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The St. Lawrence County Historical Association OUARTERLY Volume XL VI I- Number 2 - Spring 2002 The St. Lawrence County Historical Association at the Silas Wright House <;:> s:.>s*.:.> The St. Lawrepce County Historical Association is a private, not-fofp@~%emb'&&ip organization based at the Silas Wright House in Canton, New York. ~ounde.~.i:n::i%947,the ~ssociatio~~s~overned ..:.:.\ .. ..., < by a constitution, by-laws, and Board of Trustees. ~~l~islsr&~~ssociation'smembership mee@annually to elect its trustees. .,::.++ 8 ,Jp" ,$ .,*:.. 8 ,..* ,..* $$ ./dfid5z 2002 OfSicers: 2002 Trustees: $ President: Carl Stickney, ~onyodCi Chris Angus, Canton Vice-President: Jane subrafflaff13han,Potsdam Patricia Carson, Canton Treasurer: Carol ~ohng56canton Richard Foster, Rossie i! Secretary: Susie ~&d,Hammond R. Shawn Gray, Massena 1 .$.>. $9 E. Jane Layo, Waddington f .;& .;& ..F Stan Maine, Pierrepont ! 2002 ~ta~"' Lowell McAllister, ~euvelQn Trent Tmlock, Executive Director Todd Moe, Norwood j ~ue~~~shore,Collections Manager Cathleen O'Horo, Canton 4 Mar)t.gllen Jones, Archives Manager Susan Omohundro, ~anna&aFalls ~everl4;"~~0wnell,... Administrative Assistant Tim Strong, Potsdam .... \.>. Y:::. J. Rebecca Thompson, .I::... '\. Peter Van de Water, Canto \9. \'<>. w.:;. a.'7. '%...<., ..:+. x...!.,:. Our Mission The St. Lawrence County Historical &s@ation is a not-for-profit membership organization serves as an educational resource for the use aM...benefit of the citizens of St. Lawrence County in the County's history and traditions. The ~ssoc?ati.oncollects and preserves archival material and &ifacts pertinent to the County's history. In cooperation and collabori%qp with other local organizations, the Associa@onpromotes an understanding of and appreciation for the County's rich WDQ...~~.~gb..p.u.hl.ic.~..e.~~i&~.aB.pn,grams. 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 allinterestedparties. Annual membership dues are: Individual, $25; SeniorJStudent, $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 fax (315) 386-8134 e-mail: [email protected] www.slcha.org since 1956 The St. Lawrence Countv Historical Association memory of Volume XLVII - Number 2 - 2002 ISSN: 0558-1931 CONTENTS James McCormick By Edwin McCormick Barry a Ouirnet Frank Wilder's Cranberry Lake, 1899-1948 10 By Peter Van de Water History of the Joseph Clark Family, Part I1 18 By Carrie J. Woodard Douglass Herb Ju llary Ruth Assoclation. The St. Lawrerice County Historical Associa tion is not I-esponsible for the statement!s, interpretations, and I .. .. Issue Editor: Pamela Ouimet Cover Illustration In 1902 the Rich Lumber Co. extended the NY Central Railroad jbm Benson Mines to Wanakena. (Photo courtesy ofPeter Van de Water) ther inforn ise contact the ed itor throulgh the St. Lawrence Count!1 Historical Associaticon. Please -- . address communications to: Managing Editor, TheSLCHA Quarter& P.O.Box I8, Canton, NY 13617. James McCormick : A Speech by Edwin McCormick Barry Memorial Day, 2002 Potsdam, New York Honorable Mayor Ruth Gar- ner, American Legion Com- mander David Brown, Thomas Dodds, Community Develop- ment Director and Guests: Thank you for coming today to honor our War Veterans here, this Memorial Day. It is a special privilege for me to be present to honor my grand- father Sergeant James McCormick who lived between 1840 and 1921. He was born in Iroquois, Canada and as a youth of 21 years he crossed the St. Lawrence and immigrated to Potsdam in 1860. He became an apprentice wheelwright and car- riage builder in the shop of Daniel Darius Cutting. At the outbreak of the War between the States his employer, Mr. Cutting (age 45 with 5 children and the carriage-wagon business) paid McCormick to take his place in the 60th Regiment New York State Volunteers. He served first in the Capitol area under General Dix in what they called the Railroad Brigade, was transferred to Vtrginia to the was honorably discharged from land, which came to include car- Dept. of the Shenandoah, then to service to the Union Army from riage and wagon building, gen- the Army of the Potomac. James Atlanta on Oct. 29, 1864 at the eral repairing, blacksmithing, McCormick fought in the battles expiration of his 3-year term of carriage painting, hack and cab of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, enlistment. repair and he served as agent for Wauhatchee, Lookout Mountain, the Babcock Buggy Company, Ringgold, and then served as a As a point of interest, this war and he was awarded a patent in guard again in the Division Or- story has a happy ending because 1887 for his invention of the dinance Trains-probably be- he returned, married the boss's McCormick Vehicle-spring by cause of health reasons while his daughter Sarah Ann Cutting, and the United States Patent Ofice. 60thRegiment advanced on At- developed over the years a very When his buildings burned in lanta and then on Savannah. He successful business on Fall Is- 2 St. Lawrence CountyHistorical Association Quarterly 1900 he went on to boat and ca- He was a wheelwright by And joined his new father in noe building on Fourth lake of trade, the carriage shop. the Adirondacks. Came to New York to find Two generations later he was work, still building- I am here today to dedicate a But sent to fight the War Be- Two big Adirondack lodges, plaque on Fall Island to honor tween the States rowboats, this soldier who fought over 130 In Place of his hture father- And canoes. If I close my years ago that his country might in-law. eyes remain one nation. It occurs to me that Abraham Lincoln's He rose in ranl-private, cor- I can see him now, rocking on Gettysburg Address delivered on poral, sergeant- the front veranda, the battlefield where my grand- Those years '6 1-64-built Smoking his pipe, reading his father fought gives us pause to- roads and bridges, paper. day, because the words apply to Fixed wheels and guns, Now and then he'd hum or all soldiers in all wars. marched and fought, sing one of his Slept in nests of wet straw Civil War tunes-Tenting To- Lincoln said so simply but so under stars, night powerfully: On the Old Camp Grounds, "It is for us, the living, rather Or in winter quarter tents and When Johnny Comes to be dedicated here to the un- .huts of stone Marchin' Home Again. finished work which they fought And wood. Defend the Capi- He'd greet people with a here have thus far so nobly ad- tol, smile vanced. It is rather for us to be Advanced in Lookout Moun- And pass around great bear here dedicated to the great task tain. Returned hugs to everyone. remaining before us, that from To marry the fair Miss Cut- these honored dead we take in- ting-the boss's daughter, Edwin McCormick Barry creased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full mea- sure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that this government of the People, by the People, and for the People shall not perish from the earth." I wish to thank all those be- hind the scenes for making this Memorial Day so memorable and a day of grand success. I'd like to end with a short poem I wrote about my grandfather.. THE OLD BEAR-HUGGER A warrior of no mean dimen- sion From a Canadian town of Iroquois- The only grandfather I ever knew- Others left before I grew. Ea'win McCormick Barry with Mayor Ruth Garner at the Zves Park Gazebo in Potsdam, New York. 3 St. Lawrence County Historical Association Quarterly James McCormick, Carriage Shop James McCorrnick, the subject A specialty is light work. the patentee and manufacturer of this sketch, is a practical Wagons and vehicles of this of the McCormick Spring, of wagon and carriage maker, description will stand the which he sells a great many. having been engaged in the roughest usage, bearing the business here for over 30 years. heaviest loads and wearing He manufactures from forty to With his experience, combined longer without repair than any sixty wagons a year and with good business qualities, it wagons of a similar description disposes of as many more a is not at all strange that his manufactured or repaired by year that are handled by him. success should have been other houses. Back repairing is He makes all kinds of carriage assured from the start. also a specialty, and hacks, and wagon wood work and cabs and vehicles used material and occupies two large He has secured a large and constantly in public service are buildings, the factory and shop, lucrative business, which he is in better condition after passing and the store-room, sales-room attending to with credit to through this shop than they and paint shop. James himself. This business were when rolled out of the McCormick is a native of includes, besides carriage and original factory. Camden, and came here in wagon making, general 1859. He established the repairing and blacksmithing Aside from the repairing and business in 1865. He served in and carriage painting. He mechanical department of the the war three years. He is one employs from six to eight men, business, Mr.