Building with Potsdam Red Sandstone: the Early Years Susan Omohundro

The St. Lawrence County Historical Association Ouarterlv

Volume XLIV- Number 1- Winter 1999 The St. Lawrence County Historical Association at the Silas Wright House

The St. Lawrence County Historical Association is a private, not-fo p organization the based at Silas Wright House in Canton, Association3~spverned...Z ...... by a constitution, by-laws, and Board of Trustees. membership mee&~anrmallyto elect its officers and trustees. .tl ::: 2000 OfSicers: 2000 Trustees: President: Richard Foster, Chris Angus, Canton $ Vice-President: Carl Patricia Carson, Canton 1 Treasurer: Carol Shawn Gray, Massena 5 Secretary: ~athlee~~oro,Canton Gary Kelly, Potsdam 4 William Lacy, Gouverneur I E. Jane Layo, Waddington 1 Stan Maine, Pierrepont f 2000 stah. Lowell McAllister, ~euvelhn ~re&lock, Executive Director Jane Subramanian, ~otsdd sue"kgshore, Collections Manager Joanne Swift, Potsdam 8 Mary ~TWJones, Archives Assistant Peter Van de Water, cant04 Will ~o~ce,h&ninistrativeAssistant Robert Wells, Canton Susie Wood, Hammond Cay Zabriskie, ogdensbur&

The St. Lawrence County Historical Associati museum which serves as an educational resource for the use and benefit of the citizens of St. Lawrence County and others interested in the County's history and traditions. The Association collects and preserves archival material and artifacts perhnent to the County's history. In cooperation and collaboration with other local organizations, the Association promotes an understanding of and appreciation for the County's rich history through publications, exhibits, and programs. The St. Lawrence County Historical Association operates within museum standards established by the American Association of Museums.

SLCHA Membership Membership in the St. Lawrence County Historical Association is open to all interestedparties. Annual membership dues are: Individual, $25; SeniorIStudent, $20; Family, $35; Contributor, $50; Supporter, $100; Patron, $250; Businesses, $50 to $1,000. Members receive the SLCHA Quarterly, the Historical Association's bi-monthly newsletter, and various discounts on publications, programs and events.

St. Lawrence County Historical Association at the Silas Wright House 3 East Main Street, PO Box 8 Canton, New York 13617 (315) 386-8133 The St. Lawrence Countv Historical Association Quarterly Volume XLIV - Number 1 - 1999 ISSN: 6558-1931

CONTENTS

Building with Potsdam Red Sandstone: The Early Years Susan Omohundro

Mia1 R. Pierce: ClergymanISoldier Richard G Hutchinson

Grandpa Charles Haley: October 18, 1859-June 14, 1936 James S. Nichols

Issue Editor: J. Rebecca Thompson

Cover Illustration The grist mill on the Racquette River in Potsdarn built in 1835. Tom down in 1972, it stood on the site of what is now a fast food restaurant just to the west of the Maple Street bridge. Courtesy of Potsdam Museum (P2329h) Building with Potsdam Red Sandstone: The Early Years By Susan Omohundro

Introduction began to rise, ending the deposi- The layers of stone suitable for One of the distinguishing tion of new sand layers and be- building material are about sev- characteristics of St. Lawrence ginning the long process of ero- enty feet thick. County's architectural history is sion. the prevalence of sandstone ma- The earliest Racquette River sonry. Use of sandstone for con- It is the fine-grained quartz quarry is the Parmeter Ledge. It struction began early in the nine- that makes Potsdam stone unusu- was opened by Nathaniel and teenth century but tapered off ally durable for a sandstone and Solomon Parmeter some time af- after 1900. The quarries on a thus a good building material. ter 1809. By 1813, the Gazetteer short stretch of the Racquette When first removed from the of the State ofNew Yorkreported, River near Potsdam produced a beds, the wet stone may be cut "Five quarries of stone are found distinctive red sandstone. Forty or split fairly easily with hand on the Racket River, and by the buildings composed of that red tools, but exposure to air hard- remarks of a Correspondent, I sandstone remain in the county. ens it. should suppose they embraced This article is based on an inven- both marble, and a reddish sand tory of those buildings under- Major quarries in the Potsdam or free-stone." (Spafford 1813). taken in preparation of a group sandstone formation were lo- nomination for the National Reg- cated at Hammond, Malone, Fort In the latter 19th century the ister of Historic Places. The Jackson, and Keeseville, but the Parmeter Ledge was expanded nomination identifies two dis- "type site" geologists have by the Potsdam Red Sandstone tinct periods of sandstone use adopted for the description of Company, which also took stone based on typical features of ma- Potsdam sandstone is the from several other locations sonry and architecture. This ar- Parmeter Ledge, located on the opened by its predecessors along ticle will report on the first, or Racquette River near the the Racquette's west-side pioneer period. Potsdam-Pierrepont town line. riverbanks from the Parmeter Ironically, the stone at this site is Ledge south to Hannawa Falls. Potsdam Red Sandstone atypical of the unit as a whole The Clarkson Sandstone Com- The geological formation because of its complex layering pany quarries were closer to known as Potsdam sandstone of beds, which may be the an- Potsdam village, on both sides of was deposited about 500 million cient remains of a river delta or the river. Its earlier quarry was years ago in the late Cambrian sand dunes (Van Diver 1976:82). on the west side near where the to early Ordovician period. As well, the ledge's dark red Sugar Island dam was built in Within the state of New York, it color, which comes from iron, is 1922. A later quarry was opened occurs in a wide band that not often seen in Potsdam sand- on the east side in 1877just north stretches across northern New stone elsewhere in the state. of the present-day Hannawa Falls York from the Thousand Islands hydroelectric station. Unfortu- in Jefferson County to Lake Quarries nately, to date we have found Champlain in Essex County. The largest and most numer- only a few scraps of documenta- Geologists propose that these ous quarries for Potsdam red tion about any of these quarries. deposits represent a near-shore sandstone in St. Lawrence Most of these quarries were marine environment. By the late County were located on the abandoned by 1922 when the Cambrian period, the "Potsdam banks of the Racquette River, Sugar Island dam was built, Sea," a shallow inland sea, lay mostly on the west side, in the flooding the area. The Parmeter north of the Adirondack Moun- two mile section between Sugar Ledge is the only site still being tains. The clean sands were laid Island (two miles south of worked today. down near shore, until the land Potsdam) and Hannawa Falls.

St. Lmvrence Coun!y Historical Association Quarterly Early Masonry and Architec- ture In the pioneer era, people tended to build their houses and work buildings with readily available materials. Stone was quarried and shaped using hand tools, then transported by cart, so it was carried only a few miles. Thus, the quarries were small and conveniently located, usually where sandstone was exposed naturally, along streams or cliff faces. Most of the early structures were private homes, mills, or farm buildings within ten miles of the quarries. At first, the pioneer period's masonry style featured simple rectangular blocks in courses. The blocks typically measure three or four inches high and about twelve inches wide. Thus at a distance such masonry re- sembles brickwork. Usually the grain is horizontal. Normally only the front wall-the most prominent-has coursed rectangular blocks while the other walls employ smaller, more random stones. Courtesy ofJohn Omohundro There remain today only four Periods of Sandstone ended about 1850, when there buildings featuring rectangular Construction occurred a fifteen-year hiatus in blocks laid in courses: three resi- Construction using Potsdam sandstone masonry. dences and one commercial red sandstone occurred in two building. distinct periods, the pioneer and The industrial period began the industrial. The pioneer period in 1868 when the quarries were The plain coursed-block style began in the 181 Os, when the first mechanized and cut stone was appears mostly in the oldest quarries were opened. Churches, transported by rail throughout the structures dated to the first half barns, factories, commercial northeastern United States and of the 1820s. Portions of a few buildings, and, most notably, into Canada. Most structures buildings, especially their foun- residences were built, all within built in the industrial period were dations or ground floors, may a short distance of the quarries. large institutional or commercial have been built before 182 1, but The numerous local quarries buildings in the newly popular the first sandstone structure for made the stone accessible to pri- ashlar masonry style, which used which reliable records remain is vate citizens, who used it to dis- rough-surfaced, rectangular, ran- the 1821 Raymond-Knowles play their growing affluence and domly-sized blocks. Red sand- commercial building at 30 Mar- expectations of long-term socio- stone industry and architecture ket Street in Potsdarn village, economic stability. Masonry was flourished in the 1880s and now occupied by Deborah A. usually laid in courses of 1890s, then gradually declined to Cady Jewelry. The Raymond- smooth-surfaced stones of mod- extinction around 1920. Knowles building is often de- est size. The pioneer period

St. Lmvrence County Historical Association Quarterly Potsdam kfirst sana!stone building, at 30 Market Street. Note the small size ofthe stones.

The 1823 John Call house, now the Elks Club, has acquired a Victorianporch and roof brackets.

scribed as an "experiment" in September. Weather permitting, Another mason, George sandstone construction. Good six to eight men might work on Train, built what was probably records kept by Sewall Raymond any given day. Many of them, in- the first red sandstone dwelling document the work of the ma- cluding Furness, were boarded as in the village of Potsdarn. This sons for this building. Work be- part of their pay. The group of is the John Call house at 10 Elm gan on May 26, 1821. The chief men also received about two Street, built in 1823 in the simple mason was a young immigrant, bottles of whiskey a day from rectangular coursed block style. Anthony Furness. He and his Raymond, who on two occasions This house is a five-bay, two- helpers finished the masonry complained about men who im- story Federal house with gable- walls on August 14. For his seven bibed too much. Apparently end chimneys. The front of the weeks' work, Furness was paid Furness did not remain in town house is rectangular stone blocks $98.25 by Raymond and his part- after his assignment was com- in courses, while the two sides ner, Liberty Knowles. Carpentry pleted; he continued his.trade in have quite small, more randomly and ground leveling lasted into Ogdensburg and the St. Lawrence placed rectangular blocks. This River valley. building has been.greatly modi-

9 Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly 5 fied with additions and rear- rangement of the interior and has served as a clubhouse since 1895. The Luke Brown house on the Potsdam-Parishville Road (Route 72) is another two-story house built in 1823 using blocks in courses. This is also a five-bay, two-story Federal house. As in the Call house, the front wall has the most even and carefully composed stonework. The back wall of the house is buff-colored Fort Jackson sandstone, not Potsdam red sandstone. The windows have flared stone lintels but wooden sills. Another distinctive feature was a massive center chimney rather than the more common gable-end type. This house remains a family home, restored and maintained by Gary and Jane Snell. The Slab and Binder Style Following the plain coursed- block style of red sandstone masonry is the "slab and binder" style, which predominated in residential architecture from 1827 to 1850. This stvle seems to be unique to the ~dtsdamre- gion. Its heyday was brief but it was very popular: the nineteen slab and binder houses extant today comprise almost half of the red sandstone buildings in the county. Several are (or were) farmhouses, and others are found in the hamlets of Hannawa Falls and West Stockholm as well as in the village of Potsdam. Two commercial buildings and one church in downtown Potsdam also display this style. "Slab and binder" is a local label for a style in which even courses of stone alternate in width and the direction of layering. The binders are relatively The 1823 Luke Brown house, with circa 1870 additions on left.

St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly t random c. 6 in. inner wall 1 4-- A c. 3.5+ in.

-24 in. - Slab and Binder masonry wall, Cross-section

courtesy of ~ohno~o~u~~~ This close view shows the alternating layers ofslab and binder masonry narrow horizontal pieces reach- Some buildings exhibit slab steadily growing into favor, and ing from front to back of the wall. and binder masonry on all four many dwelling-houses had been They are usually three to four sides, but often it is seen on only built of that material, besides inches tall and have horizontal the front or the front and sides, nearly all the large important grain. The slabs are taller, thin- the walls most ofien viewed by buildings requiring great solid- ner face pieces, laid so the layer- passersby. The less "public" ity" (Everts 1878:246). ing is vertical, with mortared walls in these houses are laid up rubble behind. Walls are typically with blocks of varied heights and Who invented the slab and about two feet thick, including widths, almost all with horizon- binder style? Alternating thick the inner wall of random stone tal grain. Random stonework and thin or rough and smooth and the rubble interfilling. It probably saved labor and, hence, courses in bricks and stone is not seems this style developed lo- money. In two houses the back, a rare practice, but we have found cally. The layering of the sedi- largely unseen, wall is not even no antecedent for mounting the mentary quarry beds encouraged of Potsdam sandstone. slab course on its edge. The clos- the use of large flat slabs; the est parallel found to date is in the binders create a strong wall, and Beginning in the latter 1820s, block-and-stack limestone build- the alternation of horizontal lay- the "slab and binder" masonry ings of southern Wisconsin, built ering with the vertical slabs is style took the Potsdam area by between 1855 and 1885 by Swiss visually pleasing, providing a storm. In the space of a few years, masons, but in this case, large brick-like regularity with long many residences and commercial blocks alternate with stacks of straight joints and rows varying buildings arose in village and small horizontal stones within in texture. In one or two cases, countryside, all exhibiting this the course (Eisely 1991). The care was taken to choose slabs masonry style. By 1836, it was Vermont State Historical Office and binders that also differed dra- reported that "The use of can locate no evidence that the matically in color. Potsdam sandstone had been slab and binder style developed

St. Lawrence Counry Historical Association Quarterly 7 in their state (Gilbertson 1995). haps from New York City, or in- wall forward ofthe attic window Was it a local innovation, rely- stigate its invention? The 1823 alernate slabs and binders. Also, ing on the strength of the rock Luke Brown house offers some the upper left quarter of the back and elaborating on the preceding clues. Close examination reveals wall has rows of slabs and rows simpler style of horizontal that portions of two walls adum- of binders, but not in alternation; coursed blocks? Did the brate the slab and binder style. slabs can be separated by one to lark sons import the style, per- Several rows of the upper west four rows ofbinders. This house shows great variation in masonry on its four walls, and it looks like the masons were doing their best, most uniform work on the front wall and experimenting a bit on the other walls. The 1825 St. Lawrence Acad- emy (replaced in 1868) is said to have been slab and binder (Chapman 1956: 1I), but a rare ire-a68 (Potsdam Museum. P848) shows that the front wall was ;sterling example of fairly large rectangular blocks in uniform, even courses, while the side (north) wall had courses of smaller pieces over a founda- tion that appears to be slab and binder. The mason is said to have been a man named Alanson Now known as " Woodstock," this former Augustus Clarkson residence Fisher (Hough 1853 : 540). provides ofices and meeting rooms for Clarkson University. In sum, the evidence suggests that the slab and binder style developed indigenously between 1823 and 1827. It is worth not- ing that the 1827 Clarkson house displays perfectly executed slab and binder work on all four sides, so it remains a possibility that Augustus Clarkson took a fancy to the style andlor that his family employed an anonymous, but creative and experienced, mason who realized the possibilities of the technique and used it to full effect. The origin of the term "slab and binder" remains ob- scure. Slab and Binder Houses The first securely dated "slab Courtesy of Potdam Museum and binder" house was built in The Jonathan Wallace house as it appeared around the turn of the 1827 in Potsdam on the Clarkson century. About 1915 it acquired its current roofline andporch. In recent estate for twenty-five year old decades it has been owned by the Kaplan family. Augustus Clarkson. This build-

8 St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly ing began as a five-bay house no more than forty feet wide, with a centered front doorway of Geor- gian style, excellent slab and binder masonry on all four sides, and a raised cellar. This house had two chimneys in each gable end, and was amply supplied with fireplaces on the ground floor, first floor, and second floor. A large stone addition on the right dates to the 1840s. The masonry matches the original work perfectly. The building did not have porches originally. The second slab and binder house was built in 1828 on Mar- ket Street in Potsdam for Jonathan Wallace, a Universal- ist minister. It is a symmetrical, five-bav Georgian house with slab and binder masonry on the The Nathan Parmeter S,: house, finished about 1830, probably by Nathan k front and sides, while the back son, Nathaniel. It has been owned by Dorothy Gordanier since 1935. wall is more random. The house has a large slab and binder stone addition in back, dated about 1846. The hipped roof of this house makes it unusual in this region. Inside, many original features remain; the Adam-style woodwork over the fireplace is 9 particularly attractive. 3%. On the Back Hannawa Road (County Rt. 59) two excellent examples of slab and binder masonry face each other. Both were built by the Parmeter family, well known as operators of the first + and best quarry about two miles south at the Parmeter Ledge. The earlier example, on the east side of the road, was finished about 1830. It is a Federal cottage with slab and binder masonry on three sides. On the west side of the road is a Greek Revival cottage, also built by the Parmeter family, again with slab and binder masonry on three sides. It was built about ten years later, and The Nathan Parmeter Jr house, circa 1839, now the Garner residence. changes in style are pronounced. The stone in the earlier house has

St Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly 9 an orange tone, whereas the later house is deep red, a color which grew in favor. The earlier house is relatively unadorned on the exterior, though the front doorway has an attractive one-piece stone arch and fanlight. The later house has abundant decorative stonework and woodwork, as shown in the front doorway, where twenty-one tapered stones, called voussoirs, form a flared lintel. The earlier house retains three fireplaces, including one on the ground floor; by 1840 cast- iron wood stoves were in vogue. The second Parmeter house is the only early stone farmhouse to possess a stone barn. The Clarkson-Knowleshouse at 37 Main Street in Potsdam is a well-preserved Federal cottage built &tween 1830 and 183'7, Bob and Ellen Burns restored the Clarkson-Knowles probably for use by families Federal cottage in Potsdam. whose heads worked at the St. Lawrence Academy or its trustee, the Presbyterian Church. The front has slab and binder masonry. Its historic value was rec- ognized in 1995 when it was placed on the National Register. 3

Greek Revival porches (removed in 1999) and wooden wing were The 1836 David Clarkson mansion, later known as the General Merritt house. added by ~~~~~~l~d~i~ it- The Clarksons 'influence in sandrtone architecture is evident in that several when he bought the house stone houses in the Greek Revival style were constructed soon Mter this one.

I0 St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly random stone on the back. This house, while traditional (Geor- gian) in layout, features Greek Revival embellishment. It is one of our best-preserved stone houses and was listed on the National Register in 1985. The hamlet of West Stockholm boasts four houses that incorporate slab and binder sandstone masonry. Of these, the best example is the Benjamin house. Though built by the Bicknells, the founders of West Stockholm, probably around 1828-1830, it has been known as the Benjamin house for the long- time 19th century cheese factory owners. This house is unusual in its design: it is a bank house, with one primary doorway on the The Cox house in Hannawa Falls. ground floor facing east toward Note the similarity of the Greek Revival front doorway to that of the the St. Regis River and a second Nathan Parmeter Jr. house, which was built just one year later. primary doorway on the second floor facing west, where the the Civil War. This entailed al- founder of Hannawa Falls, using original road was located. The tering stonework around some of stone taken from his own prop- sandstone is laid in slab and the windows and doors. In 1937 erties along the Racquette River. binder on all four sides of the the David Clarkson mansion be- The house has slab and binder house. came an apartment building and masonry on the front and sides, the interior was modified, but some original features remain, chiefly fireplaces and moldings. Aaron Hopkins built a sub- stantial slab and binder stone residence at 24 Main St. in 1837. It features a Greek Revival front entry. The woodwork around the fireplace matches that on his nearby stone tannery's facade between the second and third stories. Furthermore, there are numerous similarities of floor plan, decoration, and masonry with the 183 8 Cox house in Hannawa Falls. Hannawa Falls is an outlying hamlet featuring a number of red Counesv of Stockhorn Historical Or~anization sandstone hou&s. Of these, the most prominent was built in The Benjamin house in West Stockholm as it appeared when it 1838 by Gardner Cox, the was owned by the Benjamins.

St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly I I Characteristics of Sandstone over six. Cellar windows often vival houses display a variety of Houses had a single row of panes. Only individually created moldings in The twenty-three early sand- a few buildings retain original public rooms and around door- stone houses share several char- window sashes. ways, windows and fireplaces. acteristics. About half are one- The bigger houses have paneled and-one-half story cottages. Most Inside, a centered front hall is doors and window embrasures of these cottages were farm- typical, with one or two rooms and sometimes paneling under houses. Some are plain and utili- on each side. The stairway to the the windows of formal rooms. tarian, but the majority have second floor is narrow and en- enough embellishment to show closed (but some of these have Early Sandstone Public Build- that the farms were prosperous been altered). Upstairs, the larger ings when their farmhouses were houses have four or five bed- Two commercial buildings erected. An indication of how rooms, and the smaller houses feature slab and binder masonry. much the local economy has two or four. The majority of the Both are on Market Street in changed is that no stone farm- cottages have acquired dormers, Potsdam. The comer building at house still sits on a working farm. as their owners realized the up- 1 Market Street was built by However, most of the rural prop- stairs rooms were too low and Aaron Hopkins about 1840 as a erties retain most or all of their dark for comfort. tannery. The front portion of the acreage, and some retain out- building measured about twenty buildings, so the change in hc- The Federal houses tend to by twenty-five feet; the back half tion is not immediately apparent. possess less ornament than the is an early, non-stone addition. Greek Revival era houses, and The masonry is in good condi- The typical stone house from some have little or no decorative tion. On the side wall is a circa the pioneer era, whether in slab moldings around doorways and 1880 stencil of a horseshoe; the and binder or in plain coursed windows. Some of the Greek Re- building continued to house a block. has a centered front doorway. All houses have one or more auxiliary entrances on the side andlor back. Some cottages have three bays, some five; the two story houses are all five bay. All but thewallace house has a gable roof, usually with one chimney at each gable end. Side walls usually have two windows per floor. Often, the cellar is raised and re- ceives natural light. The majority of the pioneer period houses have wooden wings. Many houses had them by design, to contain summer kitchen, workrooms,storage, privy and similar rough func- tions. Some, like the Benjamin house, acquired them later, when more room was needed. - With few exceptions, windows have flared or square stone lintels and stone sills. Originally, The former Hopkins Tannery at I Market St. is a well- the larger windows were twelve preserved example ofslab and binder masonry in a over twelve sash, while the commercial structure. smaller ones were usually nine

12 St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly harness and leather business until after 19 15. At some point the style of the roofline was updated with Italianate brackets, but the other wood trim appears to be original. The other slab and binder commercial building is at 17 Market Street. It was built in 1835 by Zenas Clark, a local businessman of many pursuits. This was a general store. The front and side walls are slab and binder, the back wall random. Examination of the walls shows extensive alteration .over time, with many doors and windows filled in with stone. In particu- lar, around 1875-1880 the building was remodeled from three stories to two; all the front window openingswere altered at this time and the cornice modified. Potsdam k beautiful Trinity Church was largely a creation of the Clarksonfamily. This view shows the slab and binder masonry of the side walls.

The slab and binder walls of Trinity Episcopal Church on Fall Island in Potsdam rose in 1835, using sandstone donated by the Clarkson family, on land donated by the Town's founding propri- etors. John Clarkson took a personal interest in its design, speci- fying that it should be "a neat Gothic edifice of stone, forty- four by sixty-four feet," and modeled on Trinity Church in New York City. The church was greatly enlarged and modified in the 1880s and now shows an ashlar red sandstone facade. However, the original slab and binder side walls remain. The Settlers' Legacy The pioneer period's use of

- - slab and binder masonry dimin- I- I- I ished noticeably in the 1840s. Courtesy of Potsdm Museum (P659) The last known house built in the A 1909 photograph of 17 Market Street showing Story k Dry Goo& on the first slab and binder style was the floor and Hannawa Electric Light and Power Company on the secondfloo,: Alexander Brown house in This circa 1835 building is now occupied by the Isle of You. Hermon, dated 1854 (demol-

St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly 13 ished in 1995).The last recorded Acknowledgements Rogers, Willam B., Yngvar W. Isachsen, slab and binder construction of Special thanks to my research Timothy D. Mock, and Richard E. Nyahay, New any sort occurred at Trinity Epis- colleague Ellen Burns, to my YorkState Geological Highway Map. New York copal Church. the chancel and husband John for computer as- State Geological Survey. Albany: New York State sacristy were were added to the sistance and the maps, and to the Museum, 1990. 1835 building in 1858 and the many people who have shared in- St. Lawrence County Courthouse, Canton, west side wall was extended formation and allowed us to ex- N.Y., County Clerk's ORce. fourteen feet forward in 1886. In amine their buildings. St. Lawrence County Historical Association, fact, until ashlar masonry be- Canton, N.Y., archives. came popular, beginning in 1868, Credits Spafford, Horatio G, A Gazetteer of the little sandstone construction of State of New York. Albany: Southwick, 1813. All illustrations are courtesy any sort was undertaken for Strickland, Clark, President, Preservation of the author except where oth- about fifteen years. I can only erwise noted. League of New York State, Personal Communi- speculate about the reasons for cation, Nov. 29, 1995. this hiatus. Probably several fac- VanDiver, Bradf0rd.B. Rocks and Routes oj Sources tors were involved. After the rail- the North Country New York. Geneva N.Y.: W. Beers, S. N. and D. G Beers. New Topo- road arrived, in 1850, brick be- F. Humphrey Press, 1976. graphical Atlas of St. Lawrence Co., New York. came a popular building mate- Stockholm Historical Organization Philadelphia: Stone and Stewart, 1865. rial. Also, lumber, a more con- Winthrop N.Y., archives. venient building material than Chapman, Marguerite G The Clarkson Fam- the labor-intensive sandstone, ily of Potsdam. Potsdam, N.Y., 1958. was becoming cheaper and more -- Early History of Potsdam. Potsdam, N.Y.: abundant as gangmills spread Potsdam Public Museum, 1956. throughout northern New York in [Clarkson, Annie] An Historical Sketch of the late 1840s (McMartin Trinity Church, Potsdam New York, 1835-1896. 1994:27). Finally, also, it is New York: Putnam's Sons, Printed for Private likely that the disruptions of the Circulation, 1896. Civil War temporarily weakened Eisely, Jane "Block-and-Stack Houses," local industry. Old-House Journal (JuVAug. 1991): back cover. Emmons, Ebenezer. Geologv of New-York, It is hard to imagine future Part 11: Comprising the Second GeologicalDis- conditions under which Potsdam bict. Albany: Carroll and Cook, 1842. red sandstone masonry would be Everts, H. L. History of St. Lawrence revived and local quarries would County, New York. Philadelphia, 1878. once again produce blocks and Gilbertson, Elsa, Vermont Division for His- slabs for local residences and toric Preservation, personal communication, public buildings. Meanwhile, ap- May 22, 1995. proximately half of the early Hough, Franklin B. A History of St. sandstone buildings are still Lawrence and Franklin Counties, New York.Al- standing, although most are bany: Little & Co., 1853. threatened by neglect or misuse. -. Gazetteer of the State of New York. This stems partly from economic Albany: A. P. Boyd, 1872. pressures, of course, but partly Leete, Charles H. Potsduppini. Privately from lack of appreciation. printed. [I9341 Reprinted 1967. McMartin, Barbara. The Great Forest of the About the Author Adirondacks. Utica, N.Y.: North Country Books, Susan Omohundro and her 1994. husband John began to investi- Pierrepont Town Museum, Pierrepont Cen- gate local history and sandstone ter, N.Y., archives. construction after they bought "The Potsdam Red Sandstone Quarries," the Gardner Cox house on the Scientijic American 68 , no. 1 (Jan. 7, 1893). Racquette River in Hannawa Potsdam Village Museum, Potsdam, N.Y., Falls in 1983. archives.

St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly Mia1 R. Pierce: ClergyrnanlSoldier by Richard G Hutchinson

Mial Richard Pierce was an became Second Lieutenant of the Confederate forces now un- unlikely soldier when he enlisted Company "C". His other two der Robert E. Lee counterat- in the 92ndRegiment of New sons later joined other regiments. tacked and drove the entire York Infantry being raised in Union Army back to its fortifi- Potsdam during the fall of 1861. During the fall of 1861 and cations along the James River. At the age of forty-six, he was early winter of 1862, the regi- During that Confederate attack, already older than the average ment trained at "Camp Union" the 92nd was mired in the recruit by some twenty-eight sprawled across the fields be- Chickahominy River swamps, years and had three grown sons tween Market and Leroy streets dealing not only with the enemy and a daughter by his first wife, and back as far as Castle Drive. but with rain and suffocating Provider Roxford of Black Lake. By February of 1862, the regi- heat. Disease took a heavy toll, His second wife was Elisabeth ment was .deemed fit for combat and one of those struck down Colburn of Waddington, and she and left Potsdam by train for with a near-fatal case of typhoid would provide him with two Washington D.C. and thence to was Mial Pierce. Weakened by daughters during the course of the battlefields of Virginia. his ordeal, he spent the remain- the war. der of the summer in the hospi- By May of 1862, the regiment tal, and in September he was He was well-known through- was thrust directly into the Pen- honorably discharged at Fort out the North Country as a cir- insular Campaign southeast of Monroe, Virginia, and came cuit-riding Methodist minister, Richmond, and was engaged in home to Norfolk. preaching to congregations several major battles including throughout much of St. Yorktown, Williamsburg, Fair After convalescing at home Lawrence County from his home Oaks and Seven Pines. This during the winter of 1862-63, base in Norfolk. During this pe- Union offensive fell apart when and fretting about his disease- riod he became convinced of the shortened military career, he set evils of slavery, and was active out to raise a company of North in the abolitionist movement. It Country men (approximately was this conviction that led him 100) and was himself mustered to enlist in the Union Army de- back into service, this time as spite his age (and over the ob- captain in the 14thNewYork jections of his wife). Heavy Artillery, commanding the company he had raised. After Regardless of his age, Mial training during the fall and win- Pierce was an imposing figure. ter of 1863, he moved to the In an era when recruits averaged command of two companies of approximately five feet eight, he the 6~ New York Artillery, and stood six feet two and had pierc- found himself in the bloodbaths ing black eyes that commanded of Spotsylvania (May 8-2 1, attention from those around him. 1864), and Cold Harbor (June 1- Perhaps it was these qualities that 3, 1864), as Grant tried to break persuaded the commander of the through Lee's lines defending 92nd(Colonel Jonah Sanford) to Richmond. appoint him as Regimental Chaplain to the thousand men As an indication of the fact now gathered in Potsdam. His Courtesy of R~C~U~G Hutchinson that life went on even under the second eldest son, James, en- Captain Mial R. Pierce dreadful circumstances of these listed in the same regiment and in uniform, 1861. battles, there is a note among his

St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly I5 personal effects dated June 11, Despite his many afflictions, About the Author 1864, with the heading "Bivouac however, Mial Pierce came Dr. Hutchinson is a Professor at Cold Harbor" in which he home, and after the war he Emeritus at SUNY Potsdam and promised to pay $10.00 "for moved to Burke in Franklin is a great-grandson of Mial Ri- value received" to another sol- County to become the minister chard Pierce. dier. Since he obviously got the of the Methodist Church in that note back, we can only assume village. Like many of his com- Sources that the debt was paid. rades, he never filly recovered Recollections, notes, and personal effects from the ravages of disease, and of Mial Pierce kept by the author's mother and grandmother: Minnie Pierce Smith In any event, the swampy ter- was eventually granted an invalid (daughter of Mia1 Pierce), Elisabeth Smith rain around Cold Harbor (and pension of $20.00 per month by Hutchinson (granddaughter of Mial Pierce) Richmond) claimed him once the government. more. What the affliction was is War records from the General Services Ad- never fully stated in medical pa- Mial Pierce died in Burke in ministration, National Archives and Records pers from the National Archives, 1887, and there is an imposing Administration. except to mention that he had a monument to his memory in the Potsdarn Museum, Potsdam, New York high fever, asthma, and a numb- cemetery just outside of town. ness in the lower part of his legs Like so many thousands of oth- and feet. He was transferred to ers during that turbulent period a hospital in Washington, and his in our history, he was a unique wife was sent for in the fear that example of conviction and cour- he might not live. age under the most trying of hu- man circumstances.

Courtesy of Richard G Hutchinson Mial R. Pierce and his family about 1875 or 1876. From left: second wife, Elizabeth Colburn Pierce; daughters, Minnie Pierce (author k grandmother) and Louise Pierce.

St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly Grandpa Charles Haley: October 18,1859-June 14,1936 An excerpt from The Nichols Family Biography by James S. Nichols

Hackmen at the turn of the his patients but had acquired a "But I've only got one century plied the streets of hack which had been given to horse." Ogdensburg with their rigs be- him as payment on a bill. fore the days of automobiles, "Well," said the Doctor, "you taxis, and traffic jams. Charles One of Dr. Benton's workers can take one of mine which is a Haley for thirty-eight years was on his farm was Albert Haley, good match with yours." one of the city's leading hack- Grandpa's brother. When visit- men-horse-drawn cab drivers. ing his brother one day on the So Grandpa spent a week in farm, Dr. Benton approached September working the Grandpa Haley got started in Grandpa with a proposition. Ogdensburg fair. At twenty-five the hack business with the help cents a fare, it was a lucrative of Dr. Benton, a friend who "Charlie, this hack isn't do- business. Dr. Benton was so worked with my Grandmother, ing me any good sitting here. impressed he suggested that Mrs. Charles Haley, ministering Why don't you take it and go to Haley go to the Canton fair (eigh- to the poor, unfortunate and the the Ogdensburg fair and we'll di- teen miles) and to the afflicted. Dr. Benton was famous vide whatever you make in half." Gouverneur fair (thirty-one for forgetting purposely to charge miles). Upon conclusion of the

I -- I Cwnesy of lama S. Nichols Ogdensburg hackmen-Charles Halq Joseph Tovette, and Saul Grenier--about 1915.

9 Luwmnce Counfy Historicaf Association Quarterly 17 fairs, the doctor said, "You seem adorned my Uncle Fred and Aunt much safety and comfort as al- to be pretty good at this business. Ljane's front doorways at 600 most anyone could ask. As the I'll tell you what. Let's settle on Proctor Avenue, Ogdensburg, nineteenth century receded into a price and I'll take what you've were purchased on this trip. the past, the existence of the hack given me so far as a down pay- Grandpa paid fifty cents for the became more and more threat- ment on the horse and the hack." pair of lamps. ened. Eventually, the hack could Grandpa agreed and was in busi- not compete with the speed of the ness driving the hack for the next The hackman started his day newcomer, the automobile. thirty-eight years. early. He might have a call to take someone to catch the milk My grandfather retired from The standard hack was a train which left the Rutland De- the hack business during the handsome coach with a door on pot at 7:30 a.m. Hackmen usu- 1920s and he started a truck veg- either side of the cab and two ally met all the trains-New York etable farm including corn for seats facing each other. Thus Central, Rutland, DeKalb Line- thirty cents a dozen, thirteen ears there was room for four passen- and the ferry from Prescott, to a dozen. He delivered all over gers and room for one more pas- sometimes calling out, "Hack for the city in horse and wagon. Of- senger up front with the driver. Seymour House Hotel" or "Hack ten his son, Charles Frederick The hacks were built so that in for Normand Hotel." Haley, assumed the duty of de- the winter the wheels could be livering the vegetables. The removed and replaced with Between meeting the trains Nichols boys, Howard, James, sleigh runners. To fight the cold and ferry if a driver had no other and Frederick, sometimes ac- of Ogdensburg winter, Grandma business, he would wait for calls companied them. Haley would heat four or five at the hackstand on State Street bricks in the oven, wrap them in close to the Seymour House Ho- About the Author newspapers, and Grandpa would tel. Sometimes, he was lucky to Born and raised in place them on the floor of the cab get business at christenings, mar- Ogdensburg, New York, James to keep the passengers' feet riages, or funerals. Standard S. Nichols attended Ogdensburg warm. fares were twenty-five cents any- Free Academy. After graduating where in the City of Ogdensburg, from St. Lawrence University in Most hackmen took great fifty cents to the State Hospital. 1935, he worked for Alcoa for pride in their rigs. However one On a good day, a hackman made thirty-three years beginning as a hackman's cab and horses were about six or seven dollars. Fif- clerk and becoming the chief of not so well kept. His hack was teen dollars was fantastic. production planning, first at the popularly known as "the Massena works and then at the boneyard" because that is where I can remember the story I Edgewater, New Jersy works. it looked like his horses should heard years ago of Grandpa hold- He then worked for fourteen be heading-shot and buried. ing out his hands with pennies years for John Royal & Sons, a he had earned in his fists. His machinery manufacturer. He Old timers recall the story children-my aunts, my mother, now resides in Whiting, New about a man hiring a hack at the and my uncle- were to guess the Jersey. His complete Nichols Seymour House Hotel to take number. If correct, they were re- Family Biography is in the him to the Rutland Railroad one warded. archives of the St. Lawrence mile away. As soon as he got in, County Historical Association. he fell through the floorboards. The State Hospital had an ar- The driver did not hear his shouts rangement'with Grandpa to carry and the unfortunate passenger patients and attendants from the Sources had to run all the way to the de- train station to the hospital. He An ikticle by Brian Gardam in the "At Your Leisure" section of the Ogdensburg pot. was paid $1.50 for each trip, a Advance News Feb. 13,1977 provided distance of about eight miles. the author with background information One year, iny grandfather and for this story. a friend went to Rochester, The hack was the transporta- picked up a number of hacks and tion of choice for the business- wagons to sell in Ogdensburg. man and the middle class. The The big lamps which eventually horse-drawn hack offered as

St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly b 31 5-386-4595

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