USA > New York > Essex County > Elizabethtown > Pleasant Valley : a history of Elizabethtown, Essex County, New York > Part 17
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The militia fell back about two miles to a battery and there made a stand, checking the advance of the enemy. At this point a man on horseback-Major Walworth, then Adjutant General of Major General Mooers' division, afterwards Chan- cellor Walworth-rode up to the ranks waving his hat, pro- claiming the welcome intelligence that the British fleet had surrendered.
Oliver Abel who had been detailed for scout duty and who had witnessed the naval battle from a place of safety on shore, closely followed Major Walworth and was gladly received by his comrades in arms from Elizabethtown. With hearty cheers the militia pressed forward and the enemy fell back, retreating across the Saranac River. Captain John Lobdell got his cal- varymen in order and not only crossed the Saranac River but followed the retreating British several miles north of Platts- burgh.
Anson Finney, who started from Elizabethtown early Sun- day morning with supplies, arrived at Plattsburgh just as the battle ended.
The grandfather of ex-Assemblyman Wesley Barnes of Mi- nerva was confined on the limits here in Elizabethtown for debt at the time of the British invasion. He is said to have been released with the understanding that he would go to Plattsburgh and fight, which his descendants report that he did, taking several men with him from this section.
Isaac Toms of Captain John Calkin's Company of infantry was killed while heroically facing the British veterans on the south bank of the Saranac that fateful Sunday. The mortal
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remains of this man were brought back to Elizabethtown and buried in the old cemetery. Ansel Holcomb, also of Captain John Calkin's Company, was shot in the side September 11th, standing beside his cousin, Jonathan Post, when struck. He died September 13th and his body was brought home and buried in the Boquet Valley cemetery.
There were six Ponds at the Battle of Plattsburgh in Cap- tain Russell Walker's Company from Schroon-1st Sergeant Jared Pond who married Mary, daughter of Platt Rogers, Cor- poral Isaac W. Pond and privates Ashley, Benjamin (Con- gressman) Nathan and William Pond. Inasmuch as the Pond family has been a part of Elizabethtown's population for 90 years it seems appropriate that the foregoing names should be mentioned at this point in Pleasant Valley, and especially as a son of Ashley Pond, the late Byron Pond, contributed much in- formation used in this work.
Alden Hull of Captain John Lobdell's cavalry troop was a son of Eli Hull, who groomed General Washington's horse at Valley Forge. And it may be added here that Eli Hull and two other sons, Joseph and Eli B., fought in the American army at Plattsburgh, Sept. 11, 1814.
Captain Levi Frisbee was the most seriously wounded of any of our Elizabethtown men, losing a leg. General Mooers refers to Captain Frisbee in a letter to General Wright as follows :
"Capt. Frisbee, by whom I had this, has called on me. I have signed the certificate to which your name is attached, or rather made a certificate on the back of that, yet his name ought to be annexed to your return of the disabled and wounded, which return I wish to have, with those of the killed, as soon as you can conveniently obtain them. I expect soon to set out for Albany, and wish to take them with me.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
BENJ. MOOERS.
Plattsburgh, 28 July, 1815.
To Brig. Gen. Daniel Wright, Elizabethtown."
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Henry H. Ross (afterwards Gen. Ross) was adjutant of the 37th at the Battle of Plattsburgh. Of course he lived at Essex but was long a large property owner in Elizabethtown and was a familiar figure for half a century.
Dr. Diadorus Holcomb, the first physician to locate at North- west Bay, did good service as Surgeon's Mate at the Battle of Plattsburgh.
Ensign John Greeley (Northwest Bay) was wounded in the shoulder at Plattsburgh.
Ensign Dunster of the "Falls" section served at Plattsburgh.
Isaac Alden, Samuel Anderson, Jeduthan Barnes, (the fid- dler) Joshua Bennett, Ephraim Bull, Joseph Call, Tillinghast Cole, Seymour Curtis, John Daniels, Joshua Daniels, Archi- bald Dunton, Elijah Dunton, David Clark, Darius Ferris, Gideon Hammond, Joseph M. Havens, Ira Henderson, (wounded at Plattsburgh) Johnson Hill, Abner Holcomb, Amos Holcomb, Asa Kinney, Waite B. Lawrence, Erastus Loveland, Wilson Low, Platt Rogers Sheldon, Ebenezer Sherman, Wil- liam Viall, Benjamin Hardy, Joel French, Salmon Cooper, Thomas Hadley and John Whitney are the names of men said to have served in the War of 1812, most of them at Plattsburgh, and whose remains were buried in soil which was once part of Elizabethtown, namely in what is now the town of Westport, and from which section many of them went to fight for their country.
The militia were disbanded shortly after the signal victory at Plattsburgh but the scene of the recent camp of the British on the north side of the Saranac River was a fascinating spot and many of our "boys" visited it. Sir George Provost left much behind which was eagerly picked up by militiamen. It might be stated here that Sir George Provost, the proud Gov- ernor-General of Canada, who had shown such parade when he came to Plattsburgh did not pay much attention to music
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and banners on his retreat. He appeared to be in such a hurry that he spilled and lost most of the stuff he tried to take back to Canada. The late Hon. Julius C. Hubbell of Chazy, who married a daughter of Judge Pliny Moore, and who witnessed the advance and retreat of the British, said of their return to Canada :
"The main idea seemed to be to get back. Their ammuni- tion and commissary wagons were very heavy and costly-one of them drawn by six noble horses broke down a short distance south of this village, and the powder was trodden into the mud so as to discolor it and scent the air for a long time after- wards."
Two soldiers who deserted the English army just before the Battle of Plattsburgh-Daniel Baker and Henry Ingraham- came to Elizabethtown, settled and made good citizens. De- scendants of both men still live in this town.
What a proud home coming it must have been for our Eliz- abethtown heroes and how their wives and sweethearts must have welcomed them on that never-to-be-forgotten return !
The Battle of Plattsburgh was supposed to end the War of 1812, the treaty of Ghent being signed on the 24th of Decem- ber, 1814, but General Andrew Jackson was ignorant of what had been done and so he "put it on" to the British at New Orleans, La., January 8, 1815, at which time and place Gen- eral Packenham was slain. However, February 17, 1815, the treaty was ratified by the United States Senate and so General Jackson sheathed his sword and waited his turn to take the Presidential chair.
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Elizabethtown Just After the Battle of Plattsburgh.
Elizabethtown's Supervisor during the eventful year 1814 was Enos Loveland, the Inspectors of Election being Enos Loveland, Asa Post, Boughton Lobdell.
Captain John Calkin came home from Plattsburgh and re- sumed agricultural pursuits on his farm up towards Mt. Hur- ricane, his place being the one now owned and occupied by Mrs. Lillian Alice Hayes.
John Knox, who married Captain John Calkin's eldest sis- ter, moved into Elizabethtown previous to the Battle of Platts- burgh, as he took part in that engagement, serving in the company of his brother-in-law. John Knox had a large fam- ily of children. A son, George Knox, married Julia Ann Jackson. A daughter, Kaziah, married Thomas Stafford, another daughter, Sabra, married Levi Goff and Ann Eliza, a younger daughter, married Philip Smith Miller. The children of the last mentioned union were Minerva, who became the wife of Leander Blood and died in Wakrusa, Kan., and John Knox, who married Amanda Dwinnell. Ann Eliza Miller, widow of Philip S. Miller, lives with her son in the Brainard's Forge section, being in the 97th year of her age.
John Knox married Levi Lobdell's widow for his second wife, by which union several children were born, all of whom are dead.
David Osgood and Rhoda Hall, his wife, moved to Eliz- abethtown in 1814, settling on the farm still occupied by the
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Osgood family. Their children were Harry D., Rhoda, Solo- mon Washington and David.
Solomon Washington Osgood, born January 26, 1808, mar- ried Anna Bates, daughter of Samuel Bates, the ceremony taking place in the town of Hammond, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., Feb. 26, 1833. In September, 1833, Mrs. S. W. Osgood came to Elizabethtown to reside on the farm just east of this village which has continued to be her home for almost 72 years.
David Osgood, Sr., died in May, 1848, and was buried in the old cemetery. Solomon Washington Osgood died February 3, 1880, and was buried near his father in the old cemetery. His widow still survives, being in her 92d year, a remarkably well preserved old lady and one whose whole life has been that of a faithful, consistent Christian. Of her large family of chil- dren there survive Mrs. Jeanette P. Emmes, Mrs. Gertrude A. Church, Starks S., Mrs. Emma F. Wilson, Mrs. Theressa A. Carter and Wilbur D., the latter having always remained at home, carrying on the farm, etc.
Warren Bates Osgood, a deceased son, was a Methodist minister of high standing. He died about 24 years ago. Clement, another deceased son, died about 8 years ago.
Philip Miller and Manoah Miller came from Shoreham, Vt., and settled west of Elizabethtown village during the War of 1812, their locality having ever since been known as the Miller settlement. Philip Miller married Dorcas Smith. Their chil- dren were Charles, Susan, Manoah, Philip Smith, Lovina, Nathaniel, Nicanor and Stephen.
Charles Miller married twice, his second wife being Sophia Lee.
Manoah Miller married for his first wife Melinda Nichols, his second wife being Susan Goodrich and the third Mary Dwinnell. Manoah Miller's children were Philip and Charles E.
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Philip Smith Miller married Ann Eliza Knox, before men- tioned.
Nathaniel Miller married Emily Westcott, daughter of Oliver Westcott, for his first wife, his second wife being Clarinda Rowe, daughter of Leland Rowe. Nathaniel Miller's children were George Jasper, Amelia, who married Myron Brewster, Eleanor, who married George G. White, Solon and Eva, who married Arthur Pratt. George Jasper Miller married Eleanor Rowe.
Nicanor Miller married Marvana Beede for his first wife, his second wife being Ellen Goff.
Lovina Miller married Joseph Nichols.
Stephen Miller went to St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., where he married and settled.
A copy of The Reveille, published at Elizabethtown, Essex County, N. Y., Wednesday, October 12, 1814, (Vol. III, No. 25) is before the author of Pleasant Valley. It is a most in- teresting issue, containing President Madison's Message, Di- vision Orders by Maj. Gen. Mooers, R. H. Walworth, A. D. C., copy of a letter from Com. MacDonough to the Secretary of War, Gov. Daniel D. Tompkins' speech to the Senate and Assembly, a draft of the answer of the Senate to the speech of his Excellency, a copy of the Proclamation issued by Gov. Martin Chittenden of Vermont, a copy of a letter from Captain Oliver Hazard Perry to the Secretary of the Navy.
This issue also contains the following death notice : "Died- In Schroon, on the 6th inst., Hon. Benjamin Pond, Esq., aged about 45."
It may be added here that Congressman Pond died of "camp fever" contracted while serving his country in a military ca- pacity at Plattsburgh and that he was buried in Pine Ridge cemetery, in what is now the town of North Hudson. His tomb- stone bears this epitaph nor which were truer words ever chis- eled on enduring marble. "Thus entombed the remains of him
MR. and MRS. MILO CALKIN.
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who was by his fellow citizens esteemed a patriot and upon whom was oft conferred high proofs of their confidence. He was honorable in life, and his virtues inspire the hope that he is happy in death."
Through The Reveille we learn that Oliver Person was then (Oct. 12, 1814,) serving as Post Rider. Oliver Person and his wife, Abigail Fifield, had resided in Elizabethtown several years. He was the father of the late Norman N. Person and of the late Harry Person who long kept hotel at Westport and Maria Person, who married Hiram Calkin, heretofore men- tioned, Lewis Person, who married Mary Wilder, sister of Alanson Wilder, Abigail Person, who married a man named Hapgood and Polly Person, who married Ashbel Brownson, Jr.
A mortgage foreclosure notice published in The Reveille of Oct. 12, 1814, shows that on the 5th day of August, 1808, "Theodorus Ross of the Town of Elizabethtown in the County of Essex" borrowed $500 of Jonas Gibbs, Jr., for which he gave security on 143 acres of land in Elizabethtown. In de- fault of payment said Gibbs advertised to sell the land to the highest bidder "at the house now occupied by Norman Newell and son in Elizabethtown aforesaid." The advertisement com- menced Nov. 8, 1813, and sale had been postponed four times. Ezra C. Gross was attorney for Gibbs in the matter. Search in the Essex County Clerk's office leads one to conclude that Ross finally raised the money, with interest, presumably through the Van Rensselaers, and held on to his land till the early 30s when he sold out and left Elizabethtown.
Blanks were for sale at The Reveille office and cash was also paid for clean cotton and linen rags. The excellent state of preservation of this copy of The Reveille, which is the prop- erty of Walter Scott Brown, attests as to the good quality of paper used in those early days.
1
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The Reveille was published once a week. The subscription price was $2 per annum, "half yearly in advance." "Compa- nies of thirteen or more who receive their papers at the office and pay weekly shall have them at a reduced price. Postrid- ers supplied on reasonable terms by giving security. No paper discontinued until arrearages are paid. For inserting advertisements the price will be six cents per line for the first insertion and two cents per line for every additional insertion."
Readers of Pleasant Valley will recall that Wm. Ray was editor of The Reveille. At this time it will doubtless interest many to know that Luther Marsh was printer of The Reveille from its start to his death, March 9, 1816. Luther Marsh was son of Elias Marsh and was born at Oakham, Mass. Luther Marsh married Laury Frisbee, daughter of Simeon Frisbee, at Elizabethtown, the ceremony being performed by Rev. C. C. Grays. Their only child was Jerome Marsh. Luther Marsh was buried in the old cemetery and according to his tombstone record was in his 30th year at the time of his death.
Near the grave of Luther Marsh is that of Elisha Frisbee who died Oct. 12, 1809. Elisha Frisbee, it will be recalled, was the father of Simeon Frisbee, and it may well be added here that Elisha Frisbee was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, having been born at Branford, Conn., May 22, 1740.
Simeon Frisbee married Lucy Reynolds. Their children were as follows :
Harriet, born March 14, 1797, Jay, N. Y., died Feb. 11, 1825, Fredonia, N. Y.
Laury, born June 10, 1799, Jay, N. Y., died March 31, 1851, Fremont, Ill.
Henry Clinton, born March 27, 1801, Elizabethtown, N. Y., died Nov. 9, 1873, Fredonia, N. Y.
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Levi, born Dec. 2, 1802, Elizabethtown, N. Y., died Jan. 6, 1812, Elizabethtown, N. Y.
Myron, born Aug. 9, 1804, Elizabethtown, N. Y., died Oct. 19, 1870, Des Moines, Ia.
Lucy, born Aug. 27, 1806, Elizabethtown, N. Y., died Jan. 14, 1886, Chicago, Ill.
Sidney S., born March 12, 1808, Elizabethtown, N. Y., died Jan. 25, 1826, Westport, N. Y.
Simeon Frisbee moved to Fredonia, N. Y., in 1816 and died a few months afterwards.
Henry Clinton Frisbee became a very successful man. He was editor and proprietor of the Fredonia Censor, the leading Republican paper of Northern Chautauqua, was a director of the First National Bank, a Deacon in the Presbyterian Church and Member of the New York Legislature in 1844-5.
Another early settler "up west" was James Graves. "Uncle Jimmie," as he was locally and familiarly known, lived where A. B. Scripture now resides. He had a large family of children. At least two of his sons, John and William Plummer, went into the ministry. Rev. John Graves died a few years since near Saratoga, N. Y., being over 90 years of age. William Plum- mer Graves who was born in November, 1819, taught school in the old brick school house in 1842 and went into the ministry shortly afterwards. Last year he visited Elizabethtown, com- ing here from California.
Ashley Pond married Lucinda Rawson of Schroon, in Sep- tember, 1814, and shortly afterwards took up his residence in Elizabethtown, which continued to be his home for 13 busy years. Ashley Pond's children were Safford, Alembert, Cor- delia, Byron and Washington Irving, the latter being the only one now living.
Nathan Perry, a cousin of Oliver Hazard Perry, the Lake Erie naval hero, located on what is now "Durand Farm" as
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early as 1814, coming to Elizabethtown from the town of Lewis. Nathan Perry's wife was Rebecca Brown and they originally came from the Wilton and New Ipswich, N. H., regions. Their children were :
Rebecca, who married Silas M. Taylor.
Nathan, who married Sarah Post.
Abigail, who married Milo Durand.
Abijah, who married Eliza Kellogg. Sarah Hill, who married Hiram Calkin.
John, who married Amy Kellogg.
Daniel Duke Tompkins, who married Soloma Burdick. Achsa, who died in infancy.
Nancy Steele, who married Robert P. Shandrew.
Oliver Hazard, who married Mary J. McCloud.
Achsa Maria, who married Norman N. Person. Josiah, who died young.
Up to this time no list of good old Dr. Asa Post's children has been given. He married Mary Holcomb and their chil- dren were Lucia, who married Frederick Haasz ; Jonathan, who married Clarissa Sheldon; Polly, who married Oliver Abel ; Lewis, who became a doctor; Sarah, who married Nathan Perry ; Martha, who married a man named Gibson ; Eunice, who became the first wife of Jason Pangborn ; Me- lissa, who married Salem Denton ; Asa, who married Calneh Ames, daughter of Alfred Ames.
Setting Off of Westport.
CHAPTER XIII.
AN ACT for dividing Elizabethtown, in the County of Essex. Passed March 24, 1815.
I. Be it enacted by the people of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That from and after the
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first Monday of April next, all that part of Elizabethtown, in the county of Essex, bounded as follows, to-wit : Beginning on the north line of the said Elizabethtown at the mouth of the Black river ; thence up the said river as it winds and turns on the east shore of said river, until in intersects the south line of Morgan's patent; thence due south to the north line of Moriah ; thence easterly on said line of Moriah to the ore bed wharf ; thence east to the east line of this State ; thence north- erly on the east line of this State to the south-east corner of Essex ; thence west on the south line of Essex to the place of beginning be, and hereby is erected into a separate town, by the name of Westport, and that the first town meeting be held at the dwelling house now occupied by Charles Hatch, in said town.
II. Be it further enacted, that all the remaining part of Elizabethtown shall be and remain a separate town by the name of Elizabethtown and that the next town meeting shall be held at the dwelling house now occupied by Norman Newell and son in said town.
III. And be it further enacted, That as soon as may be after the first Tuesday in April next, the supervisors and over- seers of the poor of the said towns of Elizabethtown and West- port, on notice first being given by the supervisors of said towns for that purpose, shall meet together and divide the money and poor belonging to the town of Elizabethtown pre- vious, agreeable to the last tax list, and that each of the said towns shall forever thereafter respectfully maintain their own poor.
The above is copied from page 100 of the bound volume of the Session Laws of 1814-15. The late Judge Charles Hatch, who built the old brick mansion in 1825 which still stands in the village of Westport, who was noted for cunning and shrewd-
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ness, is credited with having drafted the above copied law, making the line between Elizabethtown and Westport follow the east bank of the Black River so that the former town would be obliged to build all the bridges across that stream. How- ever, in due time the matter was tested. It came about that a new bridge was needed across the Black River near the Na- thaniel Pierson place just above Meigsville proper, there being long and somewhat expensive "approaches" to construct each side of the stream. The late Jacob Lobdell, son of Captain John Lobdell of Battle of Plattsburgh fame, was Highway Commissioner in Elizabethtown, the late Marcus Storrs hold- ing that office in the town of Westport. Action was commenced in March, 1870, to compel the town of Westport to stand half the expense of constructing the bridge, approaches, etc. Rich- ard L. Hand acted as counsel for Elizabethtown, Waldo, Tobey & Grover acting in behalf of Westport. The matter in dispute was finally referred to Peter S. Palmer, the late well-known Plattsburgh lawyer and historian. He decided, in accordance with the general statute applying to such cases, that the towns of Elizabethtown and Westport were jointly and equally liable to the expenses incident to bridge construction, etc., along the Black River town line. Reference to page 50 of the pamphlet of proceedings of the Board of Supervisors for the year 1874 shows that a judgment for $300 was paid by Westport.
From 1815 to 1817, inclusive, Asa Post served as Elizabeth- town's Supervisor. The first Supervisor of the town of West- port was Enos Loveland.
Elizabethtown's Inspectors in 1815 were Asa Post, Jacob Southwell, Azel Abel, John Calkin.
In 1815 Captain John Lobdell lived on the farm now owned by Patrick Boyle in the town of Westport. In fact on that highland farm all Captain John Lobdell's children were born. In the year 1815 Captain John Lobdell served as an Inspector
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in Westport, his brother Bouton being Clerk of the newly formed township.
In 1816 Elizabethtown's Inspectors were Asa Post, Manoah Miller, Jacob Southwell, Jon. Steele, Azel Abel.
The year 1816 is still referred to as "the coldest on record." The year has been spoken of as "eighteen hundred and starved to death." It is said that every month in the year furnished snow or frost. It was a season phenomenally cold and dry, with an almost universal failure of crops. Want, and even starvation, stared many of our pioneers in the face. The late Solomon Washington Osgood, a man of undoubted probity, used to relate an experience he had that summer. He was then a boy eight years old attending school in the brick school house which stood just back of where the large, com- manding Charles N. Williams block now stands. Just when the brick school house was erected no one now living knows. Suffice to say that school was being kept there during the cold summer of 1816, Ashley Pond, father of the late Judge Byron Pond, being the teacher in that one story brick structure, the scene of so many romantic tales. Mr. Osgood used to say that his grandmother, Mrs. Phebe Fisher, 2d wife of Josiah Fisher, would stop him on his way home from school and ask him if he didn't want a cold potato, whereupon he would say "no, Mrs. Stow has just given me a piece of pie." The Fishers lived just below (east) of the home of Gardner Stow, the old house which stood just east of the present main en- trance to Richard L. Hand's brick residence. And by the way this report, undoubtedly correct, fixes a date when two more families were located here. How long the Fisher and Stow families had been here I am unable to state. Phebe Hall, 2d wife of Josiah Fisher, was the mother of Rhoda Hall, the wife of David Osgood. Josiah Fisher died on the "Fisher farm,"
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so-called, in the village of Elizabethtown April 1, 1844. His wife Phebe died Feb. 18, 1844.
It might be stated here that a daughter of Josiah Fisher and Phebe Hall, Phebe Fisher by name, became the wife of Ezra Carter Gross.
It might also be stated that a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gardner Stow, Charlotte Evelina, by name, became the first wife of Dr. Sewall Sylvester Cutting, who was for 10 years editor of the New York Recorder, a religious paper. The given name of Gardner Stow's wife was Evelina and she died young, being buried in the old cemetery. Charlotte Evelina Cutting was buried in Riverside cemetery.
During the cold summer of 1816 when crops did not materi- alize to any considerable extent the manufacture of potash proved of considerable importance to our struggling, suffering people. In those days the refuse wood from our forests and in many instances valuable timber was burned to make ashes, from which an alkali, a substance neutralizing acids, was ob- tained. At least two buildings were erected and used for the manufacture of potash within the limits of Elizabethtown. One of these buildings, a primitive log structure, was located in Deep Hollow, just south of Elizabethtown village. This log building stood a few feet east of a "bar way" seen on the east side of the highway in Deep Hollow to-day. The building fell into disuse about the year 1830 and was taken down by the late Oliver Abel, Sr., shortly afterwards. The other building used in connection with the manufacture of potash stood a few rods back of the brick residence of Charles H. Noble on Water Street in the village of Elizabethtown. There are those living in Elizabethtown who remember when both these man- ufactories were in operation. Potash found a ready market in Vermont and other localities and was much easier trans- ported than either logs or lumber. Potash as a source of rev-
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