The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 71

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 71

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Whether it was that William, the eldest son, felt spurred on by the success of his younger brother, or whether the latent news- paper ability that was born into this family, had reached a point where it had to demon- strate itself or become violent, certain it is that he, too, left the farm, and went to Lock- port. N. Y., where for several years he was connected with a daily paper as " all around" writer. But " westward" was the cry, and after marrying a good wife he dropped down upon St. Louis, where he made a most envi- able reputation through nearly 30 years' ser- vice upon the Republican, becoming the best known, most popular and most reliable news- paper writer upon that celebrated paper. He was its war correspondent, and his letters from the front were eagerly read all through the West.

This characteristic story is told of him: He was with General Curtis in the West, and the enemy were so close in front that all fires were forbidden. The General had notified Fayel that during the night he should start a courier

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for St. Louis, and thus he had an opportunity to get in a letter for the paper. It was dark, and no one dared have a fire or any bright light. Fayel was in a quandary, but he re- membered that near sundown they had marched past a sutler's tent, and if he could get back there he would doubtless find a candle, and, hiding its glare under a box. he could prepare his letter. Back he went, paid 10 cents for a candle, and started to walk back the two miles. The night was warm, and not to melt the candle, he had rolled it in a piece of wrapping paper, and carefully held it in his hand. Plodding back, with his mind full of his letter, on reaching camp his candle was gone, having been carried so carefully that it had slipped away, but he "had a good hold on the paper." So the Republican did not hear from him that time, as the courier was miles away at daybreak.

JOSEPH FAYEL.

A family of farmer boys, surrounded with the many disadvantages so common to nearly all this northern region 60 years ago, which turned out two able newspaper men, to say nothing of its other members, must be a family having some fibre in it quite out of the common run of farmers' sons, who usually take to mercantile or other strictly business pursuits when the farm becomes distasteful.

The departure of his brothers from the farm threw upon Joseph, the eldest brother, in- creased responsibilities and labors. After a while he sold his land and turned his atten- tion to purchasing cheese. Eventually he was drawn into general merchandise and a country trade. But it was his career as a leading politician that brought him into gen- eral notice, and made him one of the most

conspicuous men in the northern part of the county. A constant reader of Horace Gree- ley's writings, he was well prepared, at the birth of the Republican party, to give it cordial support and unwavering adhesion. His purse, his house, his teams, -and he had them all and of the best,-were ever ready at the call of his party. His efforts were marked by an enthusiasm and a devotion that were in themselves an inspiration to others. In the district sehool-house, that nursery of all that has made us great as a people, his voice was heard and his efforts honored by those who listened. The lamented George W. Flower was has constant companion and able ally on these occasions, with others who might be named. By them Theresa and Alexandria and Antwerp were aroused to such a pitch that a real pro-slavery Democrat was some- thing to be pointed at with wonder.

THE COOPER FAMILY.

The founder of this large family was Guili- aume Coupert (William Cooper) who was the first settler on the north side of Black river in Jefferson county. He was born in Nor- mandy, France, in 1773. During the French and English wars, which were fiercely waged upon these shores, notably in Nova Scotia and Lower Canada, Cooper joined a party of Frenchmen, probably on a fishing expedition, bound for Newfoundland. Unluckily, the whole crowd were captured by an English war vessel, and confined in a Nova Scotia prison. Cooper managed to escape, and worked his way southward into Connecticut, where he remained three years, but finally made a stand in what is now Pamelia town- ship, where he took up 150 acres of land. Like so many of his countrymen, he visited the celebrated French settlement upon the Black river, and at that place this roving hlade probably experienced his first love romance, for there he made the acquaintance of Mrs. Marguerite Chiarton, an educated. French widow, who had left hier native country in company with her brother, a Catholic priest, to seek in America that life of freedom of opinion which had been denied so many of her countrymen at home, where the Bourbon rule had been broken and many of its adherents guillotined or driven into exile. She must have possessed an usual amount of fortitude to leave beautiful France for a land so forbidding as Northern New York must have been in 1801. Be that as it may, the sequel has shown that her trust in the God of her fathers was not in vain, and it must have been that trust and its spirit of contentment which sustained her in the long years that were to come before patient labor was to bring the rewards of comfort and satisfac- tion. Her future husband was anything but a loyalist-indeed, he hated the very name "aristocrat"-but she was a devoted mon- archist, tracing back her lineage to a noble family, and as she had been in Paris when the beautiful Marie Antoinette was guillotined, her sympathies were most deeply aroused in behalf of the ill-fated Bourbons. In later life

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she could never speak of the acts she saw perpetrated in Paris in 1792 without hiding her face in her hands as she trembled with horror at the memory.

William and the fair Marguerite were mar- ried March 21, 1801, by Joel Mix, a well- known justice of the peace of that time. Like most of the better class of French, she insisted upon a legal marriage settlement, and I have been permitted to examine a certified copy of that agreement as it appears upon the records of the French consulate in New York. Re- garding it as a veritable curiosity, I venture to transcribe it almost entire:

[Record of a marriage contract placed upon the book of the French consulate in the city of New York, April 17, 1801, (in the ninth year of the French republic) hy order of Simon Vinour Cherville, French commissioner.]

On this day, March 21, 1801, Quiliaume Coupert, aged 28 years, living upon Black river, near Lake Ontario. county of Oneida, State of New York, of the one part, and Marguerite Charton, aged 27 years, of the other part, in the presence of Henry Boutin and other witness, have agreed to take each other for husband and wife, and to mutually unite themselves in the bonds of marriage, the same having heen con- tracted in the presence of Joel Mix, a justice of the peace of that district.

The said Guillaume Coupert being of age, and hav- ing a right to dispose of what belongs to him, in consideration of the love and friendship which he has for Marguerite Charton, his future wife, gives her, for her dower right, in case he dies before her, and without children, all that he shall possess at his death, so that his parents can lay claim to nothing That which he now possesses consists of a hundred and fifty acres of land on Black river. near Lake On- tario, county of Oneida, State of New York, and a pair of oxen. [This land is now known as the George Webb farm, in Pamelia.]

And the said Marguerite Charton gives to the said Guillaume Coupert, in consideration of the esteem which she has for him, in case of death on her part without children, all which she shall have at the time of her death, and all that shall be used in common between them. That which she now has consists. at the time of thia marriage, in her furniture, all her wearing apparel, linen, under clothes, jewels, utensils, to wit: A gift chair, five dollars [in silver]. a silver goblet of five ounces, eighteen drams weight, three matresses, six comforters, pillows and bolsters, three dozen house clotha, six dozen napkins, 13 table cloths, 12 pillow cases, four dozen chemises, nine gauze curtains, seven pairs of sheets, two dozen handkerchiefa, and underclothing, all her wearing apparel, such as petticoats, dresses, silk cloaks, etc., night dresses, snuffera, coffee mill, knives, forks, spoons, spinning wheel. 30 to 40 books, and the whole estimated at a hundred and sixty dollars.

But in case of separation for any cause which may he between the two parties, the said Guillaume Cou- pert consents to give to the said Marguerite Charton half of that which belongs to him at present upon the Black river, and to provide that there shall be two lots of 75 acres of land each, having equal portions of cultivated land and waste land, drawing by lot to whom each shall belong. in the presence of two wit- nesses chosen by the parties. She shall also share in the fruits and grains which shall be in growth, and in the buildings; also as to the animals in case of sale, the half of the sum which shall he realized from the sale shall belong to her, and in case of re-investment, she shall share as has been stated above. She shall, in addition, retain her furniture and effects at their estimated value, and the said Guillaume Coupert adopts, from the present time, the child which she has had by another alliance.

(Signed by both parties in the presence of wit- nesses.)

Then follows an official certificate by Joel Mix that he married these partiea on the 21st day of March, 1801, in the presence of some dozen witnesses.

It will be noted that the fair Marguerite was not bad at a bargain, for by this contract, in case of separation, she was to have in her own

right half of all the land and its increase in cattle and produce, as well as whatever she had brought to the common stock, not relin- quishing to the recalcitrant William even the "nuffers."

For several years they improved the Pamelia farm, but it proving too small a place, and a good offer having been made for it, they pur- chased a much larger parcel of unimproved land, and permanently settled in the deeper wilderness of LeRay, almost upon the border of the "plains," then heavily timbered with primeval pine. Upon that farm they reared their numerous family: Marguerite, after- wards mother to the Fayel family; William, father of Sidney Cooper, of Watertown; Rana, who lived at Sanford Corners; Alex- ander, lately deceased, at Theresa; Edward, also of Theresa, and father of Irvin C. Cooper, the prominent cheese buyer; Victor, long a resident of LeRay, and Angelica, now Mrs. Hiram Becker, and the only survivor of these children. Each of these descendants reared families of their own, and their influ- ence upon public affairs for the past 60 years has been marked and continuous.

In delineating the experiences of these early pioneers, very much should be left to the reader's imagination. But it is well to re- member that we are dealing with what trans- pired well nigh an hundred years ago, when the frowning forests had to be pushed back to make room for the settlements, whence were to flow the civilizing influences that were to rear the State. It is easy to believe that the toil was almost incessant, the reward remote, and at times well nigh despaired of, the days of pleasuring few and far between, no news- papers and but few entertaining books, blazed paths for roads, slow oxen instead of horses, sleds instead of wagons, seed grain hard to be got, very little ready cash, with no market for surplus products. But these hardy pioneers worked patiently on, trusting largely to Providence and their own right hands. The elder Cooper trudged many times nine miles to a mill at Brownville with his grist upon his back, blazed trees his only guide, his dog for sole companionship. Think of that, ye Jefferson county farmers of this Columbian time! But these laborious lives at last found peaceful and restful ending, and Guillaume and his faithful Marguerite sleep at last amid the later and happier scenes which they did so much to render possible. And so we say, "Peace be unto them."

We think we have demonstrated that the French, though historically pronounced poor colonists as compared with the English, have seemed to disprove that theory upon the limited theatre of Northern New York. Whenever we find pure French blood inter- mingled with the New England strain, it has developed a noticeable refinement in manners, a frugal business capacity, a love of letters, and in the second generation an entire assimi- lation into the true American fiber, both in patriotic sentiment and in moral growth. While the French are proverbially light of heart and not unmindful of a good dinner,

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they are yet distinctly a religious people, and that was the reason why they so readily as- similated with the New England settlers of Jefferson county.

JAMES D. LERAY DE CHAUMONT.

IT is to be regretted that we are unable to present a more perfect portrait of this distin- guished man, whose relations with the early settlement of Jefferson county were more in- timate and important than those of any per- son who preceded or came after him. He was a nobleman of France, at the height of his early manhood, in 1793, when the Revolu- tion in that country threw everything into confusion. His own previous intimate friend- ship, as well as that of his father, with Ben- jamin Franklin, our minister to France, join- ed with his earnest sympathy, and his father's

JAMES D. LE RAY.

important aid to the American colonies during their long struggle to throw off the yoke of England, had made him more or less familiar with American affairs. When the Bonapartists were driven out by the returning Bourbons, James D. LeRay, with many other European adherents of the deposed Napoleon, came to the United States. Mr. LeRay in- herited a heavy claim against this county for advances made in France by his father to aid the cause of the colonies, as well as for goods of various kinds, which he had sent over by the shipload. The United States had not money with which to pay the just claims which her creditors held, but the government had plenty of land, and many of her creditors were thus paid off. But the greater part of LeRay's purchase was direct from the Chass-

nais Company-sometimes called the New York Company-whose title came from Macomb, who held his title by letters patent from the State of New York. The chain of title ran thus: State of New York to Wil- liam Constable; April 12, 1793, Constable con- veyed 210,000 acres to Chassnais. March 6, 1800, Constable also conveyed 30,000 acres to Chassnais, and these lands were subsequently conveyed by Chassnais to Mr. LeRay. [See references to these conveyances under heads of " Chassnais," the " New York Company," and " LeRay," in the index.

In 1815 Mr. LeRay became quite active in selling small tracts of land to the French ex- iles. who had adhered to the fortunes of Napoleon, and obliged to flee from the dis- asters that overtook the empire. Among the most distinguished of these French noblemen, were Peter Francis Real, the chief prefect of police of the empire, and known in French history as Count Real. Also Marshal Grouchy, the distinguished military leader, whose tardiness at Waterloo dissipated the glory of Napoleon, and changed the destiny of France. They, with the Duc de Vincenes and others, formed a colony of French exiles at Cape Vincent. F. R. Hasler, the eminent French philosopher, came there to reside with his family.

Louis Peugnet, an officer of Napoleon, was also one of the exiles who joined them. These French refugees were deluded with visions that Napoleon would, some day, be abducted from his prison home on St. Helena to take up his residence in their colony. They built a house for his occupation at Cape Vin- cent, which for many years was called the "Cup and Saucer House." After the restora- tion of the Bourbons and the death of Napol- eon, Louis XVIII. granted an amnesty to all political exiles, and many of these refugees returned to France.

LeRay built a land office on Broadway, in New York city, which is still standing. He also made frequent visits to Cape Vincent, which he named after his son. While at his estate in France, in 1815, he heard of the arri- val of Joseph Bonaparte, the ex-King of Spain, at Blois. He had known this prince before his great elevation, and was his guest at Montefontaine when the treaty of Septem- ber 30, 1800, between the United States and France was signed, but he had not met him afterwards. Seeing, however, that misfor- tune had assailed the prince, he remembered him and hastened to Blois for an interview. He made a bargain with the deposed king to sell him a tract of 120.000 acres of land in ex- change for diamonds, which were some of the crown jewels of the throne of Spain. The price of these jewels having depreciated nearly one-half, a compromise was effected by which the ex-king accepted a deed, dated December 21, 1818, for 60,000 acres of land, located mostly in the towns of Diana, Wilna, Antwerp and Philadelphia. When the prince came to the United States, he assumed the title of Count de Survilliers. In 1816, LeRay with his daughter and his distinguished son-

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in-law, the Marquis de Gouvillo, sailed for America. He then put new vigor into the work of settling up his lands. He built a saw mill and grist mill on the Indian river at Theresa High Falls. He surveyed a lot of 1,000 acres as a reservation, and laid out streets aud building lots for the village of Theresa, which he named after his daughter. He ereeted a forge and blast furnace at Car- thage, then called Long Falls, under the supervision of Claudius S. Quilliard. From this furnace large quantities of iron were manufactured from the ore. In 1819 he re- moved his land office to Carthage, and con- structed the old Alexandria road from Car- thage through Philadelphia and Theresa to the St. Lawrence River at Alexandria Bay. He freely gave lots for churches, school- houses and graveyards.

Mr. LeRay was a firm believer in the Roman Catholic faith, and observed its rites and sacred traditions, but when application was made for a church lot, he never inquired about the creed or denomination. The Mar- quis de Gouvillo and wife remained here a year before returning to France. LeRay im- ported, at great expense, fine blooded horses, cattle and sheep, to improve the stock in Jefferson county. He bestowed great care upon his villa at LeRaysville. His circular carriage drives, his beautiful lawns. his fine selection of plants and fruits, which flourish- ed in his garden, the grand shaded avenues in front of his grounds, the elegant deer park and the whole surrounded by the forest of maples, are preserved until this day. This all betokened a French gentleman of culture and refinement. He adopted that princely style of living which characterized him through the remainder of his sojourn in America, em- ploying a large retinue of servants, land agents and surveyors, forming, in themselves, a small community. He rode in a post- coach, drawn by four horses, and two post riders on horseback followed behind, over newly-cut roads, around stumps and over corduroy turnpikes. His bountiful hospital- ity and sumptuous entertainments attracted to his luxurious home many of the first men of the nation. President Monroe, in 1817, made a tour of inspection of the northern frontier. He arrived in Ogdensburg, August 1, 1817, where he was joined by Gen. Jacob Brown and others. The President and his escort passed through Rossie and Antwerp to enjoy the princely hospitality at the magnifi- cent home of LeRay, and renew a friendship contracted 30 years before. Mr. Monroe then visited Sackets Harbor, and there met Col. Woolsey and other distinguished officers of the navy. After inspecting the public works he embarked on board the United States brig Jones, and sailed for Niagara.

Through the encouragement of LeRay, who offered to furnish money to pay the pre- miums, a meeting of the most prominent men of the county was held at the house of Isaac Lee, in Watertown, October 25, 1817, for the purpose of organizing the Jefferson County Agricultural Society. James D. LeRay de

Chaumont was elected president, and con- tinued to hold that office until 1829, when Gen. Jacob Brown was made vice-president. Egbert TenEyck was made secretary, and Orrin Stone, treasurer. The first cattle show and fair of the society was held in Watertown on the 28th and 29th of September, 1818, in a field on the north side of the river, on LeRay street. This was the first cattle show held in the State, with the exception of one held in Otsego county, through the patronage of Mr. LeRay, in 1817.

In 1819 Mr. LeRay employed a young chemist of the Polytechnic School, who had invented a new mode of manufacturing powder. A powder mill was erected at Slo- cum's Mills, on Pleasant Creek, and was run a few years, making a coarse quality of pow- der, which had the reputation of being lazy, but it was strong and well adapted for blast- ing. The charcoal used was made of alder wood, carefully peeled and charred in close, iron retorts. The mill was afterwards chang- ed to a mill for making starch from potatoes.

In 1822, the beautiful villa in which Mr. LeRay resided, was burned to the ground. and the present grand mansion was erected upon the ruins. It is constructed of lime- stone, plastered with cement, and is modeled somewhat after the style of his father's chat- eau at Passey, in France, but not so elabor- ate or expensive in its construction. It is 100 feet long, and the main structure is 40 feet wide, and two stories high with a basement. The mansion has two fronts. The grand front has a broad veranda with high doric columns extending to the crest of the roof. It is ap- proached through a beautiful lawn, surround- ed by a circular carriage drive, and a grand shaded avenue in front. When built, it was the finest country residence in the State of New York.

This old historic French mansion passed into the possession of Jules Rene Payen in 1840, a distinguished French engineer and chemist, and is now occupied by William Phelps, Esq., and family. Mr. Joseph Fayel says that nearly 60 years ago he went with his father on a visit, and was most royally en- tertained by Mr. LeRay. The grounds and surroundings at that time displayed the culti- vated taste and refinement of a French gentle- man. On a recent visit with bis wife, through the kindness of Mrs. Phelps, Mr. Fayel was conducted through the interior of the mansion. From the front they entered a triangular vestibule, from the side of which doors open into two large stately drawing rooms, separated by massive sliding doors. These rooms, when connected, are 60 feet long and 20 feet wide. In the centre, back of these front rooms, is a spacious hall with an outside entrance from the back front. From this hall a winding stairway leads to the upper floor, which is divided into sleeping apartments. To the right of this hall is a large, neatly-furnished family room. Con- nected with this room is a suite of rooms formerly allotted to Young James, the son of Vincent LeRay and his instructor. On the

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left of the hall is a large room used by Mr. LeRay as a reception room, adjoining which were his sleeping apartments and private library and counting room. In all these rooms are beautiful fire places and mantels of Italian marble; also velvet carpets and modern furniture. Mr. LeRay left several relics, among which are two large mantel mirrors extending to the ceiling, two mantel clocks of ancient design, two candelabras and a finely finished mahogany secretary, which was used by Mr. LeRay himself.

The old French mansion has received good care, is well preserved and still retains all of its original style of architecture, but the sur- roundings are sadly neglected, and the virgin forest with its wealth of old maples, that still surrounds the grounds, contains but few traces of the cultivated taste of Mr. LeRay.

In 1825 at the completion of the Erie canal, opening to emigration the States on the Ohio river with a less vigorous climate, and oper- ating disastrously upon the large landed proprietors of the east, Mr. LeRay found himself unable to meet the sea of trouble on which he had embarked, for his liberality and expenses were enormous. He was at last compelled to apply for the benefit of the in- solvent act, and surrendered his estate to his son Vincent for the benefit of his creditors. His landed property in the State of New York, which he transferred to Vincent at the time of making his assignment, consisted of 30,759 acres of land in Franklin county valued at $22,500; 73,947 in St. Lawrence county, $106,000; 143,500 in Jefferson county, $574,000; 100,000; in Lewis county, $133,- 000. Total number of acres, 348,206. Total amount, $835,500. The winding up of Mr. LeRay's affairs was so well managed as to satisfy all the claims of his crediitors in full in America, and Vincent, with his systematic and close business methods, realized a large fortune from the estate.

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The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 71

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