USA > New York > Franklin County > The north country; a history, embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin counties, New York, Volume 1 > Part 44
USA > New York > Jefferson County > The north country; a history, embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin counties, New York, Volume 1 > Part 44
USA > New York > Lewis County > The north country; a history, embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin counties, New York, Volume 1 > Part 44
USA > New York > Oswego County > The north country; a history, embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin counties, New York, Volume 1 > Part 44
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > The north country; a history, embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin counties, New York, Volume 1 > Part 44
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Among the better known of the Adirondack Lakes are Long Lake, Indian Lake, Cranberry, Upper Saranac, Racquette, Big Tupper, Little Tupper, Fourth, St. Regis, Schroon, Lake Placid, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, Big Moose, Lake Pleasant, Blue Mountain, Big Moose, Santa Clara, Old Forge, St. Regis, Paradox Lake, Loon Lake, West Canada Lake, Salmon, Spruce and Cedar. The 100 largest lakes in the Adirondack Park have a combined area of 145.40 square miles.
There are at present nineteen large public camp sites located in the Adirondacks adjacent to public highways. In addition there are scores of smaller camp sites, a full list of which can be secured by interested persons from the New York State Conservation Depart- ment. Of the larger sites, the Lake George Battlefield site is located about a fourth of a mile south of Lake George village. The Heart- stone Point Campsite is two miles north of Lake George village front- ing on the lake. The Eagle Point campsite is situated two miles north of Potterville on beautiful Schroon Lake. The Sharp Bridge camp- site is sixteen miles north of Schroon Lake on the Schroon river. The Crown Point Reservation campsite is close to the ruins of old Fort Amherst and borders on historic Lake Champlain. Wilmington Notch campsite is on the Ausable river on the slope of Whiteface Mountain. The Connery Pond campsite is about two miles east of Lake Placid and is on one of the trails to the summit of Whiteface Mountain. Meadowbrook campsite is four miles east of Saranac Lake. Barnum Pond campsite is two miles north of Paul Smith's, between that place and Malone. Fish Creek Pond campsite is located on Fish Creek Pond. Cross Clearing campsite is five miles east of Tupper Lake. Lake Eaton campsite is a quarter of a mile from the state highway on the shores of Lake Eaton. Boreas Bridge campsite is located one and a half miles north of Aiden Lair on the Boreas river.
Sacandaga campsite is on the banks of the Sacandaga river. Pop- lar Point campsite is on the westerly shores of Piseco Lake. Point Comfort campsite is also situated on Piseco Lake. Caroga Lake camp- site is nine miles north of Gloversville. Lewey Lake campsite is situated on both Lewey and Indian Lakes. Third Lake campsite is in the beautiful Fulton Chain region. Wheatstone Gulf campsite, one of the scenic features of the state, is located six miles south of Low-
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ville in Lewis county. Cascade campsite is situated on the banks of the Ausable river between Lake Placid and North Elba.
While on the subject of public campsites, the following are lo- cated on the mainland in the Thousand Island region : Kring Point at Goose Bay, Grass Point near Fishers Landing, Cedar Point and Burnham Point, upstream from Clayton, and Long Point, around the corner in Lake Ontario on Chaumont Bay. Seven more camp sites are located picturesquely on islands but are easily reached by boats. Two are on Wells Island, two on Grindstone Island and one each on Mary's Island, Cedar Island and Lotus Island. The camp- sites listed above are those in existence in 1931, but new campsites are constantly being added by the Conservation Department of the State of New York.
With the Thousand Islands and Lake Ontario, with its numerous beach resorts, as its front door, and the Adirondacks with picturesque mountain and forest scenery at its back, the tourist business has become an industry of major importance in Northern New York, bringing millions of dollars every summer into that section of New York state. Concrete roads leading to Clayton, Alexandria Bay and Cape Vincent in the Thousand Islands and threading the Adirondack forests have helped to attract visitors by the thousands. Nor do the North Country resorts appeal only to the summer tourist. Lake Placid, with its winter sports, has won international renown. The vision of men like Azariah Walton, Charles Crossman and Col. Oren G. Staples in the Thousand Islands and of Paul Smith, Virgil C. Bart- lett and Dr. Trudeau in the Adirondacks has brought to Northern New York one of its most profitable, present day industries.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY
THE ERA OF THE INDEPENDENT FARM UNIT-THE CHEESE FACTORY ERA -THE COOPERATIVE MILK MOVEMENT-THE START OF THE GRANGE IN NORTHERN NEW YORK-THE SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD INDUSTRY IN THE EARLY NORTH COUNTRY-THE FIRST BIG INDUSTRIES-THE PA- PER MILL ERA-MODERN INDUSTRY AND THE HYDRO-ELECTRIC AGE.
There are 21,887 farms in the five Northern New York counties being considered in this history, according to the 1930 United States agricultural census. The value of farm lands and buildings in these counties totals $129,255,287, no insignificant figure viewed from any standard. No other state of similar area can equal this record. St. Lawrence stands first among the counties of New York in the number of farms, and both Oswego and Jefferson rank among the first half- dozen counties in the same respect.
The individual farm statistics for the Northern New York coun- ties follow :
County
Number of Farms
Value of Lands and Buildings
St. Lawrence
6,979
$44,614,108
Oswego
4,726
20,204,889
Jefferson
1
1
4,699
32,708,437
Franklin
2,925
15,874,399
Lewis
2,558
15,853,454
1
To give some idea of the magnitude of agriculture as an industry in the North Country one needs only to consider that phase of agri- culture which has proved a particularly profitable one in the north- ern counties, dairying. In 1900 the value of all dairy products com-
481
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HISTORY OF THE NORTH COUNTRY
ing from the five North Country counties was $8,445,970. By 1925, the last year for which figures are available, such products had in- creased in value to the enormous total of $21,387,707. It is doubtful if there is any other industry in Northern New York comparable in its profits and in the number of people depending upon it for liveli- hood to the production of milk and milk products.
As has been pointed out in the earlier chapters, agriculture was practically the only industry in Northern New York for the first few decades after settlement. The small saw mills and grist mills and tanneries served the farming population. Even the iron foun- dries and the cotton mills depended largely for their markets upon the neighboring farm population. The great landowners were all patrons of agriculture. It has been seen that James D. LeRay de Chaumont was largely instrumental in inaugurating the Jefferson county fair, the second county agricultural fair in the state. The more successful the farms, the greater the value of the land still held by the proprietor and still available for sale. What is more, a limited number of people could be employed in the small mills. Agri- cuture was the main dependence of the section, as very probably it is to this day.
The early farm was of course an independent unit, producing food and clothing and shelter for the family. It remained so until sometime after the Civil War. The farmer produced his own wool from which homespun clothing was made for the family. From his own wheat, flour was ground at the local grist mill, usually on what was called toll. That is, the mill kept a percentage of the product in repay for doing the grinding. What purchases the farmer needed to make at the village store he could pay for in farm produce. He could subscribe for his newspaper with farm produce. He paid a large part of his minister's salary in farm produce, and it was even suggested at one time in St. Lawrence county that he be permitted to pay his taxes in wheat.
The census statistics for agriculture in the Northern New York counties during the period from 1860 to the present tell an interest- ing story. The number of sheep on North Country farms declined strikingly from 1860 to 1880, indicating the decline in the use of homespun clothing over this same period. In 1860 there were still about 13,000 oxen used on farms in Oswego, Jefferson, Lewis, St.
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HISTORY OF THE NORTH COUNTRY
Lawrence and Franklin counties. By 1880 there was practically none. Butter and cheese were the agricultural products which more nearly fitted into the necessity of that day with the poor roads and the need of a light crop. Originally these products were made on the farm, and some old North Country farm houses contains rooms which may be identified as those that were designed for making butter and cheese.
THE CHEESE FACTORY ERA
From this custom it was an easy and logical step to combine the manufacturing of cheese and butter from a group of farms and there grew up great numbers of cooperative cheese factories. Cheese boards were established throughout the North Country, where a des- ignated agent of each cooperative offered a quantity of cheese and buyers from distant places appeared to bid. These cheese boards were the largest in the United States, and the North Country became the most noted cheese-producing area in America. The cooperatives manufactured almost exclusively American cheese, or, as it was called, "Yankee cheese." Individuals began buying milk to manu- facture cheese and also butter. The limburger cheese factories were privately owned and there are still many of them operating in North- ern New York.
At one time the Watertown Cheese Board, or, as it later became known, the Watertown Produce Exchange, was said to be the largest cheese exchange in the United States. The first dairymen's organ- ization in Watertown, or in fact in Northern New York, for the sale of cheese originated in a call made by the Jefferson County Farmers' Club for a public meeting to be held May 16th, 1874. This meeting was adjourned to May 30th when a dairymen's board of trade was established. The first officers were: President, D. Hamlin, Water- town ; vice president, Madison Cooper, Evans Mills; treasurer, L. D. Olney, Rutland; secretary, W. R. Skeels, Watertown. At this meet- ing twenty-six cheese factories were represented. The annual dues were three dollars. The first meeting for the sale of cheese was held in the Y. M. C. A. rooms in Washington Hall on June 6th. About forty salesmen and six buyers were present. The offerings aggre- gated 931 boxes at 131/4 to 131/2 cents.
Among the factories represented at that historic meeting were Searles S. Wilson, West Rodman; D. J. Evans, Harpers Ferry ; San-
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HISTORY OF THE NORTH COUNTRY
ford Lewis, Camps Mills; B. P. Smith, Brookside; Howard Ayers, Carter Street; D. Hamlin, Brownville, Tylerville, Depauville, Phila- delphia, Evans Mills, Babcock, Perry, South Champion, McNitt, Smithville, Campbell, Pleasant Valley, Rodman, Phillips Corners, H. C. Eames, Windmill, Champion, Madison, Cooper, Hadsall and Moore, Sterlingville, Robert L. Sherman, Union of Lyme, Kellogg, Maple Grove and Parkinson.
The St. Lawrence County Dairymen's Board of Trade was estab- lished as a result of a meeting held in Canton in 1875. In 1876 a committee of the organization appointed for investigating purposes recommended the establishment of a Board of Trade. First officers were G. M. Gleason, president; H. W. Hale, vice president; A. Lang- don, treasurer; M. R. Wait, secretary. The directors were: L. Crampton, H. O. Sweet, O. H. Hale, O. C. Gillson, T. Mayne, J. Thompson, George H. Rowland. The market was located in Canton and meetings were to be held on Friday of each week between the second Friday in May and the first in December.
The Ogdensburg Dairymen's Association was organized in 1880. The first officers were: Charles Wooster of Hammond, president; Charles Ashley of Ogdensburg, treasurer; and W. B. Hutchinson of Oswegatchie, secretary. The Gouverneur Dairymen's Board of Trade was organized in 1878. H. B. Keene was the first president, holding office for twelve years. It is interesting to note that of all these cheese boards, but one remains in existence at the time this is writ- ten, the Gouverneur board.
In 1860 over 10,000,000 pounds of cheese was manufactured on the farms of Northern New York, and by 1880 this had declined to something like a million pounds. One result of the cheese factory system was the raising of swine. In 1910 there were 90,000 swine on Northern New York farms, but by 1925, with the decline of the cheese factory system, the number had decreased to less than 35,000. The custom of the cheese factory was to save the whey and permit the farmer to take back to the farm in his milk cans his share of this by-product. The whey made good food for swine.
THE COOPERATIVE MILK MOVEMENT
The third era in the development of agriculture in Northern New York came about 1910. The New York City milk market was going
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HISTORY OF THE NORTH COUNTRY
farther and farther afield for its supply of milk. Here and there a group of cheese factories on the better roads to railroad stations was closed, and a milk-shipping plant to handle their combined flow of milk opened. The construction of the present state and county sys- tem of improved highways, together with the rapid growth of great cities, hastened this change. Northern New York lost its position as the greatest cheese-producing area in the country to Wisconsin. The great volume of milk produced in Northern New York was eventually diverted to the city markets in fluid form. The production of hay for sale declined rapidly. The least valuable farm land was aban- doned. Through improvement in herds the farmers of the North Country have steadily increased their production of milk although the number of cattle has declined. In 1920 there were 277,043 cattle in Northern New York, and by 1925 it had decreased to 258,139. By 1930 this number had further declined one-fifth. This was partly due to the tuberculosis test, which eliminated many unfit cattle, but it was also due to improved herds. In 1930 there were only one- fourth as many hogs as in 1920. Hog raising had vanished along with the cheese factories. In 1930, also, there were one-tenth less farms than in 1920, due to the elimination of the poorer farms.
The present era has seen the dairy industry generally established in producing for the fluid milk market. The use of refrigerator cars has gradually eliminated the growing of beef cattle in the North Country. Rapid growth of automobile and tractor manufacture has almost eliminated the hay market which formerly was a strong fea- ture in agriculture in Northern New York. Many farms have been abandoned. At the same time, with reduced herds, the production of milk has increased, and, with a greater proportion of it being sold in fluid form, the price has increased also. Within recent years, dairying has become a much more important phase of agriculture in Franklin county than formerly. On the other hand, while Oswego county is still an important dairying county, it is rapidly developing a diversified agriculture with much land devoted to vegetable garden- ing and muck crops.
The development of the cooperative milk movement is an interest- ing topic, which unfortunately can only be touched upon in a work of this character. In 1907 certain New York state dairymen organized the Dairymen's League, incorporating it in New Jersey. Originally
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HISTORY OF THE NORTH COUNTRY
the Dairymen's League was purely a selling organization. The dealer controlled all the facilities for moving the milk to the consumer. The producer had no voice in saying what price he should receive for his product. That was a matter to be decided entirely by the dealer. Then came the great milk strike of 1916 when the farmers dumped their milk on the ground rather than sell it for a price which they considered unfair. Eventually they won a concession from the deal- ers and following up this advantage the Dairymen's League Coopera- tive Association was organized in 1921 for the purpose of not only selling milk but also of manufacturing milk products.
The Dairymen's League Cooperative Association proceeded to buy and construct milk plants. Within a few years this association con- trolled all the facilities for moving the milk to the consumer. Now it owns scores of milk plants and also owns and controls distributing facilities in the larger milk markets, such as New York. Thousands of dairymen in the Northern New York counties are members of this association, which has been a potent factor in increasing the price which the producer receives for his milk.
THE ORIGIN OF THE GRANGE IN THE NORTH COUNTRY
No section of the State of New York has had such a large part in the building of the Grange organization as has Northern New York, especially the counties of Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence and Oswego. In point of membership, also, these four counties are out- standing, the four having approximately 18 per cent of the total membership of the state. Of the four, Jefferson stands second in membership among the fifty-two Grange counties of the state, Oswego third and St. Lawrence fourth.
When the New York State Grange was organized at Syracuse November 6th, 1873, Jefferson had more Granges organized than any other county in the state, there being already ten Granges in opera- tion. St. Lawrence county organized the third and fourth Granges in the state, while Jefferson had ten of the first twenty-five Granges organized in the State of New York.
Oswego had one of the first dozen Granges organized, Oswego Town Grange No. 14, having been organized in October, 1873. Later this Grange was disbanded. Oswego's oldest living Grange is New
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HISTORY OF THE NORTH COUNTRY
Haven No. 52, organized in January, 1874. Other early Granges of Oswego county were Orwell No. 66, organized in January, 1874; Domestic No. 98, Bowens Corners No. 99, North Scriba No. 100 and Hope No. 115, all organized in February, 1874; and Sandy Creek No. 127 and Texas No. 128, organized in March, 1874. Volney Grange No. 165 was also organized in 1874.
Lewis county's first Grange was Lowville No. 70, organized in February, 1874. Barnes Corners, Constableville and Copenhagen Granges were also organized in 1874. Constableville later surren- dered its charter.
St. Lawrence county has the honor of having organized the first two Granges in Northern New York, Pioneer No. 3 of Norwood and Massena No. 4. Both of these organizations were later disbanded. Union No. 5 is Jefferson's oldest Grange, this being organized in July, 1873. Then came Watertown No. 7, Star No. 9 of Hounsfield, Ontario No. 10 of Ellisburgh, Rodman No. 12, North Wilna No. 13, LaFarge- ville No. 15, Mannsville No. 16, Champion No. 18, Indian River No. 19 and Rutland No. 28. Numbers 10, 12, 13 and 28 later disbanded. Previous to April 1st, 1876, Jefferson county had organized thirty Granges, most of them being organized in 1873 and 1874.
When the New York State Grange was organized in 1873, half of the officers elected were from Jefferson county. In fact nine of the fourteen chosen were members of Jefferson and Oswego county Granges. These pioneer officers were Jay Dimick, overseer; James F. Converse, lecturer; James H. Lee, Oswego, assistant steward; Luke Fulton, chaplain; Samuel Hopper, gatekeeper; Mrs. Jay Dimick, Pomona ; Mrs. James F. Converse, Flora ; Mrs. James H. Lee, Oswego, lady assistant steward; Jay Dimick, member of the executive com- mittee.
Jefferson also came within an ace of having the first master of the State Grange. For the first twenty ballots at the organization meeting of the State Grange, George D. Hinckley of Chautauqua and Jay Dimick of Jefferson county were tied for the position. On the twenty-first ballot Mr. Dimick withdrew his name and Mr. Hinckley was elected. The Luke Fulton, mentioned above as the first chaplain of the New York State Grange, has often been called the Father of the Grange in Northern New York. He organized most of the first Granges in Northern New York, having been appointed a special
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deputy by General Deputy C. D. Beeman in 1873. He was the first master of Union Grange No. 5, the first Grange organized in Jeffer- son county. He died May 4, 1911, at the age of eighty-seven.
Northern New York has been honored by many State Grange positions. In addition to the officers from Jefferson elected at the first meeting of the State Grange, the county has furnished two state masters, George A. Fuller of Philadelphia and Willet H. Vary of Watertown. Each also served as overseer. Then there were Mrs. Luke Fulton, Flora; S. R. Pratt, member executive committee; Mrs. S. G. Wiggins, Pomona; L. H. Bishop, member of the executive com- mittee and treasurer; Mrs. H. B. Churchill, Pomona; Rev. A. M. Child, overseer and chaplain; Edson J. Walrath, member of the ex- ecutive committee; Leonard L. Allen, state historian and State Grange correspondent.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANUFACTURING
As we have seen manufacturing in the North Country had its be- ginnings in small plants designed to satisfy the necessities of the immediate localities. The grinding of flour and feed, the tanning of leather, the making of furniture and the sawing of lumber were a few of the processes which in early days were done in small establish- ments in each neighborhood. The roads were so bad that the estab- lishment of large plants were out of the question. The industrial census of 1860 indicates that even as late as that date manufacturing in the North Country was confined largely to supplying the needs of the immediate vicinity. Thus the manufacture of agricultural imple- ments, blacksmithing, the manufacturing of boots and shoes, the making of bread, brick manufacture and carriage manufacture em- ployed the most men. It is interesting to note, too, that as late as 1860 the burning of timber for its ashes, the very earliest cash-pro- ducing industry of the North Country, was still being carried on in each of the northern counties.
Certain other interesting facts may be gleaned from this early census of manufacturing. Oswego county in 1860 led the northern counties in manufacturing. Total wages paid in that county amounted to $899,761 for the year. There were 481 separate estab- lishments, employing 3,087 workmen. Jefferson county came next. Total wages of $593,994 were paid in Jefferson county that year.
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There were 464 industrial establishments in the county and 2,022 employes. St. Lawrence county ranked next with total wages of $353,073, 367 industrial establishments and 1,284 wage-earners. Then came Franklin with total wages of $148,172, 262 industrial establish- ments and 601 wage-earners, and finally Lewis with 144 industrial establishments and 611 workers.
But already there were indications of a beginning of a movement to produce something which might be marketed over a wider area and bring new money into the community. Thus we find gloves, jewelry and paint manufactured in Franklin county; pearl barley, bed springs, chemicals, confectionery, cordage, cotton goods, edge tools, glass ware, shoe lasts, musical instruments, machinery and nails in Jefferson county; cordage and matches in Lewis county; and bed springs and musical instruments in St. Lawrence county. In Oswego county 370 men were employed in the manufacture of starch, and boxes, cotton goods, glassware and glue were also being manu- factured in that county.
Twenty years later, in 1880, many of the industries catering to neighborhood trade had disappeared. The coming of the railroad to the North Country had made possible a much wider market. In Franklin county the lumber industry ranked first with 263 employes, iron and steel was second, leather third and the starch industry fourth. There were thirty-three butter and cheese factories operat- ing that year in Franklin county. Jefferson county had obtained a new industry, the manufacture of sewing machines, which employed 350 persons, while 252 were employed in the manufacture of steam engines. Both the lumber and the leather business were still exten- sive. The paper industry was obtaining a good start with seven establishments, having 151 employes. The manufacture of carriages had forged ahead, and now employed 130 persons. There were 161 cheese factories in operation throughout the county. In Lewis county, the lumber business was still the largest industry, employing 414 employes. There were ninety cheese factories in that county in 1880.
Oswego county had obtained some new industries, including cement, cutlery, hosiery and scientific instruments. Its largest single industry was the worsted goods industry which had 939 employes. Its starch business had expanded to employ 468 workers. Its glass
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HISTORY OF THE NORTH COUNTRY
factory also had developed until it employed 152 persons. There were fifty-eight cheese and butter factories in operation in the county. In St. Lawrence county, lumbering was still the main industry, em- ploying 975 persons. Industrial development came late in St. Law- rence county. Not until the beginning of the paper mill era did that county come into its own from an industrial standpoint. Now, with the great Aluminum Company of America's plant within its borders, it is one of the leading industrial counties of the North Country. In 1880 St. Lawrence county had 140 butter and cheese factories in operation.
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