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The St. Lawrence Counw Historical Association The St. Lawrence Counw Historical Association - Volume XXXIX - Number 1 - Winter, 1994 Mission Statement The St. Lawrence County Historical Association is a not-for-profiteducational resource center and museum that researches, collects, preserves, and interprets St. Lawrence County history through collections development, publication, exhibition, and programming; whose purpose is to help establish the intellectual and cultural connections that expand awareness and place St. Lawrence County in its state and national context, while revealing its unique identity. The Association examines digerent aspects of life in St. Lawrence County from multiple and diverse resources through community partnerships and collaboration. SLCHA values quality, integrity, andaccessibilityand operates within established museum standards befitting its AAM accredited status. CONTENTS Wendy ShadweCl . 1 St. Lawrence County, 1838, As Seen through the Eyes of Salathiel Ellis Editor's Note: We are very pleased to bring to our readers the following piece of St. Lawrence County history written by Wendy Shadwell and reprinted, with permission, from Prints and Printmakers of New York State,1825-1940, edited by David Tatham and published in 1986 by Syracuse University Press. Shadwell's article is presented here with the same content as its original printing. Please note that a few minor changes have occurred since its first publication. First, the Ellis research materials of Atwood Manley and the two prints listed in the Appendix as being in possession of the Canton Free Library are all now part of the collections of the St. Lawrence County Historical Association. Second, a few additional impressions of Ellis lithographs have been located since 1986. The New-York Historical Society in New York City has since purchased one lithograph of Battle at Windmill Point, and the Mabel Brady Garvan Collection at the Yale University Art Gallery is in possession of five Ellis impressions: Rossie Furnace, Rossie Honworks [sic], Rossie, Victoria Lead Mines, and A Winter Scene. Our thanks to Wendy Shadwell for the updated information. Cover: Detail of Rossie Honworks [sic] by Salathiel Ellis. Courtesy of the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto. St. Lawrence County, 1838, As Seen through the Eyes of Salathiel Ellis by Wendy Shadwell set of eight lithographs de- chants. One enterprising Parish he bought the town of Ogdensburg picting scenes in St. Law; took advantage of business con- on the St. Lawrence River, which rence County, New York, nections in Hamburg to establish a became the principal settlement in provided the initial impetus for this concern there. His son John was the district. By June 1809 Daniel article. It would perhaps be more born in Hamburg. This John sired W. Church, a local builder, had accurate to say two sets of four five sons between 1774 and 1781. started to work upon a house for lithographs each, for two different The eldest, a keen astronomer, be- David Parish (figure 1) with the lithographers were involved. Four came such an important landowner assistance of forty skilled laborers scenes were produced by the in eastern Bohemia (now the Czech brought from M~ntreal.~ Speckterlithographic firm of Ham- Republic) that he was created Baron By 18 15 Parish was yearning to burg, Germany, which was run by Senftenberg. Two carried on the return to Europe, so he invited his Johann Michael Speckter, assisted family business in Hamburg. And younger brother, George (1780- by his son, Otto, between 1834 and two, after conducting business in 1839), to oversee his American 1845. The dimensions of these are Antwerp and London, spent their properties in his absence. George virtually identical: about 11 x 14 11 most fruitful years developing up- (called George I to distinguish him 4 inches. The other four were litho- state New Y~rk.~ from others in his family) arrived graphed by Eughe CicCri a painter David Parish (1778-1826) was late in 18 15 and found the climate and lithographer of landscapes who the first to arrive, landing in New suited him ideally. He described lived and worked in Paris from York City in January 1806. His the house in his journal early in 18 13 to 1890. One of the CicCri main goal was to complete delicate 1816: prints measures 11 114 x 14 112 negotiations and to implement inches, but the other three are pro- plans for transferring gold bullion David's House is afine BrickBuild- gressively larger, the largest mea- ing of two Stories, with Wings, and from Spanish colonies in the West- commands a noble view of the River. suring 17 112 x 25 518 inches. All ern Hemisphere to Spain, despite A Stable for Six Horses with Coach eight are after designs by Salathiel the ongoing Napoleonic Wars. He House Annexed are in the Rear, Ellis and they appear to date about was spectacularly successful, and and the whole is enclosed by a neat 1838. Seven of theses scenes are in his share of the profits from the fence. In a situation so remote the collection of the New-York His- syndicate brought him about a mil- (being 500 Miles from the Capitol) torical Society.' lion dollars. Gouverneur Moms, it would scarcely be expected to find all the luxuries of the Old It was a family named Parish an old Parish family friend, enter- World, but I can assure you, that in that commissioned the artist and tained David at his New York City David's House, nothing is wanting arranged for the lithography of residence and persuaded him to to render it as pleasant a residence, these views of its properties and invest in real estate in the North as if the establishment was situated industrial ventures in St. Lawrence Country. Parish had the area care- on the Banks of the Thames. A well County. Originally English landed fully surveyed, hired an agent, and stocked Larder, and the finest Veni- gentry, the Parishes moved to Scot- son, an overflowing Cellar, with on December 2, 1808, purchased the best Wines, are now to be found land as a result of the English Civil 200,000 acres in St. Lawrence and on the St. Lawrence.-' War and became successful mer- Jefferson counties. Early in 1809 St. Lmvrence County Historical Association Quarterly Fig. I: Salathiel Ellis, View of the Residence of George Parish, Esqr., ca. 1838. Lithograph, 11 1/4 x 14 IR in. Lithographed by Cice'ri, Paris. Courtesy of the New-York Historical Society, New York City. David departed in July 1816 dency in Ogdensburg George 11's museum was built in 1976, so the and never returned. George I ac- companion was Maria Ameriga fa~adeshown in the lithograph is quired all of David's property and Vespucci, a descendant of the navi- no longer visible. lived in the Parish mansion until gator, whom he won from John David Parish was concerned 1838, shortly before his death, Van Buren, son of the president, in about the development and im- which occurred in Paris. He was a poker match!5 provement of his land; unlike other succeeded by another bachelor, his The house still stands and serves holders of vast tracts, he did not nephew George I1 (1807-8 I), who as the Frederic Remington Art Mu- intend to resell to the highest bid- arrived in the United States in 1838. seum. The Ellis lithograph shows der at the earliest opportunity. To George I1 lived here until February what was then the front of the house; this end he encouraged settlement 2,186 1, when he left New York to nowadays the front of the Museum by hardworking farmers, he ex- take possession of the Senftenberg faces the river. The original lot of perimented with sheep-raising, and barony, which had been vacant Parish property was subdivided and he established the St. Lawrence since the death of his uncle, John, sold years ago, part becoming a Gazette in Ogdensburg in 1816. in 1858. During most of his resi- business area. An addition to the To provide the necessary comrner- 2 St. Lmvrence Counry Historical Association Quarterly Fig. 2: Salathiel Ellis, Ogdensburg Whiskey Store, ca. 1838. Lithograph, 11 1/4 x 14 lL2 in. Lithographed by Speckter & Co., Hamburg. Courtesy ofthe New-York Historical Society, New York City. cia1 facilities he had Daniel W. saved from bankruptcy by Parish. shipyard he founded in Ogdensburg Church erect a large stone struc- A new partner was found for the was put out of business by the War ture (figure 2) on Water Street. It mercantile business, and thereafter of 18 12. In that year he sold the went up between May 7,1809, and Rosseel confined his activities to two schooners the yard had con- late summer of 1810. This then land agen~y.~This building still structed to the United States Navy.' served as the permanent home of a stands and has been used as head- Parishville, a village named for store that had opened in November quarters of the Ogdensburg Cus- David Parish, is located about 1808 with $40,000 worth of mer- tom District since September 16, thirty-five miles east of chandise. Whiskey was not the 1928. There is a glimpse of the St. Ogdensburg. A view of Parishville only, nor even the main cornmod- Lawrence River in the background (figure 3) shows the clearing of the ity, as it appears from the illustra- of this Ellis view as well. David land that Parish started in 1810 tion. Parish's senior agent, Joseph Parish was anxious to develop under the direction of his agent, Rosseel, was one of the original Ogdensburg into a port for ship- Daniel Hoard. Turnpikes were cut partners in the store, which floun- ping on Lake Ontario and also to and roads extended.
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