USA > New York > Essex County > Elizabethtown > Pleasant Valley : a history of Elizabethtown, Essex County, New York > Part 8
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In the eventful year 1802 the town of Chesterfield was formed, being "set off" from the town of Willsborough Feb- ruary 20th, making five towns in Essex County.
During the year 1802 Elijah Calkin and his family came into Elizabethtown. Elijah Calkin was born at Northeast, Duchess County, N. Y., April 9, 1764. His wife, Keziah Rog- ers, was born May 9, 1764, and was therefore just one month his junior. Elijah Calkin and wife lived for years in Northeast, N. Y., but finally, with many other good Dutchess County people, found their way into central Essex County. Elijah Calkin and family settled on a farm "up west" of Elizabeth- town village, where both died and are buried in the old "Calkin burying ground," which took its name from them.
Elijah Calkin and wife reared a large family of children, among whom were the following : John Calkin, who was born July 15, 1785, in Northeast, Dutchess County, N. Y., and was therefore about 17 years of age when he arrived in Elizabeth- town. May 11, 1806, just before he became 21 years of age, he married Lucy Kellogg, a daughter of Elijah Kellogg. The children of John Calkin and Lucy Kellogg numbered nine and were as follows : Amy Starkweather, Asa Starkweather, Nor- man, Charles McNeil, Angelina, Elvira Esterbrooks, Harriet Elizabeth, John Towner and Charlotte Jane. It was the writer's good fortune to know one of the nine children named above, Charles McNeil Calkin, who was a most esti- mable Christian man who died at Iowa City, Iowa, a few years since in extreme old age, The last of the nine children to sur- vive was John Towner Calkin who died in Chicago, Ill., Janu- ary 26, 1905, in the 80th year of his age.
The eldest daughter of Elijah Calkin married John Knox
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and came to Elizabethtown from Hillsdale, Columbia County, N. Y.
Anna Calkin, who married Pollaus Aurelius Newell, concern- ing whom further mention will be made a few years later.
Calvin Calkin, who married Kaziah Kellogg.
Milo Calkin, U. S. representative to the Sandwich Islands, was a son of Calvin Calkin.
Elijah Calkin, who married Polly Bancroft.
Isaac Calkin, who married Laura Barnum. Their daughter Phebe became the late Mrs. Jehiel Brownson, or "Aunt Phebe," as she was locally and familiarly known, Delia mar- ried a man named Bingham and Amanda married a Springer.
Benjamin Calkin, who married Urania Kellogg, also a daughter of Elijah Kellogg. The children of Benjamin Cal- kin and wife were Rosamond, who never married, Juliett, who married George H. Glidden, Rebecca, who married Alvin Blood, Phebe Ann, who married Cyrel Wakefield, Henry and Theodore, all of whom are dead.
Hiram Calkin, who married Maria Person for his first wife. Their children were Charles, Lewis and Leander. His second wife was Sarah Hill Perry. The children by the second mar- riage were Evander and Elliott Brown.
Earlier in this work Captain William Kellogg was mentioned. He was the eldest of three brothers, sons of Josiah Kel- logg who lived in the Wyoming Valley when the Tories and Indians swooped down upon that practically defenseless set- tlement. The two younger brothers of Captain William Kel- logg were Elijah and Eldad and it is now proper to state that the latter was also mixed up in the Wyoming Massacre, nar- rowly escaping with his life. Elijah Kellogg having arrived in Elizabethtown, it is now time to speak at some length of his numerous family. Elijah Kellogg married Polly Harner. Their children were William Kellogg, 2d., who married for
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his first wife Rhoda Farnsworth, a sister of Deacon Asa Farns- worth, so long a resident of the town of Lewis. William Kellogg's second wife was Ruby Phelps. William Kellogg's children were: Cyrus, who married Mary Jane Williams, eldest sister of Charles Noble Williams of Elizabethtown; Ira, who became a Baptist preacher, being located in or near Panton, Vt., as late as five years ago; Harriet, who married Ezekiel Palmer ; Philander, Orson (2d.,) Rhoda and Sabra.
Valentine Kellogg, who married Huldah Phelps. Their children were: Polly, who died of the "black throat ail" in the winter of 1842, Jane Ann who married Wm. Codman and set- tled in Winona, Minn., where she died, Leoline Valentine, who married in the west, Eva, who marrid a Longnecker, Luena, who married John Townsend Miller of Minerva, Eliza, who married Norman Miller and resides in St. Charles, Minn., Clara, who married a Tupper and Mary, who never married. Val- entine Kellogg was one of Elizabethtown's pioneer shoemakers.
Orson Kellogg, the first son of Elizabethtown to graduate from Vermont University, graduating with honors in the class of 1823, married Sarah Durand and became a famous school teacher, teaching successfully in Elizabethtown, Westport and New York City. He visited France to look up the estate said to have been coming to the Durand family into which he had married but no property ever materialized for the benefit of the Durands generally as a result of his foreign tour. Orson Kellogg had two children, Francis and Mary, both said to have been highly educated. Orson Kellogg died in New York City.
Theron Kellogg, who married Lorinda Davernport.
Lorenzo Kellogg, blind, who became a Baptist preacher.
Aurelia Kellogg, who married Seth Lee. The mother of ex-sheriff Judson C. Ware of North Elba was a daughter of Seth Lee and Aurelia Kellogg, as was also Miss Sylvia Lee,
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who died at Boquet, N. Y., January 9, 1903, in the 85th year of her ago.
Lucy Kellogg, who married John Calkin.
Urania Kellogg, who married Benjamin Calkin.
Sophia Kellogg, who married William Rowe. William Rowe and wife are survived by several children, notably Carlos Rowe of Chesterfield, Mrs. Wm. E. Atherton and Miss Annette Rowe of Boquet.
Kaziah Kellogg, who married Calvin Calkin.
Eldad Kellogg, youngest brother of William and Elijah Kel- logg, married and settled on the Black River, in what is now known as the Meigsville section. He had a son Walter and two daughters.
During the eventful year 1802 Elijah Hedding, (Methodist) afterwards the famous Bishop Hedding, was preaching in the Plattsburgh circuit. In a humble cottage on the west side of Cumberland Head, about two miles from Plattsburgh, he is said to have preached his first sermon. Half a century ago that humble cottage was pointed out as the place where Bishop Hedding began his career as a preacher. Another Methodist preacher who was laboring in the Plattsburgh circuit at this early time was Elijah Chichester, under whom Elijah Hedding labored for one year, frequently coming to Elizabethtown. John Crawford was another Methodist preacher who labored throughout this region early in the 19th century. Here amid our towering mountain peaks these good old fashioned Meth- odist pioneers forded streams, traversed forests, faced the pelting storms, slept in log cabins and kindled a flame that after the lapse of a century is not extinguished.
Another early settler in that part of Elizabethtown which later became Westport was Timothy Sheldon. He was born at West Point, N. Y., being a son of George Sheldon and Con- tent Soule and a direct descendant of William Sheldon, one
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of the three brothers who came over from England early in 1600. He married Maria Silvernail and after leaving West Point lived for a number of years in Brookfield, Essex County, N. Y., where he knew Charles Hatch, before mentioned. In fact, it is probable that the removal of Charles Hatch to Northwest Bay may have influenced Timothy Sheldon to seek his fortune in a more favorable field. At any rate he bought land and settled in the south part of the patent of Bessboro where he lived the remainder of his life. Timothy Sheldon had twelve children :
Clarissa, Gitty, Walter, George, Wolfe P., Platt, Christine, Anne, Harriet, McConly, Otis and Ida.
Clarrissa married Jonathan Post, Walter married Mary Saw- tell, George married Hannah North, Wolfe P. married Charity Crandall, Platt married Asenath Braman, Christine married Levi Hinckley, Anne married Lucius Bishop, Harriet married David Judd, McConly was drowned while young, Otis married Mary Howard and Ida married Thomas Mckenzie.
Timothy Sheldon was a fine specimen of the old time country gentleman. As two of his daughters married residents of the Boquet Valley and another married a resident of the Simonds Hill section, and as he frequently had business at Judge Au- gustus C. Hand's law office, he often drove through Elizabeth- town village and thence up the Boquet Valley. His red face and commanding figure are well remembered by many of the older residents of Elizabethtown. The mortal remains of Timothy Sheldon were buried in the cemetery at Mullein Brook, which is passed in driving from Westport village to Port Henry.
Hezekiah Barber, after whom Barber's Point on Lake Champlain was named, served as Supervisor of Elizabethtown from 1803 to 1805, inclusive. The Inspectors for 1803 were
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Hezekiah Barber, Sylvanus Lobdell, Enos Loveland, Jacob Southwell.
The Inspectors for the year 1804 were Sylvanus Lobdell, Joseph Jenks, Enos Loveland, Hezekiah Barber, Zadock Hurd.
It was in 1804 that Theodorus Ross began his Legis- lative career, being elected to the Assembly that year. Inasmuch as Inspectors returns for the year 1804 were dated April 26th it is probable that the Assemblyman was elected in the spring of that year. As the student of history looks back a century, it is easy to see with what satisfaction Elizabeth VanRensselaer Ross must have accepted her hus- band's election to the New York Legislature from their adopted county after a residence here of only a few years. As the wife of Essex County's Assemblyman she could and would go to Albany, "that good old Dutch town," where were so many of her early acquaintances and associates. In her mind there were, doubtless, visions of active, social scenes of other and better days, towards which she fondly leaned after several years residence here among the mountains, where there was so little of the gayety of the life to which her maiden days were so strongly attached. Ah, could she have forseen what the im- mediate future had in store, sad indeed would have been her thoughts.
One early July morning of 1804 Alexander Hamilton, hav- ing been challenged by Aaron Burr to fight a duel, went across the Hudson River from New York City to the New Jersey shore. There one of the greatest statesmen New York ever fur- nished the Union was killed by Aaron Burr. Besides removing from the scenes of political activity a brilliant statesman, that duel forever blasted the hopes of an ambitious politician and made dueling a crime. The mortal remains of the ill-fated Hamilton were buried in Trinity churchyard, just across
View of River Street, Showing Dr. Alexander Morse's House on the Left. Painting by George B. Wood. Photographed by Underwood.
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Broadway from the upper end of Wall Street, New York City.1
Alexander Hamilton, it will be recalled, married Elizabeth Schuyler, whose mother was none other than "Sweet Kitty VanRensselaer." Alexander Hamilton had stood shoulder to shoulder with his father-in-law, General Philip Schuyler, John Jay and Robert R. Livingston for "a more perfect union" and his three hours' speech at Poughkeepsie brought tears to the eyes of his listeners, made the opposition waver so that enough changed their minds to make it possible to take New York into the Union on the final vote of fifty-seven delegates by a bare majority of three. His death under the peculiar circum- stances cast a gloom not only over the State of New York but in every corner of the Union he had helped so materially to perfect. And doubly sad was that circle of families of which such a conspicuous part was formed by the VanRensselaers.
Again, on the 18th of November, 1804, General Philip Schuy- ler, who had for half a century been the faithful husband of "Sweet Kitty VanRensselaer," breathed his last and again the family circle to which Elizabeth VanRensselaer Ross belonged was thrown into mourning.
For sixty-six years General Schuyler's last resting place re- mained unmarked until, in 1870, a loving grand-daughter erected in the Albany Rural Cemetery a costly granite monu- ment bearing this simple inscription :
Major General Philip Schuyler Born at Albany Nov. 22nd, 1733 Died Nov. 18, 1804."
Truly one with the unblemished character of General Philip Schuyler needs no eulogistic epitaph.
1 A son of Hamilton had in a like combat been fatally wounded.
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The towns of Schroon and Ticonderoga were organized or formed the same day-March 20, 1804. Schroon was named from the Dutchess of Scharon. Ticonderoga is from an Indian name meaning "Brawling Water."
In 1805 the Inspectors of Election in Elizabethtown were Simeon Frisbey, Hezekiah Barber, Sylvanus Lobdell, Enos Loveland, Zadock Hurd.
Simeon Frisbey, or Frisbie, as his name was usually written, must have arrived in Elizabethtown previous to 1805, else he would not, in all human probability, have been serving as an Inspector of Election that year.
Theodorus Ross again served as Member of Assembly from Essex County in 1805.
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The Great Northern Turnpike.
A map of the Great Northern Turnpike route is on file in the Essex County Clerk's Office, also Field Notes in pamphlet form. The survey of the route was made by Samuel Young in 1805.
Inasmuch as the route ran the whole length of Essex County from Schroon Lake on the south to the Ausable River on the north and as not one word, so far as the writer can recall, has ever been printed about the Great Northern Turnpike in any book issued in Northern New York, the following act is quoted word for word from the bound volume of Session Laws for 1805, in the hope that it will prove interesting reading to many people, especially those dwelling in the matchless Boquet Valley, through which the route passed :
CHAP. LXXVI.
An Act to establish a Turnpike corporation for improving and making the Great Northern Road from Kingsbury to the North line of the State.
Be it enacted by the people of the State of New York, rep- resented in senate and assembly, That all such persons as shall hereafter associate for the purpose of making a good and suf- ficient road running from Kingsbury, in Washington County, west of Lake Champlain, through the county of Essex and Clinton, to the north line of the State, by the most direct and practicable route, their successors and assigns be and are
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hereby created a body corporate and politic, by the name of "The President and Directors of the Great Northern Turnpike road company ;" and they are hereby ordained, constituted and declared to be a body corporate and politic, in fact and in name, and by that name they and their successors shall and may have continual succession, and shall be capable in law of suing and being sued, pleading and being impleaded, answering and being answered unto, defending and being defended in all courts and places whatsoever, in all manner of actions, suits, complaints, matters and causes whatsoever; and they and their successors, by that name and style, shall be in law capa- ble of purchasing, holding and conveying any estate real and personal for the use of the said corporation :
Provided, that such estate as well real as personal, so be pur- chased and held, shall be necessary to fulfil the end and intent of the said corporation, and to no other purpose whatsoever.
And be it further enacted, that Theodosius Fowler, Elkanah Watson, Charles D. Cooper, Theodorus Ross, Benjamin Moores, Charles R. Webster, Robert Gilchrist, James Rogers, Pliney Moore and Micajah Pettit, be and are hereby appointed commissioners to do and perform the several duties herein- after mentioned, that is to say : each of the said commission- ers shall furnish himself with a book, in which shall be writ- ten, "WE, whose names are hereunto subscribed, respectively promise to pay to the president and directors of the great northern turnpike road company, the sum of twenty-five dol- lars for every share of the stock thereof set opposite to our respective names, in such manner and proportion, and at such time and place as the said president and directors shall from time to time require;" that such books shall be kept open for re- ceiving subscriptions ; and every subscriber shall, at the time of subscribing, pay three dollars for each share subscribed, to the commissioner in whose book he shall so subscribe ; that the
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stock of said company may consist of six thousand shares; that as soon as five hundred shares shall have been subscribed, the said commissioners shall cause an advertisement to be inserted in the Albany Register, giving at least five weeks no- tice of the time and place when and where the said subscrib- ers shall meet, to choose thirteen directors, who shall be stockholders, for the purpose of managing the concerns of the company until the first Monday in October next after such election ; and the said directors shall be chosen by ballot by the stockholders then present, at which said first election such of the said commissioners as shall be then and there present shall preside ; and the first Monday in February shall forever there- after be the anniversary day for choosing directors and that at every subsequent election the stockholders present, shall by plurality of votes elect three of their number to preside at such election ; that the persons so presiding shall receive the bal- lots at such election, and immediately after the election shall be closed, openly estimate the votes, and thereupon make and subscribe a certificate of the result of such election, specify- ing the names of the stockholders so elected, and make return thereof to the said president and directors at their next meet- ing after such election ; that every stockholder shall, either in person or by proxy, at every such election, be entitled to one vote for every share he or she shall hold to the number of ten shares, and one additional vote for every five shares he or she shall hold above the number of ten shares :
Provided. That no such stockholder shall be entitled to more than fifty votes ; that if such election shall not be held on any of the said annual election days, it shall be lawful to make such election at any other day to be appointed for that purpose by the said president and directors, in like manner and with like effect as if the same had been held at the usual time; and the directors in office shall in that case, be incapacitated
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after the said anniversary election day from performing any act as directors, other than such as may be necessary to give such election effect ; that any seven of the said directors shall be a quorum, and capable of transacting the business of said corporation, and any act of the majority of the directors, so met, shall be binding on the said corporation ; and after every such election, the said directors elected shall, immediately after having met, proceed to elect, by ballot, one of their number for president, and the said president and directors may meet from time to time, at such place as they may find expedient and direct, and they shall have power to make such by-laws, rules, orders and regulations, not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of this state or of the United States, as they shall deem necessary for the well ordering the affairs of the said corporation ; that in case of vacancies, by death, resignation or otherwise, in the office of director, the other directors in office may, by a majority of votes, supply such vacancy until the next annual election day ; that whenever the president shall be absent from any of the meetings of the di- rectors, the directors present may by plurality of votes, ap- point another of their number president for the meeting, and they shall and may proceed and transact the business of the said corporation in like manner as if the president was pres- ent ; and that at the first meeting of the first directors to be chosen as aforesaid by the stockholders, the said commissioners above named shall deliver their respective subscription books and pay over the monies received by them respectively on such subscriptions, to the president and directors of the said corporation ; that in case of refusal or neglect the said president. and directors are hereby authorized and empowered to prose- cute for the same in any court having cognizance thereof, with costs of suit ; and the said president and directors may con- tinue to receive subscriptions to the stock of the said corpo-
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ration until there shall have been six thousand shares sub- scribed, and shall have power to appoint such officers, agents, clerks, artists, workmen and others under them as shall be nec- essary for executing the business of the said corporation.
And be it further enacted, that the said president and direc- tors shall, at all times during the continuance of this incor- poration, erect, maintain and support good and sufficient bridges of at least twenty five feet wide, over and across the several rivers and streams on said road.
And Whereas it cannot at present be ascertained whether it will be just and proper that toll, if any, and if so, at what rate should be exacted for passing the said bridges.
Therefore
Be it further enacted, that it shall and may be lawful for the judges and assistant justices or a majority of them not in- terested, in each county through which such road shall pass, to meet, if required so to do by the said president and directors, and determine if any and what rate of toll they shall or may demand, for the passing over said bridge or bridges so to be erected, under the hands and seals of a majority present and not to exceed in any instance the amount of toll received for ten miles on said road as specified.
And be it further enacted, that if the said turnpike road shall pass over any bridge already erected, the said company shall be vested with the property of the said bridge in the same manner as if they had erected the same, and shall keep said bridge in repair until removed by the said president and directors, but shall receive no toll for passing the same; and the said president and directors are hereby authorized and re- quired to remove said bridge whenever the same shall be deemed essential, and to erect one in its place : Provided nevertheless, that if the people of the town or any citizen or citizens thereof in which said bridge is erected, will erect any
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bridge, and shall keep the same in good and sufficient repair, agreeable to this act, under the inspection of the commissioner to be appointed for the district in which such bridge shall be situated, then and in that case such bridge shall be a free one, and no toll shall be exacted for passing the same, but in case the said commissioner shall under his hand and seal to the president and directors declare said bridge to be insuf- ficient or out of repair, then and in that case the said presi- dent and directors are hereby authorized and required to erect a good and sufficient bridge, and if out of repair to put the same in good and sufficient repair and keep the same agreea- ble to the true intent and meaning of this act.
And be it further enacted, that it shall be and hereby is made the duty of three commissioners not interested in the turnpike, who shall be nominated and appointed by the per- son administering the government of this state, or any two of them under oath, to lay out such road according to the best of their judgment and understanding, without favor or partiality, in such manner that the object of the incorporation and the general interests of the public shall be in the best manner effected, and it shall be the duty of the said commissioners to deposit and cause to be filed in the office of the clerk of every county through which such road shall pass, an accurate map of the survey of the same in such county, designating the sev- eral particular points through which it shall pass ; and each of which commissioners for their services aforesaid, shall be allowed at the rate of three dollars a day, for every day they shall be necessarily employed in the services aforesaid, to be paid together with the expense of surveying and filing the said map by the said corporation ; and the president and directors may contract and agree with the owners of the said land, for the purchase of so much thereof as shall be necessary for the purpose of making said road, and for erecting and establish-
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