The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 44

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 44

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A newspaper had been started (this was in 1809), and had some one possessed suffi- cient forethought to have preserved files of the same, he would have rendered a great service to the historian. But so far as known there is not a copy in existence, and there is nothing to show just when it was started. However, it lasted several years, and until the materials were levied upon by the sheriff, perhaps because its publisher found he had more creditors than sub- scribers, when one of the Abbeys happened along and purchased it, and, changing the

name of the publication, ran it several years, though without taking the trouble to keep files. The paper was in existence in 1812, under the editorial charge of Jairus Rich, father of the late Capt. Henry D. Rich.

The streets had been planned as follows: Public square, Washington, State, Court, Columbia (now Arsenal), Woodruff (now Franklin), Coffeen, Mill and Sterling streets as they are to-day, except that Mill street only extended from the square to the river. Madison street (now Massey) was laid out wide like Washington street, and extended only from Arsenal to Coffeen street. The street now called Lepper was laid out, but not named. Main street extended from the bridge westward, there being no streets or houses on the north side of the river east of LeRay street at that time.

From 1812 to 1824 the growth of Water- town was constant, though not rapid. The village at the date last named contained 1,220 inhabitants, 149 dwellings and 170 families, 35 mechanic shops, 18 stores and groceries, 7 offices, 1 cotton and 1 woolen factory, 1 planing mill and 2 saw mills, 3 paper mills, 1 furnace and 1 tannery, 1 ma- chine shop and 1 distillery, 1 fulling mill and carding machine. 1 plow factory and 4 chair factories, 1 tin-shop, 2 churches and a third in the course of erection, 3 school-houses, viz .: On Sterling street, Arse- nal street and Factory street; and 6 taverns, kept by Sewall Brintnall, B. Ranney, Stan- ton Brown, Eliot Makepeace, Dexter Hun- gerford and Jairus Rich.

The tin-shop was carried on by Norris M. Woodruff, the fulling mill by Winslow Part- ridge, the distillery by Mr. Foster, the ma- chine shops by George Goulding and Na- thaniel Wiley, the tannery by Jasan Fairbanks, the furnace, which was on the extreme lower end of Beebe's island, by William Smith. One of the paper mills was under the management of Knowlton & Rice.

North Watertown at this time contained 157 inhabitants; one school-house on Brad- ley street, a flouring mill (Foster's), one saw mill, a fulling mill, a distillery and a plow factory.

The settlement on the north side of the river was at one time called Williamstown, Dexter Parker built the first dwelling house (standing to-day) between Jewettville and Pamelia, long before any bridge was built on the north side of Beebe's island.

The aggregate population of both sides of the river in 1824 was 1,377.

Few people died in 1824, or the intelli- gence did not get into the Freeman. Only two deaths were recorded: Joseph Otterson lost a child, and the death of Benjamin Eddy is announced. This Joseph Otterson was the father of B. Cory's apprentice, Frank, who rose to be night editor of the N. Y. Tribune.

The village of Watertown was incorpor-

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CITY OF WATERTOWN.

ated April 5, 1816, and the first village elec- tion held in the May succeeding, David W. Bucklin presiding. when the following officers were elected: Timothy Burr, Egbert Ten Eyck, Olney Pierce. Marinus W. Gil- bert and Norris M. Woodruff, trustees; Reuben Goodale, William Smith and Orville Hungerford, assessors: Micah Sterling, treasurer: Seth Otis, collector; Jabez Foster, Samuel Watson, Jr., Rufus Backus, William Fletcher, Joseph Henry, fire wardens.

From this date to 1824 these same gentle- men, with others. officiated as village trus- tees. The list embraces the names of Isaac Lee, Silas Marvin, William Tanner. Andrew Newell, Jasan Fairbanks, Orin Stone, William Smith, Chauncey Calhoun, Reuben Goodale, Dyer Huntington, David W. Bucklin, James Q. Adams, Charles E. Clarke, Calvin McKnight, Adriel Ely, John Sigourney, Loveland Paddock, Orville Hun- gerford. They were evidently and are well remembered as the leading men in the vil- lage, possessing excellent business qualifica- tions, and were undoubtedly selected with- out reference to their political affiliations, though even then politics were quite liber- ally discussed.

The center of the square was as low as the depot grounds now are, from which it is evident that a vast amount of earth has been used to level it up and make it the beautiful place it now is. There were bluffs at both the west and east ends of the park. The ground on the American corner and on the upper end of Court street was six or eight feet higher than at present; the corner where Washington Hall stands was a dozen or more feet higher, and the ground where the Baptist and Universalist churches stand was on a level with Peck place, removed to make room for the new Smith block. From this it will be seen that the site of our pres- sent Public Square was decidedly uneven at the outset. It was a good place for the boys to slide down hill in winter, and it was improved in that way for a quarter of a century after the settlement of Watertown was begun.

The American corner was always occu- pied as a hotel until it was purchased by the Keep estate a few years ago. The first hotel was built of logs. It was succeeded hy a wooden structure, of which Mr. R. H. Huntington has a sketch, painted by his father. This was followed by the old Wheeler House, which lasted until the fire of 1849, when it was burned, and the pres- ent building erected by Thomas W. Wheeler,

The Universalist church, completed in 1825, was a stone building and stood upon a level with Franklin street. Before the square was filled, those who attended that church had to climb forty-nine steps. People went up from each side on a circle. The hill at the east end of the Puble Square was at an early day occupied by Clark Rice as a dwelling. The next building west of the Universalist church was the residence of Mr. Moody.

Next across Franklin street was a brick dwelling belonging to Abram Jewett, 20x40. Adjoining it was the brick store of William Smith, 67x40, and the next was the hotel property, corner Washington and Public Square, about 70x35, Adjoining this prop- erty on Washington street was a brick block 82x40. three stories high. belonging to Hart Massey. About a quarter of the build- ing was occupied as a part of the hotel, and the remainder as stores and offices. Olney Pearce occupied one of the stores, Wm. Smith & Co. another, and the third was used by Dr. Massey and the Masonic fra- ternity. They had a hall in the upper story, Next was the wooden dwelling of Dyer Huntington, 35x40) ; then an alley and then his drug and paint shop. 30x50. Then came the dwelling of Silas Marvin.

On the opposite side of the street was an engine house, where the Jefferson County Bank stands. On the corner of Washington and Stone streets, was Gideon Wells' saddle and harness shop, 30x40. Next was O. Hungerford's store, 30x40. Next S. Mar- vin's hat store, 15x40. Next was a store belonging to the estate of John Paddock, 48x40, another 28x40, used as a tin shop. Next was Jabez Foster's store, and the next was the hotel on the corner of Washington and Arsenal streets. These buildings were all brick except the hotel, and were two and three stories in height.

At a later period Knowlton & Rice occu- pied one of the stores in the Washington Hall block. On the front of the building over their store was a sign painted in large letters " FAUST BUILDING." This was no donht the work of Clark Rice, who, it is well known, was a practical printer and thus honored Fanst, who was the inventor of printing.

A two story stone building on the corner of Washington and Stone streets was occu- pied by the Jefferson County Bank until it went into the building it lately occupied, which was built by the Fourierite Associa- tion, that flourished at one time in Water- town. The building vacated was after- wards occupied by Messrs. Symonds as a store, and at a later date by Wooster Sher- man's bank and by J. C. Sterling as a book store. A building over the driveway east of Perkins' hotel, was occupied by Washington Genet as a barber shop, when he first took up his residence in Watertown.

Charles E. and John Clarke, who were among the foremost lawyers in Water- town, had their office in Massey's block, south of Perkins' tavern. The office was entered by a stairway either adjoining the hotel or further south.

The streets of Watertown in 1824 were : State (now Court), Court (now Coffeen), Madison (now Massey), Arsenal. Washing- ton, Sterling, Factory, River, Mill, the State Road (now State street), Water (now Hunt- ington), Woodruff (now Franklin), and Weaver (now High) street.

214

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

Coffeen street is one of the oldest in the city. It was known as Court street as late as 1824 It was the most direct way of reaching the Court Honse from the Public Square when that building stood where it was first located. But people had been slow in settling upon it. There was some- thing like half a dozen buildings on it in 1804, and in 1812 Arsenal street school-house stood where it now does, but was a small affair. Thomas Hall, afterwards a promin- ent business man at Sackets Harbor, taught school there in 1819, which was attended by our townsman, the venerable Mr. Weeks.

Originally River street was much higher than at present, and the bridge from the mainland to Beebee's Island was below the falls and the mills. The street was nearly upon a level with the ground upon which the freight house stands, and there were several dwellings upon it facing the river.

James P. Robbins, a printer, resided here and was doubtless the same man that pub- lished the " Black River Gazette," at Mar- tinsburg a year or two, which was estab- lished in the spring of 1807, and who is said to have carried a bundle of paper from Utica to Watertown on his back.

On Beebee's Island there was a stone building of considerable dimensions, and a smaller wooden one, but just how they were used cannot be stated with certainty. Wil- liam Smith had an extensive foundry there, and J. Holt had a tannery on this island at one time. There were two dwellings upon the island, and Doctor and Avery Thomas resided in one of them ere they had dreamed of achieving fame and fortune.

Factory street was the same as it is to- day, extending as far as Sewall's Island (then called Factory Island), and was well occupied by residences, there being thirty- eight buildings on the street in 1824. There were no streets between Factory and State streets, except Weaver (now High street), which extended about as far up as the foot of Jefferson street. Factory Square and Fairbanks street (then called Water street), were laid out as they are to-day.

At the risk of contradiction, we announce that in all probability Factory street was never dedicated to public use .It was bought for $200 from the adjoining owners by the Watertown Woolen and Cotton Manufac- turing Company, in order to get to their lands purchased from Jewett.

The late G. W. Knowlton took up his residence on High street in 1840, his house standing upon the corner of High and Jefferson streets. Some of his neigh- bors were N. Wiley, father of Mrs. A. J. Fairbanks ; Ed. Skinner, Ww. Pad- get, Mr. Perkins, and Cromwell Clark, carpenters by trade ; Jere Kimball. Mr. Marshall - but how many of them lived upon the street previous to 1824 is not known. Mr. Sewall had a store on one corner of High and Factory streets, and Austin Skinner a shop on the other, but

this was at a later day. The lot in the rear of Mr. Knowlton's residence was his cow pasture, and he raised a fine crop of wheat there one season. He opened Jefferson street from High to Mechanic, owning all the land between the two. The paper mill of Knowlton & Rice stood upon the prop- erty now covered by the H. H. Babcock Company works. Wiley's foundry and ma- chine shop were above it, and Fairbanks' tannery below.

In 1822 the Factory street school was taught by the late John Clarke, and attended by Joseph Mullin and Jasper Gilbert, both subsequently judges of the Supreme Court, by Alonzo M. and Samuel Watson, after- wards lawyers of repnte, by Charles F, and George Smith, and by the late Charles Cross- mon and Charles F. Symonds.

Away back in 1824, State street was known as the State road, running from Utica to Sackets Harbor, and the lower portion of it to the Public Square was on a level with the ground upon which George Hooker's house stands. It was afterward excavated and the dirt was used to fill up the Public Square, a portion of which was more than ten feet lower than it is to-day. There were only eight buildings on State street at that time.

Starting at the Public Square and con- tinning along the north side of State street, the first building was Jasan Fairbanks' tan- nery, located about where the residence of V. S. Hubbard and Mrs. Pool now stand. This tannery was fed by a stream of water which ran down the hill upon which the Hadcock residence stands, and across the road into the tannery. A man named Martin lived in the next house, which is standing to-day, located next to the resi- dence of the late J. G. Harbottle. The brick house now occupied by Dr. J. W. B. Smith was then standing, being the home of James Farwell. Next came the house of Thomas Peck, located just west of the residence of J. C. Streeter, which was built in 1827, and the only other structure on that side of State street at the date was M. W. Symonds' house, which occupied the site of the High School building.

On the south side of State street there were no buildings east of Union street. J. Farwell's dwelling stood about where John Lee resides, and Farwell's stone blacksmith shop was located west of his house. The only other building on that side of the street was Albro's house, which was located opposite the Fairbanks tannery. Both Stone's distillery and Fairbanks' tannery originally stood on the State road, and were removed to Water street about 1823-24.

Franklin street was then known as Woodruff street. There were seven build- ings on Franklin street in 1824, all located on the south side, and extending not further than where Sterling street inter- sects. First came a brick building situated upon the site of the present Hubbard block.

215

CITY OF WATERTOWN.

It was occupied by the Jefferson County Bank, which was then the only banking institution in Jefferson county. William Siuith's house came next, his yard occupy- ing a part of the site of the Burdick block, and he owned the next dwelling. The dwellings of William Smith and Abraham Jewett came next in order, and were situ- ated just west of Goodale street. Further up the street was a two-story white house built by Theophilus Redfield, and just be- yond this house was the residence of the late Luther G. Hoyt, who there established the first bakery in Watertown.

In 1824 Sterling street extended from Washington to Franklin street, and there were eight dwellings located upon it. Starting in at Washington street and going along the north side of Sterling street, the residence of Gideon Wells, a saddle and harness maker, is first passed. It was located where N. Winslow now resides. The residence of Dr. Reuben Goodale came next. It was a two-story frame dwelling. Goodale's lane was not opened at that time, and the only other house on that side of Sterling street was the residence of Joseph Goodale, located about opposite A. Bush- nell's house.

On the south side of Sterling street there were five dwellings. The site of A. Bush- nell's residence was occupied by a house owned by Harvey Meigs, long a tiler to the Masonic lodges, a cousin of George Smith, of the Savings Bank. Further west was the residence of Deacon Patrick, and Henry Bronson lived in the brick house now occu- pied by Fred Seymour. The frame dwell- ing west of this brick house was probably the home of Loveland Paddock.

It appears that Weaver street was so named because the party who settled upon it when first opened was employed in weav- ing bed-ticking; His name was Elder, and be was the father of Mrs. S. G. Greaves and of James Elder, formerly the leader of a band in Watertown. Mr. Elder was an immigrant from Ireland and had been a weaver in the old country, so he resumed the occupation after his arrival here. He had 50 cents a yard for weaving. So the cost of this description of cloth could not have been less than $1.00 or $1.25 per yard, whereas it may now be obtained at from 10c to 20c. The father of the late Judge Mullin was likewise a weaver in Ireland, and when he came to Watertown he took up his residence with Mr. Elder, and the two families lived together in the small tenement on the left hand side of Weaver street, the second or third house from the corner. The house stands just where it did seventy-five years ago. Mr. Elder and the elder Mullin both worked at weaving in a shop on Fairbanks street, but the exact date is unknown, probably about 1818-20.

It is now known that the father of Avery and Dr. A. R. Thomas, Colonel Azariah Thomas, occupied one of the dwellings! on

Beebee's island in 1824. He came to Water- town in 1821, and engaged in the manu- facture of woodenware by machinery, and probably took up his residence on the island at once. At all events Doctor A. R. Thomas was born there the 3rd of October, 1826. It is therefore not impossible that one of the buildings on the south bank of the river, near the site of what was once Van Doren's shop, was Col. Thomas' manufactory, and the other the tannery of J. Holt. Both the Col. and Mrs. Thomas were members of the Baptist church.

Lest our History may prove tiresome we will not further describe Watertown in its infancy. It had a vigorous and a steady growth, often threatened with destruction by serious fires, which are described in their place ; but the little town has emerged into a city of nearly 20,000 people, ranking with the first in the State for its beauty and completeness, not less than for the virtue and intelligence of its people. We may almost say that its general progress as an entirety may be justly compared with what has been done upon the Public Square, now surrounded by fine brick blocks, and one of the central ellipses surmounted by the handsomest soldiers' monument in the State; while that Square was once a side- hill development where mud-holes, dead cats and decaying vegetation were quite prominent in summer, and the crosswalks (such as they were) only wide enough in winter to indicate the trail.

The reader, as he intelligently follows the different threads in our history of the vil- lage and city of Watertown, may perchance notice some repetitions of incidents and al- lusions, for in the early settlement it was first a township, out of which grew the village, and from it the city - and so town, village, city become at times mixed in giv- ing their records chronologically. The " town " of Watertown will be found treated with the rest of the townships in its alpha- betical order - coming last before Wilna.

SOME SMALLER SCRAPS OF HISTORY.

It would be an easy matter tor the his- torical student to prepare his work truth- fully and chronologically if he could encounter in each locality so industrious and able a chronicler as was the late Dyer Huntington, father of the present Mr. R. H. Huntington. Through the courtesy of this gentleman we have been permitted to ex- amine his father's diary, commencing in 1834 and continuing up to his last illness. Some ruthless iconoclast, we regret to say. lias sadly mutilated this journal, tearing out many leaves to save the time of copying theni, and neglecting to return the precious records, covering probably the most in- structive portions of the history. We are able to give only a few interesting items :

216

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

May 13, 1834-Wind northwest, and snowing. It is now freezing fast. Apple trees in full bloom. This afternoon attended funeral of Judge P. G. Keyes. The day closes in a blustering January snow storm. [The author well remembers that day. He was carry- ing papers.]

May 15, 1834-A cold, wintry morning.

May 23, 1834 .- Warm. In the sun the mercury at . 3 P. M. showed 106°, Half an hour after sundown it was 79º

June 11, 1834 .- A cloudy morning. Between 1 and 3 o'clock this morning was present at the burning of Tuttle & Sill's distillery. [The author was also present at that fire.I

June 13, 1834 .- This day received news of the death of Gen Lafayette.

July 4, 1834 .- As perfect a day as ever shone in America. No celebration. Hundreds have gone tn Sackets Harbor. Lucas, at Burrville, hands blown off. [This unfortunate man will be recalled by many of our older people, from the facility with which he was able to transact hia business with iron honks fixed to the stumps of both wrists.]

July 17, 1834 .- Mr. Gilbert returned home last night from Canada, and reports that cholera has appeared on the St Lawrence, and that many have died at Quebec, Montreal, Prescott and Brockville.

Aug. 18. 1834 .- Mrs. Dr. Wright died this afternoon. Sept. 7, 1834 -Coldest morning since May last.

Oct. 2, 1834 .- A man from Salina, the only fatal case ever known here, died last night from cholera.

Nov. 26, 1834. - Sleighiog good from Watertown to Utica.F

Jan. 23, 1835 .- Tuttle and Sill, with their families aud household effects, left yesterday, on wagons, for Ohio.

March 3, 1835 .- Town meeting. Merenry 7º below 0. 3 inches of snow.

March 15, 1835. - Esquire Saml. C. Canady buried on the 13th at L . Raysville

April 7, 1835 .- Rutland Hill looks like winter. Hooker Dorchester, of Honnsfield, accidentally killed yester- day by a shot from his own gun.

March 17, 1835 .- Snow abont a foot deep.

April 17, 1835. - Mr. Huntington had evidently be- come impatient at the long, cold spring. for he un- derscores these words: "Am of opinion that the Black River country was created for such inhabitants only as woodchucks, hedgehogs and skunks! "

April 10, 1835 .- Thomas Delano buried this p. m. Another Revolutionary patriot and pensioner stricken from the rolls.

April 17, 1835 .- Burk, the black man, found dead in the street this morning. Supposed to have frozen to death while intoxicated.

Jan. 28, 1836 .- Two feet of snow on a level. Utica stage 24 hours late.

Jau 25, 1837 .- The sky lit up with a very remark- able display of aurora borealis, a red belt extended across the heavens from east to west ; unusually fine display. [This nocturnal exhibition has been noticed in many histories.]

Feb. 16, 1837 - Considerable snow, and more blus- tering [probably a blizzard] than has been known here for 30 years past.

April 7, 1831. - Fire last night, Creed's chair shop and honse aud Ford's dwelling entirely consumed. Furniture principally saved. Insured.

April 12, 1837 .- Have had 3 days of pleasant weather. Extraordinary .

May 3, 1837 -A most powerful rain. Streets com- pletely flooded.

May 28, 1837 .- A good summer like day.

July 4, 1837 .- Have an agreeable celebration.

August 4, 1837 .- Frost throughout the Black River country.

August 10, 1832 .- Farmers report a fatal rust on their wheat, resulting from warm, cloudy weather. Nuch hay ruined.

August 13, 1837 .- Green corn yesterday from the garden.

Nov. 3, 1837 .- Ground frozen for past week.

Nov. 14, 1837 .- A peculiar red light appeared over almost the entire heavens, both last evening and to- night. This color was displaced this evening by the usual aurora borealis display. The rising moon dis- pelled the whole illusion.

Jan 4, 1828 .- News reached us of the attack by a British force upon the steamer Caroline, at Scblosser, on the Niagara river.

Feb. 24, 1838. - Van Rensselaer and other straggling

renegades from Canada are about our village since these ridiculous affairs at Clayton two days since. Several companies of militia are en route to protect our frontier.

March 28, 1838 .- Three days since the governor of Upper Canada passed through our town on his way to England. To all appearances a small governor.

June 5, 1838. - The steamer Robert Peel was boarded last Wednesday morning while at a wharf on Wells Island, below French Creek (Clayton), pluodered and burned. Some 12 or 15 of the perpetrators are here in jail awaiting the action of the grand jury. The governor is with ns. and has issued a proclamation offering a reward for apprehensions. This is a result of the patriot attempt upon Canada last season.

June 28. 1838,-Trial of the prisoners charged with burning the Peel, resulted in their acquital.

June 30, 1838 .- Some rioting in the atreets. Cannon fired by the patriots (or vagabonds) in honor of the liberation of their commander

July 4, 1838 .- A hot day, 90° in the shade.

July 16, 1+38 .- Have in my garden corn fit to roast.

April 25, 1838 .- Received news of death of Levi Bee- bee.

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The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 44

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