The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 132

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 132

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settler in Rutland, whence he removed to his new purchase in LeRay on Christmas day, 1829. During the preceding summer he had, with some assistance from other residents of the place, built the first bridge across the river at the point where it is crossed by the present iron bridge. The first grist-mill was built about 1836 by A. Horton. It became the property of Christopher and Peter Poor, and was destroyed by fire about 1842-43. The first saw-mill was built at the time of the construction of the dam, in 1831, and was de- stroyed by fire at the time the grist-mill was burned. A second mill was built a short distance below the first, and was also de- stroyed with the grist-mill. It was re-built, and was carried away by the flood which destroyed the first iron bridge. In 1848 a planing-mill and wood-working shop was erected, which was afterwards converted into a chair factory, and still later into a box factory. A machine shop, located upon the lower side of the iron bridge, was carried on for several years by Isaac and Joseph Howe, who sold to Thomas Mathews, who used the building as a joiner's shop. It was subsequently used as a store-house. The first merchant on the LeRay side of the river was Robert H. Van Shoick, who opened a store about 1832. The building afterwards became the property of P. Thurston, who converted it into a hotel about 1848, the first public house in the village. S. L. Mott opened a store here in 1852, which became the property of Matthew Poor, in 1866. The village is a station on the Utica division of the R., W. & O. Railroad, which follows the course of Black River through the town of Rutland.

The village of Black River was incorpor- ated in 1891. The present officers are Geo. C. Hazelton, president ; E. M. Dexter, clerk; M. M. McGruer, treasurer; Josiah Burring- ton, J. Austin Hubbard and George Wolcott, trustees; A. W. Hadsall, justice of the peace.

The village is divided by Black river. The greater part of the business section lies in the town of LeRay, and in proportion to its size it is the busiest village in the county. The chairs manufactured there have an extensive reputation, and the pulp and paper industry is of considerable importance. The people are refined and courteous to strangers. The village is lighted by electricity, the power being furnished by the Empire Wood Pulp Company.

On February 20, 1890, the village was visited by a most disastrous fire, in which $50,000 worth of property was destroyed, including the following buildings : Poor's opera-house and block, Parkinson's store, Whipple & Hadsell's store, postoffice, Arthur House, F. H. Dillenbeck's block, two dwellings, D. H. Scott & Son's block, A. W. McDowell's store, John Burke's dwelling and Odd Fellows' hall. The fire was stopped by the use of the pulp mill pump and hose, which saved the Black River Bending company's factory.

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The fraternal societies of the village of Black River are as follows:

RIVERSIDE LODGE No. 334, I. O. O. F., was organized October 11, 1872. The officers are as follows: William Gracey, N. G .; M. M. McGruer, V. G .; Fred E. Whipple, R S .: Charles Chamberlain, P. S .; P. V. Poor, Treasurer; William Reeves, Warden; Titus Fitzgerald, Conductor; V. H. Scott, Chap- lain. The lodge consists of 100 members.

THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OF FORESTERS was organized in November, 1893, with 40 members. The names of the officers are as follows : Fred E. Whipple, C. D. H. C. R .; H. M. Williams, C. R .; William G. Racey, V. C. R .; John McComber, R. S .; Benjamin Reese, F. S .; James Smith, J. W .; William Gray, S. W .; George Risley, S. B .; J. Free- man, J. B.

CRESCENT LODGE, DAUGHTERS OF REBE- KAH, No. 114, Mrs. D. H. Hunt, N. G.

CHARLES R. GLASS POST, G. A. R .; Sam- uel P. Mix, Commander.

BLACK RIVER HOSE Co. No. 1, was organ- ized about three years since, and consists of 20 members. The village is supplied with a system of water mains with 10 hydrants and 1,200 feet of hose. Water is obtained from the river hy means of six pumps when used. This improvement and protection from fire was put in after the disastrous fire of Febru- ary 20, 1890, when the greater part of the busi- ness portion was destroyed, with an esti- wated loss of $50,000.

THE BLACK RIVER CEMETERY ASSOCIA- TION consists of George C. Hazelton, presi- dent; H. C. Dexter, F. E. Whipple, C. Poor, George H. Scott, P. V. Poor, Orville Cum- ins and D. H. Scott, trustees.

BLACK RIVER UNION FREE SCHOOL Was organized by uniting of districts No. 8 of LeRay, and No. 14, of Rutland, in the spring of 1893. It is divided into three depart- ments with four teachers. P. S. Slater is the principal; Miss Jennie Pettis, Miss Kate Carpenter and Miss Mary Dempsey, assist- ants. The school occupies two buildings, one on each side of the river.

The school board is composed as follows: H. U. McAffee, President ; C. J. Sweet, Clerk; J. A. Hubbard, Julius Poor and Henry C. Dexter, Trustees.

BUSINESS OF BLACK RIVER.

The following are the names of the busi- ness people of Black River :

George T. Davenport, proprietor of the Davenport House.

P. B. Mereness, carriage painter.

Butts & Baldwin, bakery.

Mrs. Nettie B. Hull, millinery.

J. C. Murray, general blacksmith.

Wolcott & Moffett, meat market.

John Gould, proprietor of the Jefferson House.

George A. Pohl, flour and feed store.

B. A. Dexter, undertaker and funeral di- rector.

Matthew Poor, druggist.

C. Walker, proprietor Revere House. F. H. Dillenbeck, dealer in hardware. Mrs. L. H. Cartter, milliner.

Nettie B. Hull, milliner.

Philander Birdsall, restaurant.

D. A. Merriam, groceries.

M. A. Parkinson, postmaster and telephone operator, also of the firm of M. Parkinson & Son.

C. J. Mereness, editor and publisher of the Black River Press, established Feb. 8, 1894.

The Wolcott Company, manufacturers of sash and blinds, A. M. Childs, president.

H. Remington & Son, manufacturers of wood pulp.

McAffee & Hubbard, general store.

The Jefferson County Paper Co., manufac- turers of manilla paper.

C. J. Sweet, station agent, also town clerk of Rutland.

M. Poor, lime-stone quarry.

Dr. George E. Sylvester, physician and surgeon.

Dr. L. E. Gardner, physician and surgeon.

M. M. McGruer, dry goods, groceries, clothing, boots, shoes, notions, etc.

W. S. Wilcox & Son, undertakers, manu- facturers of and dealers in furniture of all kinds.

Black River Bending Company, manufac- turers of bent chair-stock, chairs, cradles and lawn settees. P. V. Poor, president ; M. B. Scofield, vice-president ; G. K. Oaks, secre- tary-treasurer and manager. Established in 1860 and incorporated in 1889.

J. S. Graves, dealer in coal and pulp wood.

C. A. Carpenter, dealer in all kinds of gro- ceries, fruits, canned goods, etc.

A. D. Clark, machinist and manufacturer of Woodruff force pump, also dealer in mill supplies.

Black River Wood Pulp Co., Henry Ball, president ; W. O. Ball, secretary and treas- urer ; Thomas J. Barker, superintendent.

The Empire Wood Pulp Co., manufactur- ers of mechanical wood pulp, Christopher Poor, president ; George C. Hazelton, secre- tary and treasurer ; S. D. Gibbs, manager-

H. C. Dexter Chair Co., manufacturers of fancy chairs and rockers.

CAMP MEETINGS .- The vicinity of Felt's Mills has been for many years a camp-meet- ing ground. At first the location was upon the Rutland side, in a fine forest grove. For some reason, unknown to the writer, that site was abandoned after many years of use, and the present site secured on the LeRay side of the Black river, where extensive im- provements have been made, with many cottages, comprising a commodious, pleasant and popular resort for the Methodist denom- ination. It is extensively utilized at the proper season, and eminent preachers often fill the pulpit there. Just why the Methodist is the only denomination that authorizes these summer camp-meetings has never been definitely understood by the writer, nor is the reason apparent.

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

FAMILY SKETCHES.

FRED E. CROISSANT, the supervisor from the town of LeRay, was the son of James and Eleanor (Manigold) Croissant, who came into LeRay in 1828, from the east of France, settling at LeRaysville. Mr. Croissant came to this country under the auspices of Mr. Le- Ray. Fred E. had the benefit of the common schools at that time, receiving some instruc- tion in the higher schools of Watertown. He was his father's assistant on the farm sum- mers, attending school winters, and when 19 began to teach a district school, which he continued for several winters. In 1872 he became an employe of the R., W. & O. R. R., and was long in their employ. He has been station agent and telegraph operator at Evans Mills. He was elected supervisor of LeRay in 1877, and has served continu- ously since, being now in his 18th year of service. Mr. Croissant is a very popular man, one who has made friends by being himself friendly. He enjoys the entire con- fidence of the people of LeRay, as is evi- denced by his continuance upon the Board for a length of time never before equalled in Jefferson county. He has been justice of the peace nine years.

CYRUS C. PHELPS .- The village of Le- Raysville was once a thriving and pros- perous settlement, and through the enter- prise and industry of one manufacturer, William Phelps, gave promise of being a considerable town. But when it was left to one side by the railroad, its prosperity waned. For more than a generation, how- ever, the perseverance and energy of Mr. Phelps made it a point of considerable im- portance in the lumber and furniture busi- ness. William Phelps married Eliza Brown, the cousin of Lysander H. Brown, so well known in the county, and related to the Browns of Brownville. The result of this union was three sons and one daughter. The eldest son and daughter died in infancy. The second son was Cyrus C. Phelps, the subject of this sketch, born March 5, 1820, at Le- Raysville. After a very thorough education in the village school, he went to Hartford, Conn., to take a college course. His father's business became involved, and young Phelps was called from school to assist in the management of the store ; furniture manufac- turing and lumbering, being then extensively prosecuted.

Cyrus married Jane, daughter of Benja- min McOmher. They had four children, William E., who was one of the old 35th Regiment boys in the war, and afterwards one of the officers of the noted Poughkeepsie Business College ; Eliza, who married Col. D. M. Evans ; Benjamin F. and Mary An- nette.

Mr. Phelps taught the village school and served as town treasurer and justice of the peace. On the breaking out of the rebellion he enlisted and served in the 186th Regiment

N. Y. Vols. At the close of the war he re- moved to Philadelphia, Pa., where he was en- gaged as an accountant and bookkeeper with one of the largest woolen manufacturers in that city. In 1885 he removed to the West, and died in Minneapolis, Minn., July 7, 1894.

Mr. Phelps was a man of singular equa- nimity, genial, social, and quiet in his dispo- sition. He was a man of wide reading and great intelligence, but exceedingly diffident, so that only those who were intimately ac- quainted with him. could know of his intel- lectual ability. His solid character, sterling integrity and faithfulness to duty gained for him the respect and esteem of all who knew him.

SIMEON DEXTER came to Black River from Orange, Mass., soon after his brother David, and engaged with him in the manu- facture of chairs. He later went to Water- town and became one of the firm of Dexter & Herrick. Soon after, on account of his health, he retired to his farm near Black River, since which time he has never been actively engaged in any business, but has an interest in the H. C. Dexter Chair Company. Simeon married Marie Hardy, of Sandford, Conn., and they had three children, who reached maturity : Henry, Charles and Fanny-the last two are deceased, and Henry conducts the business. Edward M. Dexter, bookkeeper, is the only representa- tive of his father's (Samuel's) family, he hav- ing come from the East in 1885.

The Dexter family are of English descent, and have been long known in connection with the industries of Black River.

DAVID DEXTER, the originator of the old- est manufactory in the village of Black River, came to that place from Athol, Mass., in 1839, and commenced the manufacture of chairs and rockers. He made that place his residence until his death, at the age of 82. His children are : Daniel B., who died at the age of 10; Everette, who died at Black River in March, 1893, aged 56; and David E., who is the sole surviving child, and now conducts the business. David E. married Mary D. Pierce, daughter of Mr. E. O. Pierce, of Black River. The chair factory was burned in 1865, but rebuilt, and at the present time gives employment to from 75 to 100 hands. It is now, and has been for many years, the leading industry at Black River.

E. O. HUNGERFORD, a merchant at Evans Mills for many years, was the son of an unique and popular and much respected citizen, Mr. Edwin Hungerford, who was one of the early settlers, though not the earliest. He died in 1891, in his 82d year, a character well appreciated and greatly missed. His first wife was a Miss Farrell. Their children were Mrs. Mary Barney, Mrs. Sarah Briant and Elhert Hungerford. By his second wife, Miss Laurie M. Has- kins, who died in 1863, aged 45 years,

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they had born to them : E. O. Hungerford, Mrs. Alice A. Morris, Ella G. Hungerford, Mrs. L. I. Clifford and Arthur E. Hunger- ford. It will thus be seen that Edwin left a numerous progeny. One of his sons, E. O. Hungerford, was born in LeRay, and has followed the business of a merchant until he is known to all the people of the town. Naturally, his trade is mostly with the farm- ers. He married Miss Anna M. Cook, in 1872. He is now 53 years of age, vigorous in mind and body, and has been in business since 1864. By trade he is a tinsmith, and that branch has developed into his present business of hardware, stoves, tin-ware and agricultural implements. He has been suc- cessful.

ADOLPHUS M. Cook, one of the oldest merchants in Evans Mills, was born in Al- bany, N. Y. After a long and successful business life as a merchant, he died in Evans Mills August 11, 1889. He was married to Miss Malissa A. Smith, who was horn in Evans Mills, March 7, 1825. They reared nine chil- dren. Mr. Cook commenced his mercantile business in Evans Mills in October, 1847. He left a name for business integrity and com- mercial rating scarcely second to any in the county. Two of his sons, Adolphus W. and Charles R., succeeded to their father's busi- ness, commencing in September, 1889. They have proved themselves successful and en- terprising business men.

ALVA SCOFIELD from Saratoga county, where he was born at an early date. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, having been at the battle of Sackets Harhor and assisted in drawing the timber for the old ship. He married Hannah, daughter of William Burdick, of Dutchess county, and seven children were born to them, six of whom survive. Amos, their son, is a resident of Black River, where he has held minor offices in the town. He is 66 years of age. He married Mary Beards- ley, of Oneida county, and their only son, Myron, is foreman of the Black River Bend- ing works. Myron married Miss Nettie Morrison.

EPHRIHAM J. PIERCE has been a resident of Black River 55 years. He was born in Vermont in 1821. He married Euphemie, daughter of Elias Woodward, of Rutland. Two children were the result of their union, Mary D., wife of David E. Dexter, of Black River; and Carrie, wife of Williard A. Gray. Mr. Pierce has been a carpenter. He enlisted in 1862, and served as a private and artificer in the 10th New York Heavy Artillery, and was discharged in April, 1864. He is a member of the Baptist Church.

JAMES COREY was born on a farm on road 103, where he now resides. He acquir- ed a good common school education, and worked on the farm for his father until he attained his majority. He carried on the farm with his father until the latter's death in 1880. He married, in 1860, Lizzie, daugh-

ter of John Layng, and they have had three sons, viz : Sidney, Charles and Peleg, all of whom reside with their parents in this town.

WILLARD BACON attended the common schools and worked on his father's farm until he was 21 years old. He then leased the farm for a term of years. He has been twice married, first, to Nancy Watts, of Orleans, by whom he had one son, Clinton. For his second wife he married Mrs. Jane Watts, of Herkimer county, who had one son, Wellington, by her first husband. They have a daughter, Ida C., and reside near the old homestead.

PHILIP A, JABAS remained at home until he attained the age of 28 years, when he married Mary A., daughter of John Smith, of Watertown, in 1879, and they have two children, Agnes L. and Edith E. Mrs. Philip A. Jahas's father was born in Halifax, N. S., in 1810, and her mother in Colding- ham, Scotland, in 1811. They were married in New York city in 1836, and had lived to- gether 50 years.

BENJAMIN S. PORTER, at the age of 18 years, married Harriet, daughter of Aaron Poor, of Black River village, and they had one son and two daughters : Francis, Carrie and Jennie. Mrs. Porter died in 1868, and in 1872 Benjamin S. married his second wife, Angeline, daughter of Joseph Ford. They are living on the homestead on road 103, which Mr. Porter purchased when he was 19 years old.

JOHN M. HAAP immigrated from Wurtem- burg, Germany, in 1831, and located in this town on road 31. In 1832 he married Dorothy Haap, who came with him from Germany in 1831. In 1836 they bought the farm on road 34, now owned by their son, Frederick. They had born to them four sons and two daughters.

WILLIAM H. REESE resided at home until he was 14 years of age, attending school winters, which he did for three years, giving all his earnings to his parents. Soon after this occurred the death of his father, when he was obliged to return home and take charge of the farm, assisting his mother in the care of the family. He was much given to traffic, and his mother's chief anxiety was was lest he would trade off everything she had. But he was a successful trader, and succeeded in securing for his mother a good home. In 1864, at the age of 20 years, he married Maria, daughter of Lawrence L. Timmerman, of Pamelia, and they com- menced their wedded life with the extensive capital of 20 cents. With this he started out in his speculative career, and for three years was a farmer and dealer in cattle, sheep and horses. At the end of this time he leased his farms and removed to Evans Mills, where he became a general dealer, and in 1888, at the age of 45 years, owned 540 acres of land, with a beautiful new residence in the village. Mr. and Mrs. Reese have one daughter, Eva M., who was born May 14, 1866, and has

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

been educated in the schools of her native town, and at the Ives Seminary at Ant- werp.

LAWRENCE SCOTT was born at Little Falls, Herkimer county, in 1811, where he married, in 1835, Betsey Frank, who was born in France. They located in this county in 1842. Mr. Scott died in 1892. Of their six children, Nelson R. was born in Herkimer county in 1840. In 1862 he enlisted with the Union army and served three years. In 1866 he married Helen Lyon, by whom he has one son, Melvin L., who lives at home with his parents. Mr. Scott is a farmer on road 39.

MILTON W. DOXTATER was the son of Jacob and Catharine Doxtater, and he resides upon the homestead settled by his father.

GEORGE A. FISK was born in Randolph, Vt., in 1841, and was a resident of that State until 1861, when he removed to Albany, and enlisted in Company G, 22d N. Y. Vols., in the first call for 75,000 men, and served two years. He re-enlisted in Company A, 2d N. Y. Veteran Cavalry, at Saratoga Springs. He was in 12 general engagements during his first term of service, and escaped without a wound. During his cavalry service he was wounded twice. At the close of the war he visited his old home in Vermont, and shortly after removed to this county, finally locating in LeRay. In 1870 he married Caroline, daughter of Curtis W. Cory, of this town, and they have two children, George M. and Lottie C.

A. W. HADSALL, son of Solomon, was born in the town of Champion, January 14, 1835. He married Louisa, daughter of Asa- hel and Caroline Sheldon, and located on the old homestead, which he occupied until 1880, when he removed to Alexandria Bay and ran the St. Lawrence Hotel for two years, when he located in Black River village, in the town of LeRay, where he is now a justice of the peace. He was supervisor of the town of Champion in 1870-71, has been one of the board of trade since the organization of that body, was railroad commissioner for Cham- pion from 1871 till 1880, and has been asses- sor of LeRay since 1886.

PHILIP HELMER was born in the town of Fairfield, Herkimer county, N. Y., August 21, 1825. At the age of 13 he moved with his parents to LeRay, where he was married in 1847 to Betsey C., daughter of Peter Hoover. Their union was blessed with one son, Albert E., born December 18, 1860, near Evans Mills, to which village he removed with his parents when 11 years old, and there he has since resided. He attended the public schools until 16 years of age. He then en- gaged as clerk for Wesley Rulison, serving in that capacity one year. He again entered school, and attended until April 3, 1881, when he engaged with J. P. Steinhilber, with whom he remained four years, when he bought the entire stock of general merchan- dise from his employer, and engaged in busi- ness for himself. On the 30th of September, 1890, he married Frances A., youngest

daughter of Leonard L. and Susan (Martin) Peck, of Evans' Mills, and they have one daughter, Gertrude Mildred, born December 19, 1892. Their second child, Albert E., (lied November 22, 1894, aged nearly seven months. Mr. A. E. Helmer was town clerk of the town of LeRay for 10 years; was his party's candidate for Member of Assembly for the county of Jefferson in 1892; is a member of the Jeffersonian Club in Watertown, and was for a number of years a vice-president of that organization ; was a delegate to the State Convention in 1888, which nominated D. B. Hill for Governor. On the 22d of June, 1893, he was appointed postmaster at Evans Mills, which position he now holds. Mr. Helmer is largely interested in farming and dairying, and in the manufacture of cheese ; is one of the proprietors of the Sunny Side Cheese Factory, one of the best factories in the county. He is in all respects a whole- some man, whom it is a pleasure to know.

PHILIP HELMER, father of Albert E., died April 7, 1887. His wife still survives him, and lives with her son in Evans Mills. Mr. Helmer's great-grandfather emigrated to this country from Holland, and settled in Herki- mer county. His maternal great-grand- mother was a native of Switzerland.

J. P. STEINHILBER is the son of Bernard and Mary Steinhilber, who emigrated to America about the year 1835. His father was a native of Wertenberg, and his mother a native of Hesse Darmstadt, Germany. They came directly to Jefferson county, soon thereafter, locating in the town of LeRay, where they were united in marriage, and lived during the remainder of their lives, which ended in his father's death in Septem- ber, 1880, at the age of 69 years, and with the death of his mother, in March, 1891, at the age of 80 years. J. P. Steinhilber was born on a farm about one mile southeast of Evans Mills, and remained with his parents during his boyhood, dividing his time in as- sisting at farm work and in attending the district school. His schooling was limited to one term each year during the winter sca- son, until about 18 years old, when he sought to gain a little additional knowledge in at- tending other schools for a while, after which he procured a position as clerk in a dry goods store in Watertown, N. Y., and in 1871 re- turned to Evans Mills and engaged in the mercantile business, associating himself with Wesley Rulison, under the firm name of Ruli- son & Steinhilber, which they continued for three years, when a mutual dissolution was effected, Mr. Steinhilber continuing the busi- ness for a number of years thereafter. Lat- terly he has been devoting a part of his at- tention to farm interests, while the greater part of his time and attention have been given to his store, where he is still engaged. Mr. Steinhilber is a very favorable illustra- tion of the merging, in the second generation, of foreign blood into the genuine American fibre, in morals, personal integrity, and in patriotic sentiment. He is a wholesome man.

LE RAY.

630a

THE CASSE FAMILY

COL. ALFRED J. CASSE.

WILLIAM CASSE, father of COLONEL AL- FRED J. CASSE, the subject of this sketch, came to this country from France about the year 1835, and settled at Evans Mills. In 1839, he married Marguerite Grappott, the daughter of Augustus Grappott, also a native of France, and a sister of John B. Grappott, a well-known citizen of Cape Vincent. William Casse was a man of much culture, having had a liberal education be- fore coming to this country. Here he taught painting, drawing and languages; and was a teacher for some time in Proctor's Academy at Evans Mills. He was also a tutor in the old French families settled near Evans Mills, including that of Joseph Boyer and the Delafolies. Prominent among his pupils were the late Mrs. Howell Benton and Joseph

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The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 132

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