The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 104

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823-
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company
Number of Pages: 1098

USA > New York > Jefferson County > The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894 > Part 104

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But a change was to come, which was to seriously affect the future interests of the growing town. The real owners of the rail- road, having other interests demanding their attention, left its affairs in the control of a committee of its directors, but one of whom is now living, who, fearing that Cape Vin-

cent might rival Watertown in growth and importance, proceeded to check its growth at once. At all events, the checking process was begun and effectually carried out. The view these gentlemen took of the situation appears now to have been narrow and their policy short-sighted. They should have considered that Watertown, with its im- mense water power, could easily hold first place ; and they might have seen, also, that with a prosperous port within so short a dis- tance and so easy of access, so well situated for the reception and delivery of the raw ma- terial, however rapid its growth and great its prosperity might have been, was but an entrepot to Watertown, the manufacturing center. Cape Vincent had no manufacturing advantages, and whatever importance it gained could only have been secondary to the point where the traffic centered and the machinery was located. In a less degree, perhaps, but equally disastrous in its effects, was this policy upon the villages of Three Mile Bay, Chaumont, Dexter and Sackets Harbor, all of which were tributary to Watertown, increasing its prosperity in di- rect proportion to their own. Cape Vincent was but a gateway to the coming city of the county. She received the raw material and sent it to Watertown to be manufactured, and, receiving back the manufactured article, she shipped it to a market. Had the policy of these directors been governed by broader views and by a more comprehensive fore- sight, they would have seen that they were damaging the interests of Watertown as well as those of the railroad itself. Had the growth of Cape Vincent been promoted in- stead of checked, it is fair to presume that now we could boast of the best harbor on either lake or river ; and instead of a single track between Cape Vincent and Watertown, perhaps four would have been nceded, while along the banks of Black river, from Carthage to Dexter, there would have been many more factories than now. The larger Cape Vincent became and the more its traffic increased, the greater Watertown would have become; and instead of being a small city to- day, it would have rivaled Utica, Syracuse or Rochester, and the holdings of those men would have been worth thousands where to- day they are worth but hundreds. [The editor of this history gives these remarks as the views of Cape Vincent people. As to his own opinion of Watertown and its jealousies, the reader is referred to page 360.]

NEWSPAPERS.

The first newspaper published in Cape Vincent was the Cape Vincent Gazette, Paul A. Leach, editor and proprietor. In one of the issues before us, the "Breakwater" is alluded to, showing that the subject is no new thing to the people of Cape Vincent. What is still more interesting, however, is the number of arrivals at this port, on the day of the issue of the first number of the Gazette. They were: Schooner Royal

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CAPE VINCENT.

Oak, Whitby, 9,116 bushels of wheat ; schooner Jem Milford, 9,018 bushels of wheat, nine barrels of pork; steamer High- lander, Kingston, 52 head of cattle, 11 casks of ale ; propeller Mink, and barges Kingston, 350,000 feet of lumber for F. A. Cross; schooner Anne Maud, Port Hope, 3,600 bush- els of wheat ; schooner Greyhound, Kings- ton, 1,551 pounds of flour ; sloop Greyhound, Kingston, 2,429 bushels of rye. A vast difference between then and now.

The Gazette was succeeded by the Frontier Patriot, May 10, 1862, P. H. Keenan, editor and proprietor. Mr. Keenan became patri- otic, and entered the army the same year, and the name of Robert Mitchell appeared as editor, though Keenan was yet proprietor. Some time in the fall, Mitchell deemed it necessary to lay in a stock of paper, and went after it; but he forgot to return.

On the whole, Editor Keenan's paper was a well-edited, newsy sheet. Ten years later, on the 18th of April, 1872, the Cape Vincent Eagle appeared, with Ames & Hunt, editors and proprietors. Hunt shortly sold out to his partner, who continued to publish the paper until 1877, when he sold out to Charles B. Wood. Mr. Ames published a good village paper, under many difficulties, and it is gratifying to know that he has since be- come a prosperous newspaper editor. Mr. Ames had always conducted the Eagle along a neutral line, politically, but the new editor, Mr. Wood, chose to make it a strong partisan sheet, and changed its title to the Demo- cratic Eagle, but in a few years he again changed to the name Cape Vincent Eagle, which the paper still retains. Mr. Wood has been once burned out, but the Eagle, like the Phoenix, whatever that may have been, arose from its ashes, better than ever before. It is in excellent quarters, has a fine power- press and steam, and a good, all-around out- fit. In short, it is in better shape by far than the average country office ever gets to be. Mr. Wood edits a very readable local page, and having too much sense to attempt to run a nine-column paper in a six-column town, has been fairly successful financially.

MASONIC SOCIETIES.

The first Masonic lodge, of which there is any record, ever opened within the present limits of Cape Vincent, or indeed of Jeffer- son county, was held on Carleton Island as early as January, 1783; at which date, on the evening of the 7th or 8th of that month, no less than five candidates were initiated; so that it is highly probable that the lodge was instituted the previous year.

The first lodge established in the village of Cape Vincent, was chartered March 8, 1822, as Cape Vincent Lodge No. 344. The officers were installed on the 10th of July, by Isaac Lee. The following were the charter mem- bers: John B. and R. M. Esselstyn, El- nathan Judd, Zebulon Converse, Elisha Johnson, Henry Ainsworth, James Buckley, Andrew Estes, William Palmer, John Nash,

Count Pierre Francois Real, Joseph Cross, S. P. Sheldon, Samuel Doxsee, William Mer- ritt and D. Slocum. The officers were : John B. Esselstyn, W. M .; Elnathan Judd, S. W .; Zebulon Converse, J. W .; Henry Ainsworth, Treasurer; Richard M. Esselstyn, Secretary ; Philip D. Eage, S. D .; James Buckley, J. D ; Joseph Cross and William Palmer, Stewards, and Elihu Johnson, Tyler.

The records of the lodge end abruptly with the last entry in the minutes of a meeting held May 26, 1831; and whether the charter was surrendered, or in what way the organi- zation was broken up, can only be solved by referring to the records of the Grand Lodge. A reference to the Masonic history of the county at this time, shows that nearly every lodge had surrendered its charter; the cause being the prevailing Anti-Masonic' excite- ment, which, in 1831, was at its height. To show to what extent anti-Masonry had become a political factor in Jefferson county, it is only necessary to state that in 1830 there were 13 Masonic, and only five anti-Masonic supervisors elected, and that in 1831 the board was equally divided; so that it is fair to presume that Cape Vincent Lodge No. 344 went down in the great anti-Masonic on- slaught of that time. The present lodge of Cape Vincent is the fortunate possessor of the jewels and records, so far as they went, of the old lodge.

The officers present at the last recorded meeting of the lodge were: Calvin Wright, W. M .; William Estes, S. W .; James Cum- mings, J. W .; Ward E. Ingalls, Treasurer ; Samuel Forsyth, Secretary ; Simon Howard, S. D .; J. W. Forsyth, J. D .; and Ira Had- ley, Tyler.

From lack of space many interesting mat- ters concerning the old lodge are omitted.

Cape Vincent Lodge F. & A. M., was chartered June 11, 1853. Its charter mem- bers were; Zebulon Converse, Otis P. Starkey, Jacob Berringer, Roswell T. Lee, Charles Smith, Robert C. Bartlett, Ward E. Ingalls, Ira Hadley, Sidney W. Ainsworth Willard Ainsworth, Walter Collins, Frederick Orton and James Forsyth. The first officers elected, and which were installed by Hon. Lysander H. Brown, of Watertown, July 28, 1853, were: Zebulon Converse, W. M .; Otis P. Starkey, S. W .; Jacob Berringer, J. W .; Ward E. Iugalls, Treasurer; Robert C. Bart- lett, Secretary ; Roswell T. Lee, S. D .; Charles Smith, J. D .; Sidney W. Ainsworth and D. B. Kellogg, Stewards, and Ira Had- ley, Tyler.

The present officers (1895), are as follows: Lloyd Woodruff, W. M .; Charles B. Wood, S. W .; Wayne B. Brewster, J. W .; Erastus K. Burnham, Treasurer; Will A. Casler, Secretary ; Roy Allen, S. D .; Joseph C. Gregor, J. D .; Charles A. Jerome, S. M. C .; Fred Johnson, J. M. C .; Laban Barrett, Tyler.

Rising Virtue Chapter No. 96, R. A. M., was chartered February 3, 1825, and the offi- cers were installed February 15, by M. E.

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H. P. Isaac Lee. The officers installed were: Stockwell Osgood, H. P .; H. H. Smith, K .; R. T. Lee, Scribe; Rev. Jedediah Burchard, Captain of the Host; Zebulon Converse, Principal S .; D. W. Slocum, R. A. C .; P. P. Gaige, M. 3d V .; James Buck- ley, M. 2d V .; Elnathan Judd, M. 1st V .; Daniel Smith, Treasurer; and E. Johnson, Tyler. This Chapter continued to work until 1830, when its charter was surrendered. The same cause that broke up the first Blue Lodge, no doubt operated in this case, as it did with most of the Chapters throughout the county. In 1851, however, on the 3d of July, the charter was returned and re- newed, and the following Companions were installed : R. T. Lee, H. P .; Frank Rell, K .; Z. Converse, S .; J. Berringer, Captain of the Host; O. P. Starkey, P. S .; James Homan, R. A. C .; P. P. Gaige, M. 3d V .;

In 1847 a small steamer, the Farmer, ran from Kingston to Cape Vincent, as business seemed to warrant, and in 1852 the Lady of the Lake became a regular ferry boat he- tween the two places, while in the meantime the steamer John Counter was building, es- pecially for the route through the new canal then constructing across Wolfe Island. She was found to be too large for the purpose, however, and after making a few trips around the head of the island, she was sold to parties in Montreal, and her place was taken by the Star. Next came the Sir Charles Napier, when Kinghorn & Hinckley organized a company, putting the Pierrepont on the line, and later the Watertown.

In 1873 Folger Brothers purchased these steamers, Capt. Hinckley still retaining an interest. Then the steamers Maud and Geneva were put on the Kingston-Cape

THE ST. LAWRENCE, One of Folger Bros. Popular Excursion Boats.

James Buckley, M. 2d V .; Truman Blodgett, M. 1st V .; P. P. Gaige, Treasurer ; James Cross, Tyler. L. Gaige was elected Secre- tary in December of the same year.

The Chapter has now an active member- ship of 35, and is in a good condition. The principal officers are: Companions L. R. Dezengremel, H. P .; J. B. Grapotte, K; and William Carnes, S.

For much of the foregoing Masonic infor- mation, and for extracts from old-time records, the author is indebted to Companion L. O. Woodruff, who has been of material aid in getting at some very interesting and historical information.

SHIPBUILDING.

It has already been intimated that the ship- ping and shipbuilding interests of Cape Vin- cent were at one time quite largely developed.

Vincent route, and from then until now, the Maud has been on the line; and so carefully and skilfully has she been handled, that she is known as the "Reliable." She is now being transformed into one of the finest steamers on the river. The first boat to run regularly between Cape Vincent and Clayton, was the Wren, which commenced her daily trips in 1868. In 1870 the Midge took her place, adding a daily trip from Clayton to Gananoque. In 1873 the J. H. Kelley took the route from Cape Vincent to Alexandria Bay, making two round trips daily ; and in 1875 she was succeeded by the propellor T. S. Faxton. Since her time several different -and several indifferent-boats have been on the route. One of them, the St. Lawrence, is one of the finest-if not the finest-boat in the whole river fleet, with the Islander a close second.

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The ship-yard was where the late Alfred Burnham's grist-mill now stands, and at one time a large business in the way of ship- building was done, beginning about the year 1819; but time and space forbids a list of the vessels there constructed, the entire num- ber being about 30.

The great need of Cape Vincent to-day is a breakwater, the cost of which to the government would be but a tithe of the benefits it would confer upon the shipping interests of the lakes and river. There is no space in a book of this kind to set forth the many forcible reasons for a work of so much importance to the interests of naviga- tion ; but it is hoped that in the near future Congress will take a favorable view of the question.

FISHING AND FISHERIES.

In 1859, Brown & May, of Port Ontario, N. Y., established the first fishery business in Cape Vincent. They continued the busi- ness until 1868, when they were succeeded by A. J. Dewey and Alonzo McPherson ; the business finally came into possession of the firm of Ainsworth, Horton & Co., in 1875, about which time they built the tug Camp. The firm dissolved in 1878, the business being carried on by Mr. Ainsworth. In 1864, L. D. Ackerman, of Three Mile Bay, began the same business here, and in 1869 sold out to Henry Peo, who carried it on until the formation of the present company, which consolidated the whole business under the name and style of the "Lake Ontario Fish Company, Limited." The officers of the company are : President, C. M. Clark ; Vice-President and Treasurer, A. H. Bowe; Secretary, John Kilborn; Directors, Henry Peo, C. M. Clark, John Kilborn, A. H. Bowe, and others. The company owns the steam-tug Thistle, and a vast array of fishing boats, nets and apparatus necessary to the carrying on of a successful business. Their apparatus for freezing fish on a large scale, is of the best class, and all their buildings, from their well-appointed offices throughout the sorting and packing departments, down to the box-making shops, are well arranged and admirably calculated for the business. They receive large quantities of fish from the upper lakes, especially from Georgian Bay, and their trade extends over several States. Their shipments average not far from 40,000 pounds per week, of fresh, salt and frozen fish, giving constant employment to a large number of men, outside the force employed in and around the packing house itself. The business, as now carried on, is one of the largest and most successful in Cape Vincent, and indeed in Northern New York. The company has a capital of $100,- 000, and a branch house in Kingston, Ont.

OLD TIME POLITICS.

At one time in its history, the town of Cape Vincent was as strongly Whig, propor- tionately, as it is now Democratic. The resi- dents of the French Settlement were all

Whigs, but, as happened in other localities, the Knownothing tornado came, and, with but few exceptions, they were swept away into that party and cast their votes for Myron Clark for Governor. When the reaction came, they went to the other extreme and affiliated with the Democrats.

SUPERVISORS.

The first supervisor elected in the town was Frederick A. Folger, in 1849. Robert C. Bartlett held the office in 1850-51, Charles Smith in 1852, and Otis P. Starkey in 1853. For a list of supervisors from 1854 to the present time (1894), see pages 337-344.

SCHOOLS.

The first school-house in the village of Cape Vincent stood on Market street, near the old cemetery. From all that can be gleaned from the oldest inhabitant, the early schools of Cape Vincent were not of the highest grade. In those days, when muscle predominated and brains were only a second- ary consideration ; when a fair knowledge of the three R's was almost equal to a college diploma to-day ; when to achieve the feat of throwing the teacher out of doors was looked upon as meritorious by many and winked at by all, and a "feather in the cap" of the boy who did it; and when the teacher governed his school by personal prowess and brute force, and very frequently his only educa- tional claim was the fact that he could thrash all the big boys in the school at once ; it is not to be expected that, as educational institutions, the schools of an early day werc of a very high order, and, more especially, in a river town, where the very business car- ried on of itself attracted numbers of young men with whom muscle was the first consid -. eration. The wonder is, that the pupils of those days acquired as much book knowledge as they did. Among the first teachers re- membered was a man named Babbitt. It is said that he was a man of very fair educa- tion, but he had the little failing of re- turning to the school-house after dinner usually in a tolerably advanced stage of in- toxication. Then came a man named Clews, who was, it seems, but a slight improve- ment on the other. A somewhat better order of things prevailed under Professor Shumway and Daniel George ; the latter went off into the Patriot war, so-called, and was hanged at Kingston. Finally the stone school-house was built; and a man by the name of Mont- gomery was employed to fill out a term, after three teachers in succession had been thrown out. At that time, a small stream which headed toward the eastern limits of the town and ran down back of where Mr. Willard Ainsworth's house now stands and across the grounds on which the Algonquin Hotel lately stood, through Morris E. Lee's garden and into the euphonious "toad hole," was a great skating ground, and in winter the water was usually high enough so that when the stream was frozen the boys could

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skate for a mile or more up into the woods, and in consequence were always too late for school. Three teachers in succession had tried to correct this little vagary, but the re- sult was disastrous. It ended in ejectment by summary proceedings in each and every case. Finally Montgomery came, and with him a change in the conditions, which, although none the less summary, were not coupled with ejectment. The young skaters pursued their former course once more, and once only, and then skating as a beverage seemed to lose its charm. In speaking about that occasion, an old white-haired citizen said the other day : "It was the blankety blankiest licking I ever got in my life. I can feel it now."

To-day Cape Vincent boasts of a first-class school, a good school building, an able principal, and a corps of excellent teachers in all the departments. The school stands sec- ond to none of the village schools in the county, and is largely patronized from out- side the district. The curriculum is that of the usual High School course, and the most advanced methods are in vogue, while thor- oughness is the prevailing idea. Prof. H. R. Smith, the principal, has charge of the senior department and Miss Minnie A. Loughren is preceptress of. the junior department ; Miss Cora Courtney teaches in the junior depart- ment, Miss Mildred D. Hamlin has charge of the intermediate department, Miss Etta Wolover of the second primary, and Miss Alice Hinman of the primary department. In their respective departments and places these constitute a corps of very able teachers, and they are rapidly placing the school on a very high plane.

The district schools throughout the town are fully up to the average, and the people generally, are alive to educational matters. Mr. Sheridan Clark, of Cape Vincent, is the present school commissioner. He is an en- thusiast in all that relates to our common school system, and under his fostering care there will be no retrograding.

CHURCHES AND CHURCH SOCIETIES.

The first religious services in Cape Vin- cent, of which there is any certain knowl- edge, were held by Richard M. Esselstyn, in his own house, and consisted of a reading of the Episcopal service, and of a sermon each Sabbath, usually followed by. a prayer ex tempore, by Deacon Kendall, who was a Baptist. Previous to 1820, now and then a missionary strayed into the village, among whom the names of Revs. Avery and Flint are remembered. There is still to be seen the original draft of a paper which shows that the first Sabbath school was organized July 30, 1820. John B. Esselstyn and Buell Fuller were managers; Richard M. Essels- tyn was superintendent, and a Mr. Ellis, teacher. The draft of the first "Constitution of the Auxiliary Female Missionary Society of Cape Vincent," is yet in existence; and although the paper bears no date, it is certain

that the society was organized previous to any church society, and not far from the year 1820; and it is very probable, a year or two earlier. The following list of its members will interest many of our readers : Charity Esselstyn, Delia Esselstyn, Clarissa Essel- styn, Hannah P. Esselstyn, Sally T. Rogers, Cynthia Rogers, Lucy Kelsey, Laura C. Kelsey, Sarah S. Kelsey, Lois Hubbard, Mary Hubbard, Emily Hubbard, Phoebe Green, Lydia Lake, Jemima Merritt, Sally Fuller, Tryphena Buckley, Abigail Smith, Rebecca Johnson, Mrs. Corcoran, Lydia W. Brewster, Hannah Ainsworth, Clarissa For- syth.

Many descendants of this noble band of pioneer women, who, 65 years ago, united themselves together to work for the mission- ary cause, are still living among us; and they can scarcely fail to look with pride upon such a grand array of ancestral names, who thus early, and under difficulties not en- countered in these days, directed their humble efforts toward the spread of Chris- tian enlightenment among the heathen of foreign lands.

The Presbyterian Church was formally organized at the house of Oliver Lynch, March 2, 1823. Rev. Noah M. Wells, of Brownville, was moderator, and Oliver Lynch, Abraham Morrow, Matilda Lynch, Jane Forsyth, Mary Forsyth, Cynthia Rogers, Hezekiah H. Smith and Ammarillis Mills, constituted the original membership. Oliver Lynch and Abraham Morrow were chosen elders and deacons, and on the 25th of June, the church was received into the presbytery of St. Lawrence. On the 13th of February, 1832, the First Presbyterian Society was organized, with Simon Howard, Henry Ainsworth, Michael Myers, Roswell T. Lee and James Buckley, as trustees. A site for a church building was donated by Mr. LeRay, and its erection was begun the same year, but not completed until 1840. Since that time the church edifice has been greatly enlarged, and recent improvements have transformed it into a tasteful place of worship. The first minister was Rev. Jede- diah Burchard, who came in 1824, and during the two years' of his pastorate, the member- ship increased to more than 50 persons. There were also large accessions in 1850. During Rev. Burchard's pastorate, services were held in a wagon shop, which stood two or three feet from the ground, on cedar posts, with no underpinning between. The space underneath the shop was a favorite nesting-place for a lot of hogs, which ran loose in the streets, frequently annoying both minister and congregation. On one occasion, Mr Burchard was trying very earnestly to impress upon the minds of his hearers, the necessity of obedience to the commands of God; and his language, always pointed and forcible, was at this time strongly broken in upon by sundry grunts and squeals from beneath the temporary pulpit. The reverend preacher endured this

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as long as possible, until patience and grace both giving way at the same time, he shouted : "Rudolph Shepherd ! Drive those hogs out !" The effect may well be imag- ined.

The society has a flourishing Sabbath school of 15 teachers, and 160 pupils en- rolled. Fred Shaffer is superintendent. At this writing the church has no settled pastor, although the pulpit is supplied from Sabbath to Sabbath. The societies of the church are: The Ladies' Aid Society-president, Mrs. Sarah Buckley Canfield; the Ladies' Mission- ary Society-Mrs. Willard Ainsworth, presi- dent; and the Y. P. S. C. E., numbering 58 members ; Mr. Henry Pease, president. The church is in a very flourishing condition.

ST. JOHN'S PARISH (Episcopal), was organ- ized January 25, 1841, with Rev. John Noble as rector. John B. Esselstyn and Nelson B. Williams were chosen wardens; and Nelson Potter, Otis P. Starkey, Robert Bartlett, Calvin Pool, Judah T. Ainsworth, Robert Moore, Rice Parrish and William Esselstyn, vestrymen. The lot of one acre of ground, was the gift of Mr. Otis P. Starkey, as a site for the church building, which was erected the same year, and conse- crated June 2, 1842. A neat parsonage was built shortly afterward. The church edifice has been extensively repaired and improved under the supervision of the present very able rector, Rev. S. W. Strowger, through whose ministrations the membership has largely increased. On alternate Sabbaths he holds a service in the Union Church at River- side, at which point a number of the members of the parish reside. The edifice at Riverside is a very tasty one; it was built by the united efforts of the Episcopalians and the Methodists of that place, and com- pleted in 1872. The Methodists have a class there, which is connected with the charge at St. Lawrence, and they have a regular service on alternate Sabbaths. A Union Sabbath school is also sustained. St. John's has a large and flourishing Sunday school of 11 teachers and 100 scholars. Rev. S. W. Strowger is superintendent. The societies connected with the church are the Ladies' Aid Society- Mrs. Frank Dezengremel, president ; Women's Auxiliary Society, par- ish branch of the Diocese of Central New York, Mrs. L. O. Woodruff, president; and the Junior Auxiliary, Miss Etta Woodruff, president.

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The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 104

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823- Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company Number of Pages: 1098

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823-
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company
Number of Pages: 1098