursuit of their object they lost their way and did not arrive at Mr. Barker's inn until after sunrise. One of the men for whom they were searching was there asleep, but he was alarmed by the family and fled, half dressed, to the woods, narrowly escaping the shots fired after him. The Canadians re- turned home discomfited.
Most of the town lying west of the village was settled in from 1818 to 1821 by Scotch emigrants. They had come over and met the agents of Mr. Parish who induced them to locate on this tract, where they be- came substantial citizens. Many of them erected stone dwellings which are still standing. In 1818 there came John and David Gregor (the latter now living at the age of eighty years), John Baird, Peter Allen, John and James Hill. Peter Allen's son, Robert, was two years old when he came to town. He now owns the Allen's Park. He served three years in the war of the rebellion-is now drawing a pension. He is seventy-eight years old, hale and hearty. In 1819 Thomas Caswell, William Nickol, James Rogers, Robert Morris, Robert and Andrew Shields, John Mercer, Thomas Dodds, and William Burke, an English- man, came into the settlement ; and in 1821, John Brown and Lewis Franklin, now living. Several of the latter were single men, and all became good and useful citizens. A few years later some others came, through the influence of those already located. To those of the first
655
THE TOWN OF HAMMOND.
and second years who required it, Mr. Parish extended similar credit to that given to his settlers in Rossie, which had the effect of stimulating settlement and advancing the prosperity of those who took up homes.
The southern part of the town, on the military road, was first settled by Samuel Webster and William Tappan from Vermont, in 1819. Jon- athan King, from Herkimer county, came the next year and opened a tavern. The military road from Sackett's Harbor to Hammond had been cut through previous to the war, but had become impassable from disuse. It was reopened in 1823, and soon afterward was laid out as a highway and continued to be one of the principal thoroughfares from Watertown to Ogdensburg.
Settlement was begun at Oak Point by George Eliot, who was suc- ceeded by a Mr. Cowan, who opened a small grocery in 1824 Earl Atwood, Abram Schermerhorn, a Mr. Mathews and others followed to that neighborhood soon afterward.
There are twenty five men living in Hammond at the present time whose ages range from seventy one to ninety- five years old.
Mr. Bailey, the agent before mentioned, settled at Chippewa Bay, and Abram Cooper soon afterward began improvements there. A substan- tial dock was erected at an early day, and for a number of years the shipments of iron from the Rossie mines, and of lumber and other products, were very heavy. A steam saw mill was erected there in 1844 by James E. Lyon, It was burned and not rebuilt.
In 1825 a wharf was built at Oak Point on a small island in the chan- nel, communicating with the mainland by a bridge; this was rebuilt in 1838 and was enlarged in the winter of 1892-3. A post-office was established in 1840, and a custom house, which latter was removed to Chippewa Bay, but has since been taken back to the Point. W. C. Brooks is the present postmaster and merchant there. A light-house was built on Cross over Island in 1847, and refitted in 1855. It was rebuilt about ten years ago and James Hammond is the present keeper.
On the 19th of April, 1834, Loren Bailey, Azariah Walton and El- bridge G. Merrick were appointed commissioners to open a road from the line of Clayton and Lyme to a road leading from Chippewa Bay to Ogdensburg. This road ran through the villages of French Creek and Alexandria Bay to Hammond.
656
HISTORY OF ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.
The minerals of this town have in the past attracted attention, and in 1840 a vein of ore containing lead, copper and gold was discovered on the farm occupied in recent years by H. S. White, in the south- western part of the town, and it was worked to some extent; but the shaft, which was sunk about thirty feet, showed that the vein became narrow, and it was discontinued. Again, in 1877, valuable ore was dis- covered in that vicinity, a quantity of which was sent to New York for assay, and was found to contain $350 of gold and silver to the ton. Some effort was expended to organize a company for working it, but it was abandoned and at the present time there is no mining in the town.
The lower portion of the far famed and matchless group known as the Thousand Islands lies opposite the town of Hammond and lend their beauty and grandeur to that part of the St. Lawrence. Many of these islands are owned by individuals aud occupied with attractive summer cottages. An incident connected with one of these islands in Chippewa Bay is entitled to brief reference. In 1838 Ezra Brockway, supposed to have been insane, settled on this island, where he lived for many years a sort of hermit life, believing himself a son of Napoleon Bonaparte. He imagined that he owned all of the land in the vicinity ; that his mother had been murdered in Ogdensburg and he, while an infant, set adrift in a canoe on the river. The knowledge of his kingly connection he said was communicated to him in a dream and afterwards confirmed by spirits. He refused to, and never did, pay tax on his island. Early in February, 1886, he was found ill and half frozen in his little dwelling place by a party crossing the river on the ice. He was carried to the shore and a physician called, but he refused to take medicine, and after a few days of suffering passed away.
In October, 1860, the Buckeye, a steamer owned by the Northern Transportation Company struck on a rock in the channel near the vil- lage of Chippewa Bay. A large number of passengers was drowned ; the boat was afterwards raised.
During the summers of 1857-8 the people of the town and vicinity were greatly excited over the old tradition that a large amount of gold had been sunk with a boat by the Patterson gang during the War of 1812 in Chippewa Creek. James Sterlin, a man of commanding ap-
657
THE TOWN OF HAMMOND.
pearance, weighing nearly four hundred pounds, pleasing address, and a good talker, secured the right from the land proprietors to search for this treasure. The place selected was about one and a half miles above the mouth of the stream at the foot of a hill, where a spring flows into a deep and pond shape part of the creek. Here Mr. Sterlin built a coffer dam around the deep water, leaving a sluice on one side for the current to flow by. He then placed several suction pumps around the dam to be worked by hand, and a rotary one to be driven by a small portable engine, then started them up to pump out the water in the basin. During all this time the people would gather around and eagerly watch the maneuvering. The greatest crowds gathered on Sunday afternoon, when Mr. Sterlin would preach to them and relate the old story how the money was taken and the incidents leading up to the secreting of the money. He had connected with him Mr. Thomas Hazelton, a clairvoyant, whom he would mesmerize, then question him concerning the treasures, also allow others to do so, and the answers elicited were usually a confirmation of the story. He also stated that he saw buried in the mud what had the appear- ance of a boat, and many other things, which was eagerly listened to by the excited crowd. Mr. Sterlin was bothered by the dam leaking, and spent a large portion of the time in repairing it, but after a time, having the pumps all worked by boys, changing every half hour (they receiving ten cents per hour), the water was sufficiently lowered one Sunday, so that a handspike and a rusty chain was recovered, but a heavy leak occurring at this point prevented further search until repaired. Mr. Sterlin claimed that he had spent all the means at his command, therefore consented on the solicitation of his friends to start a stock company. The books were no sooner opened than the farmers will- ingly came forward and took from one to five shares each at a $100 per share, which amounted to several thousand dollars. During the time that the organization was being perfected and the repairs on the dam made, heavy rains raised the water in the creek, which prevented further operations that season.
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