Through Eleven Decades of History

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Through Eleven Decades of History Through Eleven Decades of History WATERTOWN A HISTORY FROM 1800 TO 1912 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND MANY INCIDENTS BY JOEL H. MONROE NINETEEN HUNDRED AND TWELVE HUNGERFORO•HOLBROOK CO. WATERTOWN, N. Y. Preface EREWITH is presented the IIistory of Watertown ffl] from 1800 to 1912. If there are errors in it, and doubtless there are, the writer has no apol­ ogy to offer. To produce a history of any kind with­ out error, the author would needs be divine, and the author of this makes no such pretense. The most earnest effort has been made, however, to write a com­ plete and reliable history, sufficiently tinged with the incidents that have been a part of the life of the com­ munity to give it added interest. As a further part of this preamble, the writer wishes to express his deep sense of appreciation of the uni­ versal kindness and consideration extended by the citi­ zens of Watertown. Further, he wishes· to acknowledge his special obligation to the following citizens for val­ uable aid rendered: Mr. Geo. B. Massey, Lawrence J. Goodale, Esq., Mrs. Althea O. Greene, Miss Hattie Fairbanks, Mr. John C. Knowlton, Mr. Geo. W. Knowlton, Miss Alta M. Ralph and many others. Watertown, N. Y., October 8, 191~. Table of Contents Agricultural Insurance Co•...• 100 First Store, The. • . • 7S Armory, The First. 64 Fair, First Agricultural. ~O Adams, Samuel ......•••••.•.• 212 Fairbanks, Jason. 50 Board Education. • . 39 Fiske, Isaac H ............••• 1:JS Banks and Bankers. • . • . 92 Fires of different dates ...... 133 Brockway, Beman ...•.•...... 183 Farwell, Eli ..................145 Brainard, O. V ............... 178 Farwell, A. M ...............162 Brown, Lysander H .•••...•.. 158 Flower, R. P ..............•.. 179 Bagley, Bemard .....•..•.... 149 Ferriet, Baroness de .......... 69 Bronson, Isaac H ............. 62 Flower, Anson R •............ 204 Binsse, Dr. John ............ lOS Foster, Jabez ................ 209 Boardman, Rev. Geo. S .•.... 111 Flower, Col Geo. W .......... 232 Brown, Levi H ......•••..•... UU Flouring Mills, The .•......•. 249 Bradford, Gilbert ...•••...... 168 Goodale, Dr. Reuben. 66 Babcock, Henry H ..•........ 198 Griffin, Daniel G.. ..•. 185 Bragger, Charles ....••......•MO Bagley & Sewall Co., The .•.. 250 Historical Notes. • . ... 190 Babcock Co., The H. H •••... 256 Hungerford, Orville .•......... 48 Holbrook, Dr. E. A .......... 146 Coff'een, Henry H.. 15 Harbottle, Guy M. • 92 Clark, A. W •........•••...... 148 Hubbard, J. W ............... lM County Seat. 21 Hungerford, Richard E ......230 Caswell, Gurdon. • . 63 Hungerford-Holbrook C.o.. • • . 259 Cliurches . .•......•••...•.• I 09 Clark, John .................. ISO Ives, Willard . ... 174 Clark, Chas. E ......••....... 141 International Assn. ........... 169 Cooper, Howell. • • • • • •.•...• 14,4, Johnson, Philo S.............. 19 Camp's Ditch. • . ..•.. 150 Camp, T. H .................. 156 Keyes, Perley. 58 Civil War Incident, A ••.•.•.. 188 Knowlton & Rice. 45 Congress, Representives in .... 187 Knowlton, Geo. W ....... ·..... 107 City Chamberlains .••., ..•••.• 222 Keep, Henry ................. 142 Coughlin, Jere........•....... 234 Keep Home, The Henry ...... 248 Cemeteries. .....•.•...... 237 LeRay, J as. D. • . 68 City Hospital ................. 245 Lansing, Frederick ........... 132 City Park. ..•.• •..... 260 Lansing, Robert .............. 140 Dunlap, Dr. J. S ............. 240 Lansing, John ...............• 197 Davis, Abel. ... l 64, Lawyer, Joseph --t'~-· . .· ........ ~-3 Dorwin J .................... I~ Library, Flower . Memorial. ... z59 Empire Life Ins., Co ..•...... 100 Massey, Hart ................. 75 Evans, Henry, Execution ..... 104 Massey, Solon...... ....... 77 Ely, Adriel. ........... 206 Massey, Edward S.. 78 Table of Contents M~y, Albert P. 79 Sikes, Dr. W. J.. 80 Mundy, Pierson .............. 91 Smith, George. 83 Munson, Dr. Isaac ........... !~ Sikes, ,vm. Wirt . 80 Mullin, Joseph ............... 159 Sterling, Mieah. 59 McCartin, John C .....•••..••. 166 Sterling Mansion. 61 Marcy, Richard . ......... 202 Sherman, Wooster. 92 Music. .................... 212 Sterling, John C..•........... 191 Mullin, Joseph, Jr............ il6 Stage Lines, Old ............ 135 Mayors of Watertown ....... 221 Sewall, H. D ................. 155 Minthorn, Daniel. ........ 239 Sherman, John A: ............17 5 Municipality, The ............ 243 Supreme Court Justices ...... 187 Newspapers.. ............... 71 Stevens, Dr. H. M ........... 001 ·Newell, Andrew. 63 Sawyer, Azariah H ...•....... 215 Hannibal. ............. 217 New York Air Brake Co ..... 255 Smith, Nill & Jess Co•.•......•••.•.. 257 Supervisors, 1800-1912 ........ 923 Some Historical Notes . ....... 226 Orphans' Home ............... 247 St. Joachim's Hospital. ..... •246 Oti~ D- D._ ... _.........•... 131 Oriental Funeral, An ......... 153 TenEyck, Egbert ...•.•....... 55 O'Brien, Denis. .. I 70 Trowbridge, Dr. Amasa ...... _.~6 Thomas, Dr. A. R ..•......... 163 Paddock, John ............... 56 Taggart, Byron B ............ 167 Patrick, Gen. M. R ............ 104 Tornado of 1857, The ........ 186 Paddock, Loveland. 56 Treadwell, John H ...........200 Porter, W. F ................. 129 .Powers, Isaac P .............. 163 Upham, Samuel B ............. 160 . Paddock, E. L ................ 184 Upham, Addison L ........... 283 Paper Making Industry ...... 236 Village, First Incorporation .. 87 Remington, C. H ............. 231 Village, Presidents. 88 River Disaster, The 1850 .•••• ~8 ·.Rail Roads . 168 Woodruff, N. M............. 84, Rogers, Watson M ............ 196 Wardwell, N. P .............. li6 White House ................. IS6 St. Patrick's Orphanage ...... 248 Wi~gins, Geo. w ............. 131 Shaw, A. D .................. 227 Whittlesey Incident, The. 81 Schools of Watertown. 27 Wright, Chas. D ............. 156 Starbuck, J as. F ............. 143 Watertown, Postmasters. ... 188 State Fair in Watertown ..... 170 Weeks, Justin W .........•... 194 Sherman Geo. C •.•........... lSS Watertown, A City ........... 2il Smith, William. 15 Watertown Spring Works .... 258 Through Eleven Decades of History. CHAPTER I. THE FOUNDING OF WATERTOWN. ATERTOWN-the Watertown of ~~~~~ to-day, with its strong and diversified manufacturing industries, its thrift, its metropolitan air, its culture and ID wealth-owes its existence in great ~~~~~~'IA part likely., to the action of the gla­ ciers of sever-al million years .ago. When these gla­ ciers came rushing down from the north .grinding the rock into powder, forming mountains, fashioning lakes and plowing channels for running streams, they, to­ gether with other internal forces, formed the course of the Black River, its broad sweep of rapids and the rough-angled, rock-walled falls around which the City now clusters. These falls and the mighty water power of the rapids, harnessed for service, have constituted the main energy and commercial sinew in the making and building of Watertown. As to the·number of races of men that were dwellers along the river's banks from that prehistoric period to the beginning of recorded history, it is as impossible 8 THROUGH ELEVEN DECADES OF HISTORY to tell now as it is to determine in yea.rs the period of occupancy of the Red Man. The Indian, for little more than a tin whistle as a consideration as is known, sur­ rendered his title to the land soon after the coming of the new race; and this transference of title and sur­ render of possession signalized the beginning of a notable epoch in building and achieving in the Black River Country. W•atertown had its birth with this epoch. From 1797 the whole Black River Valley was the scene of the most tenacious activities in various lines. It attracted many men of notably strong character and commanding personality, men who were potent forces in its progress and upbuilding. These men, for the most part, too, made Watertown their field of ac­ tion. But from 1798 and 1799, there was almost an uninterrupted stream of incoming pioneers, all inspired with zeal •and the hope of self betterment in the new country. There were all types, the home seeker merely, the builders and the master .spirits, the latter the es­ sential force in all successful achievements in any line of endeavor. Among the early arriv•als in ,the region were Eliphalet and Christopher Edmunds, brothers, who rode down Black River in a boat in 1798 carrying the_ir arms, goods and provisions. When they reached the rapids on their way down, their craft overturned resulting in the loss of all their goods and chattels. This of no ac­ count incident in pioneer life seem& to have completely disheartened these worthy argonauts, and they there- THROUGH ELEVEN DECADES OF HISTORY 9 f o~e made haste to seek some place for settlement re­ mote from what they regarded as the treacherous, wa­ ters of the Black River. This bit of history, in many respects, has a parallel in the story of the fabled Romulus and Remus of old, brother.s and infants, who :floated down the river Tiber in a cradle and were stranded at the foot of the Pala­ tine. Romulus, so the story goes, held hls ground and later founded Imperial Rome on the Seven Hills, where­ as Eliphalet and Christopher Edmunds stopped at the site of Watertown for the space of time only to give one brief, resentful look at the falls and the rapids, then passed on, the one to become •a farmer on Dry Hill ·and the other to engage in the same occupation in the Adams section. The founding of Watertown was left to ,others, the real makers and builders among the pioneers yet to come. The early
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