The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 63

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 63

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Leaving these abstruse distinctions to be worked out by others, we find at the rear of this cemetery an abrupt descent to the road- way, which runs along the present river bank. Observe that the trend of this bold escarpment is decidedly to the south-east. Continued in that direction, that ledge or former river bank struck the Square almost cxactly where the Iron block now stands, and continued across the upper Square almost south to the Washington Hall corner, where it deflected abruptly to the eastward, and lost itself in a bank of clay where now stands the Smith block, once denominated by the elder Pad- dock as "Fort Peck," for there a worthy man, Mr. A. J. Peck, long resided, perched upon an eminence which developed itself, when excavated, to be just a big pile of clay. Farther up State street, this clay bank "petered out " into a level space, as is seen to-day. A peculiarity of this high clay de- posit was that it did not rest upon the gravelly moraine of all this region, as does nearly all the out-cropping soil, the result of glacial action, but was just a great pile of

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clay, resting upon a bed of limestone. At the Washington Hall corner this clay deposit was several feet thick, and increased until its highest point was at "Fort Peck." The half-moon formed by the high river bank, continuing south and east, as we have described bordered a low, sunken, later river bank, where now stands the Doolittle & Hall block, and clear down to the Streeter block, where the gradual slope amalgamated itself with the present river bank, and so continued up Fac- tory street. In other words, the lands where all the north side of the Public Square now stands, were 20 feet below the Washingtou Hall corner and the lands now covered by the Henry Keep Home purchase, as well as by the Arcade and the bank building, up Wash- ington street, upon both sides. To be brief and concise-the present Public Square stands almost entirely upon what may be called a "cove," where the Black river had probably

tried to form a bay, enabling it to comfort itself with a bit of rest after its descent from Carthage. Where Mr. Cook's soldiers' monument stands, the ground was 12 to 15 feet below the Washington Hall corner, and where the Doolittle & Hall block stands, the land was consideraly lower still, being in fact ncarly down to what we now designate as the natural bank of the river. A good illustration would make this clearer to the average mind. But if the reader follows our description closely, and then examines the cutting for the sewer which traverses the northern edge of this ledge, he will find no trouble in understanding the relative position of the ground under consideration -- as it was seen by the writer, by Jonathan Cowan, by Henry Coffeen and by Hart Massey and those other heroes of discovery, who planted schools and churches, and made the_basis of our present municipality.

SUSPENSION BRIDGE ACROSS BLACK RIVER AT WATERTOWN.

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

JOHN GUY HARBOTTLE

WAS born in Trenton, Oneida county, June 4, 1819, and was of English parentage. His father was the late John Harbottle, and his mother, Sophia Vassar, sister of Matthew Vassar, the founder of Vassar College, at Poughkeepsie, an institution which is the pride and glory of the State, devoted to the higher education of women. The late John Guy Vassar, of the latter city, was a cousin, the name of Guy being handed down for generations in honor of a distant relative who founded the justly celebrated Guy's Hospital in London. John Guy Harbottle's parents came to Watertown, June 13, 1833, and this city has been the scene of all his active and wonderfully useful life. He was the architect of his own fortune, commencing his business life without any property, but possessing habits of industry and a character for fidelity and honor, which were better than money. For 13 years he was foreman of the tin shop of Norris M. Woodruff, afterwards Cooper &

Woodruff, until 1849, when the shop was destroyed by fire. He then worked for C. H. Wright until 1852, when he started business for himself, under the Baptist church, as a hardware merchant.

Through the influence of Matthew Vassar, his uncle, he obtained credit with Phelps, Dodge & Co., of New York, to the extent of $500, and this was the only assistance he ever received in his business career. In 1859 he purchased the block where he afterwards conducted his business, and in 1861 he built the dwelling, No. 7 State street, where he resided until the time of his death.

In 1866 he formed a partnership with William Howard, in the hardware business, which continued until March, 1887. This firm was one of the strongest and most reli- able business concerns of the city. After its dissolution, Mr. Harbottle continued the same business at the same place in connection with his sons, under the firm name of Harbottle &

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Sons. He was one of the principal organizers of the Round Island Park Association, and was for nine years its President.

Mr. Harbottle was twice married. His first wife was Victorine R. Huntington, whom he married October 31, 1841. She died June 19, 1843; their son, George Vassar Harbottle, died November 30, 1856, at the age of 14 years. His was a beautiful character, and his father tenderly cherished his memory. May 28, 1848, he married Marcia A. Crydenwise. who survives him. Their three sons, John Clark, Edward Guy, and Frank Vassar Harbottle are all, ont of a family of 11 children, who re- main to mourn his death.

Mr. Harbottle was eminently religious. He was a member of the Baptist church from 1838 to the time of his death, May 10, 1891, and he held almost every office of trust in his church. He was ever active and efficient in whatever he undertook, and in church matters very liberal. He anticipated much pleasure in witnessing the completion of the new church edifice, but he was not to be spared to join in the ceremonics of that dedication. Only his most intimate friends knew and justly proved the depth and refinement of his religious life. His faith in his Saviour was

untouched by the blight of doubt, and it sus- tained him amid every trial, lifting him above any atmosphere of uncertainty.

For many years he led the choir in the public worship of song. His agreeable man- ner, joined to his beautiful Christian character, made him always a popular leader-he always had a harmonious choir.

Mr. Harbottle was pre-eminently a patient man. He deliberated before taking any im- portant action, and the result almost invari- ably demonstrated the correctness of his judgment. He was not of a pugnacious nor even an assertive nature, but under his calm demeanor he carried a world of determination and reserve power, which made him a forceful character. His Christianity was of a diffusive nature, that permeated the surroundings of his life. His was a character unique and use- ful-for it affords a striking lesson of the importance, 1st Of adhering to one line of business. 2d To have a sufficient baptism of Christianity to cause it to permeate, influence, control all one's life-not by beating drums, but by the quiet actions which shadow forth a heart fixed and stayed on Christ. There ought to be more men like Deacon Harbottle.

THE FREDERICK WOODRUFF FAMILY.

FREDERICK WOODRUFF was the son of Jonah, who came into the Black River country in 1799, among the very earliest settlers, when Watertown city was an entirely undeveloped possibility, shut in in by a roaring river and vast forests. His route was hy blazed trees from Boonville, his earthly possessions dragged along hy oxen hitched to a bob-sled. He suffered all the hardships, privations and annoyances incident to pioneership in an en- tirely wild and unsettled country. He bought 150 acres of land in what was long known as the "Woodruff and Sigourney neighborhood," where he died in 1823.

His son Frederick, born 1788, being the youngest, was naturally the home staying child, and on the death of his father he. bought out the interest of the other heirs and continued on aa owner of the farm he had managed ao long and so successfully. Frcd- erick married Lodema Andrus, and they raised eight children: George, Diadema, Gil- bert, Walter, Jackson, Harriet, Betsey and Orlin H. Of these, Gilbert, Harriet, Betsey and Orlin H., alone are living.

Frederick Woodruff removed about 1839 to. the farm on the State road, just east of the city limits, where he died in 1855. He was a well known citizen, who rcared a large family, and they were all useful members of society. He served in the battle of Sackets, Harbor, and shared all the hopes and fears,. the excitements and depressions of that excit -- ing period.

His best-known son, Gilbert Woodruff, was; born November 20, 1817. He had the benefit of the common schools of that period, but had

no academic education. In 1838 he left the farm and went west, but returned in 1839. He soon purchased the business of Lawrence Hayes in the basement of the Paddock block, selling that property the same year to William B. Rogers. Returning to the old farm for a year or two, he again went into trade in Watertown. Mr. Woodruff speaks gratefully of the assistance rendered him by Loveland Paddock when starting his business. He con- tinued in trade for several years, part of the time in partnership with his brother Walter. Building and real estate claimed a great part of his time until 1857, when he removed to Rockford, Illinois, which has ever since been his home His transactions in real estate in the west have been quite extensive, and Mr. Woodruff is widely known as a wealthy and influential citizen. He is now in his 77th year, remarkably well preserved, and is a fair type of the decendants of those pioneers who did so much to make Jefferson county what it is to day. He has been twice married, the first time to Nancy Fay, in 1840. She died in 1875. His present wife was Mrs. Augusta Todd, formerly a Miss Selden, whom he mar- ried in 1879. By his first wife he had seven children, five of whom still survive. Mr. Woodruff's career has heen unusually success- ful. He has never faltered in his duties as a citizen or a patriot.

Walter Woodruff, a brother of Gilbert, was another typical son of Watertown, where he was in business many years, removing to Chicago about 1856, and becoming there an influential and prominent citizen. Before Jeaving for Chicago, he and his brother

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GILBERT WOODRUFF.

built the Washington Hall block in 1854, it taking the place of the old public house so long a landmark on the square, as well as taking in several other adjoining properties. That building stands to-day a monument of the excellence of their work as builders. They also built the Henry Keep Home build- ing, several dwellings on East Sterling street, and many other properties in dif- erent parts of the city. Walter Wood- ruff entered largely into real estate and commercial speculations in Chicago and was for a long time a wealthy man. But the hard times of 1873 deprived him of much of his possessions, and he died in 1876 at Chicago. His body is buried in Brookside beside his wife, and their monument is a con- spicuous ohject there.

Jackson Woodruff, brother of Gilbert and Walter, also removed to Chicago after being in trade several years in Watertown. He was

in the lumber business, was a member of the Board of Trade, and much respected. He died in Chicago in 1873, and is also buried in Brookside.

In this single family we see how much of the best blood of old Jefferson has been drained away to aid in building up the great West, which contains almost as many of the sons of our early pioneers as yet remain in their native county. The philosophic student of history notes in these great movements of population the means hy which the Almighty spreads over the whole earth the people who are to found States and push on the car of progress and of moral forces; yet one can but regret that old Jefferson should ever have lost a single one of these noble sons, who, as their fathers did before them, have in a new land cleared forests, made paths by land and water and planted commonwealths.

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THE SIGOURNEY FAMILY.

The three Sigourney families, early settlers of Watertown, derive their lineage from a French ancestor, Andrew Sigourney, one of the hand of Hugenots, exiled by the revoca- tion of the edict of Nantes, by Louis XIV. October 22. 1685. He settled in Boston, and died there, April 16, 1727.

Anthony and Andrew settled in Watertown in 1809, in the then called Woodruff settle- ment, in the eastern part of the town Here were spent the remainder of their days. To say both were prominent citizens is no exaggeration. The third brother, John, was a cotton manufacturer. He came into the town in 1818 and entered the then new factory at the eastern end of the village, in which he spent the largest portion of an active life. All were decided Democrats. John died February 8, 1872.

The sons of Anthony were Alanson P. James M., and William Harrison. Harrison left the paternal roof at the age of 17, and served an apprenticeship to the jewelry and watch repairing business with the late Calvin Guiteau. During the administrations of Pierce and Buchanan, he served as postmaster in Watertown. He sold his interest in his business to Roswell P. Flower, and his real estate in the then village, and emigrated to the city of New York, where he engaged in new enterprises-some proving satisfactory, and some not congenial or profitable, His health failing in 1892, he sold his residence in Brooklyn, and purchased No. 12 Holcomb street, where he now resides, in his 79th year, accompanied by the faithful wife of his choice (who was Miss Julia Huntington).

The second son of Anthony Sigourney was James M., who spent his minority upon his father's farm, acquiring sufficient education to enable him to teach four terms of school. Early in life he married Miss Eliza Tuell, and conducted the business of his father's farm up to 1848, when he purchased the adjoining farm. Possessing a decided taste for military life, he filled all the offices in company and regiment in the 93d regiment of rifles, and

when the War of the Rebellion broke out he was selected by the local " war committee " of Jefferson county to organize the 94th Regi- ment, and to rendezvous and drill the same at the barracks in Sackets Harbor.

This is not the place to detail the manage- ment by which Colonel Sigourney was de- prived of the command of the 94th. He aided in raising it, but others were placed in command of that fine body of troops. He died March 8, 1888, aged 75 years.

The eldest of the three sons of Anthony, Alanson P., was born and reared upon the farm he now owns, and upon which he now resides, in the original Woodruff settle- ment; spent his minority upon the farm, less two terms of school taught-the first in Rut- land Hollow, the second at Sanford's Corners. He was a pupil of William Ruger, of Prof. Charles Brown, principal of Denmark Academy, and of M. LaRue P. Thompson, principal of the old stone academy, and there finished his academic course. While in the old academy he was called to teach the school on Factory street, which he taught eleven years, and then decided to pursue the pro- fession no further. He spent about a year in the jewelry business with his brother. He subsequently taught 18 terms on Sterling street. He acted as inspector and superin- tendent of schools for the town and village of Watertown for 14 years. He spent 19 years as Secretary of Jefferson County Agricultural Society, and was its presi- dent in 1858; was clerk of the Board of Supervisors four terms; has been candidate for supervisor of the town. Mr. Sigourney retired upon his farm in 1851-where he has since resided, and is now, in his 85th year, an intelligent, very observing, reflecting, indus- trious man. He was was one of the most in- fluential and progressive of the early educators of the county. Unfortunately for his political aspirations, if he ever had any, he was sometimes allied with a minority party, but he followed its fortunes with distinguished courage and unequaled persistency, for he implicitly believed in its principles. J. A. H.

JUSTIN W. WEEKS

THE aged crier of the courts of .Jefferson county, has been for so long an interesting character in Watertown, and is so favorably known to so many of the people of the county, that his portrait will be readily recognized and appreciated by our readers. The Weeks family is an ancient and honor- able one, the name, in some of its varied forms, is of very great antiquity in England. The early emigrants to this country appear to have come mainly from the South of Eng- land, and doubtless sprang from among the yeomen and landed gentry of that fruitful section. They were generally men of enter- prise-some of them men of culture and of means, who at once assumed positions of honor and of influence in this new country.

George Weeks, one of the early settlers of Dorchester, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was probably the progenitor of many of the Weeks family in the United States. He cer- tainly is the one to whom the subject of this sketch traces back his genealogy.

Justin W. Weeks was born in Watertown in 1806. In March, 1831, he married Rosa- linda Rogers, by whom he had three children, Mary Persis, Addison and Charles Warren. He was originally a farmer, then a teacher in Watertown and Hounsfield. Leaving the school-house, he became a clerk in Knowlton & Rice's book store; then in 1860, he was made special deputy county clerk, which position he lias since held and still holds. His urbanity of manner, and the gentleness

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JUSTIN W. WEEKS.

of' his deportment have made him many friends. His golden wedding was celebrated in 1881, when himself and his beloved part- ner received many substantial tokens from sympathetic and admiring friends. His wife died in 1883, in her 74th year, rounding out a life of great usefulness. She was in every sense a Christian.

Mr. Weeks since then has resided with his daughter, Mrs. Elisha Hemenway, at 72 Franklin street. He bears the burthen of his nearly 90 years as well as could be ex- pected, being daily seen upon the streets; but he looks upon himself as only a pilgrim, who may be called away any day to pass over and join that great hut silent majority who have preceded him.

Of his three children, only Mrs. Hemenway and his son Addison are now living. The artist Gegoux, has painted an heroic sized

portrait of Mr. Weeks, which has attained de- served popularity as a fine work of art-re- fleeting great credit upon the artist, for he has made a picture that seems just ready to walk out of the frame, to become the very living man himself. The writer lately ex- amined that picture with great interest. Nothing finer in the way of portraiture is seen in any of the great galleries of Europe- a thing easy to say, but which any observing European traveller will verify.

Mr. Weeks was for 35 years an exemplary member of Arsenal Street M. E. Church, and when State Street Church was set off he be- came an official member and trustee of the latter, a relation he holds to-day. His Chris- tian experience and well-balanced life have been so exemplary as to entitle him to the universal respect he has so long enjoyed.

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DEWITT CLINTON CUMINGS,

Now a resident of Carthage, where he was burned out in the great fire of 1884, was born in the town of Pamelia in 1823. His early education was such as he could pick up at odd times in the common schools of that period in Watertown, to which village his parents had removed in his infancy. Their names were Levi and Sarah (Colwell) Cumings, who were of Scotch descent, and they came into the Black River country from Vermont. At a very early age "Clint" (as every one called him) began his apprenticeship with George Goulding in the shops now owned by the Bagley & Sewall Company. Here he was a younger worker with Theodore T. Wood- ruff, the distinguished inventor of the sleeping-car. He finished his apprenticeship with Goulding, and graduated as one of the

most competent workers in wood and iron the town had ever produced. He is well remembered by the writer as the con- structor with his own hands of the first steam engine ever built in Watertown, long before he had completed his ap- prenticeship, and in his 16th year. The engine was rated for 4-horse power, and is believed to be still in use in St. Lawrence county after 50 years of service. The build- ing of this engine demonstrated the originality of his constructive ability. This capacity has been well illustrated in many ways during his long and laborious life, some of his mechani- cal contrivances running into thousands in number of construction. Had he been as competent in saving money as he was prolific in inventing machines, he would be wealthy.

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His mind was cast in no common mould, be- ing another of those distinctly inventive char- acters who have, from first to last, rendered Jefferson county famous. In connection with T. T. Woodruff, we may here remark that Mr. Cumings well remembers hearing Wood- ruff tell about his invention of the mowing machine, spoken of on p. 33 of this History. This invention preceded by many years the later development of the great McCormick machine, which has been so important a fac-

tor in the march of progress and civilization. Whatever may be his financial condition, Mr. Cumings is sure of the regard and appre- ciation of his neighbors, who have known him so many years-and among them he is passing into the sere and yellow leaf of old age. In 1846 he married Miss Harriet Perkins, and they have reared a small family. His beloved wife still cheers him along in this earthly pilgrimage.

THE PRESS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.

IN introducing the subject of the Press of Jefferson county, a few remarks as to news- papers and newspaper editors, may not be inappropriate. The writer went into a news- paper office in Watertown when scarcely 10 years of age. For over sixty years he has been more or less intimately familiar with newspapers and their editors, and has had unusual facilities for observation in many cities and villages throughout the United States.

It is too often the case that newspaper editors are unappreciative of the opportuni- ties and the responsibilities of their high position. They are much like other men in allowing familiarity with their daily duties to render them careless in what they write, looking upon the preparation of matter for publication as a sort of drudgery, to be got through with as soon as possible, and neglect- ing any attempt to "polish up" what they write; permitting mediocre efforts to appear in their department, when an honest attempt to do their " level best " would have produced editorials worthy of real praise. No man of active mind writes an article that he could not improve if he were to re-write it. Yet few editors attempt to make better any leader they prepare for their papers. As a result, they fall far behind when their productions are compared with even the poorest of the magazine articles, which bear more or less evidence of an honorable attempt to adhere to a natural and therefore agreeable style. We often read articles by older editors of repu- tation, which are so much above the usual newspaper average, that we are in doubt whether the productions could have eman- ated from the same source. True it is, that a great deal of newspaper work is done in more or less haste, but it is also true that much of the editorial work of the present day is done in an indifferent way, and from it grows a slip-shod style, unworthy to take rank even with honest mediocrity. The direct result of this lack of care in prepara- tion is observed in the general character of young men who find their way into editorial positions. With few requirements, either in education or in natural parts, these young aspirants have watched the newspapers, and readily perceive that the leading editorials are generally loose in construction and incom- plete in style; so they fecl themselves equal

to that grade of literary work. If they have a little money to back them, or political friends, they drop into positions which, but for the dereliction of their predecessors, might have been filled by abler men.

Newspaper-making, by this process of con- stantly lowering the standard of excellence, has become a sort of perfunctionary work, and so we have now no great editors in America, excepting perhaps a single name, This is the fault of newspaper men them- selves, and is well illustrated even in the com- posing room of a newspaper, as well as in the editorial department. In the writer's youth, none but peculiarly bright boys were accept- ed as apprentices in a printing office, and such boys were also required to be well grounded in the rudiments of an English education. But in these days the boys off the street, sometimes hardened by street experience, and often extremely illiterate, are taken on as helpers, and at last reach the case, and from such material have come that great army of poor compositors who infest all the cities and towns of the United States.

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The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 63

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