The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 154

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 154

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Burrville was at this period quite a rival of Watertown. William Lampson had an axe-factory, with a trip-hammer carried by water, where he made edge-tools. James Mann built a tannery there about 1806. It

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

afterwards passed into the hands of Theo- philus Redfield, best known to the old settlers as Deacon Redfield. He kept six or eight men at work in his tannery, and as many more in his shoe-shop. About 1809 a carding machine was built a little below the grist-mill. Afterwards a cloth dressing establishment was put up nearer the falls. There had been an hotel from the first, the earliest landlord whom any one remembers was Septimus S. Adams.

All these establishments, together with the store, ashery and distillery of Mr. Con- verse, made quite a lively little place. There was no organized church in Watertown vil- lage, and many of its people used to go on foot and on horseback to attend religious services at Burrville. Mr. Hart Massey made the journey very regularly ; he and his boys walking, and his wife riding on horse back, with her daughter behind her on a pillion. When there was no minister, ser- mons would be read by Dr. Brainard or Judge Strong.

But Watertown was all the while gaining ground, and the people did not like the idea of going five miles to church. It was pro- posed to build a church edifice at Watertown Centre (where there was a tavern and a few houses), for the accommodation of both vil- lages. In February, 1811, the "Religious Society of Watertown" was formed, with the view of carrying out that idea. The trustees were : Tilly Richardson, John Sikes, Thomas Sawyer and William Fellows, repre- senting Burrville and vicinity ; Hart Massey and Isaac Benedict, on the part of Water- town village; and Aaron Brown, the tavern- keeper, at the Centre. It was voted to build a church at the latter point; but nothing further was done, and the next year the breaking out of the war prevented all action in that direction for the time being.

Log school-houses, covered with "troughs" (i. e., half-logs hollowed out and laid in a row with the hollow part up, covered by another with the hollows down), were the first educational temples of the town. In these assembled not only great flocks of children, but the congregations which listen- ed to the inspiring words of the early preach- ers, as they made their toilsome way from one settlement to another. Among those who preached through this town, besides the Rev. Mr. Lazelle, already mentioned, were " Father Puffer," celebrated for his knowl- edge of the Bible, which a doubtful tradition asserts he could repeat from the beginning to end; Rev. B. Tyler, Rev. N. Dutton, Father Bliss, Rev. Libbeus Field, of Field Settle- ment, and Rev. James Brown, father of Mrs. George W. Wiggins. Rev. Hezekiah Field, another member of the same family, and Rev. David Speer ("Father Speer," as the latter was affectionately called), resided in Rodman, but he preached in Watertown in the pioneer days, beginning as early as 1805. He continued his services for more than 50 years, and died in extreme old age.

The principal physician in town was Dr. Craft P. Kimball, who began to practice at Burrville before the War of 1812, and con- tinued to do so till his death, in 1872. He left quite a number of descendants, one of his sons now residing near Burrville, a much- respected farmer. The manufacture of pot- ash was, of course, a most important busi- ness during the settling up of the town, for this would bring cash when hardly any other production of the country would pay the ex- pense of transportation to market. When the embargo was declared in 1808, stopping intercourse with Canada, and thus prevent- ing the exportation of potash by the only available route, numerous were the ex- pedients resorted to to facilitate the removal of the precious article.

The Folts Mills, on the road from Water- town to Brownville, was so called from a shrewd Mohawk Dutch farmer of that name, who lived there, and who was reputed par- ticularly expert in conducting the secret traffic in potash. Many a score of barrels of potash, either belonging to the surrounding farmers or purchased from them by William Smith, the Watertown merchant, was quietly forwarded by secret roads to the St. Law- rence, and thence to Canada, through the sharp management of the person referred to. Hart Massey, the collector of this district was well aware what Folts was about, and was constantly on the watch to detect him in some overt act, but without suc- cess. Once Folts himself thought he was caught. He had a lot of potash stored in his barn, waiting a good chance, and one dark night he was engaged with one or two assis- tants in loading it into the sleigh of a neigh- horing farmer, preparatory to starting for the St. Lawrence, by way of a secret road cut through the woods north of the river for this very purpose. Suddenly up drives Collector Massey in his cutter.

"Hello, men! what are you doing here?" cried the officer, dimly seeing through the darkness what was going forward. Folts was hard pushed for a moment, but his shrewdness did not desert him.

"Vell," said he, "Bill Smit, he got me to keep some potash for him till he can sent it to Utica, 'cause dis tam embargo won't let him sell it in Canada, vere it would pring somethings, and dese mens is just pringing it to my parn. Come poys, hurry up ; it is so colt as ter tuyvel !" and forthwith the men began to roll the barrels into the barn instead of out of it.

Massey watched them to the end, saw the barn door fastened and the team start for home, and then, as he could not prevent Folts from keeping potash in his barn on its way to Utica, he drove to the village. The smug- glers watched him till they were satisfied that he was safely housed, then returned and loaded up the potash, which was soon on its way to Canada.

By the time of the War of 1812, Watertown looked very much like an old settled country.

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WATERTOWN.

On the principal roads more than half the houses were of frame, the trough-covered log school houses were abandoned for frame ones, and the whole town was being cleared up, except on some of the hills and along the river in the northeastern portion.

Among the settlers of 1809 were Anthony and Andrew Sigourney, brothers, who loca- ted in the Woodruff Settlement in the eastern part of town. Anthony Sigourney's son, Alanson P., born the following December, is still living on the old homestead, to whom we are much indebted for information regarding that part of the town.

As to the war on the frontier, we shall only refer here to a few matters pertaining especi- ally to the town of Watertown. Its militia belonged to the 76th regiment, under Col. Tuttle, and whenever there was considered to be danger of invasion, which was frequently the case, they were called out en masse. Old ladies told how, in their husband's absence, they took their children and some blankets into the wheat fields, night after night, and slept there, hoping thus to escape the toma- hawks and scalping knives of the Indians, should these terrible marauders seek their homes.

The first uniformed militia company in Jefferson county was the Watertown Rifles, formed principally in the eastern part of that town in the spring of 1813. William Sampson, of Burrville, was the first captain ; Jonathan Miles, who lived down the creek from Burrville, was the first lieutenant ; the ensign's name is unknown ; and John Gotham (afterwards Colonel Gotham) was orderly ser- geant. Most of the young men and middle- aged men of that locality were in it. Squire William Huntington had four sons in it ; there were five Delanos, three Woodruffs, two Woodworths, two Sigourneys, etc. The com- pany organization was kept up until 1846, when it was disbanded on the repeal of the old militia law.

When Sackets Harbor was actually attacked in May, 1813, expresses came galloping in hot haste through the county, and on every side the farmers were seen hurrying in hot haste, on foot and on horseback, with guns on their shoulders toward the endangered post. The Watertown Rifles turned out in full force. Benjamin Woodruff happened to be away from home. Arriving several hours later, he shouldered his rifle and started for the Har- hor, drawing powder to use from the Water- town Arsenal on the way. Finding it too coarse to prime his flint-lock rifle, he bought some priming powder at the store at Sackets Harbor while the battle was going on, and then took his place with his comrades. Four citizens of the western part of Watertown were captured in that affair and taken to Halifax. Two of them, Messrs. Ayers and Ingalls, died in Halifax ; Mr. Graves and an- other returned home. Meanwhile the women, children and old men listened with terror to the booming guns, often assembling in large numbers for sympathy and counsel. In the

Woodruff district they gathered on the highest point of Benjamin Woodruff's farm, whence the smoke of the conflict and the lake beyond could plainly be seen. All the men were gone except old Jonah Woodruff, the patriarch of the settlement. Long they list- ened with fast-beating hearts to the sounds of the conflict, but at length the noise died away, and they saw the British fleet, headed by the "Royal George," slowly sailing out of the harbor.

After the war the the church question, always a contentious one, came up again. Even during the conflict the people at the county seat had organized the "Watertown Ecclesiastical Society " for seculiar purposes, and by this time they were so strong that the Burrville folks evidently thought it useless to continue the struggle. In November, 1815, the regular place of meeting of the First Congregational church of Watertown was removed to Watertown village. The old re- ligious organization remained the same, but it was uuited for secular purposes with the Watertown Ecclesiastical Society, and two Burrville men were added to the board of trustees of the latter body. Six years later the church was changed into the First Pres- byterian Church of Watertown, by which name it is still known.

The tract between the State road and the river, in the northeast part of the town, was the latest considerable section to be settled. A man named White moved in there and made a clearing about 1820, and about 1821 William Huntington settled at the point now called Huntingtonville, built a dam across to Huntington Island, and erected a large saw-mill. Shortly afterwards a scythe fac- tory was built at the same point. This was followed by a shingle-machine and clover- mill, and Huntingtonville hade fair to be an important manufacturing village. But Watertown and high water proved too much for it. Between 1840 and 1850 the build- ings just named were carried off one after another by the impetuous floods of Black river. Finally the dam shared the same fate, and Huntingtonville, as a manufactur- ing place, ceased to exist. In 1828 an hotel was opened by Charles Tewell, on the State road, about four miles east of the centre of Watertown village. A public-house has been kept there ever since 1828, except between 1836 and 1844.

About 1825, Captain Sampson erected a blast-furnace at the top of the Burrville cas- cade. It was kept up only a few years, and was the last serious effort to establish manu- factures in that vicinity. Deacon Redfield moved to Watertown, the tannery passed through several hands and was finally aban- doned. The carding-mill, the cloth-dressing works, and, finally, the axe factory, all shared the same fate.

The town, which 40 years before had been an unbroken forest, had become, in 1840, one of the best cultivated and most fertile districts in the State. The village of Water-

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

town, which was still a portion of the town, with its numerous manufacturing and mer- cantile establishments, furnished a ready market for the products of the surrounding farms.

In September, 1851, the Watertown and Rome Railroad was completed to the former village, running for about five and a half miles through the present town. In 1873 the Carthage, Watertown and Sackets Harbor Railroad company completed its, road to the city of Watertown, two and a half miles being in the town proper. In 1874 the same road was extended to Sackets Harbor, which gives this town two and a half miles more of railroad. Both roads are now a part of the R. W. & O. system.

The principal business of the town is dairy- ing, though all kinds of grain can be raised with great facility. There are several cheese- factories within its limits, turning out near 100,000 pounds of cheese yearly.

The principal history of Burrville has already been given. Its business has nearly all been absorbed by Watertown, It now contains a grist-mill (the same erected in 1802), a saw mill. a harness-shop, a grocery, a hotel, a post-office, with a daily mail from both east and west, and about 30 houses.

SUPERVISORS.

The records previous to 1805 were des- troyed: Corliss Hinds, 1805 to 1808, inclu- sive; Tilly Richardson, 1809 and 1810; William Smith, 1811; Egbert Ten Eyck, 1812 to 1819, inclusive; Titus Ives, 1820 to 1826, inclusive; Jabez Foster, 1827; Titus Ives, 1828; Daniel Lee, 1829; Henry H. Coffeen, 1830 to 1834, inclusive; Orville Hungerford, 1835-36-37; Joel Woodworth, 1838-39-40; Orville Hungerford, 1841-42; John Winslow, 1843-44 45; Orville V. Brain- ard, 1846-47; George C. Sherman, 1848; Adriel Ely, 1849; Kilborn Hannahs, 1850; Orville Hungerford, 1851; Robert Lansing, 1852; David D. Otis, 1853-54. For balance of the list, 1854 to 1894, see pp. 337-344.

TOWN BOARD OF WATERTOWN.

Frank M. Parker, supervisor; Charles Richardson, town clerk; Byron W. Gray, Thos. E. Beecher, Wm. C. Baker, assessors ; Philo T. Hammond, highway commissioner ; Albert Gurnee, Geo. G. Wilder, Wilbur F. Chidester, Dwight L. Bailey, justices of the peace; Thos. L. Losee, collector ; Wm. Her- bert Sawyer, Fred. T. Mott, Harvey C. Rice, William W. Luther, inspectors of election.

EARLY DISCOVERIES.

IT is not generally known that to citizens of Jefferson county are traceable several of the most important discoveries. of the century. Dr. Guthrie was the discoverer of chloro- form as early as 1832, and he thereby became one of the grand benefactors of the human race. It is difficult to estimate the value of such an invention, for it has saved thous- ands of lives and ameliorated the sufferings

of millions. The Doctor at the time of this discovery, had his laboratory and residence at Jewettsville, one and one-half miles east of Sackets Harbor.

He was also the discoverer of percussion powder, the method of striking fire by simple impact or blow. This also may be classed as one of the great chemical discover- ies of the age, for it has cheapened the cost of firearms, has simplified warfare, and in many ways benefited mankind.

To these great chemical discoveries we may add the manufacture of cheese by the use of steam in raising the milk to a desired temperature. It is calculated that this dis- covery in Jefferson county alone effects a saving of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, and, in addition, giving a uniform quality to the cheese, of itself an important factor in marketing the product.

In Jefferson county, by Theo. T. Wood- ruff was thought out the plan of the sleep- ing car, an invention which, in nearly all civilized lands, has done so much to make travelling easier, and to render it possible for the sick to be transported long distances Here, also, by this same genius, before he was 21, was invented the first feasible plan for a mowing machine. Young Woodruff did not press his invention, because abler and older mechanics assured him that, although his invention was ingenious and novel, it had no practical utility, and he dis- missed the subject from his mind. It was reserved for McCormick to adapt the common grass-cutting machine to the work of reap- ing, and then the world had a machine that has become the farmer's greatest and most reliable friend, rendering the cultivation of large fields feasible, by the celerity with which the grain can be cut and cured.

In this same connection we may be par- doned if we introduce a few words to illus- trate the strange methods by which history repeats itself, and the imperfect manner in which early engineers made allowance for the growth of cities.

Mr. N. P. Wardwell, cashier of the Water- town National Bank, has kindly loaned us a copy of the Watertown Jeffersonian, of the date December 3, 1844, almost exactly 50 years old. Mr. Hunt was the editor.

The leading editorial in this number of the Jeffersonian has a strange parallel and relevancy to the present day, this same Tariff question being then, as now, a hone of contention between the two parties, Whig and Democratic-Henry Clay having then just been defeated for the Presidency. He ran as the distinctly Protective candidate, and the editor of the Jeffersonian tries to mitigate the effects of that defeat of the Protection policy, then as now, marked by the stopping of mills and general hard times. He says :

Defeated in their expectations of electing Mr. Clay, and of securiog to the Whigs the prom- ised advantages which were to flow from the

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WATERTOWN.

protective policy, the Whig leaders are assiduously engaged in creating a panic, and, as a consequence, general derangement of business pursuits. Having predicted that the election of Mr. Polk would destroy public confidence and lead to widespread ruin and distress, his opponents find no other resource than a panic to bolster their tottering reputation.

All beyond what is necessary for consumption must be unprofitable to the producer. Let the market be overstocked, and dull sales and low prices inevitably follow. On the other hand, when the market is but barely supplied, sales are brisk at fair prices. This, as a general principle, will hold good the world over, and until new wants spring up or new markets are discovered, commercial affaire will move on much as usual. The merchant will pur- chase what he can readily sell at remunerative prices, the manufacturer and producer will prosecute their business with a view to the probable demand of their articles. The wants of the consumer must regulate the supply, for it would be worse than folly to extend any branch of business beyond proper and healthful encouragement. People must be clothed and fed, because their comfort and existence de- mand it ; but it does not follow that they must con- sume more than is reasonably necessary merely to ac- commodate avaricious and greedy producers.

These facts should be allowed their proper influence over the minds of men, especially when the effort is making to create a panic and unhinge the order of business. And such journale as parade columns of accounts of projects abandoned, of the curtailment of business operations, labor to destroy public pros- perity and to weaken public confidence in the institu- tions and laws of our country.

At the time this number of the Jeffersonian was printed, Mr. Timothy Dewey, a distin- guished engineer (father of Hon. Wm. Dewey, who died at Ashland farm, in Lyme, upon the property now owned by Mr. John P. Douglas), was publishing his ideas relative to a system of waterworks for what was then the village of Watertown. Mr. Dewey was the engineer who constructed the first gas-works of the city of New York, and the writer remembers him as a very intelligent gentleman. His ideas seem quite puerile when we consider the amount of water he estimated would be needed when Watertown should have reached a population of 20,000 souls. He says :

"The force pump should be eight inches in diame- ter, with three feet stroke, which with a suitable water wheel. will ralse 200,000 gallons in 24 hours, sufficient to supply 20.000 Inhabitants with 10 gallons each daily. I have estimated the work large enough to supply that number, believing that it is much more economical to build the work large enough at firet, rather than be compelled in a few years to re-build at a great additional cost, as has been the case in many cities and towns I have visited. It isnot unreasonable to expect that the population of this village will amount to 20,000 in less than 25 years."

Perhaps Mr. Dewey would be surprised to know that the daily pumping of the present waterworks is 4,000,000 gallons daily, instead of 200,000, and that the consumption per capita, instead of being 10 gallons, is 200 gal- lons per day. He goes on to say :

"Besides, there will be a great saving of soap, as well as hard labor in washing : more than one-third of the cost of soap will be saved, and one-quarter of the time bestowed In the necessary occupation. Wbat security have you againet the destruction of your houses and property against fire? Scarcely does a week pass without the public papers recording the loss of property in towns and cities, as well or better supplied with water than this. And how can you ex- pect to escape so great a calamity.

"How much longer shall it be said that the luxury of a hath. in the health-preserving and invigorating element, cannot be obtained in Watertown ; that the element which the saint and savage, the Turk and

Christian almost adore, shall remain a stranger in the place? Shall the hands and the face only receive a small share of the blessing, and the vital organs take care of themselves as best they may? Every family should have its hath house, and every one would. was it known here, as in many other places, how greatly bathing in pure water contributes to the promotion and preservation of sound health. Why may it not be soon said that Watertown, with its Public Square, with its spouting fountains. ite "Liter- ary and Scientific Institute," its fine and well-filled churches, its moral and energetic population, its in- exhaustable water power, is the most desirable resi- dence in the northern part of this splendid Union ?"

Another evidence of the march of engineer- ing ability, as developed by the present ele- vation of the water reservoir, is shown by the recommendation of Mr. Dewey that the reservoir should be placed "upon the eleva- ted ground between the First Presbyterian Church and the Academy." That elevation would admit of sending a stream of water about up to the second story windows of Washington hall.

Coming from soap to some more charmingly suggestive themes, the old gentleman at last gets on to the right key, and his closing com- pliments express the honest sentiment of all who were born or have resided in beautiful Watertown. Travellers say, "See Paris and die." We say, "See Watertown and live there."

One of the minor curiosities of history developed hy an examination of the census statistics of Jefferson county in the past, is the fact that in 1814 there were 30 negro slaves in this county, distributed as follows : Brownville one, Houndsfield 18, LeRay four, Watertown five, Wilna two. In 1820 the number of slaves had been reduced to five. Antwerp had four and LeRay one. These facts bring up curious reflections, and ought to make all our people lenient in their judg- ment of the South, who originally derived slavery from the same source as our people here. But we found slavery unprofitable ; the South made it pay, and made it the basis upon which rested all their productive capacity.

The census of 1814, taken in pursuance of an act passed April 15, of that year, gave the following results :

Total population in the 13 towns. 18,564

Electors, with freeholds of the value of £100 1,039

Electors, with freeholds worth from £20 to £100 107

Electors, not freeholders, renting tenements worth 40s. per annum 1,641 Free white males, under 18 years of 1 age 5,367

Free white males, of the age of 18 and under 45. 3,376

Free white males, of 45 years and up- wards 716

Free white females, under 18 years __ 5,204

Free white females, of the age of 18 and under 45 2,954

Free white females, of 45 years and upwards 700

All other free persons 217

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

The national census of 1820 gave the fol- lowing returns :

White males, under 10 5,592

White males, from 10 to 16 2,459

White males, from 16 to 18

700

White males, from 16 to 26, includ- ing heads of families_ 3,831

White males, from 26 to 45, includ- ing heads of families. 4,143

White males, 45 and upwards, in- cluding heads of families

1,574

White females, under 10.

5,521

White females, from 10 to 16 2,397

White females, from 16 to 26, includ- ing heads of families 3,005

White females, from 26 to 45, includ- ing heads of families 3,040

White females, of 45 and upwards, including heads of families. 1,250

Foreigners not naturalized 787

Persons engaged in agriculture 134

Persons engaged in manufactures 1,603

Colored males, free.

Colored females, free. 63

Doubtless the large number of slaves in Hounds- field is accounted for by the fact that Madison Bar- racks are In that town, and the army officers often owned slaves, especially those who married Southern girls.

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The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 154

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