The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 109

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 109

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 9 at Great Bend, has about 40 scholars. The school building was erected by Wesley Briggs, about 20 years ago, and is worth $800. Miss Joanna F. Austin, of Carthage, teacher, and F. X. Zapf, sole trustee.

The principal business at Great Bend is as follows:

The Freeman House, Freeman Brothers, proprietors, in which is the telephone office.

The custon grist-mill, saw-mill, wood- working mill and shingle manufactory, owned by Chauncey H. Clark and conducted by Sisson Brothers.

Frank D. Bigarel's general store, James Read, manager.

H. H. Clark's general store, in which is the postoffice, Enos E. Briggs, postmaster.

George Spcidell's cigar manufactory.

The O. K. cheese factory, owned by S. H. Sieber, built in 1889, by E. H. Olmstead and F. A. Knapp, from whom it took its name.

Two blacksmith shops.

Office of American Express Company, A. L. Graves, agent. He is also station agent and telegraph operator.

The Great Bend Paper and Pulp Company was incorporated in February. 1868, with George W. Clark, president; James Sterling, secretary ; Herman Burr and Lewis H. Mills, stockholders. Their establishment was situ- ated on the south bank of Black River, at Great Bend, on its present site in the four story stone building erected by the late Charles E. Clark in 1845, and used for a grist- mill. In 1868, George W. Clark made an extensive two-story addition in the rear. After the lapse of five years, Messrs. Clark & Mills purchased Mr. Burr's interest and manu- factured brown hanging paper, substituting rags for straw, which had previously been used almost exclusively. Mr. Clark died in April, 1887, and Mr. Mills conducted the business until 1888, when the mill was sold to F. A. Fletcher, of Watertown. Its present owners are : F. A. Fletcher, president ; F. X. Zapf, secretary, and E. H. Thompson. They manufacture wall hanging-paper, using all their own mechanical pulp and procuring some chemical pulp from Watertown. The output is about six tons in 24 hours, employ- ing 22 hands. It is the principal industry of the place.

WEST CARTHAGE VILLAGE.

WEST CARTHAGE, in the town of Cham- pion, was incorporated March 18, 1889. The first officers were : President, M. P. Mason ; trustees, Philip Hull, S. G. Van Pelt and L. W. Babcock ; W. B. Van Allen, clerk. The present officers are : President, Dr. G. D. Hewitt ; trustees, John Gillett, Philip Hull, J. H. Burhans ; F. P. Phillips, clerk.

From West Carthage a view is obtained which clearly demonstrates how very near is that grand forest known as the Western Adi- rondacks. Plainly along the eastern horizon the blue hills bound the view, while in the nearer distance may be seen the rising promi- nences which indicate the mountainous char- acter of that locality, and right at the feet of the beholder rolls the noble river whose rush- ing waters give life and activity to so many water wheels, and make more easy the con- stant struggle of life.

In 1804, David Coffecn removed from Rut- land to the west side of the river, opposite Carthage, and in 1806 built a mill on that side of the river, which was the first hy- draulic improvement at that place. Finding the supply of water in the channel in- sufficient, he constructed a wing-dam partly

510

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

across the river, which was completed by LeRay, upon his commencing his iron-works at Carthage.

IN 1834, Joseph C. Budd, William Bones, and Benjamin Bentley erected a blast-furnace in Champion, west of the river, opposite the village of Carthage, which was 26 feet square at the base and 32 feet high. It was run but four blasts, the first two on bog ore alone, when it was abandoned in 1836. About one thousand tons of iron were made at this fur- nace with the cold blast. No castings were made here. The parties owning it had, in February, 1833, purchased of A. Champion about three hundred and twenty acres, op- posite Carthage, which were surveyed into a village plat and sold to parties in New York, who caused a new survey and a map to be made by Nelson J. Beach. The speculation failed, and the property reverted to Cham- pion, who sold it to V. Le Ray.

What is known as the "Cadwell house," in West Carthage, is undoubtedly the oldest dwelling in that vicinity. It is now owned by Mrs. John Kellogg, and is certainly over 75 years old.

Henry D. Cadwell, for whom the house is named, had an extensive dry-goods store in West Carthage, over 40 years ago, receiving lucrative patronage. He sold out after a while, and is believed to have spent the last days of his life in Watertown.

The lot for the West Carthage school was purchased in April, 1857, and the school- house built the same year. In 1869 it was rebuilt and made into three departments. The principal is Professor George W. Miller, assisted by Miss J. Carrie Lamb and Miss Adele E. Bossuot. There are 158 scholars. Mr. James W. Burhans is the trustee, and Mr. L. E. Bossuot, the clerk.

The West Carthage Cemetery Association was formed April 20, 1893, with the follow- ing officers : President, E. T. Buck ; vice- president, E. D. Rice; secretary, C. A. Beyer ; treasurer, W. B. Van Allen ; trus- tees, W. B. Van Allen, E. T. Buck, E. D. Rice, W. J. Perry, E. F. Austin, C. A. Beyer. The intention was to purchase a lot and add to the grounds, but for lack of funds, nothing definite has yet been done in that direction.

THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH of West Carthage, was organized in Carthage by Rev. N. Dutton, the first pastor, March 31, 1835, with 12 members, and was called the First Congregational Church of Car- thage. Services were held in the stone school-house, on School street. The church was afterward divided, some of the members forming the present First Presbyterian Church of Carthage, and the people of West Carthage forming themselves into a Congre- gational Society. In 1852 a house of worship was erected, at a cost of $2,000. In October, 1893, ground was broken for a needed ad- dition, which was completed, and the church re-dedicated January 10, 1894. This increased the property by $2,100, and the whole is val-

ued at $5,000. The exterior is much im- proved, and the interior much more conven- ient for the accommodation of the increasing congregation. Under the guidance of the present pastor, Rev. Jessie B. Felt, the society has been increased hy 30 members during the past year. The present member- ship is 120 ; number in Sunday school, 150; teachers and officers, 18. Superintendent of Sunday School, Seward W. Merrell ; assist- ant superintendent, Sedate Knowles. The present trustees are John Rogers, Byron Bedelle, Philip Hull, Sylvester Graves and L. W. Bahcock; W. I. Thompson, clerk. The society has a Senior and Junior Christian Endeavor Society and Ladies' Aid and Mis- sionary Society.

THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH. of West Carthage was organized June 6, 1894, by the Rev. E. N. Jinks, of Black River, and consisted of 16 members. Services are held every Sunday in the O. T. Green block, in West Carthage, by Rev. A. A. House, the pastor. The society has purchased a lot in West Carthage, opposite the public school, and are erecting a wooden structure, which will cost about $1,000. The first trustees are Charles B. Merrihew, Emuel Hastings and John J. Lyon. A Sunday school has also been organized. with 35 members.

BUSINESS OF WEST CARTHAGE.

L. E. Bossuot, general store.

C. A. Beyer, drugs and groceries.

Charles Dezotell, meat market.

J. J. Wilson, blacksmith.

N. W. Ackerman, photographer.

Mrs. Wm. Hammond, green-house.

Benjamin Archer, market gardener.

G. J. Hull, physician and surgeon. George D. Hewitt, physician and surgeon.

C. H. Wilcox, plain and ornamental painter. Orville Cutler, undertaker.

C. Knepler, manufacturer of chairs.

Hutchinson & Clark, Carthage roller mills, wholesale and retail dealers in flour, grain and hay.

W. S. Farrar, manufacturer and dealer in shingles and lumber.

Scott M. Gibbs, manufacturer of sash, blinds, doors, moulding and stair work.

E. E. Brace, manufacturer of doors, sash and blinds. J. W. Brace, manager. Augustus Maxwell, pulp mill.

Harvey Farrar, manufacturer of pails and tubs.

Meyer & Ross, manufacturers of fine furniture.

M. P. Mason, manufacturer of map rollers and feather-duster handles.

Charles Cooley, spring-bed manufacturer. Fayette Herrick, proprietor of Star steam laundry.

Martin Howard, manufacturer of fine hosiery.

It is a pleasure to say that Champion is a temperance town, no liquor-selling being al- lowed within its limits. There was a time, 40 years ago, when tippling was very common.

511

CHAMPION.

THE HUBBARD FAMILY.

NOADIAH HUBBARD, the pioneer settler of Jefferson county, New York, was born in Middletown, Connecticut, October 11, 1765. He was the son of Noadiah Hubbard and Phoebe Fairchild, his wife, of English an- cestry ; descended from George Hubbard, born in 1616, who cmigrated to this country, and in 1640 married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Watts, of Hartford, Connecticut. In early colonial times the family settled in Middletown, and there are descendants still on the old homestead. The ancestral man- sion, which is built of brick, is still standing, a land-mark, and so substantial that it is good for a thousand years if kept covered. The predilections of Noadiab Hubbard were for the sea, but after making several voyages to the West Indies he gave it up, in compli- ance with the wishes of his mother, who had lost her first husband and eldest son when on a voyage, and therefore could not endure the thought of another so dear to her being exposed to the same perils. He spent several winters very happily in Guilford. His op- portunities for acquiring an education were limited, as were those of most young men of that period.

In May, 1791, he left the paternal roof to seek his fortune in the West. Previous to this he had been solicited by General Wads- worth to accompany his nephews to the Gene- see country and aid them in forming a settle- ment there on the large tract of land he had purchased.

After exploring the country in various di- rections, he finally settled in the town of Steuben, Oneida county, and not far from the place selected by the Baron Steuben for his residence. They were neighbors for the short time the Baron survived, and he was once called upon when the Baron was seized with apoplexy, which soon proved so fatal, (1794.)

Noadiah Hubbard paid a visit to his native place in the winter, and on January 30, 1794, he married his early love, Eunice Ward, a beautiful maiden, and transported her to his forest home. But previous to this, in 1793, he was offered a contract for the construc- tion of canal locks at Little Falls, which he accepted.

Mr. Hubbard spent several summers on his farm in Steuben, but in the autumn of 1797, Lemuel Storrs, a large landed proprietor, came there, and induced him to accompany him to what is now called the town of Champion, on a tour of exploration to the then unbroken wilderness.

Subsequently to this first visit, as an in- ducement to come to Champion and lead in the settlement of this new country, Mr. Storrs offered him 2,000 acres of land in any part of the township where he chose to lo- cate, for the sum of $1.50 an acre, and the agency of all his lands. The common market price was $3.00, and for that was sold to the

settlers. He accepted the offer, paid $500 down and selected his 2,000 acres in the center of Champion. Reserving enough for himself, he sold the remainder to various individuals. He made improvements and cleared many acres, but, before he moved his family, news came that Mr. Storrs had failed, and this led to a compromise by which he re- linquished all the contracts for the land he had sold and what remained unsold, receiv- ing a deed for 100 acres only for the $500 paid.

Mr. Hubbard continued to act as an agent of various other land-holders through a con- siderable part of his active business life, and was associated in every project for its im- provement until incapacitated by age. An officer in the War of 1812 ; appointed judge in 1813 ; many times acting as supervisor ; was deeply interested in the formation and subsequent sustentation of the Agricultural Society, the second one in this State.

He erected the first church edifice in the county of Jefferson, and at his own expense, expecting to be reimbursed by the sale of the pews ; but he never received the first cost of the same. He also erected several school- houses, and built the plank-road from Great Bend to Copenhagen-eleven miles-when 84 years old, showing his indomitable energy and perseverance. His private business was extensive and various. He was one of a mercantile firm almost from the first settle- ment of the town, and kept a store for many years in company with his sons.

In 1815 hc built the stone store, which stood, until within a few years, next to the hotel. In 1820 he erected the stone house where Miss Georgie Hubbard now resides, the only direct descendant of Noadiah Hub- bard remaining in the village of Champion. She is the daughter of Henry Ward Hub- bard,

HIRAM HUBBARD, the eldest child of Noa- diah Hubbard, was born in the town of Stcu- ben, Oneida county, New York, October 30, 1794. He was one of three sons whom their parents brought part of the way on horse- back to Champion in November, 1799. When still a youth, he was sent to Fairfield academy, Herkimer county. It became necessary for Noadiah Hubbard to recall his son from school, young as he was, and place him in the store to conduct the business there. This, then, was the end of Hiram's scholastic edu- cation. The firm conducted a large and suc- cessful business, and, as was customary in those early days, they ran a large distillery and ashery, in connection with the dry-goods store.

February 13, 1823, Hiram Hubbard mar- ried Charille Matilda Sherwood, eldest daugh- ter of Dr. Jonathan Sherwood, then of Champion. Hiram Hubbard died in Water- town, in 1888, aged 93, and his wife April 24, 1893, aged 90.

512

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

WARD HUBBARD, son of Noadiah, was born in Oneida county in 1797, and came with his father to Champion in 1799. He was a prominent farmer, and held several town offices. He married Clarissa S. Fish. They reared seven children.

FREDERICK W. HUBBARD was another son of Noadiah, an eminent lawyer and respected citizen. He rose to be one of the judges of the Supreme Court of the State, and a more formal notice of him will be found on p. 267. Two of the daughters of Noadiah became the wives of Hon. Robert Lansing, of whom an extended sketch may be found on page 264. Another daughter became the wife of Hon. George C. Sherman, a distinguished lawyer and a succesful man, a more extended sketch of whom will be be found on p. 265. Miss Parnell Huhhard, another daughter, is a lady of considerable literary ability, and re- sides in Watertown (1894). This has proven a very long-lived and distinguished family, Joel, Fairchild, Bela and Stephen Hubbard were brothers of Noadiah. Joel, one of the most distinguished of these, came to Cham- pion either with or soon after Noadiah. The numerous descendants of these families have been distinguished for their business ca- pacity and for the prosperity which has at- tended their efforts. Like the descendants of Noadiah, they have been noted for their longevity, which is indubitable evidence of the purity of the blood from which they

sprang. They are a numerous progeny, and to trace out individually the several families would require the largest kind of an ances- tral tree.

JOEL HUBBARD, with his brothers Noadiah, Fairchild, Bela and Stephen, came to Cham- pion in 1799. Joel took up a wilderness farm and erected a log house, and with his wife (who was Mercy Austin), established a home in the new country. They were the parents of 13 children, four of whom died in infancy. The uine who lived to an advanced age are : Edward, Clement, Joel A., Charles, Wealthy, Phoebe, Julia Ann, Laura and Cherille, all of whom, except the latter, married and raised families in the town of Champion. Two of this remarkable family survive. Wealthy (widow of the late R. K. Knowles, of West Carthage, who at the advanced age of 90 years, has a wonderful memory,) and Charille, a maiden lady, also of West Carthage.

JOEL AUSTIN HUBBARD, who died in 1888, and J. Austin Hubbard, Jr., (a merchant at Black River,) have each in turn inherited the family name and the farm, which was deeded to Joel by Storrs and Champion, and has descended through three genera- tions. The descendants of Joel are numerous, many of them prosperous farmers, and they have all remained near the localities where their ancestors first settled.

ZELOTES DODDRIDGE MERRIAM

WAS born in Champion, January 2, 1818, son of Daniel Doud Merriam and Eunice Cady, who came from Connecticut in the year 1805, making a permanent residence in 1806. They settled near Champion Huddle. They were distant relatives of Clinton L. Merriam and General Merriam, the old stage proprietor. The father died at 77, and is buried in the Champion cemetery, leaving four sons and two daughters, viz : Zelotes, the subject of this sketch, Royal G. Merriam, John H. Mer- riam and Willis G. Merriam, Maria F. (Mer- riam) Hamblin, of Mich., and Mary P. (Mer- riam) Brown, of Barahoo, Wis. Royal, John and Mary are deceased. Zelotes was married Aug. 11th, 1840, to Lorinda Fitts, of Cham- pion, who was the mother of Josephine, Mrs. Oscar Hopkins, of Romeo, Mich. In 1855 he was again married to Adele Guyot, of Carthage, who has one son, Victor Z. Merri- am, who inherits the genius of his ancestors on both sides, which enables him to take up almost any kind of mechanism. Zelotes had the benefit of the common schools of that era. He also early developed mechanical in- genuity, which manifested itself in manufac- turing the various utensils used upon the farm, from a bob-sleigh to an ox-yoke. This mechanical capacity became an active force when he resolved to build wagons and carri- ages, a business he commenced with his

brothers at Champion Huddle, and which broadened out into a large and remunerative enterprise, employing some dozen men manufacturing vehicles that found ready ac- ceptance among the farmers far aud near. This business the Merriams continued for 25 years, and it was sold out finally to two of their workmen, the Merriams retiring with a competency after developing quite a large business in the Western country, mainly in Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. Mr. Mer- riam moved to the eastern portion of Cham- pion in 1863, where he has continued to re- side up to the present time. He. is an hon- ored and valued citizen, and though age is making encroachments, his mind is as clear as ever, and he promises to last a dozen years yet. He has held town offices, serving as poormaster for a long time; is an elder in the Church of the Disciples, and is univer- sally esteemed for his estimable Christian character. He has declined more positions than he has ever accepted.

Mrs. Merriam, present wife of Zelotes D. Merriam, is the daughter of Bazille Guyot, who came to Carthage in 1816, having been induced to leave France at the solicitation of Mr. Le Ray, who was anxious to secure com- petent artizans and mechanics for the villages his enterprise and energy were planting upon his extended possessions. It was the 16th of

MR. AND MRS. ZELOTES MERRIAM, OF WEST CARTHAGE, N. V.

. .

ITM

R., W. & O. R. R .- MILL CREEK NEAR LOWVILLE.

ROME, WATERTOWN AND OGDENSBURG RAILROAD.

TAYLOR

R. W. & J R.R .- LYONS FALLS.

513

CHAMPION.

June, 1816, when Mr. Guyot reached Carth- age, and there were six inches of snow on the ground. That was the phenominally cold year, so frequently alluded to in history. Mr. Guyot proved the best kind of an acqui- sition to the young village, for he could turn his hand to anything, and he became succes- sively the village miller, wagon builder and furniture manufacturer, not fearing to do a job at house-building, nor indeed failing in ability to carry forward any enterprise de- manding mechanical skill and judgment, for he was an able workman in Paris before com- ing to America, and that city was then the center of art and mechanism for all Europe. His wife was Mary Francis Le Roux, a beau- tiful French woman, as is evidenced hy her portrait, painted by the celebrated Madame De Ferret, and preserved in an enlarged form by her daughter.

The Guyots reared a large family, four boys and five girls, all of whom have filled honorable positions in society, their industry predominating over all other traits save their mechanical ability, which is their legiti- mate inheritance from their father. Bazille Guyot died in 1865, and his wife in 1843. His second wife, Margaret (Keyes) Guyot survives him at an advanced age.

The first store ever opened in Carthage, was kept in the dwelling of the Guyots on upper State street, by an Italian named Ormando.

The following well known natives of Car- thage are brothers and sisters of Mrs. Mer- riam ; Minor Guyot was the eldest son and was his father's assistant, until the latter's death. Minor Guyot, at an early age, be-

came identified with the business interests of Carthage and established a wool-carding mill, which, however, proved an unfortunate in- vestment, for he was burned out twice in succession. He built the greater part of the plank-road from Carthage to Antwerp. He was one of the leading spirits in securing the village charter in 1841, and in the organiza- tion of a fire department the following year. He carried on a grist and saw-mill, on a site purchased of Le Ray de Chaumont. He was married March 31, 1857, to Maria, daughter of Dr. Eli West. Minor Guyot died Decem- ber 30, 1893, aged 71 years, and Mrs. Guyot died December 14, 1883, aged 55 years.

Joseph Victor, the third son, has been for many years a citizen of Carthage, and is now the owner of the grist-mill on the east side of the river, on what is known as Guyot's isl- and, on the site of his father's mill.

Harriet, the second daughter, is the wife of Dr. Seth French, the popular surgeon of the 35th N. Y. Volunteers. They are now residents of Flordia.

Sophia, the third daughter, became the wife of Mr. Zelotes Wood, and they now re- side in Watertown.

Louise, the fourth daughter, is still a resi- dent of Carthage, the wife of Christian Oberly, the jeweler.

Fred Guyot, the younger son, has been a life-long resident of Carthage and owns a furniture shop on Guyot's Island, and the fine carving he does evinces the ability which he possesses in no small degree, descended from his father, of whom he has but little recollection. They have been a numerous, respectable and industrious family.

FAMILY SKETCHES.

JOHN L. GOLDSMIDT was born near Lon- don, England, in November, 1789, of wealthy parents, and in youth entered the British army, with a commission as second lieuten- ant of cavalry, and was eventually promo- ted to lieutenant-colonel. He served in the war of the Spanish peninsula, under Sir John Moore, and acted as aid to Sir Arthur Wellesly (afterward Duke of Wellington). He had his arm broken at the battle of Vit- toria, and was present at the battle of Sala- manca, and was several times wounded in other engagements. He was knighted by John VI., then regent of Portugal, and served in the campaign of Waterloo, though at the time of the great battle he was on de- tached service. After the peace of 1815 he went to the East Indies. He was taken sick and sold his commission, and returned to England in 1821, when he was troubled with fever for eight years. He subsequently traveled for 10 years in various parts of the world. At his father's death he received $300,000, of which he lost half in French stocks, and, finally, in 1829, found himself in New York with barely $3,000. He removed

thence to Champion, in Jefferson county, where he subsequently married, and a few years later removed to Watertown, where he resided until his death, December 8, 1853, aged 64 years.

SYLVESTER MIX, son of Joel, was born in 1795, and was four years of age when his pa- rents located in Champion. He married Hannah, daughter of John Reed, of Low- ville, and settled in Champion. He had five children, Mary, Nahar, George, David and Joel.

JOEL MIx was born March 27, 1830. In 1852 he married Abigail D., daughter of George and Lydia (Selleck) Fulton, and en- gaged in farming in Champion. He was one of the road commissioners of the town, and the author of the Carthage Grange. He was also prominently identified with the Car- thage Agricultural Society. He died Septem- ber 3, 1894, aged 64 years. He was a valued citizen, and honored by his neighbors as an upright man.

LEONARD HARRIS was born in Herkimer county in 1792, and when quite young came to Champion with his father. He married

514

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

Miss Lucinda Thompson, of Champion, and resided in that town until his death, January 24, 1873. His children were as follows : Roena, Alfred, Rachel, Clarissa, Guilford, Lovicie, Erastus, Chester and Jane S. Mr. Harris was a soldier of the War of 1812 and a pensioner at the time of his death. Mrs. Harris died in August, 1831. He again married in 1833.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 109

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