A 844,995

"
ARTES
1837
SCIENTIA
LIBRARY
VERITAS
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
PLURIBUS UND
SI-QUAERIS PENINSULAM AMOENAME
CIRCUMSPICE
THE GIFT OF
Mr. Olivia Hall

Mrs. L. S. Phillips
F
129
.$97
H23

SYRACUSE IN THE LAST YEAR OF VILLAGE, AND FIRST YEAR OF ITS CITY LIFE. (FROM THE ORPHAN ASYLUM.)

FROM A FOREST
TO A CITY.
PERSONAL REMINISCENCES OF SYRACUSE, N. Y.
areul
BY
-
M C HAND.-
SYRACUSE, N. Y.:
MASTERS & STONE, PRINTERS.
1889.
COPYRIGHTED
1889
-BY-
M. C. HAND.
FROM A FOREST TO A CITY.
More than half a century ago I reached that period in
life common to most young men when it seems best to
leave the parental home and start out on the broad earth
in search of the place that destiny has decided we should
make home for ourselves. I had never prepared myself
for any particular pursuit. My school advantages had
been, perhaps, a little better than many of my early as-
sociates. There seemed no calling nor locality that
beckoned to me as offering place and opportunity. I
bade farewell to the home of my childhood in one of the
north eastern counties of this state. I seemed like a
piece of drift wood carried along by the tide of circum-
stances to what destination I knew not. I soon found
myself moving slowly westward on a canal boat, then the
most common mode of travel through the state. Dark for-
ests and swamps were almost continuous with occasional
clearings of a few acres with cheap structures filled with
boatmen's supplies. After traveling for hours through an
unusually gloomy cedar swamp we came to a place
called Lodi. There was a small flouring mill built of stone
on the south side of the canal, our boat stopped here in
search of freight. Seeing the spires of two little churches
a mile west, I stepped off the north side and walked
along through a thick growth of cedar until I came to
4
FROM A FOREST
the Oswego canal. There was not a house to be seen
where Canal street is now located. When I came to
Salina street I left the tow path and crossed over to the
south side of the bridge, where I obtained my first view
of the streets of the little village of Syracuse. Of the
several streets that diverged from near Salina street
bridge, I could not decide which to take, as I had noth-
ing to call me in either direction. It was a warm pleas-
ant day in October, and for more than an hour I stood
still and surveyed the prospect before me. The build-
ings that lined the streets were unattractive, no better
than other country villages in those days, wooden build-
ings largely predominating. The two wide streets Salina
and Genesee crossing each other where I stood, gave the
little town an airy appearance. On the west side of
Salina street where the Globe Hotel is now, was a row
of one and a half and two story wooden dwellings, nearly
all painted white with green blinds, each lot sur-
rounded with a picket fence; the green lawn and shrub-
bery in front of these neat little homes giving them an air
of cheerfulness and comfort. On the north-east corner
of Salina and Fayette streets the present site of McCar-
thy's store, there was a church built after the architecture
of those days, painted white with outside green blinds
running up to a point. There were brick side walks, over
แ five
some of which sign boards were placed which read
dollars fine for any person driving or leading a horse
on any sidewalk in this village." This seemed to a
stranger, evidence of a neat and orderly people. What
claimed my notice more than anything else, was the ac-
tivity of those I saw on the street. Every man moved
TO A CITY.
5
сл
as though he had just heard that his house was on fire.
This energy impressed me most favorably with the
place and its people. The hills of the surrounding coun-
try were not hiddden by lofty buildings, and clothed in
the variegated hues of autumn, added much to the beauty
of the landscape before me. I felt a growing attachment.
to the little place, and taking an inventory of my pockets,
found an old crown dollar, and several small pieces of
silver with bars on one side and a medallion on the other,
worth twelve and one half cents, (this currency long since
passed out of circulation). My cash amounted to two
dollars, a doubtful capital to resume my journey with.
I had not yet exchanged a word with any citizen. As I
was reflecting what was best to do, a short thick-set man,
past the meridian of life, stopped near me to look at a
passing canal boat. He was the first man I had seen, who
did not appear to be in a hurry. He took from his pock-
et a snuff box and applied a liberal pinch to his nose,
with evident satisfaction. Our eyes met, he noticed that
I was closely observing him, he handed his snuff box
towards me and said, "Will you have a pinch young
man? I thanked him for his courtesy, and replied that I
was more in need of advice, that I had come to a stand-
still was a stranger without money, and in search of some
locality where I could spend the energies of my life with
a fair chance of a reasonable compensation. The kind-
ness of his nature led him to be interested in my welfare.
He advised me to look no farther, that young energetic
men were needed here, as it was the opinion of the best
men of the village that it would grow to be a city. This
opinion was based on its natural advantages, as it was
6
FROM A FOREST
1
nearly the center of the state, with inexhaustable salt
springs. His advice was to go to work here and help
build up the place, and invest every dollar in real estate,
that the rise of property would increase with my years.
He gave me his name, and pointed out a little white
house standing near the site of the Baptist church on
West Genesee street, as his home, and said if he could
help me by further advice any time he would do so if I
would call on him. These few words so comforting to
me cost him nothing. A half of a hundred years have
passed by since they were spoken and every muscle and
bone of his body has crumbled to dust. His kind words
are as fresh in my memory as the hour in which he ut-
tered them, and they are firmly impressed upon the minds
of my family not to be forgotten so long as their lives last,
thus proving the truth of the little song,
"Kind words will never die, no never die."
I followed his advice and with little difficulty found
employment as clerk for the fall and winter in a store
situated where the Court house now stands. I became
acquainted with the original settlers and gained from
them a knowledge of the early history of the place.
Since that time more than fifty years have left their ex-
periences with me, and their changes in the place, and
sometimes when walking along our streets in a reflective
mood, my feelings are beyond description, contemplat-
ing the great changes that have taken place, and seldom if
ever do I see the face of one that was a middle aged man
at that time. They, with their unpretentious homes.
only exist in memory. Few men are left in Syracuse who
12
TO A CITY.
7
have personal recollections of its early history, and these
year by year are growing less.
Mr. Clark in his History of the county only gives the
same space to Syracuse that he does to other towns. Mr.
Clayton in his new History of the county should have de-
voted a liberal space to Syracuse, but instead he has
copied largely from Mr. Clark with but little additional
matter. This is to be regretted as it would seem that
his book might have been greatly enchanced in value by
such a course. It was hoped and expected that Mr.
Leavenworth would have given us a detailed account of
the early history of our town. He was without doubt
thoroughly familiar with the subject. . Probably a large.
majority of the citizens of Syracuse have but little know-
ledge of its history. It should be interesting to every
citizen to trace the progress of Syracuse through its pe-
riods of development from a mere hamlet to a flourishing
city. For many years I took an active part in the com-
pletion of many of the buildings that form the central
portion of the town, and was acquainted with all the
principal builders until the population was sixty thousand.
It is only designed to give a history of many of the
most important events occurring within the original
boundaries of the village of Syracuse for a period of near-
ly half a century. According to the title of this book my
task is completed when Syracuse is chartered a city. My
reminiscences will comprise short personal sketches of
some of the early settlers and a description of their simple
unpretentious homes, tracing Syracuse through its various
periods of development from a forest to a city. Many
FROM A FOREST
8
citizens now living in the fifth, seventh and eighth wards,
will remember that a large portion of these localities were
but little more than farming lands in 1848.
EARLY HISTORY.
In the year eighteen hundred the now central portion.
of Syracuse was a dense forest, covered by a thick growth
of cedar, with here and there patches of higher ground
covered with stately pines, and other varieties of forest
trees. This was a continuance of the vast forest that
stretched from the Adirondacks on the north to the pine
forests of Pennsylvania. A hundred years ago the forest.
was cut by a few continuous roads, with here and there
small clearings, peopled by pioneers from the eastern
states, and where good water power was found small vil-
lages sometimes sprang into existance. The streams
were filled with salmon and trout and wild game abound-
ed. So plenty were the wild animals in the forest where
Syracuse now stands that a trading boat from Albany
made a trip spring and fall loaded with goods to ex-
change for furs and live bears, deers, and wolves and re-
turned to Albany where the trader found market for
these wild animals. The route traveled was by an old
water way from tide water up the Mohawk to Rome,
where a short portage was made to Wood creek, via.
Oneida lake and Seneca river to Onondaga lake. The
first white man who made this journey was said to be
W. Greenhalgh in 1677. In the year 1788 Asa Danforth,
with a few others, located at Onondaga Valley, and in
TO A CITY.
9
1803, there were eight frame and several log houses, a
post office established, and court was held there. In
1800 there were fifty-eight inhabitants at Salina mostly
engaged in manufacturing salt. Thus we see at these
two points there was a nucleus of a village, while between
the two where the center of the city is now, was an un-
broken forest. The State by treaty with the Onondagas,
held at Fort Stanwix a few years before the close of the
last century, had acquired a title to a tract of this forest.
In the year 1804 two hundred and fifty acres, the now
central portion of Syracuse, was sold to Abram Walton.
The proceeds of the sale were to be expended in building
the Genesee turnpike through this section. On the 4th, of
July 1817 amid the roar of cannon from the Arsenal at
Rome, N. Y., the first shovelful of earth was raised
from the ground by Judge Richardson as a commence-
ment of the Erie canal, and soon after Elias Gramaer
made a commencement in this county. The large num-
ber of laboring men that were called here to perform this
great work, remained as permanent residents, as they be-
lieved that labor would be in demand in some branch of
salt manufacturing. These new comers built themselves
houses along the line of the canal, using slabs from the saw
mill located here where good pine slabs could be bought
for one cent apiece. For a few dollars, and three or four
days work, a comfortable house could be built.
It was
surprising how comfortable these houses could be made
(and comfort only was considered). A whole slab was
used as a batten, the bark removed, the edges were thin,
ΙΟ
FROM A FOREST
and with plenty of nails could be made nearly air tight;
and the same material made a good roof.
April 20th, 1820 the first boat made its appearance
here, a small craft named the " Montezuma," from
a place of the same name. This was the first great event
in the place, it had been extensively advertised, and
nearly every inhabitant for many miles around had gath-
ered on the banks of the canal, anxious to see the great
sight. The large crowd that had been standing for
hours, became impatient; from the first, there were many
who believed the scheme was not practicable, and this
faction was well represented in the assembled crowd, and
many who had been standing expectantly for hours be-
came tired and joined the doubters, who were shouting
that to-morrow you will hear that the "Montezuma"
bumped her nose against the bank, and sunk before she
had floated a mile, and we wish old Clinton had gone
down with her, and sunk in the ditch he has made at our
expense." While all this was going on, at once, there
was a shout of "There she comes! she is coming!
team of spirited horses had been fastened to the line at
Jordan and as they passed the crowd of spectators, the
horses were on a fast trot, a wave of water was forced
wide over the low banks, and a loud shout arose from the
excited crowd. This successful trip silenced all doubters
and the canal was acknowledged to be a success.
that hour dates a new era in the history of Syracuse. All
agreed that this water-way must result in great advantan-
tages to the locality. Men of means came here and used
A
From
TO A CITY.
II
their money freely in building storage and forwarding
houses on the line of the canal. No place from Albany
to Buffalo attracted so much attention as Syracuse, on ac-
count of its salt interests. Among the few inhabitants.
here there was much enthusiasm, and the forest receded
before the axe-man's stroke. Of all the enterprising men
few could equal Joshua Forman, and none could do more
than he in laying the foundation for a permanent pros-
perity. To his great energy, and ability, the undertaking
and completion of the Erie canal is largely due. To him
more than any other man, is Syracuse indebted for what
it is to-day. He located at Onondaga Valley in 1800
and opened a law office. He early became interested in
founding a town that would ultimately became one of
importance, and for many reasons he believed that neither
of the three rivals, Salina, Onondaga Hill or Onondaga
Valley should be the centre of this town. But to the
clear and discerning mind of Judge Forman he believed
it must be on a line of navigation through which much of
the commerce of the state must pass. Accordingly he
left the Valley and located where is now the centre of
Clinton, between Water and Washington streets. At
that time the greatest number of buildings were standing
on what is now West Genesee street. Streets had no ex-
istence then.
A wagon road from the Valley leading to Salina,
crossed the Genesee turnpike at the canal bridge on
Salina street west of Salina and south of Water street.
The block where the Weiting Opera House and many
other elegant and costly building are now standing, was
I 2
FROM A FOREST
then a grove of stately pines. The small trees, and all the
under brush had been removed, and sufficient sunlight
found its way through the scattering pines, to give life to
the wild grass.
Here was the little white house of Mr.
Forman. The grounds west, nearly to the creek, were
soon transformed into a garden, where beautiful flowers and
fine vegetables grew under the care of the gardener; it
was a place of rare beauty for those times, here a lover of
nature and rural life, could be content, among those pines
clothed in evergreen with such peculiar foliage, that they
never cease responding in low murmurs to the passing
breeze. In this beautiful pine grove the first celebration
of the 4th, that was ever held in Syracuse took place in
1820. As before stated a section of the canal was com-
pleted and several small boats could be located here. It
was proposed to have a grand celebration of the 4th,
which in those days was entered into with vastly more
spirit than now, for many were then living, who had
taken part with and followed the great Washington in
skirmish and battle. One of the attractions, was a ride
on the canal. The people of the present day will be
surprised that so novel was this considered at that
time, that the Govenor of the state with many other cele-
brities, as well as many from all parts of the state, and
inhabitants for miles around were here to see and take
part. The progra nme was carried out in all it appoint-
ments. Thaddeus M. Wood was called to preside, and in a
short and brilliant speech, for which this man was so won-
derfully distinguished, dwelt upon the great achievements
of the day they celebrated, and upon the inexhaustible
TO A CITY.
13
mines of wealth contained in their salt interests, and the
postive assurance of an early and successful completion of
a waterway through the state, which would afford them a
cheap and easy transportation to the markets of the west
and the tide water east. In view of this great advantage,
in part only enjoyed by any other locality, it seemed
postively certain that at no distant day instead of the
shade of these pines, the shade of towering buildings.
would fall upon the ground where they then stood, that
beautiful paved streets east and west would soon spring
into existence populated by a happy and prosperous
people. The oration was delivered by S. N. Hopkins,
Esq., in which the same sentiments were continued in a
most eloquent manner. A lengthy account of this cele-
bration appeared in a paper published at that time in
Onondaga Valley, and read by the writer many years ago.
Notwithstanding these flattering prospects so eloquent-
ly expressed by Mr. Wood, there was a great drawback
to the enterprise, one that seemed to dampen the ardor
of the bravest heart. Syracuse had the reputation which
seemed to be well supported, of being the most un-
healthy locality in the state and to use the language of
that time "it seemed to be the abode of pestilence and
death," especially while the canal was being dug which un-
doubtedly added to the other causes of sickness, and few
of the canal laborers escaped the fever and many died.
Thirty of these poor fellow were buried near where
Fayette crosses Clinton street. Their lonely graves were
trees that were standing
then shaded by the tall forest
near. The busy throng that now surges to and fro
14
FROM A FOREST
through that locality are not aware of this fact. Some
who had located here with the expectation of remaining
and had built small frame houses, tore them down and
removed them to more healthy locations. This most
serious difficulty was to a great extent obviated by Judge
Forman who believed there could be but little prosper-
ity unless a healthy condition could be restored and like
a skillful physician, was determined to find the cause if
possible and then proceed to obviate it if it was in the
power of man. He took a careful survey of Onondaga
creek and lake, and found that the lake was nearly on a
level with some of it surroundings when the water was
highest and it set back from the creek and lake, and flood-
ed the low and swampy lands. After making a survey of
the outlet of the lake in the Seneca river, he believed it
was possible to lower the lake several feet by making its
outlet much wider and deeper. He petitioned the legis-
lature for an appropriation for this purpose and also for
surveys and maps for a thorough system of drainage. A
part of the expense was to be a local tax upon the lands as
they were benefited. This work was completed in
1822-23. The lowering of the lake produced a salutary
effect; what was marsh and swamp became dry land, yet
there were some pools which stubbornly resisted. Ditch-
es were dug from these to the creek and some traces of
them still remain. The last pool or frog pond that I re-
member was located where the Farmer block now stands,
on the corner of Madison and Warren streets.
A sewer
was constructed by Bradley Cary to the creek, and this
pool was drained and filled up. The residents on War-
TO A CITY.
15
ren street would be surprised if they could see that local-
ity as it was in 1828. There was a hill where Onondaga
crosses Warren street. North of this point was a deep
ravine with a brook running through it, the banks of
which were lined with flags and rushes, through which
the muskrat and mink had made paths in their nocturnal
visits to the old mill pond. Before this ravine was filled
a buckboard on which three mechanics were riding down
the hill, broke, and one a Mr. Hamilton was run over and
his collar bone broken, he was carried to the nearest
house a quarter of a mile distant where he was cared for.
This accident is referred to as showing the condition of
the road bed here at that time. A few years after the
ravine was filled and the road made level. The thorough
system of drainage with the lowering of the lake, though
expensive, proved most salutary in its effects upon the
health of the inhabitants and prosperity was again re-
stored and many who had desired to locate here, but had
been restrained from fear, now came with confidence.
THE NAME OF SYRACUSE,
It
Previous to the year 1820 the place had been known by
several different names. For the first twelve years it had
taken its name from the first hotel, and while Mr. Bogar-
dus was proprietor it was called Bogardus' Corners.
was next called Cossit's Corners, and South Salina. The
latter name was not popular on account of feuds, and
petty jelousies existing between the two places, and for
the want of a better name it was called Milan, for three
16
FROM A FOREST
years, but that was not generally liked. At this date there
were not far from two hundred inhabitants scattered
about the vicinity. They were called together for some
business purpose, when incidentally the vexed question of
a name arose for discussion. Judge Forman made a
short speech in which he stated that it would seem that
they had arrived at that point when they should decide
upon some permanent name; that he had always felt it
would grow to be a place of importance, and should
therefore have a good name. He said Corinth had always
been a favorite name ever since he first read Grecian his-
tory, (probably the most of his hearers had never heard
of such a place) and he then gave them an account of this
Grecian city. I am indebted to the traditions of the first
settlers for this information. It is now impossible to re-
late what he said on this occasion. He might, and probally
did say, something to this effect, "We must confess that
thus far, for fifteen years we have been vacillating be-
tween several different names for the town, whose foun-
dations we all desire shall be well laid. If we now select
the name, Corinth, and should it bear that name as long
as its Grecian namesake, some relic worshipper might
look down from some of our hill tops five thousand years
hence upon an ancient city, extending miles to the south
with its spires and glittering domes and say, here is a
city whose origin is lost in the night of ages. For Cor-
inth the Grecian city was founded long before Homer
wrote the siege of Troy. It was one of the finest cities
of Greece, adorned with the most sumptuous buildings,
its public squares and temples, its theatres and porticos
TO A CITY.
17
The forum surrounded by
were famed in antiquity.
temples and adorned with statues and columns. Here
was the statue of Diana of the Ephesians and the Tem-
ple of Fortune, with its statues of Parian marble." It is
certain, if we can rely upon the statements of the first
settlers, that Mr. Forman christened our town Corinth,
and in all probability instead of living in the city of
Syracuse to day we should be living in the city of Cor-
inth, had it not been prevented by a mere accident.
Some time during the year 1819 Mr. Wilkinson
with others petitioned for a post-office to be established
in Corinth, N. Y., and himself for Postmaster. He soon
after received his appointment, but the application for
the name of the post office was rejected in conse-
quence of there already being one in the state by that
name. Within a few years our city has been flooded with
pamphlets filled with advertisements, and for the purpose
of inducing the people to preserve and tolerate them,
have contained a few pages of the early history of Syra-
cuse, in every instance quoted verbatim from Mr.
Clark's history of Onondaga, and when they arrive at the
name of our town they simply say Mr. Wilkinson named
it Syracuse. The Yankee is renowned for his inquisitive
proclivities, which in him seem an innate principle and
is demonstrated in the character of the boy who cut the
bellows in pieces to find out where the wind came from.
Should one of our inquisitive inhabitants start out with the
view of finding out the "whys and wherefores" that gave
our city the name of Syracuse, I will venture to say he
might continue his inquiries until he had interrogated
2
18
FROM A FOREST
1855, I passed Mr.
His garden was ex-
every citizen, and all would have the same reply, "I
do not know." On this subject I have an item of inter-
est that came to me by the merest accident. In taking a
walk one Sunday morning in June
John Wilkinson's on James Street.
tensive, bounded on the north by James, and on the
south by Hawley street and surrounded by a high, tight
board fence. The wide gates happened to be open. I
could not pass so beautiful a sight without stopping to
take in the prospect. The fragrance of the blooming
flowers, the pebbled walks, winding here and there among
the deep green shrubbery, trailing vines, some in flower,
others in their rich foilage clinging to arches that were
formed over the walk, beyond rustic moss covered
bridge, near which were rockeries encircled with wild
flowers, and artificial nounds covered with a well clipped
turf, and bordered with flowers and foliage plants,
Near the centre of this extensive garden of beauty, more
prominent than all its other attractions, clothed in a thick
growth of English ivy, was standing twenty feet of the
trunk of a forest tree that had been a monarch here long
before Father Le Moine discovered our salt fountains, or
the supposed Spaniard chiseled the date 1520 on the
stone at Pompey Hill. While thus feasting on this
scene of beauty Mr. Wilkinson's voice was heard, he was
seated in a woodbine covered summer-house with news-
papers and magazines by his side, he said: "walk in sir!
walk in my garden is extensive, you are at liberty to
walk through it." After taking a half hour stroll, I re-
turned to the summer house thanking Mr. Wilkinson for
TO A CITY.
19
giving me so much pleasure, and remarking that I had
just finished reading his namesake, Sir. J. G. Wilkinson's
Popular Account of the Ancient Egyptians, that I was
indebted to him for a description of a garden that was in
full bloom on the Nile four thousand years ago, and then
perfectly represented and carved in detail on the owner's
tomb. He said “you interest me, will you give a des-
cription, as I have not seen the book you refer to."
This I was able to do; he then remarked that he always
took great pleasure in reading well written accounts of
ancient cities now in ruins. That owing to this love of
antiquity our young city was christened after one of them.
That soon after leaving the Academy at Onondaga Valley
he was in New York, and while there called at the house
of a friend, not finding him at home, and deciding to
wait an hour or two, he was seated in his friend's library.
He took up an English publication which contained a
lengthy poem on the subject, "Syracuse," his eyes had
not glanced over more than a dozen lines before he
became deeply interested. It was a prize poem by
Edward Stanley, and had won the chancellor's prize at
the University of Oxford. The poem commenced with a
description of the island of Ortygia long before the foun-
dations of the ancient city of Syracuse were laid. He
then gave the myth of the beautiful nymph Arethusa, who
while bathing in the river was seen by the hunter Alpheus,
who became enamored with her but, the nymph not re-
sponding to his ardent love fled to the island of Ortygia
at Syracuse. When about to be overtaken by Alpheus, the
nymph prayed to the godess Diana for protection, who
20
FROM A FOREST
changed her into a fountain which ever after was called
Arethusa. Being deeply interested in the poem Mr.
Wilkinson began to study the history of Syracuse, and
the geography of its surroundings. He found a wonderful
similarity between the celebrated fountain and our own
lake, more careful study revealed the closer resemblance
between the two, they were nearly the same size, on the
margin of both were springs of salt and fresh water ming-
ling together. It was believed by many that there was an
underground passage from some distant salt deposit
which supplied our salt springs. In like manner there was
said to be an underground passage that led to the foun-
tain at ancient Syracuse. The old historian Strabo as-
serted that a cup thrown in a river many miles away
would float underground and make its appearance in this.
celebrated fountain; and what was most astonishing, our
lake as well as the fountain might be said to have a clas-
sical history.
F. Creuxieus published in Paris in 1656 ten books, in
which our lake and the fresh and salt water springs were
described as most wonderful. W. Greenhalgh in a jour-
ney from Albany to "ye Indians westward, begun May
20th, 1677 and ended July ye 14th, following," described
the same. These ancient writers after describing our lake
as an object of great beauty, say that "what is the most
wonderful is that springs of salt and fresh water each
bubble up from the same hill." Mr. Wilkinson said to
complete the similarity between the two places, there
was a town on the north of the Sicilian Syracuse, named
Salina. As before stated it was necessary to find a new

ANCIENT SYRACUSE. RUINS OF THE AMPHITHEATRE IN THE FOREGROUND.
(Observe the similarity to our Lake).
TO A CITY.
21
name for our Postoffice, accordingly a committee was ap-
pointed from the few inhabitants, consisting of Judge
Forman, Rufus Stanton, Mr. Wilkinson, and two others.
The proposed plan was that each should select a name
and from those submitted choose the one that seemed
best adapted. Judge Forman speaking first, said he had
recently selected a name which was his choice above all
others. He had believed the town would bear the name of
Corinth as long as its Grecian namesake, but its short
existence demonstrated the uncertainty of human ex-
pectations, he would therefore decline to propose another
name. Mr. Wilkinson then proposed the name of Syra-
cuse, and gave for his reasons what is above stated. This
name was selected by a unanimous vote and gave general
satisfaction among the inhabitants. So much for the
name. I have given this statement in some detail, as I
think it will be new to many readers. I was recently in
conversation with quite an old resident, of average intelli-
gence, who remarked that Syracuse was an Indian name.
This ignorance in regard to the name, which is to some
extent common, will justify my efforts. Every good citi-
zen should take pride in our town and have some knowl-
edge of its Sicilian namesake. It is probable that very
few of our citizens will ever overlook the plains where
ancient Syracuse once stood; her beauty and glory is not.
there; it is only to be found on the historian's page. It
was in its greatest prosperity 320 years B. C. I am sad
when I think I can never overlook, from its surrounding
heights, the plain where it once stood. If mighty names
and events crowd upon the mind when we simply read
22
FROM A FOREST
the name Syracuse, what vivid historical associations
must be awakened by the soil itself. It was extolled by
Cicero as the most beautiful city in the Grecian world; it
was the scene of some of the greatest personages and
events of antiquity: of Gelon's patriotism, of Harmo-
crate's valor, and Dyonysius' genius. It baffled Carth-
age; it crushed and captured the proudest armada equip-
ped by Athens, in the plenitude of her power, and after
opposing the science of Archimedes to the strength of
Rome, it was lost only by the drunkenness of its guards
during the night of Diana's festival. Its fate stirred
compassion even in the heart of its rugged conqueror.
When Marcellus looked down, at morning, from the
heights on the whole expanse of Syracuse, the sight of its
palaces and temples glittering in the sun, of its harbors
so lately impregnable, and its fleets so lately invincible,
the recollections of its ancient glory, the knowledge of its.
impending fate, and the importance of his own victory,
impressed him with such emotions that he burst into
tears. After a lapse of more than two thousand years, if
our citizens could look down upon it from the same spot,
they would see the scene of desolation complete. The
beautiful groves, palaces and temples, have all disap-
peared, and the arid rock alone remains where the ser-
pents bask, and the solitary wild flower is unbent by
human footsteps. The great events in the life of our
namesake may fail to interest the reader. I have care-
fully delineated the laying of the foundation of our
city, which has nearly completed its first century of life.
The first hundred pioneers who built homes of logs
TO A CITY.
23
and slabs, like their humble dwellings, have long since
mingled with the dust of the past. The plot of ground
once devoted to their graves, and the simple marble slabs
inscribed Sacred to the memory of the first settlers of
Syracuse," have been removed by unfeeling hearts and
hands, and railroad depots now occupy the ground where
thousands daily arrive and depart, who know not, and
care not, whose graves are under their feet. "Let the
dead bury their dead," is the motto now as of yore. We
are living in a fast age, that has but little interest in
historic shanties, or things of the past, or anything else.
that has not some direct bearing on dollars or cents.
This is to be regretted, for we cannot have a firm grip on
the future unless we know something of the past. By
the development of mankind to a higher civilization, our
city, unlike Syracuse of old, is no longer in fear of invad-
ing foes from without; our danger lies in foes from within
-greedy and dishonest officials who have more regard for
their own pockets than for the welfare of the city. These
are foes that are sapping the life and prosperity of our
city. It is to be hoped that the same advancement as in
the arts and sciences, which have so wonderfully marked
the present age, will be seen in the near future, in the
development of a higher manhood, a growing love for
right and justice. When greed and dishonesty shall be
unknown in municipal governments, when our city shall
be free from intemperance, vice and injustice, then we
shall be on the road to a true greatness and lasting
prosperity.
24
FROM A FOREST
THE OLD RED MILL.
In 1804 Mr. Walton purchased from the State 250 acres,
the now central portion of Syracuse. There was a stipu-
lation requiring him to build a mill and a public house on
the tract purchased; accordingly he located the mill in
1805 on the bank of the creek where the High School
building now stands. It will thus be seen that this part
of West Genesee street was the original center of life and
activity in Syracuse. It was here in this mill that the
first wheel made its first revolution to give motion and
power to machinery so essential to the life of any town.
Around this point the primitive dwellings of the first set-
tlers were placed. This was the locality of the first
church and school-house, and all was due to the influ-
ence of the mill. As years went by it became venerable
with age and was known by the name of "the old red
mill," and it has been the theme of many an interesting
page of history. The first settlers of Syracuse reverenced
the old mill, and all were capable of telling some story of
interest connected with it. One little incident regarding
the old mill came to my knowledge a short time ago, and
I think would be read with interest. The story was told
me by an old lady now living on one of our most beauti-
ful streets and in an elegant mansion. She said that
more than sixty years ago she went to this mill carrying
on her back a bushel of corn and returned home carrying
the meal in the same manner; and, the old lady added,
"it did not hurt me either." Now in these later days,
when some of her grand-children object to doing some

THE OLD RED MILL.
CASH PAID FOR WHEAT
APPS
TO A CITY.
25
little task thinking it beneath the dignity of their position,
she relates to them the story of the old red mill and the
bushel of corn. I think we may all draw a lesson and a
moral from the story.
In 1807 a freshet swept away the first dam; the second
was built where West Water street crosses the creek, and
a raceway was constructed from that point to the mill.
On this raceway there was a mill to convert flaxseed into
linseed oil, also a sawmill where in 1825 good pine lum-
ber could be purchased for three or four dollars, and
hemlock at two or three dollars a thousand. Trade was
not active at these prices. Fred Horner was sawyer in
that year; he was a man of great strength and liked his
business, and could boast of receiving a call from George
Washington to inspect a mill that he was running in New
Jersey. I lived within a few rods of one of Mr. Horner's
sons, and he never tired of telling stories of the old red
mill and the finding of Indian relics in the vicinity. When
it was decided to remove the mill dam, to improve the
health of the town, the Syracuse Company employed Mr.
Youngs to dig a raceway connecting with the channel of
West Water street from the weigh-lock, and in doing so
he removed an old pine stump under the center of which
he found the skeleton of an Indian and a hatchet, knife
and other trinkets, also a jar of paint which was still
fresh. By the antiquity of the designs of these articles
it was quite clear that they must have been brought here
two hundred years ago by the Jesuits, a religious order
of the Catholic church, founded by Ignatius Loyola in
Paris in 1534, with the object of carrying their religion
26
FROM A FOREST
over the whole earth. A mission was established in
Quebec in 1633, and from this mission for fifty years.
missionaries were sent to nearly all of the Indian tribes.
Our first school-house was built on Church street; it
was a hip roof with a high ceiling inside, and for several
years all the religious meetings in the place were held
here. The first sermon preached by a Baptist clergyman,
also Unitarian, Universalist, and I think Presbyterian,
were preached in this school-house. In February, 1821,
was organized the First Baptist society with a member-
ship of thirteen persons. The Baptist Seminary at Ham-
ilton offered to provide for preaching every Sunday, in
the school-house, on condition that those interested should
furnish a horse and saddle which should become the
property of the Seminary. Mr. James B. Moore had just
bought a fine horse in exchange for sixty bushels of salt
at one dollar per bushel. He was notified one day that
this little religious society had voted that his horse had a
providential call for this purpose; he at once added his
vote, and the horse was sent to Hamilton. It was thought
that Mr. Moore was a good generous Christian, for he
was a strong Methodist and never a member of the
Baptist society. This unsectarian and Christian act was
characteristic of Mr. Moore; he spent what money he
had in building up the place; he was a good citizen, de-
voted to his wife and family, and for his good deeds was
granted to him the prayer recorded in Tobit viii, 7:
Therefore mercifully ordain that we may become aged
together." Mr. Moore and his good wife lived to see
more than eighty years, and both died from old age on
TO A CITY.
27
the same day and were buried side by side in one
grave. In June, 1823, the society secured the Rev. N. I.
Gilbert for pastor, and the next year laid the foundation
for their church where the Universalist church now
stands. In those days there was no ceremony at the
laying of the corner stone. Mr. Bicknel and David Saf-
ford were the carpenters. When the sills were placed
on the walls and a rough floor laid, the people in the
little village were notified that their services were needed
to raise the timbers, and the most of the population were
on hand to help and to see. Frame buildings were not
raised in those days as now-a stick at a time, but in
sections called bents. After these sections had all been
put together ready to raise, the people had assembled,
and the men ready with their pike-poles in their hands,
the Rev. Mr. Gilbert stepped forward on some timbers
and, raising his hand, made a most earnest prayer,—that
God would bless their effort, and that great good might
come from it; that the society might grow in numbers
and usefulness; that God would be with their pastors in
years to come, and that nothing but orthodox religion
might ever be preached within its hallowed walls. At
the word Amen the signal was given and the first section
rose up in its place, and a shout from the people fol-
lowed. I might add that the prayer was answered during
that generation. In 1848 it became a theatre and was
used as such for some years, where the gospel had been
preached so long. In 1869 it was purchased again for
church purposes by the Universalist society.
28
FROM A FOREST
THE EMPIRE HOUSE.
The Empire corner is a historical place in Syracuse,
as it was the first building lot sold, and was conveyed by
Mr. Walton in 1805 to Henry Bogardus for the sum of
$300. It contained one-half acre. There was a stipula-
tion binding the purchaser to build a public house within
a reasonable length of time. Accordingly, in 1806, Mr.
Bogardus built the hotel. It was thirty-five by forty-five
feet in size and two stories high, and was the first frame
house built in the town. It is spoken of as the old Man-
sion House yet it never was an old building, as its age was
but thirty-eight years when it was removed. It probably
received this title on account of its shabby appearance.
Both Mr. Clark and Mr. Clayton in their histories of the
county are mistaken in the time the house was removed
to give place for the present building. The Empire was
commenced in 1844 and the stores were occupied in 1845.
McCarthy & Co. first commenced business in Syracuse
here, also Hutchinson & Williams, Tomlinson & Sharp,
the Gages, Phillips, Teffts and many others. These
stores in size and finish greatly surpassed any thing here-
tofore seen in Syracuse. They soon became popular and a
great rivalry sprung up between the occupants as to who
should draw the greatest trade. Extravagant advertising
was resorted to. Mr. Stillwell occupied a boot and shoe
store and for a sign and advertisement placed in front of
his store an immense boot, ten feet high and six feet in
circumference. Hutchinson & Williams advertised their
store by poetry composed by Mr. Williams, who claimed
to have a machine that would grind out the verses when-
TO A CITY.
29
ever
(C
Seth" turned the crank. Mr. Williams has since
been known by the name of "Seth," and many think it is
his true name. As "Seth" is still well known I will give
a sample of his poetry that appeared in a Syracuse paper
over forty-five years ago.
The "Great Empire " with lofty spire
Towers towards the skies,
Her wide spread wings, to the breeze she flings
Her name o'er earth it flies.
Her spacious halls and corridors
The strongest nerve will charm,
In richest taste and elegance
She's carrying off the palm.
Hold on "Seth."
((
The Tall Pine" of Lysander won't thank you for
puffing the "Empire." Give us now something for the
Red Sign" and Hutchinson & Williams the Great Reg-
ulators in Dry Goods.
Screw up your machine to No. 8 and try again.-Turn.
Fall has come; Winter is coming,
To the "Red Sign" all are running,
Some for a cloak, some for a vest,
(For they sell the cheapest and best,)
They dress the young, they dress the old,
They protect their shivering limbs from cold,
Their cloths are good, the colors true,
Blue, black, brown and indigo blue,
Ottoman dress goods, rich and rare,
Walk in ladies! view with care
The Royal Purples. The blue and green
Such beautiful hues are rarely seen.
30
FROM A FOREST
Come, Farmers, come, for now's the day
Harness up your horses gay,
For your wheat is thrashed and milled,
Your pocket now with cash is filled,
So hurry up your fine bay team,
Crack the whip, put on the steam
You'll soon see the bright
"Red Sign,"
It's time to stop, haul in the line,
Boys dismount. The number's EIGHT,
The cheapest store in any State.
"Em-
Mr. Tomlinson, the builder and owner of the
pire," was killed by the cars at Little Falls in 1848. The
"Empire" was sold on a foreclosure, and Mr. Taylor, of New
Jersey, became the purchaser. In 1850 Mr. Voorhees
became the owner, and after a few years it was sold to Mr.
White who still holds it. The advent of Jenny Lind in
New York created the most unbounded enthusiasm
throughout the country, and when it was announced that
the sale of tickets to the Lind concert in Syracuse would
take place at the office of the Empire House, the streets
in front of the office were filled with the most excited
crowd that was ever seen in Syracuse, long before the
hour arrived for the sale of tickets. There had been no
preparations made to facilitate the rapid sale of the
tickets, and when the doors were opened the excited
and determined mass of people rushed in as though they
had been shot from a gun and crowded one upon another
with such force that the less strong were in imminent
peril of being crushed to death. Some fainted and others
cried most piteously for help. This class were raised upon
the heads and shoulders of the crowd, and in this way
TO A CITY.
31
were helped out nearly dead from fright and exhaustion.
John Hern, a slender fellow, was thrown with great force
against the side lights of a door, severing the arteries in
his wrist, and he came struggling out head first over the
shoulders of the solid mass of human beings, with his
arterial blood spurting out at every heart throb. None
but those possessed of a giant's strength attempted to
enter the crowd. Twenty-five dollars were freely offered
as the reward for procuring a ticket.
The corner of Salina and Church streets is the location
of the first circus grounds, and it was here that the first circus
and horse show that was ever held in Syracuse took place.
This circus in 1825 was so well attended by the Indians
and white people that Mr. Van Patten built a circus
house half way between Salina street and Willow street
bridge. About 1840 Wm. A. Robinson bought this corner
and opened the first temperance hotel in Syracuse―The
Onondaga House. This property is still owned by his
children. The old circus house was converted into
stables to accommodate the patrons of the new temper-
ance house.
THE SYRACUSE HOUSE AND VICINITY.
In the great family of mankind there is a wide diversity
of tastes and opinions. Some, like Alexander Selkirk, can
find no charms in solitude, while others seem to delight
in spending their lives in seclusion. There are evidences
that some of this class, more than a hundred years ago,
built their lonely cabins in the forests of our county. One
of these was erected near the corner of Genesee and
Montgomery streets, when and by whom is not known;
32
FROM A FOREST
but it is well known that Calvin Jackson lived in this
cabin in 1800, and his son Alvin was born there. He was
supposed to be the first white child born within the limits
of Syracuse. Rufus Stanton was one of the first farmers
in Syracuse. In 1811 he had his first acre of wheat where
the Oswego canal crosses North Salina street, and when the
canal was dug it divided this acre into two triangular
pieces. In 1814 Forman, Wilson & Co. came into pos-
session of the Walton tract, and the following year a twenty
acre lot (a portion of which became the site of the Syra-
cuse House) was so far reclaimed from the forest that
Rufus Stanton grew a fine crop of grain on it, when it
was seeded for pasture and surrounded with a rail fence.
It extended no farther east than Warren street, but the
heavy timber had been removed as far back as Mont-
gomery street and allowed the rays of the setting sun to
fall on the site of the old log house where Jackson had
lived, which had so many years been in the forest shade.
As the block on which the Syracuse House is located
has for many years been considered the center of the
town, a description of the first primitive buildings which
surrounded it might be interesting. The buildings on
the east side of Salina street, south from the Syracuse.
House, in the year 1829, were nearly all one story and a
half frame buildings. First from the Syracuse House
was Olmsted's grocery; second, Esq. Kasson's justice's
office; third, Green's tailor shop; fourth, Archie Kasson's
dwelling house; fifth, a small wooden building standing
on the corner lot, which was rented to a Mr. Quick in
1829 for a shoe-shop at the extravagant rent of six shil-

KNAPP ENC
나​나나나
​THOR
THE ORIGINAL SYRACUSE HOUSE IN 1820.
TO A CITY,
33
lings per week.
On the next block south there were
three small frame buildings and the little white church
built by the Presbyterians. The next block, on the corner
of Fayette and Salina streets, was the residence of Zophar
Adams, who manufactured brick further down on the op-
posite side of the street. Next south of Mr. Adams' house,
lived the widow Stewart, and beyond her, in 1829, lived
Olmsted Quick and John Husenfrats, which completed
the list of houses on the east side of Salina street.
It is not claimed that this cut of the original Syracuse
House is correct in every detail, but it is correct in show-
ing the style of architecture and giving the general
appearance of the first building. It is from a description
furnished by Booth & Elliott, who were the first builders
here in the earlier days of Syracuse, and also corresponds.
to the description furnished by Timothy Cheney, who
was employed with Daniel Elliott to remodel it and
change its appearance in every particular. It is doubt-
ful if there is a person now living who has a distinct
recollection of the first building. Its foundation walls
were laid nearly seventy years ago, and there was then no
other building near it. The log house in the distance.
shows the location where Calvin Jackson lived in 1800.
In 1823 there was a boom in Syracuse, and the previous year
Judge Forman completed a system of drainage and low-
ered the lake, which, to a great extent, removed the cause of
"pestilence and death" that had been so prevalent here as to
cause the place to be shunned by all but the most hardy. In
1823-24 the canal was nearly completed and salt was in
good demand, in some cases bringing one dollar per bushel,
3
34
FROM A FOREST
side, and next to him
and many people rushed here with as high expectations.
as they did in later years to the California gold fields.
Kellogg & Sabine laid out the lots east to Warren street.
Each lot was twenty-five feet front, and the price was
fixed at $220. The first lot sold was on the corner of
Warren and Genesee streets, to Mr. Van Hosen who
built a blacksmith-shop on it. Ezra Rhyne's story and a
half house came next on the west
was Jabez Halley's cabinet-shop. Joel Owens built a
small frame house. Nearly all the buildings east of the
Syracuse House, that were commenced in 1824, were one
and a half story frame buildings. In the year 1824 the
Syracuse Company bought from Kellogg & Sabine the
original Walton tract with other lands, and about 1827
rebuilt the Syracuse House and surrounded it with bal-
conies and ornaments, which added so much to its appear-
ance that it was considered one of the finest buildings at
the time in Western New York. The Company also
erected several substantial buildings on the adjoining
east side.
These spacious buildings on the corner stood
out in such broad contrast to the little insignificant build-
ings east and south, that in 1834, by mutual agreement
among their owners, a uniform block of brick buildings
three stories in height was erected and named the Frank-
lin Block. One had a stone front and is the only one
that has not been modernized more or less.
The Syracuse House was not built with the expecta-
tion of a paying support from Syracuse, as there was not
even a village here at that time; but from transient cus-
tom from lines of stages, which was the only mode of

KNAPP CO.ENG
SYRACUSE HOUSE AND VICINITY IN 1830, AND ST. PAUL'S CHURCH, LOCATED ON
THE PRESENT SITE OF THE GRANGER BLOCK.
TO A CITY.
35
public travel through the State, as at that time we had
neither canals nor railroads. The middle-aged of to-day
know but little of the hardships of travel in those days.
We can journey across the continent now with less fatigue
than we could travel across the State in 1820. Only a
few years previous to the building of the Syracuse House
the State became interested in laying out roads through
the State, the principal thoroughfare being the Genesee
turnpike. Soon after lines of stages were in running
order on these roads, and hotels or taverns were erected
at short distances for the accommodation of travellers.
This mode of travel is so little known to the young and
middle-aged people of to-day, that a short description
may be read with interest, and also serve to show how
one of the Mayors of the city made his first appearance
in Syracuse.
The old four-horse stage coach was a strong and crude
contrivance and as uncomfortable a mode of travel as
could be imagined, with its strong perfume of tar-grease
and reeking horses. Steel springs not having been in-
vented, the coach body was suspended upon heavy
leather straps, and a large rack was fastened on the rear
and called the "boot," where baggage was stowed away.
The top was decked over and a strong iron railing placed
around the outside of the deck to keep packages from
falling off. When passengers were plenty and anxious to
go, twelve persons were crowded inside, and I have seen
nearly as many on the outside at the same time. Five
miles an hour, under such circumstances, was astonish-
ing velocity. A journey from Albany to Buffalo in those
36
FROM A FOREST
days, for ladies and gentlemen who were not strong, was
undertaken with much reluctance; for sea-sickness was
as common on such journeys as on a voyage across the
ocean, as the egg-shaped box suspended on these straps,
or belts, had the motion of a rocking-chair. At that
time, when the country was comparatively new, many
swamps and forests were encountered in building roads.
These swamps were bridged over by logs being laid close
together across the road and filled in between with coarse
gravel which was soon partly forced out, and the most
intolerable road was the result. As the stage went thump-
ing and jolting, log in and log out, over this road the
motion of the stage-coach resembled the action of the
walking-beam of a high-pressure engine, and those occu-
pying the rear seat would have to grasp, with both hands,
the straps that were provided to hold on with, to prevent
their being thrown headlong from their seats. Under
such conditions passengers who were not strong would
soon tire out and be compelled to stop at the taverns and
rest until another stage was due, sometimes requiring a
week, in such a case, to make the trip from Albany to
Buffalo. In those days there was but little travelling for
pleasure, yet it was an improvement over what had been,
and travellers were satisfied because they knew of noth-
ing better. Although many hardships were encountered,
the journey was not altogether void of attractions,-
such as the deep dark forest with its towering hemlocks
and pines, with here and there a little clearing with a log
house and a feeble attempt to cultivate the soil. The
scenery was varied and sometimes interesting. The pas-
TO A CITY.
37
There
sengers were social, and many a warm and lasting friend-
ship had its origin in the old stage-coach. The drivers
were a hardy class of men capable of great endurance.
This was a necessity, as they were exposed to many hard-
ships which they bore with great cheerfulness. In the
year 1822 there was a great excitement throughout the
length of the Genesee turnpike, in consequence of an
opposition line of stages from Utica to the west.
were Vanderbilts in those days, and everything possible
was done to make this new line a success. Its coaches
were superior to any that had been used before; the horses
were the best that could be found, and the drivers were
selected with the greatest care. At that time there was
a young blacksmith in Utica, who had applied for a posi-
tion as a driver on the new line. It was soon found he
had a great knowledge of horses, and that, with his lively
and energetic manner, won for him the privilege of select-
ing his horses and coach from all that were to be placed
on the line; and as he had the best outfit, he was selected
to drive out of Utica the first stage on the new opposition
line, which was a great event in those days and was
witnessed by a crowd of interested spectators. These
pages may be of value to some young men who have life
before them and no definite aim yet decided upon, to
watch the career of this young coachman and emulate
his example; for none could commence life nearer to
zero than he. All the regular instruction he ever had in
school was gained in one winter term in a district school,
and after spending five years to learn the blacksmith's
trade he started out in the world to seek his fortune with
38
FROM A FOREST
a cash capital of only eight cents. We see him next as I
have described, on the driver's seat ready to leave on his
western trip. The young coachman is filled with pride as
"He tightens the reins and whirls off with a fling
From the roof of the coach his ten feet of string;
Now lightly he flicks the "nigh" leader's left ear,"
"Gives the wheelers a neighborly slap with the stock,
They lay back their ears as the coach gives a rock
And strike a square trot in the tick of a clock!"
"There's a jumble, a jar and a gravelly trill
In the craunch of the wheels on the slate-stone hill
That grind up the miles like a grist in a mill.”
"He touches the bay and he talks to the brown,
Sends a token of silk, a word and a frown
To the filly whose heels are too light to stay down.”
Thus the old stage-coach whirls along, up hill and
down, through dark forests miles in extent, passing over
tedious corduroy roads, then where cultivated fields line
the roadside, with here and there humble dwellings, the
homes of people who were living in quiet simplicity,
never dreaming of the comforts and improvements of
the present day. I always felt the greatest sympathy for
this hardy class of people who endured great toil and
hardships in clearing the forests away and preparing the
soil for cultivated fields of waving grain. They seem to
have been martyrs who wore their lives away in hard
labor, that the next generation might enjoy the results.
This young stage-driver that we have been describing,
encountered nowhere between Syracuse and Utica a
worse piece of road, or a more dismal prospect, than that
TO A CITY.
39
between the hills on the eastern boundaries of the town
and the Syracuse House. Every foot of the road-bed
was made by laying logs close together through the
swamp. Pools of water lined the sides of the road where
Fayette park is located, and had a team of horses step-
ped off this road-bed of logs they would have mired in
the swamp and probably never regained the road. The
approach from the east to the Syracuse House at that
time was most unfavorable for a display of the stage-
driver's skill. When within a mile of their stage-house
where horses were changed, it was customary for the
drivers to blow a horn to announce their arrival, and
constant practice with this simple, straight tin horn en-
abled some drivers to produce as much music out of it
as from a key-bugle. At the first blast of the horn the
weary, tired horses knew that their journey was ended,
and taught by their drivers to make a display as they
approached their stopping place, would quicken their steps
until within a few rods of the house when they would
spring into a gallop and, guided to the opposite side of
the street, would cut a circle with the utmost precision
as they whirled up to the door of the Syracuse House.
40
FROM A FOREST
The skill of the drivers of the old stage-coach is well
described in verse in
(( SONGS OF YESTERDAY."
"The boys and the girls all abroad in high feather,
The heads of the horses all tossing together,
Flinging flakes of white foam like snow in wild weather,
All swinging their silk like tassels of corn,
'Twas the drivers time! And he whipped out the horn!
'Twas the drone of king bees and a myriad strong-
'Twas fanfare! and fanfare! with a bugle's prolong,
Chanticleer! Chan-ti-cleer! I am coming along!
"The bellows dropped down with a vanishing snore.
The smith in black crayon gave the anvil the floor
And leaned on his sledge in the cave of a door;
The landlord in slippers cut away at the heel,
Shuffled out on the stoop at the rattle of wheel,
Click-click-went the gates, and like yarn from a reel,
Smiling women wound out and looked down the street
Where the driver swung plumb in his oriole seat,
The mail, chained and padlocked, tramped under his feet."
Ah, few whips alive in their cleverest mood
Can write with a coach as old Benjamin could,
And you ought to have seen the sixteen fect
With their iron shoes on the stricken stone
When they waltzed around in the narrow street
To a time and a tune that were all their own,
Like the short sharp clicks of the castanet
By the Moorish girls in a dancing set,
When, as free as the sweep of a wizard's wand,
Right-about with a dash came the four-in-hand!
'Twas crackle of buckshot and sparkle of fire,
And never a rasp of a grazing tire,
As he cut a clean 6 and swept a bold 8,
Like a boy that is trying his brand new slate!"
TO A CITY.
41
The stage-coach driver who made his first trip with but
eight cents in his pocket I will now introduce to the
reader as Jason Woodruff, a man who has a history in
Syracuse. When he, with so much pride, wheeled up
his coach-and-four in front of the Syracuse House door,
he little thought that the dismal swamp through which he
had passed would be the centre of a beautiful city, that
the road-bed of logs would give place to paved streets
lined with spacious dwellings, that just thirty years from
that time he would fill the office of Mayor of Syracuse,
and in the parlor of the Syracuse House in 1852 would
introduce to the citizens General Scott, the hero of many
battles, and in that year the chosen candidate of the
Whig party for President of the United States. In the
life of Mr. Woodruff we have a demonstration that the
door to position and honor is closed to no young man, no
matter how dark and cheerless his prospects may be at
his commencement of life. It matters little what his
occupation is if he has the ability to excel in his business.
This stage-driver excelled all others on the road, gained
the confidence of all he met, and found friends to assist
him to step from driver to proprietor of a line of stages.
He soon after erected a flouring-mill in the First Ward
at a cost of thirty thousand dollars. During the destruc-
tion by fire of Mr. Haskin's salt grinding mill Mr. Wood-
ruff's mill caught fire and was destroyed. This was hard
luck, as his insurance was very small. He was also
unfortunate by having several thousand bushels of wheat
in his mill, owned by Mr. John D. Norton. An expensive.
litigation followed between Mr. Woodruff and the owner
42
FROM A FOREST
as to who should sustain the loss. Mr. Woodruff related
the occurrence to me with much feeling, and said after a
long period of litigation he called his family about him.
and gave them a history of the case and the stubbornness
of his opponent, and said he would abide by their de-
cision, as it would be their loss if he at last was beaten
in the suit. They advised him to pay the claim and he
did so, but it is evident that he never recovered from
this misfortune, although he afterwards held many offices
of responsibility for State, county and city. He was one
of the trustees of the First Presbyterian church for 24
years. From 1831 to 1837 he discharged the onerous
duties of bank manager under the United States banking
system.
The most remarkable building in our city is the Syra-
cuse House. Charles Dudley Warner speaking of the
antiquity of an Egyptian Sphinx, says: "All of the
achievements of the race of which we know anything,
have been enacted since that figure was carved. It has
seen (if its stony eyes can see) all the procession of
history file before it." In like manner we can say, that
whatever history Syracuse may have, it has all transpired
since the corner stone of the Syracuse House was laid. In
the year 1820 Messrs. Buel & Safford bought the twenty
acres cornering here and commenced to build a hotel, the
only resemblance to the present building being that it
was built of brick. It was fifty feet square and two
stories, with a basement. The roof slanted to the north
and south, and the end walls were carried above the roof
and called battlements, through which the chimneys were
TO A CITY.
43
built. At that time, and for years after, a large part of
the brick buildings were built in this way. During the
erection of the building an accident happened by which
two men fell. One man lodged on a joist and was badly
hurt, but Mr. Safford fell to the cellar and was killed.
This accident delayed the completion of the building,
but it was finally finished in 1822 by Mr. Eckle. Many
years later there was another accident also attended with
loss of life while workmen were engaged in raising the
south wing a story higher over the long dining-room. I
was passing the house when I heard a scream. I looked
up and saw a man falling from the top of the wall, his
head striking the flagstone a few feet in front of me and
burst open as it struck the stone. In a minute it seemed
as if all the blood in his body was flowing over the side-
walk. A minute before his strong arm was filled with
activity and a long life of usefulness seemed to be spread
out before him, in which by his industry he could build
for himself and family a home of happiness and comfort.
His life with all his hopes and anticipations in a moment's
time had fled. His brother workmen, after looking down
and seeing his fate, resumed their work without him.
His lifeless body was carried away and a servant came
out with a pail of water and a broom and cleaned the
blood from the side-walk and all was over but the in-
delible lesson that it had taught us of the uncertainty of
life. These accidents lead us to reflect on the dangers
and hardships incident to a mechanic's life, for which he
seldom receives sympathy.
The finger of scorn is sometimes pointed at the Syra-
44
FROM A FOREST
cuse House on account of its obsolete and unattractive
appearance, as it sometimes is with men who are unable
to adopt the style that the conventional requirements of
the times demand. It is true that every corner in its.
vicinity can boast of a vastly superior structure. It is
also true that around this unpretentious building there is
a history that, were it written, would be read with more
interest than that of all its more stately neighbors. Forty
years ago the first floor of the Syracuse House was four
feet higher than it is now, with a platform and steps run-
ning all around the house facing the street. This plat-
form was of sufficient capacity to seat a hundred people,
and was a popular resort for men of leisure to congregate
and discuss the news of the day and the gossip of the
town, which was always well ventilated here. There
was also a class, who were well represented, that never
entered into any discussion, and it was said that the
vanity of this class led them here that they might be
seen by the people passing by and be taken as guests of
the house, as they were always picking their teeth. There
was a young man, who was always in his place, that they
called "young Jason," who was always seen with a cigar
in his mouth, and was the subject of a bet of twenty-five
dollars between two friends. One bet that the other
could never find "young Jason" without a cigar in his
mouth, meal time excepted. Three o'clock in the morn-
ing was the time named by the party who was to find
him without a cigar in his mouth, and accordingly at that
hour the parties, with a witness, rang the door-bell of his
father's house, which was answered by the father. They
TO A CITY.
45
explained the nature of their visit at that unreasonable
hour to be a matter of business with his son which could
not be delayed. As one of the parties was a railroad
conductor their request seemed reasonable, and there-
upon they were led to the sleeping-room of the young
man where he was found fast asleep with a stub of a cigar
an inch long in his mouth, his cheek covered with the
ashes and the room filled with tobacco smoke. The bet
was promptly paid and was the subject of much sport.
long after. The truth of this story I cannot vouch for,
but as a warning to all who smoke to excess I can say
that the young man was about thirty years old and
weighed but ninety-six pounds. His early death was.
attributed to his excessive smoking which was undoubt-
edly the cause. There was an unusual episode happened
to the party that assembled on the Syracuse House steps
one afternoon in the summer of '47. The day previous,
Mr. Wise made a balloon ascension from an inclosure on
the west side of Salina, between Fayette and Jefferson
streets. As Mr. Wise took his place in the basket he
made a speech in which he said he was to make an ascen-
sion in Auburn the next day, and that he would bring
to his friends in Syracuse the Auburn papers in advance
of the fastest train. The next day the wind was in the
south-east and no one expected Mr. Wise would keep
his promise; but, nevertheless, some person saw his bal-
loon in a current that brought him over the city. It was
at a great altitude and looked only the size of an apple.
He made his descent in the First Ward, where a dray
was sent after him and he was brought to the steps of the
46
FROM A FOREST
Syracuse House in his balloon, where he delivered the
Auburn papers. For the amusement of the crowd which
had assembled, he made an ascension with much diffi-
culty, and after sailing just above the tops of the build-
ings in imminent danger of descending into the canal, he
threw out his coat and then his boots, making a fair
ascension, finally descending into a garden on West
Genesee street.
In the days of which I am writing there was no place
in town where the political issues of the times were so fully
and clearly discussed as on the platform of the Syracuse
House. The names of those who were considered the best
talkers were Wm. B. Kirk, "Chancellor "Orcutt, Isaac
D. Lawson, W. Van Zandt, Joel Greeley and several
others. When a quorum of these men were present there
was always a fair audience of listeners. A few feet south
of the steps was a tobacco and cigar store kept by Wm.
L. Palmer, who sold tobacco by the year for a stated
sum if smoked in his store. He kept a barrel of fine-cut
under his counter, where those who paid for their year's
supply went around and helped themselves. Tobacco
was cheap in those days. This place was called "Tam-
many Hall." When the weather or the hour of day was
unfavorable for this crowd on the Syracuse House steps,
it was understood that they could be found in "Tam-
many Hall." I will explain the origin of the name as I
understand it. There was a Delaware Chief whose name
was "Tammany," and who died in the latter part of the
eighteenth century. Societies in honor of his name
sprung up in Philadelphia, New York, and other cities;
TO A CITY.
47
but that organized in New York, May 12, 1789, was the
only one that survived and still exists. This society,
criginally charitable, became diverted to political uses,
and in the hands of the Democratic party grew to be the
recognized head of that party in this State. The little
cigar store in the Syracuse House took its name from
Tammany Hall in New York, and was the headquarters
at that time of a class of men whose chief occupation and
delight was to smoke and talk politics. I think in the
days of slavery the common people were more interested
in politics than now, as some scheme was constantly
springing up in Congress to strengthen or combat this
institution. Sometimes parties would spring into life
headed by candidates for the Presidency, the result of
some issue of the slave question. I will give an instance.
A bill appropriating $2,000,000 to buy Mexican territory
having been introduced into Congress in August, 1846,
Mr. Wilmot offered an amendment providing "that as
an express and fundamental condition to the acquisition
of any territory from the Republic of Mexico, by the
United States, neither slavery nor involuntary servitude
shall exist in any part of said territory." This "Wil-
mot proviso," as it was afterwards called, passed the
House but not the Senate. It was the basis of the Free-
soil campaign of 1848. Lewis Cass made himself decid-
edly popular in the debates on this question. As the
Mexican war approached a conclusion Mr. Cass's famous
Nicholson letter made its appearance. This letter, dated
December 24, 1847, proposed to keep the question of
slavery or its prohibition in the Territory to be acquired
.48
FROM A FOREST
from Mexico, out of Congress, by setting up for the legis-
latures of the Territories an exclusive right of determin-
ing their own domestic institutions equivalent to that
possessed by the State. Mr. Cass made himself so popu-
lar in this matter that he was chosen as the Democratic
candidate for President at Baltimore in 1848. He found
a formidable opponent in General Zachary Taylor,
nominated by the Whig party on the strength of his mili-
tary achievements in the Mexican war. I should not
have referred to this matter, interesting as it may be, had
it not been that I desired to introduce Mr. Cass to the
reader, that I might relate an episode that happened to
him on the Syracuse House steps. He was delivering
campaign speeches through the country and was a guest
at the Syracuse House. He was invited out by his
friends to make a speech, and was standing on the steps.
facing Salina street when, during the most exciting part
of his speech, he paused a moment to take breath, some
wag in the little crowd shouted, "Hurrah for old Zach!"
This was followed by suppressed laughter from a number
of inconsiderate Whigs. The effect upon the speaker
and his hearers, by this interruption, can hardly be
imagined. He seemed to have lost his subject for the
moment, and to recover himself he turned to the insult-
ing fellow and said: "I am sometimes called the Michi-
gan school teacher, and I am proud of the title; but let
me tell you, sir, that there are two qualifications neces-
sary in that branch,-one is to teach, and the other is to
chastise. In your case I feel competent to do both; but
however deserving you may be I will only say to you,
TO A CITY.
49
that it is a shocking breach of etiquette to hurrah for the
opposite candidate at such a time as this."
An interesting chapter might be written in relation to
the celebrated men of our country who have, at different
times, held their receptions and made speeches from the
balconies of the Syracuse House. Such men as Wm. L.
Marcy, who held the office of Governor of our State for
three terms from 1832 and was defeated by Wm. H.
Seward as a candidate for a fourth term in 1838; also
General Scott, Henry Clay, John C. Fremont, and many
others To follow back in the path of time and bring to
life the incidents and subjects which seemed cf vital
importance and filled the public mind forty or fifty years
ago would not be time wasted, as by this course we can best
judge of the world's progress. The venerable should be
respected. When we reflect that this was the first brick
house built in this place, it is worthy of our admiration. Its
walls have been heated scorching hot repeatedly during the
destruction by fire of more pretentious buildings in its im-
mediate vicinity, yet never but once was it in a blaze,
and then but a few minutes during the greatest conflagra-
tion that Syracuse ever experienced, in 1834. It has
been so charitable as to pay the insurance companies,
during its long existence, many times its own value to
enable them to make good the losses of its unfortunate
neighbors. It is the nucleus, the central hub, around
which a city many miles in circumference has sprung
into existence.
4
50
FROM A FOREST
CORNER OF JAMES AND SALINA STREETS.
In 1807, Mr. Merrill built a small frame house on the
east side of Salina near James street, it being the first
building on that block The place was so unhealthy
that his family were sick much of the time, and becoming
discouraged he pulled down his house and carried it
away with him. At this date there were not more than
half a dozen buildings between Syracuse and Salina;
what is now North Salina street was then called Cooper
street as nearly every building was used for a cooper's
shop, there being only a crude wagon road cut through
the woods. About half way between the two places a
Mr. Blake had made a small clearing and commenced
farming. As soon
As soon as the canal was completed boat
building became a lively branch of trade. Deacon
Spencer built a frame house on the corner where the
Greyhound Block now stands A part of the old house
was torn down when the new block was built and was
said to have been the oldest house in the city. He also
opened a boat yard and commenced the building of boats
in 1825
At a later date Mr. John Durston purchased
the yard, enlarged it and added greatly to the facilities.
of boat building. In his yard there was never any con-
troversy between capital and labor, and there never was
a kinder man to his workmen. Forty or fifty years ago
it was much harder for poor laboring men to get through
the winter than now, as money was scarce and building
came to a standstill. Mr. Durston put forth every effort
to supply work in his yard for such needy people, and
many families were thus made comfortable through the
TO A CITY.
51
winter that otherwise must have suffered. The spacious
and elegant memorial building erected by his sons is a
worthy tribute to the memory of John Durston.
In 1824, there were but three wooden dwellings on
Salina street opposite the Empire, these were occupied
by Dr. Colvin, Mr. Sacket and a Mr. Lewis. This
locality was afterwards built up with wooden buildings.
About the year 1838, George and Peter Wagoner erected
the first brick store on this block, where the firm sold
groceries at wholesale and retail for many years. In
those days the side-walk in front of some stores seemed
to have been claimed by the occupants for storage pur-
poses. One day while hoisting hogsheads of sugar from
the side-walk in front of Wagoners' store, a little girl in
passing was caught by a hogshead as it swung clear from
the walk and was so badly hurt that she was a cripple
for life. A lengthy litigation followed which resulted in
a verdict for two thousand dollars for the girl, which was
paid. This row of old wooden buildings stood out in so
great a contrast to the beautiful Empire, that their
owners were ashamed of them, and about the year 1850,
there was great carelessness with fire in that locality, and
fires frequently occurred, but the old rookeries stubbornly
refused to be cremated until during a drouth in July
they all turned to ashes in a single night. Most of the
substantial buildings seen there now were built soon
after. As soon as the Erie canal was surveyed and the
line established, wooden buildings were erected between
Warren and Salina streets. The first building, placed
where the Syracuse Savings Bank is now, was a
52
FROM A FOREST
long two-story structure filling the space between the
canal and James street, and was occupied by General
Granger as a store, his family living in the north part
of the building. It was placed at some distance from
Salina street to give room for a fine plot for shrubbery
and flowers which was protected by a fence painted
green. On the Warren street corner was a wooden build-
ing occupied by E. L. Clark as a store-house. About
half way between Granger's and Clark's stood a rookery
occupied by an old hunter and trapper named Cummings,
who looked more like a gorilla than a human being; his
wealth consisted in a lot of pet bears, wolves and wild
cats, which he was anxious to exhibit to the passing boat-
men for a small entrance fee. There were several build-
ings all of which faced the canal, the gables and back
yards facing James street, which was but little more than
a wagon track at that time. Eleven of these buildings
were burned on the 16th of March, 1834. On the site
of the Granger store was erected in 1835 a three-story
brick building,-in front of the second story there was a
wide platform running the whole length of the building
with three stone steps leading from Salina street. The
lower floor contained two entrances, one from James
street and one from the towpath. The second floor
was used for shops and offices. George Tyler, a mer-
chant tailor, occupied the south-west corner for many
years. The Syracuse Star, and many other papers were
printed in the upper story. It was called the "Star"
building, and finally gave place to the Syracuse Savings
Bank.
TO A CITY.
53
WEST WATER STREET TO CLINTON.
The south-west corner of Salina and Water streets
where the Wieting Block now stands, was the site of a
small frame building which was removed and gave place
to a very substantial structure for those days, erected by
Kasson & Heermans. The front faced Water street, with
the greatest depth on Salina street; this side was a blank
wall with but a single opening of one small door on the
ground floor,-in strange contrast to the handsome win-
dows and doors of the Salina street front of the Wieting
Block of to-day. The height was three stories, with
battlements carried high above the roof, and did not
escape what seemed an epidemic in those days of afflict-
ing every brick building with a coat of white-wash, and
from which it never recovered. The next building west
was of wood, owned and occcupied by Mr. Malcom as a
hardware store. Mr. Malcom's house was located on the
west corner of Salina and Washington streets; he used
to go across the lots in the rear of the then shallow build-
ing on Salina street and enter the rear of his house.
West of Mr. Malcom's store to Clinton street was a row
of wooden buildings used as shops and stores. Robert
McClelland occupied a hat and cap store, D. & J. Groff
merchant tailors, Leslies' grocery store at that time was
in one of these wooden buildings, they were owned by
the Syracuse Company. In 1842, this company cleared
the west half of the block, and erected an unattractive
but very substantial building of Onondaga limestone,
and named it after one of their company, the "Townsend
Block." The Syracuse Company was wealthy and en-
54
FROM A FOREST
ergetic, and composed of some of the best men in the
State, but to compare their buildings with those of the
present, it would be seen that both the owners and their
architects had very crude ideas of the beautiful. The
Townsend Block remains to-day as it has for forty-six
years, except that twenty feet of the east end was pur-
chased at a great price and torn down by Dr. Wieting
to enlarge the lot for his opera house. The brick build-
ing on the corner of Salina street was occupied for
several years by Chas. A. & Horace Wheaton, hardware
merchants. This building burned down in 1849, the
vacant lot was bought by Dr. Wieting who erected in
1850 the best building in the city at that time, with the
exception of the Empire House. Dr. Wieting was a
thoughtful and practical man, and in building his block
did what apparently no other man had done in the con-
struction of such buildings, that was, to study the wants of
the people. Previous to the existence of this block there.
was not a public hall with a capacity sufficient for a town
the size of Syracuse. He took this into consideration
and fully supplied the demand. The ample capacity
and elegance of finish of the hall met the requirements
so essential in places of amusement, for without these an
entertainment of high order could not be fully enjoyed.
By this course he made the upper part of his building
pay him as well as the lower portion, and his block has
always been a good paying investment. The first Wiet-
ing Block was burned January 5th, 1856. At that time
the mercury was several degrees below zero, which made
it a difficult matter to fight a fire of such magnitude.
TO A CITY.
55
The spray from the leaking hose covered the firemen with
ice. Mr. P. S. Stoddard, an insurance agent, seemed
more desirous of protecting the interest of his companies.
than himself, his carelessness in exposing himself to the
jets of water which froze as soon as they touched him
was remarkable, and in a short time he was covered with
a sheet of ice, which hung from the skirts of his coat to
the ground, and gave him a most comical appearance.
Dr. Wieting's energy would not allow an hour's time to
be lost in constructing a larger and a more attractive
block, and in less than a year he dedicated his new hall
which was much more elegant than the first. This
second block was burned in 1881. The building of the
present block, with the opera house, is of so recent a
date that a description is unnecessary.
It is to such men
as Dr. Wieting that Syracuse is indebted for much of
its thrift. I know many men of wealth who have been
doing a successful business for many years, who send
their surplus money to western States for a larger rate of
interest, and never pay a dollar to improve and beautify
the city if they can avoid it. These men (and there are
not a few) are leeches, gathering money from our city and
sending it out of town. Dr. Wieting made his money
to build his first block by lecturing in other cities. I
think I heard the last lecture he ever delivered in his
own hall, in which he gave a short history of himself,
with the struggles and trials of his early life. Without cap-
ital to start in life, with the disappointments and per-
plexities of his first experience in the lecture field, how
he overcame them all and continued to lecture until he
56
FROM A FOREST
had earned one hundred thousand dollars, and as he was
speaking he stepped forward on the platform of Wieting
Hall, and raising his voice with much feeling said, “and
I have spent the hundred thousand right here."
CORNER OF WEST GENESEE AND CLINTON STREETS.
Previous to the erection of the Clinton Block on the cor-
ner of West Genesee and Clinton streets, the old Saleratus
Factory standing here had been a prominent landmark.
in the center of the town from its early history,—the
buildings, which comprised several stores, were built in
1824, by Booth & Elliott. At the time of their erection
they were located in the best part of the town. One
store was occupied as a book store, one with hats, and
the third by Mr. Davis for dry goods. The growth of
the town in other directions left these stores undesirable
for their line of goods, and they were all used by James
M. Taylor & Co., for the manufacture of saleratus, and
during the remainder of their existence went by the
name of the "Old Saleratus Factory." It did not escape
the affliction of a coat of lime-wash colored with yellow
ochre, so common on many brick buildings in those days.
After manufacturing saleratus here for years, and making
some money, Mr. Taylor moved to New York. This
was a loss to Syracuse, for he was a very affable and en-
ergetic man, admired by all who knew him, perfectly
honest and upright with his fellow citizens. In 1847, the
upper part of this old building was occupied as tenements
for poor families only able to pay cheap rent. In that year
I met Dr. Hiram Hoyt on the street one day in a great
TO A CITY.
57
hurry. I asked him what was the matter? he answered,
come with me and we will see." We went to one of
these tenements where a singular accident had happened.
A little child had crept close under a window where a
hammer had been carelessly placed on the parting sash,
a gust of wind slammed the door, and jarred the hammer
off, which falling struck the child on the skull. The
Doctor placed the child on the table, and after an ex-
amination took a pair of forceps and raised up the piece.
of fractured skull and the child was instantly restored to
consciousness, he let it slip off and the child was to all
appearance dead,-he raised the piece from the brain.
and consciousness was quickly regained; thus holding
the child between life and death. Turning to me the
doctor said, you now see what makes me doubt the im-
mortality of the mind, as you plainly see when the organ
of the brain cannot act there is no mind, which proves
to me that the mind is the result of organization, and
when that is destroyed, as I have here demonstrated, the
mind ceases to exist. Under the skillful treatment of the
physician the child was restored to health. After thirty-
five years the old saleratus factory together with adjoin-
ing buildings burnt on the 23rd of August, 1859. The
most unfortunate result of this fire was that a spark from
it ignited the tall spire of the First Baptist Church. The
great height of the spire defied all efforts to extinguish
the flames, and the new and beautiful edifice was soon
in ruins. Three churches in Syracuse have suffered
heavy loss from accidents to their spires. The First
Methodist Church was at first built with a tall spire
58
FROM A FOREST
which was destroyed by a thunderbolt and was replaced
and a second time demolished in a high wind at the immi-
nent peril of life and property adjoining. In 1852, the
Unitarian Church and a dwelling near the church were
entirely demolished by the falling of the spire in a gale
of wind. This was a very remarkable catastrophe. It was
supposed that the spire in its fall struck precisely on the
ridge of the roof of the church, which slanted in opposite.
directions, with the rafters resting on the side walls, the
great weight and velocity of the spire, acting as a pry
upon every foot of the walls at the same moment, forced
the walls out, and there was not a piece of the side walls.
left on their foundation a foot high. The east end wall
fell on and completely demolished a frame house in which.
two ladies were sleeping together in the second story and
they were found the next morning under the broken
timbers of the house with all the brick wall on the top.
After removing a great amount of timber and brick the
ladies were extricated, and strange to say were not hurt
in the least. It was supposed that they owed their
safety to the fact that the bedstead had four strong up-
right posts of four feet in height, and the upper floor in
desending rested on these posts as the other floors and
timbers gave way at the same time. It occurred about
three o'clock Sunday morning, and as the hour for service
approached the congregation assembled not knowing
of the destruction of their house of worship until they
came in sight of the ruins. The superstition and bigotry
that exists in a less degree to-day I hope, than then, in-
duced many of the Trinitarians to laugh with evident
TO A CITY.
59
satisfaction at these heretics, and at the same time ex-
pressing the belief that it was a judgment from heaven for
their unbelief. So universal were these unchristian re-
marks, that when the unfortunate congregation had all
assembled around their demolished church, they ad-
journed to meet at once in the City Hall. Their pastor,
the Rev. Samuel J. May, preached a very feeling sermon.
I think I could repeat much of what he said. He first
exhorted his people to bear up under their unexpected.
misfortune,—stating that the first thing to be done was to
compensate the man whose house had been destroyed by
their falling walls. He then preached a sermon which
was intended as a reply to the uncharitable remarks of
the Trinitarians. His text was from St. Luke, xiii, 4, 5.
"Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell,
and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all
men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay; but ex-
cept ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
POWDER EXPLOSION.
Between the old circus house and the Oswego canal
stood the carpenter shop of Charles Goings, where the
great explosion of powder took place. On the 21st of
August, 1841, I was walking along North Salina street.
when I heard the cry of fire! fire! and at nearly the same
time the church bells sounded the alarm. Soon after
there came dashing along the street twelve or fifteen
firemen dragging with the greatest enthusiasm their old
style fire engine. The foreman with his speaking trumpet
in his hand which he was swinging over his head hurry-
бо
FROM A FOREST
ing his men forward by shouting in the greatest excite-
ment "let her jump! let her jump boys!" and all the
men at the same time shouting "let her go! let her go!"
The old machine seemed to bound over the rough cobble
stones as though it scarcely touched them. This gallant
company so anxious to save property from the flames,
little thought that they were rushing into the jaws of
death, that in a few minutes later their strong arms would
lay powerless by their sides, and in a moment's time, life
with all its hopes and anticipations would with them be
at an end. As I watched them they turned from Salina
into Willow street. I followed them and found the then
narrow side-walk filled with a crowd of people, so I
opened a gate and ran across the corner into the small
lumber yard of Charles Goings, which was on the op-
posite side of the street from the fire. The street in
front of me was densely packed. I was standing between
two piles of lumber two or three feet apart and eight or
ten feet high. I thought I would climb to the top of the
pile and thus have a good place to see. At that moment
a shout was heard at some distance away powder!
powder! there is powder there!" This seemed to pro-
duce but little effect as it was thought to be a joke. The
firemen had taken position on the bank of the Oswego.
canal and had just commenced to play upon the burning
building when all at once there came a terrific explosion.
The burning timbers and roof were hurled hundreds of
feet in the air, and for a moment revealed a sight so
dreadful and grand that it left a never-to-be-forgotten
impression on every mind that saw it. The position that
(6
TO A CITY.
61
I had accidently and most fortunately taken had shielded
me to a great extent from the effect of the explosion, and
only those who were in places of comparative safety
could describe the scene, as the minds of those in ex-
posed places were a blank at the time of the explosion,
and those but slightly injured were rendered unconscious.
and seemed to be in a condition similar to that when
awakened from a troubled dream. Many were prostrate
on the ground, some swept into the canal, others hurled
against a tight board fence; a part of the old circus
building was blown in with those that were standing
near it. The many who were prostrated seemed to all
have the same sense of bewilderment and were moaning
in the most pitiable voice, "where am I?" "what is this?"
"what has happened?" The explosion had extinguished
every particle of fire, the night was dark and the shrieks
of the wounded and mangled, the low moans of the
dying, trembling voices calling for relatives and friends
who been standing by their sides and disappeared in a
moment in the darkness, produced such a scene that
a portrayal of it would excel in horror any description
of Dante's "Inferno" or Goethe's "Dance of Death."
When the lanterns and lights were brought, the scene of
horror was beyond description,-twenty-six were found
dead, ten others so seriously mangled that death to them
would have seemed a blessing, and forty-three others
seriously injured. The dead, dying and wounded were
found lying in all conceivable shapes. One of the
entire plates of the building, thirty feet in length, was
stripped from all the rafters that rested upon it and
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FROM A FOREST
hurled into the air, coming down with one end on the
ground and the other resting upon the old circus build-
ing. Upon this slanting timber, ten feet from the ground,
was found a man whose clothing had become tangled in
the nails and held him fast, and when helped from his
position he was, strange to say, still alive. The fire
company that I saw rushing along the street in such hot
haste were most unfortunate; their gallant foreman who
swung his speaking trumpet and hurried his company
forward, was a much respected merchant, Hugh T.
Gibson. A flying timber had struck him under the chin
and swept his head nearly from his body. He was iden-
tified by a suggestion of Harlow DeWolf, who was a clerk
in the store of Gibson & Tefft, and had noticed that Mr.
Gibson had worn on that day a pair of pants the cloth of
which was from a piece then in the store,—a sample was
sent for and by this means he was identified as being Mr.
Gibson without a doubt. The anguish of the mangled.
sufferers and the shock of this sudden bereavement, filled
the whole village with sorrow. So universal was the
sadness that nowhere could be heard merriment or
laughter, every face seemed to wear the impress of sorrow
and grief. The next day was Saturday, usually the
busiest day of the week, but every store was closed and
draped and the whole village was in mourning for the
seventy-nine dead and wounded that were in their midst.
The Sunday following was truly a day of sorrow and
gloom; there were funerals in all the churches attended
by nearly the whole population. There was a large fund
contributed by the citizens for the sufferers. The owners
TO A CITY.
63
of the powder, Messrs. Hudson & Malcom, contributed
$1,000. There was six hundred pounds of powder on
the second floor of the building,—had the powder been
on the lower floor, it was thought that few would have
escaped with their lives.
EARLY HISTORY OF BUSINESS ON SALINA STREET FROM
WATER STREET SOUTH.
A partial description of the corner of Salina and Water
streets has already been given; a more detailed history
of this now very important corner may be interesting.
William Malcolm was the first hardware merchant who
made that business a specialty. The first merchants
carried a general assortment of goods. Mr. Malcolm
was an energetic and successful business man; he located
his store on what he supposed was the corner lot of
Salina and Water streets. At that date John Lathrop
had not completed his map for the Syracuse Company
and lines were not so carefully looked after when land
was cheap and the country was new. Mr. Malcom did
not care to crowd his building towards Salina street, but
preferred a good space for teams to load and unload on
that side of his store. Mr. Archie Kasson made his
appearance here a year later; he had been engaged in
the hardware business for several years previous and
came here to continue the same. He desired to locate
near the canal that his heavy goods might be rolled into
his store from the boats. He proposed purchasing a lot
a few rods west of Mr. Malcom's store. Mr. Malcom
tried to persuade him that there was not trade enough to
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FROM A FOREST
sustain two stores so near together; Mr. Kasson thought
differently and words passed between them. Mr. Kasson
took offense and proceeded to investigate the precise
boundaries of Mr. Malcom's lines which revealed the
fact that there were thirty feet between Mr. Malcom's
east line and Salina street, this Mr. Kasson at once pur-
chased, and before Mr. Malcom was aware of what was
going on, had commenced a small wooden building for a
store. These neighbors did not harmonize, which re-
sulted in Mr. Kasson moving away his building and
erecting a brick store, thus closing up the windows and
doors of Mr. Malcom's building on the Salina street side;
this store (previously described) was sold soon after com-
pletion to E. Lynds & Son, who in turn were succeeded
by H. & C. A. Wheaton. For this account of the affair
between the two men I am indebted to Daniel Elliott of
the firm of Booth & Elliott, who were the earliest build-
ers in Syracuse, and constructed the brick building for
Mr. Archie Kasson. Mr. Malcom was considered one
of the best men of the place and had the confidence of
all that knew him. He bought and sold only the best,
and goods bought at his store needed no other recom-
mend; they were always found just as they were rep-
resented. He was kind and liberal to his customers,
giving them long credit. In those days there were many
poor people struggling to build their simple homes, and to
this class Mr. Malcom was very kind. He had a remark-
able power to discern a man's character and honest men
were never refused credit at his store. These good quali-
ties were remembered of him in after years, when some
TO A CITY.
65
of those he had assisted became men of wealth and many
had some story to tell of Mr. Malcolm's kindness. In the
year 1820 the canal commissioners opened a boat naviga-
tion from the Salina canal to the lake and also to the
Seneca river. Nearly the first use made of the new
water way was to float the timber for a building to be
erected on Salina street on the second lot south of Water
street by James Pease, a young man from Lysander, who
cut the timber from his father's farm, drew it to Bald-
winsville, had it sawed and framed, the timbers ready to
put together, shipped it on a scow and unloaded it on
the bank of the canal near where the liberty pole is
standing. In his new store Mr. Pease carried on the boot
and shoe business for many years. Between Mr. Pease's
store and the corner was an alley for teams to drive in
the rear of the stores, and this alley was to remain open
"forever," but to-day its precise location is obliterated by
walls of brick and stone. As the years went by the Pease
lot became too valuable for such a structure and the old
wooden building was removed and a brick one took its
place. The lower floor was occupied by the Mechanic's
Bank and the upper one by Dr. Amos Westcott's dental
rooms. This building was destroyed by fire with the
Weiting Block and the lot purchased by Dr. Weiting.
The next building south was of wood and erected by Mr.
Kneeland about the year 1823. Most of these primitive.
wooden buildings on this part of Salina street would be
of little interest to the reader who would not care for a
description; they were removed at nearly the same time,
with the exception of the dwelling house of Mr. Malcolm
5
66
FROM A FOREST
on the corner of Washington and Salina streets. Brick
structures then took their place, which were very un-
attractive in appearance, and if they could be seen for a
day as they appeared about the year 1840, the street
would be filled with citizens to observe so great a curios-
ity in the way of architecture. There were four build-
ings three stories in height, the fronts of the stores con-
taining three doors, one over the other on each story
with a window each side of the door; the doors made
by nailing narrow strips together on an angle and were
without a panel or moulding. Over the upper door was
heavy timber projecting out over the walk with a chain
and pulley for raising and lowering merchandise from
the side walk to the lofts above; these chains, with boxes
and barrels over the side-walk, made an unsightly appear-
ance, and it sometimes happened that the chains with
their huge hooks would be left hanging so low that it
would painfully remind some elevated head of the fact
when passing by unconscious of any danger. On one
occasion a clerk was standing in the second story door-
way when a sudden gust of wind blew the door against
him with such force as to push him forward several feet,
and he came down straight as an arrow, striking squarely
on his feet, and strange to say, was not seriously hurt. In
the year 1846 the principal business places on the west
side of Salina street between Washington and Water
streets were Bedell's hotel, D. Y. Foot's drug store, Ash-
ley & Williston's furniture, S. P. Pierce, crockery, and
Hall, Rhodes & Sherman, hardware store. The last
named firm did a large business here for ten years. For
TO A CITY.
67
many years Mr. Hall was an active politician, a Jack-
sonian; in 1831 he was elected sheriff on the Democratic
ticket; in 1837 he was candidate for the Assembly but
was not elected in consequence of the unpopularity of
his party through Jackson's quarrel with the United
States Bank and the financial crisis of that year. In 1838
he was appointed County Judge which ended his career
in politics. His large acquaintance and popularity gave
the firm of Hall, Rhodes & Sherman a trade that resulted
in a financial success. They were succeeded by Strong,
Fink & Penniman, and they in turn by Geo. and Giles
Everson.
Mr. Malcolm's wooden dwelling was the last of its kind
left standing in the center of the town. It was about thirty
by forty feet in size, the Salina street front was finished
with plain ceiling, with pilasters between the doors and
windows, and the old style oriel window in the gable; in
appearance it had been the pride of the village, but the
year before Syracuse became a city the old landmark
bade adieu to the centre of the town and modestly gave
place to the Malcolm block which was completed in 1847;
the upper story was finished for a public hall and was
well patronized for lectures and entertainments. A
description of one of these may be interesting and also
serve to contrast the past with the present. Dr. Dodd
gave a course of lectures in Malcolm Hall on what he
termed psychology; the Doctor was a good speaker and
was capable of making almost any subject interesting. He
drew crowded houses for more than a week. His science
was nothing more than magnetism under a different name.
68
FROM A FOREST
((
His method was this, to invite twenty-five or thirty
of the audience who were willing to be made subjects
to take seats forward, and he would then place a piece.
of zinc about an inch in size, with a half-dime in the
centre, in the hand of each; they were to look very atten-
tively at this coin for twenty minutes, then the Doctor
would take each one in turn by the hand and pressing
firmly with his thumb the ulnar nerve on the back of
the hand near the second and third fingers would
assume the most positive manner toward the subject and
command him to shut his eyes, and would then say now
you can't open your eyes," which would sometimes be
the case.
He would always find two or three in the
thirty who were susceptible; these he would take on the
stage and perform many remarkable experiments with
them while in the psychological state, such as to com-
mand them to revolve one hand over the other with a
rotary motion, he would say "faster, faster, now you can't
stop," and they would keep their hands whirling one
over the other to the great amusement of the audience.
So popular were the lectures at the time that many came
for miles from the country to attend them. After the
lectures the Doctor formed a class and taught the science,
each student paying ten dollars and solemnly promising
not to reveal the secret. Many of our best citizens in-
vested.
About the year 1831 the little building standing on the
north east corner of Salina and Washington streets, which
has been described as renting for six shillings per week,
was removed by the Syracuse Co., and foundation walls
TO A CITY.
69
The
laid for a considerable building to be known as the Ex-
change Hotel. Its first proprietors were Van Patten &
Crane. While the building was in process of construc-
tion, a great storm arose and blew the end walls and
scaffolding upon the little primitive buildings standing
between that point and the Syracuse House, completely
demolishing two and damaging several others.
storm was terrific in its appearance while approaching,
the fleecy white clouds underlying the dark massive
storm clouds from which the lightning seemed to be con-
stantly flashing. This ominous appearance inspired fear
in all beholders and together with the unfinished building
high over their little buildings alarmed the inmates and
they took refuge in safer quarters; this precaution saved.
their lives. The accident hastened the construction of a
better class of buildings between this point and the Syra-
cuse House, and all of these buildings have been from
time to time remodeled until there is no resemblance to
the original structures. The old Exchange with its high
gable walls long since gave place to the more modern
mansard roof and many external ornaments, unknown to
the original architects. One prominent feature of the
hotel was Library Hall; it was the first and for years the
most important hall in the village, the ceiling was arched
and frescoed, the first that was done in the place. One
of the best artists in New York was employed to do the
work, which comprised a variety of nearly life size figures,
such as the Goddess of Liberty with her scales of justice
in one hand and in the other the staff on which the stars
and stripes were unfurled in a most graceful manner,
70
FROM A FOREST
making a fine appearance when the hall was lighted.
To
give any thing like a fair description of the beauty of this
ceiling would require too much space and it is more than
forty years since I have seen them. An account of the
many lectures delivered in this hall in the early days of
Syracuse would be interesting reading, as showing the
advancement of civilization in Syracuse. This last
sentence will be regarded as a remarkable expression,
but still I can use none other to answer my purpose as
well. During the days of the anti-slavery agitation, it
was announced that Abbie Kelley and a Quaker from
Skaneateles, named Fuller, would lecture in Library Hall
on anti-slavery. When the hour arrived the hall was
filled, but not with the best citizens, who at that time
felt it would be a disgrace for them to be seen at such a
lecture. The position and arguments of the speakers
were the great wrongs of slavery, which were portrayed
in the most feeling and touching language; they did not
advocate nor contemplate abolition of slavery in the
states by Congress or any other branch of the national
government. Their ideas being that slavery might be
abolished by moral influence, with such incidental aid as
the national government could constitutionally afford
and without disturbing the union of the states; that the
wrongs of slavery were so appalling in the sight of God,
that the people ought to be educated to see the magni-
tude of this national sin. For the expression of these
Christian and humane sentiments, they were mobbed
and egged by citizens of Syracuse. It seems impossible.
that such an outrage could have ever taken place in our

AMERICAN EXPRE
ENG
WEST END OF THE OLD DEPOT.
TO A CITY.
71
midst, when the provocation was only the attacking of
the monstrous absurdity that one man could own another
man, and that his title was the same as that by which he
owned his horse or his ox. The flexibility of public
opinion is demonstrated when a few years later we con-
trast this occurrence with that of a few of our citizens,
who opposed the whole power of the government and
peaceably rescued the slave Jerry.
THE OLD DEPOT.
About the year 1838, E. W. Leavenworth, president of
the village, drafted a resolution granting to the Syracuse
& Utica R. R. Co., the right of way, and the privilege of
constructing a depot in the center of the street between
Salina and Warren street. For these privileges the com-
pany was required to build a sewer through the street,
lay flagstone walks, plant trees, keep the street in repair,
and also purchase sufficient land for an alley each side
of the depot. The railroad company contracted with
Daniel Elliott to build the depot. It was a wooden
building twenty feet high, sufficiently wide for two tracks
and a raised platform ten feet wide on each side, which
was on a level with the platform of the cars. There was
one foot space between the two and a better place for an
accident could not have been invented. The building
was a mere shell, and as badly contrived for the purpose
for which it was intended as possible. In the west end
there were stairs leading from the platform to the waiting.
room above; this was not expected to accommodate
more than thirty or forty persons at one time. There
72
FROM A FOREST
was also a small room for the Superintendent and a
ticket office; this was found so inconvenient that it was
removed. There was a small belfry with a bell that was
rung fifteen minutes before the departure of each train,
as in those days there was nothing more uncertain than
the time when the train would leave, as there was but
one track and no telegraph lines. If a train was adver-
tised to leave at nine o'clock for the east, a passenger
would hurry and take his seat and sometimes it would be
an hour or two before the train would start, as the east-
ern train must be in and the track clear before it was
safe to proceed in that direction. These delays were a
great inconvenience to the travelling public,--the quiet
and patient submitted with good grace, saying, that what
could not be helped must be endured; while the nervous
and impatient were loud in their denunciation of such
management. There was no better school to study
human character than here. Quite an amusing incident
occurred on a time when the train and passengers for
nearly three hours had been expected to start west; the
passengers were out of all patience and weary of hearing
the roar of the steam escaping through the safety valve.
There was a Russian officer on board who, observing the
impatience and feeling much annoyed himself, seemingly
forgot his locality, and stepping out proceeded to the
engineer and commanded him to move on with his train.
The only response he received was a hearty chuckle
from the fireman. The officer flew into a great rage and
said, "by the power vested in me by the Czar of Russia
I command this train to move on!" (at the same time
TO A CITY.
73
bringing his foot down with great force.) The engineer
said to him that the Czar might go to and if he
could not wait until the conductor pulled the bell cord,
he could proceed on foot. It was explained that in
Russia all superior officers have power over inferiors in
such cases.
In 1848, E. B. Alvord built a small brick
building on the corner of Warren street where the Uni-
versity Block now stands, and named it the “California
House." There were wide doors to the dining room,
and directly opposite there was an arched opening into
the depot, and as the train came in the tables in Mr.
Alvord's dining room were in full view of the passengers
a few feet distant. This was so convenient that he
secured nearly all the patronage from the hotels. To
obviate this, the hotel proprietors influenced the Super-
intendent to close up the opening in the depot. This
spoilt Mr. Alvord's trade, he thereupon broke down the
door at the approach of the principal train, declaring
that the depot was in the street and that the Railroad
Company had no right to obstruct the highway. Mr.
Alvord was arrested and gave bail. The next day the
door was replaced, and on the approach of the train Mr.
Alvord broke down the door. He had an understanding
with the officers to so faciliate the arrest, conviction and
signing the bail bond, that he was able to be back and
assist in serving his guests. This very remarkable and
strange proceeding was continued for many days, and
those who sympathized with Mr. Alvord declared him to
be a hero, but the contest was so unequal that he finally
74
FROM A FOREST
concluded that discretion was the better part of valor,
and the archway in the old depot remained closed.
The greatest noise that was ever heard in this city
occurred at the old depot in 1858. When it was an-
nounced that the first Atlantic Telegraph cable had been
successfully laid, the press of our city resolved to cele-
brate the achievement. One part of the program was
that a train of thirteen locomotives should be located in
the old depot and that they open their noisy whistles.
and all the church bells in the city should commence to
ring at the discharge of the first cannon. This part of
the program was carried out as the signal was given, and
the most unearthly shriek that the human ear ever heard
was the result. Though the cannon were fired and the
bells were rung, their sound was not heard above the
shriek of the engines. The effect upon the listeners was
most appalling, producing an electric shock that made
the strongest turn pale; some women and children were
thrown into convulsions and did not fully recover from
the shock for days, and everyone present was glad when
the noise ceased. The streets were densely packed and
enthusiastic speakers made congratulatory remarks until
late in the evening. In the winter of 1867, the Railroad
Company resolved to remove the dilapidated old struct-
ure that had been an eyesore in the center of the city so
many years, accordingly one Saturday, messengers were
sent to all the shops where large numbers of men were
employed, with word that the old depot would be torn
down on Sunday, and the lumber given for wood to all
that would carry it away on that day, and large numbers
TO A CITY.
75
were on hand prepared to make the most of the oppor-
tunity. The building was about twelve rods long, and
the amount of wood was immense. The Railroad Com-
pany with a engine and cable pulled it down and it was
soon carried away. On Monday morning there was not
a stick to be seen on the ground. The change in the
place was so great that citizens who came suddenly upon
the familiar location were amazed at the transformation
a day had wrought.
THE WEST SIDE OF SOUTH SALINA STREET BETWEEN
WASHINGTON AND FAYETTE.
That part of South Salina street between Washington
and Fayette streets was for a number of years the prop-
erty of three men. Mr. John Wilkinson and Wm. B.
Kirk owned the corner lots; they were men of mental
capacity, but dissimilar in other respects. I feel to en-
courage that class of young men who are to commence
the journey of life without capital to aid them. If they
study well the successful men of our city and the great
men of our nation including Lincoln and Garfield, they
will be benefitted thereby. These men all commenced
life poor, and I would say to these young men that so far
as my observation extends, it more frequently happens
that those who begin life poor are the most successful in
reaching places of position and wealth. As one of a
great number I could mention, John Wilkinson is a good
example for young men to emulate. He had the energy
and determination to overcome all the difficulties that
were thrown in his way. The Academy at Onondaga
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FROM A FOREST
Valley was thirteen miles from his home and sometimes
for six months he would make the journey twice a week.
Monday morning as soon as it was dawn he would start
for school on foot, with the provisions to last him a week.
in the knapsack on his back. A young man willing to
endure such hardships to gain an education would be
sure to waste no time in the pursuit of his studies. His
diligence and perseverance attracted the attention of
Judge Forman, a patron of the school who gave him a
position in his office to study law. After completing his
studies, his first work was to assist in surveying the
Walton tract into village lots, after which he built in the
year 1820 a small building for a law office on the corner
of Washington and Salina streets; at this time there were
no other buildings near him as this point was almost in
the forest. A few years later he built a dwelling house
south of his office where he lived for many years. He
was the first clerk of the village, the first postmaster, the
first president of the Utica and Syracuse Railroad, and
later president and manager of several railroads in the
western states, and always holding the best interests of
Syracuse in the highest esteem. In the year 1846 the lot
where his office and house for so many years had been
standing was made vacant and the Globe Hotel was
erected. Its external appearance has changed but little
for over forty years. In 1824 the Syracuse Company
sold the lot on the corner of Salina and Fayette streets
to John Garrison, who built a tavern, a low two story
building with a cheap piazza the whole length of its front.
on Salina street. Mr. Garrison was a man of limited
TO A CITY.
77
means. He cut the scattering pine trees which were
standing on the west side of Clinton and Fayette streets,
drew them to the saw-mill on west Water street, and had
the logs sawed for his tavern. He was in need of a lumber
wagon which he purchased on credit of William B. Kirk,
who was then a wagon maker at Cardiff. Soon after
the completion of the building Mr. Garrison died and in
order to collect his debt for the wagon, Mr. Kirk bought
the tavern and moved here in 1826. Mr. Kirk was fond
of relating this to show how a circumstance changed his
life from a mechanic to a tavern keeper. Mr. Kirk was
popular with the country people who usually patronized
his house. If I were writing a history of men it would
be difficult to find a man who had made a fortune with
less activity or one that circumstances had favored more
than Mr. Kirk. A particular circumstance led him to
invest a large part of his capital in the Central Railroad
stock in its early days. From this investment a large
part of his wealth was accumulated. In the year 1859
the old tavern was moved away and the Kirk Block took
its place. This block was designed for a hotel. While
Mr. Pulver was proprietor an accident happened that
came near being very serious; two barrels of burning
fluid in the cellar caught fire, and owing to its
volatile nature there was an immense amount of black
smoke generated in a few seconds, which filled the lower
floors and stairways so densely that the lady boarders in
their rooms were unable to make their exit, and were
driven to the upper story to avoid suffocation; they ap-
peared at the windows half dead from fright and suffoca-
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FROM A FOREST
tion, and in their frenzy were determined to jump from
the third story, while a hundred voices were shouting to
them some one and some another thing; Dr. Westcott
appeared on the scene and gaining their confidence told
them it would be sure death if they jumped, that ladders
would be there in a few moments, and pledged himself
that if they would be calm he would be responsible for
their safety. Meanwhile Mrs. Cloyde, one of their num-
ber, found a ladder that lead to the scuttle on the roof,
which she opened and thus found a way of rescue; in a
few moments all were safely descending from the roof
through the scuttle of the Globe Hotel, the fire was
checked after the fluid was burned and no great loss
occurred. That block is now (1889) being torn down
preparatory to the erection of a much finer one on the
same site by Mr. Kirk's son, Wm. B., who is the present
Mayor of the city.
VANDERBILT SQUARE TO FAYETTE STREET.
The block south of Vanderbilt Square was not entirely
cleared of its native forest trees in 1824. It was then
owned by the Syracuse Company. In that year three
members of the Company gave the lot now occupied by
McCarthy's store to the Presbyterian society who built a
church there in 1825. This was quite a small church
even for those days, and as the society increased in num-
bers it was soon necessary to enlarge it. Many thought
at the time that it was built too far away from the village,
and much complaint was made of the mud encountered
in going to the services; but the little white church with
TO A CITY.
79
its green blinds made a pretty appearance among a few
tall forest trees near by, and as the lot was a gift, the
long walk was endured with a good grace. Rev. John
Watson Adams was pastor for twenty-four years, and
lived for several years on Franklin street; he died at the
Empire House in 1850. Dr. Adams was graduated from
the Theological Seminary at Auburn, N. Y., and com-
menced his life work as the pastor of this church, where
he continued his labors for a quarter of a century.
Under his leadership the church met with no reverses
and constantly increased in numbers and wealth and he
left it one of the strongest and wealthiest churches in the
city. A singular coincidence was the circumstance that
on the day the last portion of his old church was re-
moved to give place to the Dillaye Block, Dr. Adams
breathed his last. His life and the scene of his life's
exertions as if in sympathy, becoming events of the past
at the same time. The best men of the city have
filled the offices of this church. It commenced with a
membership of twenty-six persons and had seven trustees,
one of whom was Joshua Forman, who raised the money
to build the church, by circulating a subscription paper
himself, obtaining eighty-three names. In 1829 some
children playing around the foundations of the church,
looking in a small opening left in the wall under the floor
for a ventilator, discovered a string; one of the number,
child like, pulled it out and found a tin can fastened to
the end of the string containing seven hundred dollars.
A short time previous several stores had been robbed
80
FROM A FOREST
J
and the money had been secreted here, but by this for-
tunate circumstance was restored.
In the year 1839 Hamilton and Horace White con-
tracted with Daniel Eliott to build, on the corner where
the White Memorial building is located, a two and a half
story brick building; it was very plain and substantial,
and was used for the Bank of Syracuse and also the
Onondaga County Bank. The lower floor was for many
years occupied by the American Express Company. Be-
tween this building and the church were several two
story brick buildings which were quite small and of poor
appearance. In 1850 Henry A. Dillaye bought the old
church property and built a very fine five story building,
covering the entire lot, in beauty and elegance of finish
surpassing any other building on South Salina street. It
had the appearance of standing alone, and it was thought
to be too far removed from the center of business to rent
well; however it proved to be a first class investment,
and those owning the small stores between the Bank
building and the Dillaye block caught the inspiration.
and the fronts were taken out and the stores raised up
and greatly improved in looks. In 1855 the Dillaye block
burnt down, and was rebuilt in 1856, and was soon after
purchased by Dennis McCarthy for a dry goods store.
SOUTH SALINA STREET FROM FAYETTE TO ONONDAGA.
That portion of the city previously described had been
reclaimed from the forest, and put in a suitable condition
for the erection of buildings, but on reaching that point
south of East Fayette street and along the line of South
Salina street to Billings Park, it is necessary to show
TO A CITY.
81
what was accomplished before the present spacious.
and elegant buildings could be erected. The underbrush
of the forest was removed, the water courses changed,
the smaller hills removed, and the ravines filled. It is
also due to mention the names of those who have long
been sleeping in their graves, but who while in life with
their strong arms and muscle toiled and labored to pre-
pare the soil for our gardens and beautiful lawns. This
locality was a part of the Walton tract, and when it came
into the possession of the Syracuse Company in 1824, the
heavier timber had been removed; but still it was
covered with stumps and underbrush. The Company's
first work was to clear it; they built a farm-house with
barn and corn house near the corner of Jefferson and
Salina streets. The Company placed John Husenfrats
in the house and contracted with him to clear the land
per acre, after which he was allowed to cultivate it. For
years this hard working German with his men and ox
team labored to remove trees, brush and stumps until
he could see from Salina street to Mulberry street his
acres of corn, potatoes and fields of waving grain. In
1825 the ground over which Salina street was constructed
was very uneven, a few rods north of Jefferson street
there was a deep ravine fifteen feet in depth crossing
Salina street through which a stream called Yellow
brook found its way to the mill pond. The banks of this
stream were lined with flags and weeds, and sometimes a
person crossing the bridge on Salina street might see a
muskrat or wild duck skulking in the flags to hide out of
sight. On the banks of this creek a Mr. White built a
6
82
FROM A FOREST
small house on the west side of Salina street; he kept a
boat chained under the bridge, and when he wanted fish
for his breakfast, if he could not take enough from under
the bridge in front of where the Washington block now
stands, he would unchain his boat and row out to where
the Armory is now, and cast his anchor in ten or fifteen
feet of water and soon catch a fine lot of fish. It will
seem very remarkable to many who read these pages that
this locality should ever have been fishing ground. The
topography of South Salina street has been greatly
changed from its natural state. Between Jefferson and
Onondaga streets the ground was rolling and in some
places has been cut down six feet while from the canal
(including Hanover Square) to Jefferson street it has
been raised from three to twelve feet. This part of the
early village, was, on account of the swampy nature of
the soil after a rain, rendered nearly impassable for per-
sons on foot or with teams; the latter if loaded were
often stuck fast in the mud. Kirk's tavern, built on the
corner of Fayette and Salina streets in 1826, and other
boarding houses in the vicinity were seldom patronized
by boarders on account of the mud encountered in going
to and from their meals. It is hardly possible to fully
describe the muddy condition of the streets before we
had sewers and pavements. I am at a loss to account
for this when I consider the immense beds of gravel
underlying many parts of the city. Syracuse was some-
times called the "City of Mud." When the Erie canal
was first filled, the water as it came flowing with a rapid
current from the east disappeared as it came to the point
TO A CITY.
83
where the swing bridge crosses Salina street the flow of
water was increased to the greatest possible capacity but
still it all disappeared in the ground at this point. For
a while it was thought that for this reason the whole
project would fail from this unlooked for condition. It
was discovered that this exceedingly porous condition of
the soil was confined to a small surface, and it was
obviated by excavating a few feet deeper and filling in
with blue clay and hammering it to a hard surface, after
which the water flowed onward to Clinton street, when
it disappeared again, and the difficulty was overcome in
the same way. There is an immense bed of gravel
underlying the vicinity of Harrison street, when a little
south of this point it suddenly terminates and blue clay
to a great depth is found. In fact the geological forma-
tion of this whole valley is a mystery. While workmen
were boring for salt near Harbor brook they struck a
pine log eighty-six feet below the surface; it was posi
tively certain that the log was found at this depth, but
how it came there is a mystery. The strongest salt water
is universally found in the lowest deposits of gravel. In
the year 1823 Mr. Adams manufactured brick on the
west side of South Salina street midway between Jefferson
and Onondaga streets and had much trouble in delivering
his brick on account of the muddy roads. As the swamps
near Fayette Park were cleared up and drained Yellow
brook became nearly dry. In the year 1831 John Wall
took the contract for one thousand dollars to cut down
South Salina street south of Jefferson street, fill the ravine
and raise Salina street between Fayette street and the
8:4
FROM A FOREST
canal according to plans and specifications prepared by
E. W. Leavenworth. This was the first great tax of the
little village and to some it was oppressive. This filling
up the ravine for the purpose of making the highway
level left the lots north from Jefferson street nearly to
Fayette street too low to be desirable for dwellings; a
large portion was surrounded with a board fence and
occupied by P. N. Rust as a wood yard for the Syracuse
House. The side-walk on South Salina street at this
point was on a level with this high board fence. About
the year 1831 there was a sizeable brick hotel built on
the corner of Salina and Fayette streets. The building
was after the architecture of those days, with the end
walls carried several feet above the roof, its greatest
depth was on Fayette street, a wide platform extended
across the Salina street front with the entrance to the
office and bar-room. In 1845 Mr. Anderson was the
proprietor and was very popular for setting a good table
for his guests. It was said that a pig baked whole was
placed on his table every day for dinner, this dish, nearly
obsolete now was very popular then.
The pig was
slaughtered when about four weeks old, stuffed as we do
our turkeys, and baked, then with a cracker in its mouth
placed on a large platter and made an attractive appear-
ance on the table. The following story is related, the
truth of which, however, I cannot vouch for. It was told
that a hungry teamster from Cicero, who had driven in
with a load of salt barrels made his appearance here;
being in a great hurry for his dinner, which was not quite
ready, he was allowed to go to the dining-room where het
TO A CITY.
85
found nothing on the table as yet but the baked pig, but
unobserved he seated himself by this dish and soon de-
voured the animal. By this time the waiter made her
appearance and enquired if he would have pudding or
pie; he replied he cared for neither, but if they had an-
other little hog he would be thankful for it.
East of the hotel on Fayette street were several wooden
dwellings built about the year 1828 by the Syracuse
Company from the forest trees which were standing on
the lots near by. There was but little sawed timber used
in their construction, as the trees were hewn into shape
with an ax, the lower joists were small straight trees with
one side flattened on which to lay the floors. When
the Presbyterian society bought the property the hotel.
was torn down and the wooden buildings were moved
away. One of them is the property of the writer, and is
now standing on block 142, South Salina street, and it is
thought to be one of the oldest wooden buildings in the
city. The present Presbyterian church was completed
and dedicated the 24th of November, 1850. There was
never a public building erected in Syracuse where greater
value was secured for every dollar expended than this
church. The building committee was composed of
many of the very best men of the place, some of them
practical builders and architects themselves. They called
to their aid M. Lefever of New York, then the most pop-
ular architect in the United States, who furnished the
drawings. This elegant edifice was finished at a cost of
$40,000, the lot cost $10,000. Several years later the
interior was remodeled with beautiful designs at an addi-
86
FROM A FOREST
tional expense of $10,000. At the completion of the
spire, appropriate services were held and speeches made.
The last stone was placed on the spire by a woman's
hand; she was a daughter of the master builder, and was
drawn up in a basket when amid the roar of cannon she
placed the last ornament on the tallest spire in western
New York. There was, however, a great mistake made
in the selection of building material. The red sandstone
of which it was constructed was procured at Fulton, N.
Y., and experience has proved the stone too soft to en-
dure the changes of our climate; they crumble and chip
off, and the once beautiful caps upon the many turrets
were soon a shapeless mass of stone but were replaced
by a harder material. The cap upon the spire was
thought to be unsafe and several years ago the contract
was let to remove it. The contractor after lashing his
ladders to the spire, failed in courage to ascend to the
top and remove the cap, when Wm. Baumgrass (a painter
by trade) volunteered, and amid the shouts of a large
number of observers, quickly climbed the ladders and
broke the stone in pieces with a hammer. Mr. Baum-
grass lost his life some years later while performing a
much less dangerous feat. While walking on a coping a
few inches wide, projecting from the front of a three
story building he fell to the side-walk and was killed.
Every citizen owes a debt of gratitude to the public
spirited and energetic men who have devoted their
energy and ability in beautifying the city with elegant
buildings. No man was entitled to more credit in mak-
ing South Salina street what it is to day than Henry A.
TO A CITY.
87
Dillaye; he had built one fine building somewhat remote
from the business part of the town, and men had been
found to fill up the vacancy with a good class of stores.
He resolved to repeat the experiment on a much larger
scale. Accordingly he purchased a lot midway between.
Fayette and Jefferson streets. So intense was Mr. Dil-
laye's desire to erect a beautiful and faultless building
that he spent a week in the streets of New York and
Philadelphia to examine and find something that would
satisfy his tastes; by this course he could see how the
building would appear when finished. The building he
decided upon was externally highly ornamented; the
caps and sills to the windows were cast iron, and the caps
were arched and of a heavy and beautiful design in carv-
ing. He at once gave an order for castings from the
same mould. The building on Salina street was two
stories in width, of a great depth and seventy feet in
height; the lower story was eighteen feet between joists,
the second fifteen feet. At this time plate glass had not
yet been introduced here; this building was supplied
with this costly article. The store fronts contained four
lights twelve feet in height; water pipes were carried to
every floor that each story could be flooded in case of
fire. The store was completed with all the ornamenta-
tion of its New York pattern, the brick side-walk was
removed and flagstones sixteen feet in width were laid
in front of this beautiful structure. On its completion his
next work was to build up the remaining vacant lots.
His scheme was to find six capitalists who were willing
to pledge themselves to each erect a building after a
88
FROM A FOREST
uniform plan, and to be called the Washington block.
After much perseverance Mr. Dillaye found the parties.
One of the gentlemen failed to perform his part of the
contract, and rather than have the whole project fail Mr.
Alfred Hovey agreed to build two of the stores, conse-
quently the six stores were completed. This however
did not fill the space between the church and the store
first erected. Mr. Dillaye then built the fine store next
the church and in the year 1857 the space was finally
filled by the erection of three stores, Mr. Dillaye building
one of the three. Thus it will be seen that Henry A.
Dillaye was justly entitled to the credit of building up
this part of the street with uniform and stately buildings.
several years sooner than they would otherwise have
been if not for his perseverance in the matter. Unfor-
tunately he had hardly time to view with pride and satis-
faction the accomplishment of his undertaking, when a
fire occurred in the building just completed; he had
rented it for a grocery and the occupant had not held
possession two weeks before a fire broke out that proved
to be destructive; two or three stores were entirely con-
sumed and several others more or less damaged. For-
tunately for the owners they were well insured and the
stores were soon rebuilt.
In the days of which I am writing building was very
different than now. Men with large means were seldom
found, and there were no Savings Banks where loans on
real estate could be procured. An advertisement,
money to loan," would have been a curiosity seldom
seen.
When Syracuse was chartered a village there were
TO A CITY.
89
less than forty banks in the State, and we now have sev-
eral men that are worth more money than the capital
combined in all the banks of our State at that time. The
longest period the banks were willing to loan their money
was for ninety days, and it was their custom every few
years to call in their money by refusing to discount. This
produced a scarcity of money in circulation, and a panic
or a “financial crisis," as it was called was the result,
and woe unto the poor fellow whose obligations were
due. If he had not the ready money to pay his debts,
he must go under. Many a substantial business man
failed because money could not be had on the best of
security. Under such conditions men were heroes who
were willing to take their chances in erecting buildings
for a public improvement. Although this elegant block
of stores excelled all others in the city at that date, and
were soon occupied by the best merchants in the place,
yet strange to say in a short time every one failed and all
moved out leaving the stores unoccupied, and they re-
mained so for years despite every effort of their owners
to rent them at a small rent. Becoming so discouraged
with their investment they offered them for sale for about
what the material would have cost in bulk. Two of them
were sold a low as $5.500 each. As time went by and
the city grew in population they came into demand
mostly for the furniture trade. Mr. Dillaye's beautiful
store had been idle for years, when Mr. Durnford offered
to rent the upper stories if he would put it in shape for a
boarding house. Soon after Fralick & Vedder rented
the stores on the lower floor and filled them with an im-
90
FROM A FOREST
mense stock of dry goods, and in a few years acquired a
good trade, when the thirst for money prompted them to
the worst case of arson that ever occurred in our
city. The firm opened a branch store in another place
and it was reported that they purchased an immense
stock of goods, and reshipped them from the store here
to their branch store, leaving the Syracuse store and
shelves filled with empty boxes. Having the bills to
show for a large stock of goods they readily procured the
insurance on every dollars worth. When every prepara-
tion was completed they fired the store by a trail of cot-
ton saturated with kerosene. A tall candle was lighted
that would burn until the small hours of the night before
reaching the combustible train which was placed in the
cellar. These plans were so carefully laid and carried
out that the destruction of the building was most com-
plete. It would seem to be impossible to find greater
evidence of the total depravity of man. To think that
there were ever men so completely filled with infamy
that they could thus build a fire under eighty innocent
sleeping men and women, with an indifference as to how
they should escape from being burned alive is too appal-
ling to contemplate. As the boarding house became
filled with smoke the inmates were awakened barely in
time to escape with their lives. Strong suspicions led to
a searching inquiry; the merchants were placed under
arrest and one link after another was laid bare until the
evidence was so clear that Vedder attempted suicide, but
the poison was counteracted by an antidote in time by
his physician. He then turned States evidence and thus
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91
cleared himself, but his partner in guilt was sentenced to
Auburn prison for life. Fralick was a man of noble
physique and of good address,-in religion a Jew; quite
wealthy, and felt the disgrace most keenly. While in
conversation with the sheriff on his way to prison, he
made the statement that a Jew was never yet found with-
in the walls of a county house, and seldom in states
prison. The sheriff replied to this remark that there
would be one good representative of his class in Auburn
prison within an hour. The prisoner replied that it was
not best to "count chickens before they were hatched."
When within sight of the prison Fralick was seen to place
something in his mouth which was thought to be tobacco.
As he stepped into the receiving room of the prison he
fell to the floor unconscious and died in a few minutes.
ENCROACHMENT.
Having referred to those enterprising citizens who
have been most prominent in commencing a permanent.
business growth on South Salina street, by the erection
of costly and spacious stores, I must reluctantly refer to
those who have worked in the opposite direction. A
merchant prince may have money sufficient to construct a
seventy-five thousand dollar dwelling house on a business
street, yet his course will ever be regretted, for he virtually
places an obstruction in the way of the car of progress
in that direction for a time a least. I think if Messrs.
Price & Harwood had erected a fine block of stores on
the corners of Salina and Jefferson streets, the space
between Jefferson and Onondaga street would have been
92
FROM A FOREST
filled twenty years sooner, for these costly dwellings like
sentinels, forbade the approach of business in that
direction and caused the tide of business blocks and
stores to turn into Clinton and Fayette streets. This is
to be regretted, as these streets are narrow and not so
well adapted. The streets of a city like the people who
walk them are sometimes the victims of injustice. No
street in our city has suffered greater injury than Salina
between Onondaga and Temple streets. For more than
forty years there has been a united effort of property
owners on the west side of Salina street between these
two points to add a part of the highway in front of their
dwellings to their premises, and since the construction of
"The Florence" flats on the corner of Onondaga and
Salina streets, it seems that they have completed their
infamous scheme to narrow Salina street at this point
twenty-nine feet. Having owned real estate on the op-
posite side of the street for nearly half a century, I think
I have a perfect knowledge of the subject and desire to
place myself on record as ever opposing this outrage to
the best of my ability. In 1840 some new fences were
built north of Adams street that encroached upon a six
rod street. E. W. Leavenworth was President of the
village and compelled the property owners to set their
fences on the line of a six rod street. By referring to
the accompanying map it will be seen that the side-walk
at that time was much nearer the dwellings on the west
side of the street than now. Early in the year 1859,
parties north of Adams street again set their fences out,
and E. W. Leavenworth placed papers in my hands to
TO A CITY.
93
serve on them for encroachment, and the fences were
withdrawn. Soon after there was an effort made to pave
the street for the first time, and one of the sharpest con-
tests followed that ever occurred in the city over the lines
of a street, which finally resulted in advantage to the
street stealers; this was due to the great majority in
numbers on the west side of the street. On the line of
Billings' Park, every resident was in favor of the scheme,
as well as north from Adams to Onondaga street, while
on the east side Roger Billings owned the corner of
Adams and Salina street as his place of business and re-
sided on the west side, which placed him actively on the
side of plunder. This left but six property owners on the
east side between Harrison and Adams street to oppose
the strong force on the west, and strange as it may now
appear, we could not interest parties above or below these
points to assist in keeping the street open to its full
width. We knew we were in the right, and like Leonidas
would oppose the force before us. We employed the
best counsel, every effort by speeches and petitions was
made to the Common Council, we stated in the strongest
terms the infamous scheme of the street stealers to nar-
row for two blocks a great central avenue, miles in extent,
from a ninety-nine foot to a seventy foot street. To
allow this great disfigurement of a street for no other
purpose than to gratify the avarice and greed of a few
seemed a crowning absurdity. Every condition seemed
to favor the schemers. The alderman of the ward was a
shrewd lawyer with vastly more ability than integrity,
and was the leading spirit in the council and also a friend
94
FROM A FOREST
of Captain Larned. There was one difficulty in the
way. The Mayor was E. W. Leavenworth who had on
two previous occasions compelled them to toe the line
of a six rod street. He seemed to see the matter in its
true light, and was known to be determined the street
should not be narrowed, but unfortunately for us he was
a candidate for the office of Secretary of State, was
opposed by Erastus Brooks and the "know nothing"
party, and he felt he needed every vote. It was said that
Captain Larned stepped into his office one day and in his
usual gruff manner said to him, "Leavenworth! if you
oppose us in establishing a seventy foot street, I will
oppose you on election day by making every whiskey
barrel in the city a free drinking trough." Whether from
this cause or not, Mr. Leavenworth offered no opposition.
John Kidder was the City Engineer, he drew a map of
the street and a proposed line for narrowing it at Onon-
daga street and running to a point at Temple street; his
proposition would establish a seventy foot street between
those points, while north and south it would be ninety-
nine feet wide. The Common Council decided to adopt
this line. With great care I have placed here a copy of
the original map drawn in 1859, this will show to the
people of to-day and the future, the precise conditions at
the time the street was paved. The last move made was
to petition the council asking that no permanent line
should be established to embarrass any subsequent coun-
cil from establishing a six rod street. The subject was
not farther agitated for twenty-eight years, yet those on
the east side of the street believed there would come a

99FT.
HARRISON
ST
ST.
70Ft
ONONDAGA
SALINA ST.
LARNED
COR.
WALT ON
199FT. LINE
ADAMS
WARREN
ST.
ST.
BILLINGS PARK.
ST.
MAP OF THE ENCROACHMENT ON SOUTH SALINA STREET, THE DOTTED LINE SHOWS THE
NEW LINE OF THE STREET.
99FT.H
TO A CITY.
95
time when justice would be done. In the spring of 1887
preparations were made for the erection of a block of
such magnitude on the corner of Onondaga and Salina
streets, that this seemed the last opportunity to establish.
a uniform street six rods wide, as such a structure once
completed would be a difficult matter to remove. Several
others with myself wrote articles on the subject. At the
time of writing my article, I supposed the parties held a
good title to about twelve rods south from Onondaga
street. One of the writers referred to seemed familiar with
the first surveys and maps. By searching the surveys.
recorded at the County Clerk's office it would be an easy
matter to establish Salina street at these points a six rod
street. I spent a week in looking up early surveys and
maps, and found that an act was passed in 1794 to lay
out the Genesee turnpike six rods wide, and sell two
hundred a fifty acres of the salt springs reservation to
pay the expenses. Abram Walton became the purchaser
in 1804. The south line of this Walton tract crossed a
little south of the middle of the block between Adams
and Onondaga streets. In 1807 the surveyor general
directed Moses Carpenter and two other surveyors to lay
out a state road six rods wide, north and south from the
Walton tract through the state lands to specified points.
This road is now Salina street. In 1824 the Syracuse
tract and other state
Company purchased the Walton
lands south of Adams street. This Company employed
John Lathrop to draw a map of their lands, and this map
shows Salina street a ninety-nine foot street. John Ran-
dall Jr. drew a map of the salt springs reservation for the
96
FROM A FOREST
state in 1822. This map shows Salina street as a ninety-
nine foot street. The west line of Salina street can be
established beyond a doubt from three deeds recorded
in the County Clerk's office. One of the first deeds from
the Syracuse Company conveys one and one-half acres
by this description. "A lot in Block 120, north part of
the block beginning at the north corner of Green street,
(now Onondaga street) and running south on the street.
leading to Onondaga Hollow, 3 chains, 43 links, thence.
by a line 67 degrees west, 7 chains 55 links to the bank of
Onondaga creek, etc." At this point the banks of the
creek were protected by large trees then standing there,
establishing the bank as permanent for at least one hun-
dred years. It must be apparent to every person that to
commence at this point and measure back, on the line
indicated, the number of chains and links, would
establish the west line of Salina street at this point be-
yond all question. This measurement would leave a
little more than ninety-nine feet as the width of the street.
After becoming convinced of the great amount of evi-
dence at hand to establish South Salina street for miles
at least a ninety-nine foot street, I called on the Alder-
man who was chairman of the committee on streets, with
maps and copies of these original conveyances, and in-
formed him of my intention to obtain a large number of
names of our prominent citizens, petitioning the Council
that inasmuch as there had never been a monument
placed on the corner of Salina and Onondaga streets,
and in consequence of the neglect and indifference of all
previous Councils, it was the opinion of many good
TO A CITY.
97
citizens, that encroachments had been made at this point
that would forever mar the beauty of the principal avenue
through our city, the petitioners ask that the present
council instruct the city attorney to procure from the
county clerk's office all original conveyances bearing
upon the subject, and also direct the city engineer and
surveyor to survey and place a monument at this point
as is the custom elsewhere on the corners of streets. The
reply of this city official must forever be a reproach
upon the citizens of Syracuse at this period of its exis-
tence for placing such men in offices to fill places of
trust He replied that I had better save my time in pro-
curing such a petition as there would be no action taken
upon it; he thought he understood the sentiment of the
council upon the subject, and so far as he was concerned,
he should oppose it as he had some friends living in the
locality and he should not incur their displeasure for the
benefit of any street. Believing that in the future as our
city grows in size and importance the wonder will be
what could have been the cause of so shocking a blunder
as to have two widths in so important an avenue, I feel
that this history should be given in some detail. The
early history of the corner of Salina and Onondaga
streets is this. Sixty-two years previous to the present
date, Andrew Van Patten bought this corner. South of
the lot was a dense forest. He built the house that is
now standing, known as the Larned House, for a tavern.
He was an active politician. In the year 1829 there were
three candidates in the field for Governor, Mr. Van-
Patten bet his tavern that Francis Granger would be
7
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FROM A FOREST
elected Governor. Mr. Granger lost and so did Andrew.
He manfully paid his bet and deeded his house for
the consideration of one dollar to the winner of the
bet. He then built on the opposite corner a brick tavern
which became venerable, and was known as the Old Line
House for many years.
As the first named house was
erected when land was of little consequence it is probable
the first fence was placed without regard to lines and
remained for so many years that the people became
accustomed to its location and the encroachment was
simply tolerated, and the apathy and indifference of the
inhabitants north and south together with the stupidity
of the common council in after years is the cause of this
permanent encroachment. Four or five others with my-
sely were all that ever offered opposition. Our position.
was that Salina street must forever be the great central
avenue, and will be to Syracuse what Broadway is to New
York, so whatever mars or adds to its beauty should inter-
est every citizen. The great mass of humanity that for
years and centuries will surge from the north of Onon-
daga street will see this encroachment which seems at
one point to be standing in the center of the street, and
in my opinion it will serve as a monument of disgrace to
all those who have fought so many years to establish it,
and also as a reproach for the apathy and indifference
of the common council whose duty it was to prevent it.
THE NORTH SIDE OF WATER STREET, BETWEEN
SALINA AND WARREN STREETS.
The lot occupied by the Onondaga County Savings
Bank at an early date came to a point near the bridge.
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99
<<
The building committee of the bank obtained permission
of the common council to widen the lot at this point.
In the early history of the village there was a wooden
building standing on this lot. It was here that the first
newspaper ever published in Syracuse was printed, mak-
ing its first appearance in April, 1823. It was not a
showy sheet being twelve by seventeen inches in size,
containing four pages of five columns each; it was called
the "Gazette," which was a very appropriate name for
this little paper. The beginnings of newspapers are
traceable to Germany and Venice. At first they were
only seen at public places and could only be read by the
payment of a small coin called a gazetta," whence the
name Gazette. In 1820 a post-office was established on
the north side of the canal but soon after it was removed
to this building and was located in the office of Mr.
Durnford, the publisher of the "Gazette." A Mr. Rogers
kept a dry goods store in this building. His store took
fire in the month of March, 1834, and this proved to be
one of the most destructive fires that ever occurred in
Syracuse. It soon involved the buildings on both sides
of the canal, and twenty-one were burned, mostly stores.
The Onondaga Standard office was burned, and it made
a clean sweep of all the buildings on Water street be-
tween Salina and Warren streets. At the time the fire
occurred, most of the square was a sheet of ice, under
which the water was a foot deep in places. The goods
were carried out of the burning buildings and placed on
the ice at a safe distance from the fire. In one place
was a tall pile of barrels filled with crackers; the intense
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heat thawing the ice on the side nearest the fire caused
them to fall over, and soon barrels of crackers were
floating over Hanover Square to the great amusement of
the boys, who were up to their knees in water securing
the crackers. This is alluded to as showing the condi-
tion of Hanover square at that time. Since then it has
been filled up several feet, but in the early days of Syra-
cuse the square was a sea of mud.
The buildings destroyed by the fire were soon after
replaced with substantial brick buildings. Judging from
their appearance, the architects of those days had little
conception of beauty or convenience. There was not an
ornament of any kind to be seen, the roofs were without
cornices and rested upon the brick wall, the windows
were small and ill shaped. The art of stair building
seemed to be in the hands of the blacksmith, and the
two and three stories were sometimes reached by iron
stairs placed on the outside of the building. These were
of the crudest workmanship, consisting of a single plank
for a tread, placed on a bar of bent iron with an inch
bar for a hand rail, and it required nerve and courage to
descend the steep grade. The interiors were equally
crude and inconvenient. The show windows were pro-
jections on the outside of the store, usually sufficient in
depth for two panes of ten by sixteen glass, with a half
round corner and a pane of glass on a half circle. I
have now a few of those half circle glass that I took from
one of these show windows while making repairs forty-
five years ago.
At that time the windows were of small
glass, and, for safety, board shutters were required to all
Manol
TO A CITY.
ΙΟΙ
doors and windows, which gave the business part of the
town early in the morning and Sundays a most deserted
and cheerless appearance.
In 1839 D. & M. Dana opened a dry-goods store on
the north west corner of Warren and Water streets,
which was one of the principal establishments of that
class in the village. Mr. Dana was one of our self-made
men. He came here in the early days of Syracuse, and
worked at packing salt for a few shillings per day, and
by great economy and industry was enabled to start in
trade on a small scale. The strongest trait of character
in Daniel Dana was his love of truth, and for this reason,
when needed, he could always obtain credit. In those
days there was but little money in circulation and barter
was a necessity. So common was this practice that the
rules and principles of barter were laid down in the
school books of that day. Mr. Dana's store was a resort
for many of the farmers of our county fifty years ago,
where they took their grain and exchanged it for "store.
pay." When Mr. Dana sold the grain there was fre-
quently a rise of a few cents per bushel, and this led him
to make the buying and selling of grain a specialty, and he
became one of the largest grain buyers in the State. At
that date our granaries were not filled as now from the
prolific fields of the west. Then the rich hills and valleys.
of our county returned the farmer a bountiful harvest of
the staff of life." When the farmers commenced mar-
keting their wheat, Mr. Dana was always on the watch
and it was amusing to see him following the loads of
wheat through the streets.
So active was he that it was
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FROM A FOREST
said that sometimes the full capacity of the two banks
were required to supply him with funds. The scales that
decided the loss and gain with Mr. Dana were for many
years evenly balanced, and one year he would be rich
and the next poor, but this fact was known only to a few.
The constant anxiety and excitement finally proved too
much for his mind, and his familiar form was no longer
seen on the market.
EAST GENESEE STREET.
East Genesee street from Warren street to the Park
was bordered by four triangular blocks, with the angles
reversed on each side of the street. This was thought
by the original surveyor to be a necessity so as to lay
out the blocks adjoining in a square form. In the early
days when but few buildings occupied these three sided
blocks they made a very pretty appearance when they
were clothed in beautiful green turf with many fine spec-
imens of the forest trees left standing here and there.
One triangle was formed by Genesee, Warren and Wash-
ington streets, and on the east point of this triangle was
a copious well of water that furnished the few inhabitants
with good water long before Captain Teall's supply was
ever thought of. This well was the scene at one time of
great excitement when a little girl struggling at the wind-
lass to empty the heavy bucket lost her balance and fell
into the well. She happened to be seen when falling
and was rescued alive.
On the Warren street side of this triangle was erected
in 1826 the first Episcopal church in Syracuse, where the
TO A CITY.
103
society held their services until 1844, when they built St.
Paul's church on the corner of Warren and Fayette
streets, which was ultimately torn down and the lot sold
to the United States for a Government building. The
old church originally built was sold to the Catholic
society in 1844 and moved to the corner of Montgomery
and Madison streets, and is one of the oldest churches in
the place, services having been held in it for more than
fifty years.
The lot made vacant by this removal was
purchased by General Granger who erected the Granger
Block. The block on the opposite side of Genesee street
was the site of an old yellow building which occupied
the whole of the space between Water and Genesee
streets facing Hanover square, and was the first building
on that block. It was divided into several small shops
and stores which were occupied by small dealers with
little capital. The second floor was reached by outside
stairs from the Water street side. Dr. Hiram Hoyt
occupied, for several years, a portion of this floor for his
office and hospital, which was on a small scale of course,
in those early days, yet it was sometimes of great service
in sudden emergencies, and in case of accidents such as
happened one fourth of July. Two men were loading a
cannon on Prospect Hill, and a fellow by the name of
Jack Hall had been instructed to hold his thumb over
the vent of the cannon and be sure not to remove it
while the men were engaged in loading it with powder.
Too much whiskey made Jack so patriotic that he re-
moved his thumb, when a premature discharge took place
which deprived two men of their arms. They were car-
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FROM A FORES
ried to Dr. Hoyt's rooms where amputation was per-
formed, and where they remained until their recovery.
The next building east was the old Union House, erected
in 1827. The last occupant of this house was a Mr.
Partridge and he made some money while here but soon
lost it. He lived alone for many years, doing all his
housework even to baking his bread; that it was of good
quality was shown by the fact of his living to be over
eighty years old. Next east of this old Union House,
the first brick dwelling in Syracuse, was built by John.
Rogers in 1825, and at date of writing it is still standing.
If all that has transpired within the walls of this old
building could be told it would make an interesting
volume, recording the joys and sorrows incident to hu-
man life. The first occupant of this house felt a just
pride in living in the only substantial brick dwelling
house then in the place. On the 15th of March, 1834,
after a well-spent day over his counter, he returned to
his quiet and happy home with anticipations and pros-
pects of future prosperity, but the next morning's sun
shone upon the ruins of his store, and more than twenty
adjoining buildings were smouldering heaps of ashes,
thus showing the uncertainty of human hopes and desires.
As the years rolled by the walls of this old house were
heated again and again by the conflagrations of the sur-
rounding buildings, and at one time there seemed to be
a determined effort of an incendiary to burn it, and for
weeks a special policeman was secreted to capture the
would-be incendiary. It seems sometimes as if there
is a fate that surrounds buildings like this and the Syra-

THE FIRST BRICK HOUSE IN SYRACUSE.
TO A CITY.
105
cuse House, by which they seem to be protected from
the destructive influences which are so common to other
structures. The north side of Genesee street, between
Warren and Montgomery streets, where the Convention
Block now stands, was formerly the site of the Congre-
gational church, an unpretentious wooden building that
had been in use many years. The bell in this church-
spire was the one that gave the signal at the arrest of the
slave Jerry, under the fugitive slave law. We have no
record of any place in the United States where in the
days of slavery the poor slave had more ardent friends
than in Syracuse,—not even Boston, the home of Gar-
rison. The great activity of the anti-slavery societies at
the North induced the slave-holding States to have the
fugitive slave law passed, and under this law all citizens
of the United States were required, when called upon, to
render the officers personal assistance in the performance
of their duties in arresting fugitive slaves, the principle
being, that "the constitution and laws of the United
States secure the right to reclaim fugitive slaves against
State legislation." This law was particularly odious to
the anti-slavery men at the North, as they claimed it
turned them into slave-catchers and compelled them to
perform the office of blood-hounds in running down
human beings whose only offence was the love of liberty.
There were scores of men in Syracuse who hated the
institution of slavery with as much intensity as Garrison,
and accordingly they met in Market Hall and passed the
strongest resolutions they could find language to express,
declaring they would never obey the fugitive slave law,
106
FROM A FOREST
and also that there never should be a slave returned from
Syracuse under this law, and there never was. The
rescue of Jerry has been so many times described we
will pass it by without further notice. Yet there is one
circumstance preceding it that I do not remember hav-
ing heard mentioned. A few days after one of the
most enthusiastic anti-slavery meetings ever held in
Market Hall, Daniel Webster very unexpectedly made
his appearance in Syracuse and was escorted to a little
balcony on the east side of the Courier building (this
balcony is there to-day as it was then), and there were
soon fifty or a hundred men gathered around to see the
great statesman, who there made a short speech. I think
I can
now repeat the most of it verbatim. He com-
menced by saying: "Gentlemen of the village of Syra-
cuse, I have long felt an interest in your place, as it is
intimately connected with the salines of the State," and
after a very short introduction he turned upon the politi-
cal topics of the times which, to a large extent, involved
the question of slavery, and he made this assertion:
"Gentlemen, I am a lawyer, and I value my reputation.
as much for this as for anything," then, raising his voice
and with much emphasis added, "let me tell you, as often
as you meet in convention in that hall," pointing to
Market Hall," and pass the resolutions that you do, it is
treason it is treason!!" If he had been sent here to
instruct us as a high legal authority, the sequel clearly
demonstrated how little his instructions were regarded.
The changes that have taken place in Syracuse illus-
trate the changed ideas of the American people, and we
TO A CITY.
107
now look back with wonder and astonishment to think
that at so recent a period as when Syracuse was incor-
porated as a village, the laws of New York recognized
the ownership of one man by another. The time for the
gradual emancipation of slavery in this State expired
in 1827.
The block bounded by Genesee, Montgomery and
Fayette streets was first occupied by Samuel Phelps who
built a blacksmith-shop on Genesee street, it being at
that time surrounded by forest trees. There was an im-
mense oak tree in front of his shop, which was left stand-
ing near the side-walk for years after. At this early time,
when the stage-coaches made it lively on this great thor-
oughfare, blacksmith-shops were a necessity, to shoe
horses and make repairs. These shops and taverns were
located at short distances along the whole line of the
Genesee turnpike. The taverns were furnished with
whiskey by a man called "Old Hersey" of Cazenovia.
He was one of Mr. Phelps's best customers and his shop
was kept constantly supplied with a barrel of whiskey.
This article, in those days, was cheap, costing but 25 cts.
per gallon; it was pure and, when drank moderately, was
a good tonic. Mr. Phelps was in the habit of giving his
customers a drink, and the Indians made him frequent
visits and brought him fine salmon, venison, live bears
and coons.
These he had so well trained that he would
occasionally have a fine performance under the old oak
tree, to the great enjoyment of his half-civilized neigh-
bors. On one occasion there was a powerful Indian chief
here on a visit from Oneida Castle, and, with another
108
FROM A FOREST
Indian, called on Mr. Phelps for a drink of whiskey.
Mr. Phelps was busy at the time and told the big Indian
to help himself, whereupon he seized the nearly-full bar-
rel and, holding it up to his mouth, drank from the bung.
About the year 1835 Hoyt & Billings built a carriage.
manufactory on the southwest corner of Genesee and Mul-
berry streets, and later, in 1839, Mr. Billings built a large
shop for his business on the north of what is now Billings
Park. This plot of land in front of his shop he owned
and cultivated, but years after he dedicated it to the city
for a park with the understanding that it was to be known
as Billings Park, and that the city should place a fountain
in the centre. Just before the village became a city the
old wagon-shop of Hoyt & Co. was removed and a fine
block erected by Harvey Sheldon, which was a great im-
provement upon the old shop with its surroundings of
used-up and disjointed vehicles. The upper part of this
block was finished for a public hall, and being so centrally
located patronage was expected, but this was not realized,
and accordingly it was rented to Mr. Farnham, a popular
school-teacher. While engaged in changing the hall to a
school-room Mr. Farnham received a call from an old
gentleman who lived in a house previously used for a
hotel on the opposite corner where now stands the spaci-
ous residence of Mr. Crouse. The old gentleman was
very talkative and seemingly took a great interest in
schools, and was very desirous that Mr. Farnham should
succeed. He said, in his opinion, there was no other
business that required managing with more discretion
than a select school. He related during the conversa-
TO A CITY.
109
tion that a popular and successful teacher prevailed upon
Mr. Samuel Phelps to build a brick building on part of
his lot, agreeing to rent it for a term of years for a select
school, and the building was soon completed and the
school commenced with most flattering prospects. The
Unitarian society had their place of worship in a little.
chapel near the school, and the teacher was indiscreet
enough to admit some of the children of the Unitarians
to the school, when the Trinitarians withdrew their sup-
port, and this sectarian influence was the cause of break-
ing up the school. According to this old gentleman's
story, sectarianism had a greater influence in those days
than now.
The two triangular blocks, one on each side of Genesee
street, next west of Fayette Park, as late as 1847 con-
tained only small and unattractive buildings, a descrip-
tion of which would be uninteresting to the reader. On
the north side of Genesee street, opposite the present
opera house, was standing a story and a half frame build-
ing painted yellow, occupied by Brower & Son as a brass
foundry. Several years previous Pope & Frazer used it
as a harness-shop. Next west was a rickety old building
with rough outside stairs leading to Whiston & Peck's
paint-shop. John Ames occupied a small store, but
nearly a quarter of the block was vacant lots. A little
east of the centre of the block was the location of a small
chapel built in 1839 at a cost of six hundred dollars
and if it had ever been adorned with a coat of paint
the evidence only existed in tradition; yet it was the
birth-place of three of our wealthy church societies
IIO
FROM A FOREST
of to-day. The Unitarians, Central Baptist and Re-
formed churches held services here. The Unitarian
society occupied the little building for several years, and
Rev. Mr. Storer was pastor. The first pastor of the
Central Baptist church, Rev. A. Pinney, preached in this
little chapel previous to the society erecting their brick
church on East Genesee street where the Second Baptist
society held their services for several years, when they
sold their church to the French Catholics and built a
much more expensive and elegant edifice on the corner
of Montgomery and Jefferson streets. The little chapel
above referred to, was ultimately occupied by John Ford
for a tin-shop. At that time there was in his employ two
small boys engaged in gathering rags, the mother of these
boys being determined to early instil in them habits of
industry, believing that any useful occupation was honor-
able. She lived to see her sons honorable and wealthy
citizens, one of whom now lives in a spacious mansion
surrounded with beautiful adornments, and is considered
one of our wealthiest and most substantial citizens, thus
proving that "just as the twig is bent, the tree is in-
clined." If mothers would reflect and understand more
fully the great responsibilities resting upon them in the
early training of their children, the world would be bet-
ter. They have, to a great extent, the power of determin-
ing whether their children shall be ornaments in society
and filling places of importance among men, or whether
by the dereliction of parental care they become candi-
dates for the State's prison.
The block on East Genesee street now occupid by the
TO A CITY.
III
Grand Opera House, at as late a date as 1847, was partly
filled by a few small buildings and those of too little impor-
tance to interest the reader. Among these were two
common brick dwellings, one occupied by Dr. M. M.
White. Joseph Barton purchased these and removed
them to give place to the Barton Opera House. That
part of the block on the point of the triangle was without
a building of any description. On the corner of Genesee
and Montgomery streets was a long two story wooden
building painted white, the lower floor occupied by the
carriage and harness-shop of Ralph Phelps who used the
upper floor for his dwelling. This corner was purchased
by Austin Myers who built an unattractive but substan-
tial building and named it the Myers Block, the upper
part of which contained a fair-sized hall that received its
full share of patronage. It was in this hall that the Syra-
cuse branch of the organization known as the “Loyal
League" held their meetings during the rebellion. It
seems hardly credible now that such an organization
should ever have been thought necessary in Syracuse, yet
the lines were distinctly drawn between two classes of our
citizens; one believed in putting down the rebellion if it
took the last man and the last dollar, while the other
class, which was greatly in the minority, sympathized
with the seceded States and declared the war a failure
and unjust in every respect, and opposed, so far as was
in their power, our citizens in lending aid to the Govern-
ment. So intense were the feelings of hatred between
these two classes that one was denounced as Northern
copperheads while they, in turn, branded their opponents
II 2
FROM A FOREST
as Lincoln's hirelings. So bitter was the feeling that the
loyal citizens felt insecure, believing that the copperheads.
might be suddenly reinforced by their Southern friends.
and thus create a battlefield in our midst, for it was most
keenly felt that the devastations of the war were all con-
fined to Southern soil, and they realized that the North
could carry on the war indefinitely if it could be confined
to the Southern States. This condition led to the organ-
ization of a branch of the "Loyal League" which met
once a week in Myers Hall. The meetings were con-
ducted so secretly that no account at the time, nor since,
as I remember, was ever given. The organization was
composed, to a great extent, of the substantial citizens,-
most generally men of middle age and those who could
not, or were not expected to go to the front. The society
was the most perfect that could be found, and in joining
they took a strong and solemn oath not to divulge the
secrets of the Order. Numerous secret signs were given
by which they might be known as belonging to the League,
and also for their personal safety; for instance, if any
member should fall into the hands of his enemies, by
slapping the hands together three times and repeating
certain words, if it was heard by any member of the
Order, he was obliged to at once make common cause
and fight for the member of the League. But the most
important part of this organization was the drill, perfect-
ing a system by which a thousand or fifteen hundred men,
at a signal upon a church bell, could be under arms in an
hour's time, should a case of emergency require.
Captain Myers, who built the Myers Block, was another
TO A CITY.
113
of the self-made men of Syracuse; his father was a New
York merchant who met with reverses of fortune and
died when Austin was but one year old. His mother
cared for him until he was fifteen years old, when he left
home for Albany where he learned the harness-maker's
trade, and at the expiration of his apprenticeship of three
years he married and took passage on a canal-boat, arriv-
ing in the little village of Syracuse in 1833. When he
landed here he had only two pieces of silver, one repre-
senting 12½ cents, and the other one-half that amount.
If Syracuse is noted for one thing more than another, it
is that men who are willing and know how to work can
always find employment. Within a few hours after his
arrival, Mr. Myers found work in the harness-shop of
Silas Ames, and during the year earned three hundred
dollars; he then left Syracuse and commenced business
in Jordan, where he remained and acquired several pieces
of real estate which he sold during the campaign of 1840.
Seldom in the history of Presidential campaigns did the
excitement run so high as during the song-singing, hard-
cider and log-cabin campaign of Gen. Harrison. Mr.
Myers was a Whig and an ardent politician, and a neigh-
bor who was on the opposite side, and an equally zealous
Democrat, offered Mr. Myers about twice the value of
his real estate with an agreement to pay for the same
when Harrison was made President, which happened
within a year. Mr. Myers then returned to Syracuse and
located his house on the grounds now occupied by Sena-
tor Hiscock on West Onondaga street. He established
a line of packet-boats which he ran with success, acquir
S
114
FROM A FOREST
ing the title of Captain; but this enterprise was affected.
by competition with the railroads. Through his rare
business qualities and energy he never met with reverses.
He died several years ago, leaving an estate estimated at
over half a million dollars.
SOUTH SIDE OF WASHINGTON STREET, BETWEEN
WARREN AND MONTGOMERY STREETS.
At the junction of Montgomery, Washington and Gene-
see streets stood a one and a half story building, erected
in 1833, with the usual outside stairs leading from the
side-walk to the second storv. Dr. Glenn occupied it
for his dwelling and dentist's office. Mr. L. H. Redfield
bought this corner and lived in a brick house on the
south part of the lot. He moved the old wooden struc-
ture away and erected a one story brick building twelve
by twenty feet in size, it being so small that it looked as
if a strong man might carry it away. It was occupied
by a German for his house and shop, and was of suffi-
cient size to contain all his wealth which then comprised
a few upholster's tools. That same German to-day is
the owner of a hundred thousand dollars' worth of real
estate; thus we see how fickle are the wheels of fortune.
In 1847 the south side of Washington street, between
Warren and Montgomery streets, presented a different
appearance than it does to-day, as there were only a few
two story dwellings. Mr. Colwell built a bowling alley,
giving it the name of Gothic Hall, a little west of the
centre of the block. He died soon after, when the Stan-
dard took possession of it, and that paper was printed.
TO A CITY.
115
there for many years. In the village days of Syracuse
Timothy Teall's residence was about midway between
the two streets. A Mrs. Morgan rented a small wooden
building for a milliner's shop, standing near where the
Journal building is now located. Mrs. Morgan's son
Alonzo was then a school-boy, and afterwards he became
a prominent homeopathic physician, and after a few years
removed to New York for a wider field of practice. In
the early days, when the village was yet small, Col. Phil-
lips built a two story wooden building on the corner of
Warren and Washington streets, now called the Vander-
bilt corner, and lived there in the days when stage-coaches
were the only means of travel for the public. In later
years the building was rented to a German named Sigel,
who fitted it up in a better style than usual for those
days. His bar was made very attractive by placing mir-
rors back of the numerous decanters of liquors, and to
add to the attractions was a collection of birds, the cages
being hung in such a manner that every movement of the
inmates was reflected in the mirrors. Chief among these
attractions was a parrot whose powers of speech were
most remarkable. His owners claimed for him a great
age, and that for fifty years he was in one of the beer
gardens of Germany. This may have been true, as it is
sometimes claimed that the parrot attains the age of one
hundred years. This parrot seemed to be well informed
in bar-room etiquette, and he would call in the most de-
liberate manner for the different kinds of drinks; he was
cunning and mischievous, but, unfortunately, a most pro-
fane bird, and when giving utterance to his profanity the
116
FROM A FOREST
harshness of his voice was most remarkable.
Mr. Sigel
made his place very attractive to his German friends, as
before coming to this country he had kept a beer garden
and knew how to please his patrons. One of the greatest
riots that ever occurred in the village of Syracuse took
place at his house, where there had been great prepara-
tions for a New Year's ball. At the same time there had
been secret preparations among a class of Salt Point
roughs who had some old grudges to settle with a few
Germans who were to attend the ball. Accordingly,
about ten o'clock,
"When music arose with its voluptuous swell
Soft eyes looked love to eyes that spake again,
And all went merry as a marriage bell,"
all at once fifteen or twenty roughs entered the house,
proceeded to the bar and drank it dry, demanding the
barkeeper to fill up, which he refused to do and ordered
them again and again to leave the house, when they pro-
ceeded to break the costly mirrors and fixtures in a
thousand pieces. By this time the friends of Sigel had
left the ball-room and come to his aid, and a pitched
battle was the result. The ringleader was commanded
to leave with his party, and he replied by throwing a de-
canter at the head of the proprietor, which was answered
by a pistol-shot, and then the fight was terrific. Pistols.
were freely used on both sides, everything breakable was
smashed, one man was dangerously wounded, several had
received shots and the floor was slippery with the blood
of the enraged parties. It was not safe for the feeble
force of police to attempt to enter or make arrests.
It
TO A CITY.
117
seemed most fortunate that Captain Teall's cadets were
on drill that evening, and they were called out very un-
expectedly and surrounded the house and the riot was
soon quelled and the desperate characters marched up to
the old jail. It was reported around town that one man
had been shot dead and several others seriously wounded.
There was great indignation felt against the Germans,
but on understanding the case it was clear that but one
side was in the wrong, and that side the attacking party
of Salt Pointers. Mr. Sigel, however, soon left, and he
was succeeded by Eliphalet Welch, who fitted up the
place as Welch's Coffee House, and it was the most pop-
ular restaurant in town for many years, he in turn being
succeeded by Cook & Sons. In 1832 Mr. King, of Tully,
bought the northeast corner of Warren and Fayette
streets and built a two story wooden house which was
occupied as a dwelling a few years and then sold to
Mr. Partridge who kept it as a hotel until 1839, when he
sold out his interest for one hundred acres of Lewis
county land. Josiah Brintall & Brother were the pur-
chasers. The Brintalls owned the property for many
years and made many additions and alterations to the
house. Josiah Brintall is one of our most respected citi-
zens, was Loan Commissioner for a term of years, and
also Assessor for several years. He was born in Mont-
gomery county in 1806. On the next lot north of the
Fayette street corner in 1834 stood a small one story
house, where quite an amusing episode took place. On
the evening of the great fire in 1834, when the streets
were lined with goods from the burning buildings, a great
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FROM A FOREST
opportunity was offered to appropriate the goods of those
who suffered by the fire, and much stealing was done,
keeping the officers busy for several days afterwards look-
ing for stolen goods. A call was made at the little yel-
low house on Warren street, and as soon as the officers
entered the house a smoky odor peculiar to smoked hams
was detected.
They were sure there was no mistake, yet
nothing was visible and the search of every part of the
little shanty revealed nothing of the kind. There was
but one woman in the house and she apparently very
sick in bed. The officers were so impudent as to look
under the bed, yet nothing was there, and they then
caught hold of the straw-tick and with a knife made an
opening which revealed a half dozen fine hams. The
woman was instantly restored to health, and seizing a
chair, ordered the intruders out of doors. They promptly
complied, taking the woman with them.
This portion of Warren street midway between Fayette
and Washington streets was purchased by Jason C. Wood-
ruff in the days when he was running a line of stages, and
he built here a sizable brick house where he lived for
several years. On the back part of his large lot were the
barns and sheds for his horses and stages. He sold this
property to Giles Cleveland who kept a livery stable here.
This part of Warren street at that time had a very untidy
appearance, as the lot was filled with old worn-out vehicles
of every description, from an old stage-coach to a wheel-
barrow. The contrast between what it was then and the
now spacious Vanderbilt can hardly be imagined.
The Granger Block was built in 1844 and was burned
TO A CITY.
119
on a very cold night in the winter of '49. One of our
fire engines would have extinguished the flames in a few
minutes, but the facilities for extinguishing fires in those
days were very different from what they are now. The
city had but three old style machines, worked by hand
and managed by volunteer companies. These companies
would organize and disband to suit their own pleasure.
There was generally some feud existing between the dif
ferent companies, which frequently at fires would end in
a general fight. This happened to be the case on that
evening. As I remember, some slight accident happened
to one of the engines, and while the foreman was making
repairs there were some taunting remarks from some one
belonging to another company, which were quickly re-
sented and a general row was the result, and two engines
were abandoned by their companies. This left but one
little feeble stream directed on the fire. In those days
the officers of the city knew their duty and were always
on hand. I happened to be standing by the side of
Alderman Wm. H. Alexander, an old gray-headed man,
who took in the situation at a glance, and, springing into
the crowd, took one of the ringleaders by the collar with.
one hand and the other just below the small of the back,
he propelled him in double-quick time to the machine,
and at the same time with a voice heard above all others,
said: "I am an Alderman of this city, and if you don't
work that machine I will lock you up." Then in an
instant he had another in his iron grip; his hat was
knocked off and his gray hairs were a prey to the fierce
cutting winds, but his lion-like courage and energy
I 20
FROM A FOREST
seemed to awe the rebellious firemen, and with shame
they all returned to their places and worked with re-
doubled exertions. But the block was doomed, and
within two hours from the time the alarm was given from
the bells in the church spires, two men carried a dry
goods box to the centre of the street, and Gen. Granger
climbing upon it gained the attention of the great crowd
of people by shouting, "Hello! Hello? the walls of the
burning building will fall in a few minutes. They are
changing very fast and will reach farther into the street
than you think for, so if you regard your safety clear the
street to a safe distance." In a few minutes there was
not a piece of wall ten feet high to be seen. This block
was rebuilt and again burned in 1864, the present block
being erected in 1866. If we follow the history of the
lot where the Larned Block now stands, back to that
period when wooden buildings occupied the central por-
tion of the town, we should find the north-east corner of
the lot on Genesee and Warren streets occupied by Van
Husen's blacksmiths shop, which was an unusually old
structure on such a corner, and stood out in broad con-
trast to the southeast corner of the same lot on Washington
and Warren streets. Mr. Durnford owned this corner,
on which was a small story and a half house painted
white, with green blinds, and surrounded by a picket
fence also painted white. There was a plank walk from
Washington street leading to the front door and also one
from Warren street leading to the side door; along these
walks were placed beds of flowers and shrubbery so
neatly arranged that it gave the corner a very tasteful.
TO A CITY.
12 I
appearance. These two lots were purchased by Captain
Larned and a very plain but substantial brick building
was erected for a public house, part of the lower stoly
being used for stores. While Capt. Larned occupied the
house it was called the "Alhambra," when Mr. Durn-
ford was proprietor it was called the Tremont House,
and was last called the Sherman House. It was burned
soon after the death of Capt. Larned, and the present
Larned Block was built by his heirs, so the city is in-
debted to Capt. Larned for this fine building. He was
wealthy and spent his money in building up the city,
and forty years ago there were few men in Syracuse bet-
ter known than Capt. Larned. His early business life.
brought him in contact with the rougher elements of
society. As soon as the Erie canal was completed, the
banks were lined every few miles with little shanties,
filled with supplies for boatmen. Captain Larned con-
ceived the idea of building a light, easy running craft
and loading it with a fine assortment of all the supplies
needed by boatmen and running the whole length of the
canal, being able to furnish every boat with whatever was
needed, without stopping their crafts. He was so suc-
cessful in this business that he retired with a fine fortune
and the title of Captain. He was a bachelor until well
advanced in life, when he married a daughter of Col.
Johnson and thus found himself with a young family in
his old age.
His strong traits of character were best
drawn out during the exciting times of the rebellion, his
sympathies being so strong for the union cause that he
would have been tempted to help fight the battles if his
I 22
FROM A FOREST
age had not debarred him from enlisting: but he did the
next best thing by fighting the copperheads of the north
whom he hated with all the intensity of his nature. I
was his near neighbor during the time, and one Sunday
morning as soon as it was light, every church beli in the
city was rung furiously and kept the city in an uproar
for half an hour. About all the people were soon in the
street, but few were in full dress, Uncle Sam Larned
with the rest, when, on inquiring the cause of the great
tumult, he was told that Richmond was taken by the
Union army. The old man was in the greatest ecstasy
of delight at the news, and shouting to the people in the
streets, "if the news is true I will make a bonfire to-night
of that house" pointing to his home, but it was a false
alarm and the bonfire was not lighted.
EARLY HISTORY OF THE SITE OF THE CITY HALL.
Soon after the completion of the Erie canal through
Syracuse it was thought necessary to have a basin where
boats could run in and be out of the way of navigation,
and it was decided to locate the basin where the City
Hall and square is now. An excavation from the canal
south to the line of Washington street was completed and
filled with water. As there was no current the water
soon became offensive and one of the most intolerable
nuisances that ever cursed a village existed here. Its
proportions seemed so formidable that for a long time
there was no attempt to abate it, as it was thought to be
a necessary evil. In those days there was a large num-
ber of scow-boats used to boat wood for the salt blocks.
They were not in use more than half of the time, and
TO A CITY.
123
this basin or frog pond, as it was called, was filled with
these unsightly crafts. Many of them were neglected.
and sunk to the bottom, and when excavations are now
made near the City Hall the workmen come in contact
with these sunken crafts, and, unable to account for their
existence there, think they have found the long-lost
Noah's ark; but the only resemblance is, one was built
of gopher wood and the other to-go-for wood. The vil-
lage charter was altered in 1842 to enable the trustees to
borrow money on the credit of the village for public im-
provement. In those days, as in our own, there were
men elected to hold office who were not practical. This
class advocated the advantages of erecting a public build-
ing for a market similar to the Fulton market, New York.
The site of the present City Hall was selected (it having
been filled up and graded), the building completed, and
was our City Hall till June, '89, with the addition of twenty
feet for an entrance and a belfry for the fire-alarm. The
plan was to appropriate the lower floor for stalls for the
sale of meats, and the upper floor for a public hall which
was called Market Hall. After the building and stalls
were completed there was much hesitation among the
men whose meat-markets were situated in different parts
of the village, to leave their established places of business
and accept of the new quarters in a general market in the
centre of the town. A paper was drawn up and the
principal market men signed an agreement to try the
experiment. Mr. Davis and Mr. Meldram headed the
list, and the stalls of the new market were filled with the
greatest display of meats that had ever been seen in town,
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FROM A FOREST
and the public square in front was filled with the wagons
of farmers, loaded with their produce. This copy of
Fulton market had a very systematical appearance in our
lively village and demonstrated the enterprise and pro-
gressive spirit of the citizens, but the experiment was
destined to be very short lived. To bring men together
who had long been rivals in the same business, all on the
same floor, was placing too high an estimate on human
character. Before long it was found that their old cus-
tomers would not follow them to their new quarters, and
a general dissatisfaction resulted soon in leaving the new
market empty. This was no loss to the village, however.
Market Hall was much needed and well patronized, as it
was suitable in size and altogether the best hall in the
place, and the square was convenient for public out-of-
door gatherings when distinguished visitors were in
town, such as General Scott, in 1852, who was given a
fine reception by our military companies. After being
drawn up in review in front of the City Hall, and during
an appropriate little speech, he complimented them on
their good discipline, emphasizing the great importance
of discipline in military movements; that he had seen the
efficacy of this quality when his little army that was only
a "priming" compared to that of Mexico, yet by disci-
pline and courage they conquered the enemy. In the
same year an elaborate stand was erected on this square
for the reception of Louis Kossuth. The committee that
constructed the stand had draped in front of the speaker
the stars and stripes in a graceful manner, and placed on
the centre a very fine specimen of the American eagle.
TO A CITY.
125
During his speech, in referring to the admiration he had
for our country, he stepped forward and, grasping the
eagle and holding it over his head, he said: "While I am
under the shadow of these wide extended wings, your
country's emblem of liberty, I have nothing to fear from
the despotism of the empires of the world." This part of
his speech was ridiculed, by some of our daily papers, as
a silly performance for effect.
CORNER OF LOCK AND WATER STREETS.
The corners of Lock street where the bridge crosses
the canal, in the early days of Syracuse was the location.
of several industries which gave some life to business in
that locality. It was then near the first lock, which was
removed in 1840 farther east to where it is now. Joel
Cody had the contract for its removal and the construc-
tion of the new lock. On the southwest corner of Lock
street bridge was the location of the first Pottery in the
village, and at one time a large quantity of pottery of a
rough quality was manufactured here and shipped to
different points on the line of the canal. On the south-
east side of the bridge was erected a two story building
designed for manufacturing furniture, and soon after its
construction it was destroyed by fire. Next east of this
point on the line of Water street was situated Van Buren's
tannery, where that trade was continued for many years.
On the northwest corner of the bridge was a potash man-
ufactury. This industry is usually among the first to be
established in new places, as the forests are consumed
the ashes are gathered for the purpose of concentration
in potash, so essential in the manufacture of soap. Many
126
FROM A FOREST
times the poor people struggling with poverty in a new
country endeavoring to clear up their lands, rely to quite
an extent upon the ashes collected from the wood they
consume. Fifty or sixty years ago these manufactories
were quite common, several teams were employed by
them which visited every house once a month to collect
the wood ashes, usually carrying with them a few grocer
ies, such as tea, coffee and sugar, to exchange for the
ashes, which were worth about one shilling per bushel.
The present generation know but little of the hardships
and privations endured by the pioneers in a new coun-
try, and how meagre were their resources for procuring
the common necessities of life. The northeast corner of
Lock street was the site of a large building erected by
Mr. John R. Robertson about the year 1855, a part of
it remained for a considerable time unfinished, as the
city authorities claimed that it encroached upon the
street, a party of men were sent to tear it down, but Mr.
Robertson, aware of their intentions had an injunction
ready, and thereby saved his building, and after a long
litigation the question was decided in his favor. The
Syracuse Medical College was located in the building in
1860. One day in the month of March of that year the
street in front of the college was packed by two thousand
people filled with the greatest excitement that was ever
seen in Syracuse. Three coffins were resting on biers
placed on the sidewalk which contained the remains of
Peter Tinker and his two little daughters aged six and
eight years. The father had taken the life of his children
and then destroyed himself, having been driven to this
course from frenzy and desperation caused by the in-
TO A CITY.
127
****
fidelity of his wife. As the history of this shocking affair
is now buried under the weight of more that a quarter of
a century, I feel it a duty to pass the matter by saying as
little as possible, and let the curtain fall upon one of the
saddest events in my memory. The testimony brought
out on the coroner's inquest showed Tinker to have been
a hard working, temperate man, devoted to his family
whom he provided for and loved most tenderly. The
father and his children were buried in one grave at Rose
Hill. The daily papers announced that the Rev. A. A.
Thayer would deliver a discourse on the death of Peter
Tinker and his two daughters, the following Sunday at
Wieting Hall. The large hall was filled with attentive.
listeners, and the speaker was earnest and eloquent, and
as nearly as can be remembered, prefaced his discourse
as follows: "The circumstances of the horrible tragedy
which has agitated the public mind for the past week are
too well known to need any circumstantial history on the
present occasion. The apparent facts which have ap-
peared before the public are briefly these:
A gross
libertine under the garb of a medical practitioner, entered
the home of one of our peaceful citizens. He seduced
a virtuous wife to leave her husband. He so corrupted
the maternal affections that an indulgent mother spurned
her own children. He so tainted a heart that had been
quickened by grace, that she forsook religion and God,
and children, and husband, and home, and Christian
friends, to follow her seducer. It was a case of mere
animal fascination-a weak bird magnetized by the eyes.
of a serpent. Though she have wings and the posses-
1
FROM A FOREST
· 128
sion of her senses and physical vitality, and can hear the
chirping of her young, and can see her danger, and
seems to possess all her powers; yet she has no power to
flee from the magnetic monster who lies enambushed for
his prey. And when I look at the physiognomy of the
two primary actors in this tragedy, and read the unmis-
takable evidence of character which nature has written
upon the face of every human being, I can but regard
him as the serpent and her as his victim. She was once
a virtuous and happy wife and mother; but now, alas!
widowed, childless, vitiated, mocked of women and men,
an outcast from Christian society, with nothing before
her but the cold face of the hard world, and the howling
poverty of a vagabond. Can you conceive of any human
situation so pitiless, and yet so pitable? And how the
picture of a dead husband coffined between his dead
children must mock her despair! If God hath no mercy
on the outcast, and will drive her from His presence,
then where will she find shelter? If any being in our
world deserves sympathy it is such an one." I will follow.
Mr. Thayer's remarks no further, but will say that an in-
structive lesson is connected with this occurrence if we
reflect how such tragedies are passed upon in different
periods of the worlds history, To-day everyone will say,
that there is nothing to justify in the father's course,
every one would condemn his act. Two thousand years
ago a similar tragedy was considered an exalted virtue.
All students of Roman history will call to mind the des-
perate choice of two evils, which was left for Virginius,
when the Roman governor, Appius Claudius, a tyrant
TO A CITY,
129
and libertine, desired to possess his daughter the beauti-
ful Virginia. No power nor persuasion could resist his
determination. As he called for the delivering up of his
victim, the father requested the privilege of one parting
embrace, and while the hot tears ran down his face drew
a dagger, plunging it into her breast, exclaiming, “O! my
child! thus only can I preserve thy virtue and give thee
freedom." Then turning to the tyrant on the throne he
said, “By this innocent blood O! Claudius, I devote thy
head to the eternal Gods."
THE HERMIT.
Syracuse has been the home of many eccentric men,
and but few have excelled a Scotchman by the name of
Boyd. The year in which he first made his appearance I
do not think it possible now to determine. He located
in that portion of the village bounded by the Erie and
Oswego canals and Foot street (now James) which, at
that time, was a mere wagon road through the woods and
but little travelled. He removed the thick growth of
cedar from an acre of ground, surrounded it with a high
board fence and built a little cabin in the centre, where he
dwelt entirely alone and lived on what he could grow in
his garden. He never left this inclosure unless it was for
some necessaries of life. He made no acquaintances and
lived as much in seclusion as possible. His constant
attention to his little plot of ground developed a produc-
tive garden, in which he raised the choicest vegetables,
for which, at that time, he found ready sale at the locks,
to supply the passing boatmen. While marketing his
9
130
FROM A FOREST
products the inquisitive propensities of many would in-
duce them to interrogate him as to his history and how
he could content himself to live so lonely a life. This
seemed to annoy him much, and as far as possible he
avoided this class, choosing to deal with those who asked
him no questions. This trait of character was observed
by one dealer, and, as the vegetables brought to market
were always of fine quality and attractively arranged, he
asked him no questions other than related to the busi-
ness between them. By this course he gained the confi-
dence of the Scotchman, which in time resulted in quite
a degree of confidence and friendship, and he was allowed
to see his garden, which he found, in many particulars,
as odd and peculiar as its owner. His little cabin was
only of sufficient height for him to stand erect.
A grape
trellis was constructed on each side of the walk nearly to
the street, over which the vines were trimmed and trained
with the greatest care. There were several circular flower
beds surrounding the little cabin, separated by narrow
walks which were bordered with different varieties of
ferns, and each flower bed contained but one variety of
flowers. The effect was a great profusion of a few varie-
ties, which indicated that these few were favorites. Trail-
ing vines completely covered the cabin, and during the
summer season it might have been considered an ideal
home for a hermit. As the years went by many rumors
gained circulation as to his history and his motives for
living in solitude. His deportment and tidy appearance
indicated that he had commenced life with fair prospects,
and it was believed that some disappointment, such as
TO A CITY.
131
unrequited love, had induced him to no longer pursue
the usual paths of life. Others believed that the love of
money was a mania with him, that he was a miser, whose
only thought was the worship of the money he had and
could accumulate. This opinion gained ground and he
was called the old miser. This belief induced a half
dozen towpath ruffians to scale the high board fence one
night and rob the Scotchman of his supposed treasures.
They were poorly paid for the disgraceful outrage upon
an inoffensive man, when they searched his cabin and
found only a few dollars; if he had more it was carefully
secreted. The most disgraceful part of this scandalous
affair was the personal violence they perpetrated on the
old man to compel him to produce more money. When
they left him he was nearly dead from fright and the
blows they had dealt him. His non-appearance the next
morning as usual led his friend to make an investigation
of the cause, when he was found in his cabin prostrated
from the ill-treatment he had received from the robbers.
This unlooked-for event in his life discouraged him, caus-
ing him to feel that an innocent and harmless old man
had no safety in his own cabin. His being so cruelly
treated deprived him of all confidence in mankind, and
he had no longer a desire to live in a world where such
outrages were perpetrated. The consoling words of his
friend, who sympathized with him and expressed his de-
sire to remove him to his comfortable home and care for
him until his recovery, so gained the Scotchman's confi-
dence that he broke down in his long-kept purpose to
die with his life's history unrevealed, and accordingly
132
FROM A FOREST
related why he absented himself from society and lived a
hermit's life. Time has drawn his curtain of more than
half a hundred years between us and this event, and it is
probable that there are less than half a dozen citizens
who even have a dim recollection of this eccentric char-
acter. The version of the Scotchman's story was this:
From his childhood days his life had been devoted to
the worship of one he had early learned to love, when
they, in their youthful innocence, whiled away the hours
of ecstasy known only to childhood. The object of his
devotion was so frail a flower she early left him for a bet-
ter world, and ever after she filled his thoughts with
love for her. Though dead, he felt she was with him.
still. He resolved to leave Scotland and find some se-
cluded place in America where he would be free from all
his friends and early associations, and spend his life in
one uninterrupted thought of his young friend. Accord-
ingly he located his little home isolated from all com-
panions, except what mother nature gave him. The most
singular part of the story was the firmness of his belief
that his love was ever with him, although the world con-
sidered him as living a lonely hermit's life; yet he felt
the object of his affections was ever with him in his gar-
den walks. The favorite flowers which she loved in their
Scotland home, grew in the same beauty around his little
cabin. His life had been one of complete happiness, and
no power could convince him that she was not with him.
like a veritable presence. He felt his great mistake had
been in locating in so public a place. The year of the
TO A CITY.
133
cholera epidemic in Syracuse, the hermit was found dead
in his bed.
THE STREETS OF SYRACUSE.
Probably no department of our village and city munic-
ipal affairs has been so poorly managed as the matter of
the streets of Syracuse. Culpable negligence and unjusti-
fiable indifference have existed. It is now more than sixty
years since Syracuse was chartered a village, and still we
are vastly behind our neighboring cities in the condition
of our streets. Few cities have had to contend with more
natural disadvantages than Syracuse. Much of the cen-
tral portion of the city was originally a swamp and when
the water was drained off, the ground was still soft and
porous, so much so that every foot of Genesee street to
the higher lands on the east were first paved with logs of
wood to keep the horses and wagons from miring in the
soft soil. On nearly all the other streets the same diffi-
culties were encountered. Salina and Warren streets
were no exceptions, and in the early days were "hard
roads to travel." As an illustration of what these streets
have been it is said that at one time it was impossible to
make the trip from Onondaga Valley to Salina over the
road that is now Salina street before June as the road-
way made of brush and logs was under water until that
time, and in consequence those making the trip between
those two points were obliged to follow the hills in the
eastern part of the town around to Salina. While work-
men were engaged in excavating for the foundations for
the Washington Block on Salina street they could not
find a solid foundation in consequence of the filling up
134
FROM A FOREST
of this locality. When at the depth of fourteen feet be-
low the surface they came to the original soil where they
found the log road above mentioned in a good state of
preservation. Recently while excavating in front of a
block on Warren street several feet below the surface, a
row of fence posts were uncovered standing in line, which
at one time was a fence in front of a house when the
surface was several feet lower than now. Clinton street,
a part of which at one time was subject to inundations
from the creek has been raised several feet. West Onon-
daga street, when first laid out, was nearly impassable for
loaded teams in consequence of quicksand even at so
recent a date as 1847. After a heavy rain a horse that
had been driven by the side of the road near the junction
of Onondaga and Seymour streets became mired in the
quicksand and in his struggles to free himself was soon
so deep in the sand that his head only remained in sight.
He was shovelled out with much difficulty. Onondaga
street, which was originally in such a bad condition, was
made one of the best streets in the town by the employ-
ment of two men with their horses and carts who spent
six months in constant daily labor drawing cinders from
Mickles' furnace, then located at the foot of the hill at
the junction of the roads leading to Onondaga Hill and
Onondaga Valley, and covering the entire street to a
sufficient depth to make a solid foundation. For years
there was no better road in the town than the "cinder
road." In 1835 the first cobble stone pavements were
introduced. In that year the trustees of the village
called for an election to decide by vote whether Salina
TO A CITY.
135
street should be paved from the north line of Fayette
street to the south side of the canal, also to determine by
vote whether Salina street should be paved from the
north side of the canal to Church street and the south
side of Clinton Square from the west side of Salina street
to Clinton street, and at the same time to determine by
vote whether Genesee street from Warren street to Centre
square (now Fayette Park) should be paved. At that
date it was the custom of the people to vote upon the
question of paving the several streets that were contem-
plated, and those only were paved that had the requisite
number of votes. At this election it was determined to
pave only Salina street from Fayette to Church streets.
The contract was let to parties from Utica, N. Y., as at
that time there were no pavers here. Soon after Hanover
square was paved, as during the year 1834-35 it was
filled up to its present level with the great amount of
earth furnished from the excavations for the cellars of
the Franklin buildings, built in 1834, together with the
broken brick and debris from the ruins of the stores from
Salina to Warren streets, that were burned during the
great fire of 1834. Perhaps no better illustration can be
made of the great amount of filling in this square and
streets in its immediate vicinity than by referring to Van
Husen's blacksmith shop, located on the corner of Warren
and Genesee street. When it was built the sills were
about ten inches above the ground, and in the last few
years of its existence it was necessary to go down a steep
grade to enter the shop. Warren street remained but
little more than a country road until July 25th, 1837,
136
FROM A FOREST
when an ordinance was passed to plough out and pave
the gutters on Warren and Montgomery streets between
Jefferson and Genesee streets. North Warren street was
opened in 1832. Foot street (now James) was ploughed.
and turnpiked in 1828. In that year notices were posted
which read something as follows: "For the purpose of
improving the road on Foot street and for the purpose
of doing it with the best economy, any person needing
earth for filling up lots or other purposes may take it
from Foot street hill provided it be done in such a man-
ner as to leave the road bed level, and in all cases to be
taken between the stakes on each side of the road. By
order of the Board." August 9th, 1830, the following
ordinance was published: "The Trustees of the Village
deem it necessary to order side-walks on the several
streets hereinafter specified, viz.: On Salina street from
the Yellow brook (between Fayette and Jefferson streets)
to the canal. From the north side of Salina street to the
side cut, (Oswego canal) from that point on the east side.
of the street to the Court House. Also, from the bridge
at the red mill on Genesee street to Montgomery street
and from that point along the south side of Genesee
street to Centre Square, and on all sides of the public
squares. All of the above ordered walks must be laid in
such a manner as to leave six feet for cellarways." At
one time brick side-walks were the best in use. In front
of the better buildings brick eight inches square were
sometimes used, but more frequently common four by
eight brick. Unless great care was taken in laying the
walk, they would, after heavy rains yield to the pressure
TO A CITY.
137
when walked upon. The more recent tar or cement walk
is an improvement for a cheap walk.
GROVES AND FOREST TREES.
Of the many beautiful groves within the limits of
Syracuse in its early days only a few can be mentioned.
A most attractive one of noble pine trees situated near
Clinton street has been described. On the block north
of Fayette Park was a grove of tall trees which was
valuable for building timber. In former times hewed
timber was a necessity, as most of the saw-mills were
capable of sawing only short timber. Many of the first
houses built on West Genesee street were from timber
cut from this lot. Henry Gifford cut the trees himself
from this place for his first house, which he built on West
Genesee street. When this remnant of the forest was
cleared away, one of the first buildings erected on Fay-
ette Park was on the lot occupied by the late John
Crouse. Previous to the year of 1825, John Daniels
purchased this lot and built a public house, designed to
accommodate the transient travel on the great thorough-
fare of the Genesee turnpike. Mr. Daniels sold to Mr.
Luce who continued the same business for several years.
Harmon W. Van Buren and several of the first settlers in
Syracuse made this house their home until they pur-
chased homes of their own. I was informed by some of
them, that the first reading room ever established in
Syracuse was in this house. Should the question be
asked by whom the first nucleus of a circulating library
was formed, none would think of going farther back
than the so called Parish Library, which was formed and
138
FROM A FOREST
sustained by the united energies of Palmer Dyer, Rector
of St. Paul's Church, and L. H. Redfield, yet the one
above referred to antedates this by many years. Not-
withstanding that at first the rougher elements of society
were largely dominant in Syracuse and Salina, there were
a few men of culture who had moved in the higher circles
of society before coming to make homes among a rude
class who had no taste for refinement nor literature. Dr.
Kirkpatrick, who came here in 1806, and was for many
years superintendent of the Salt Springs, was one of
that number, who, feeling the need of the society to
which he had long been accustomed, was the first in
organizing the best element here into a circle which
though small, was of a refined, intellectual and literary
character. This little circle was composed of not more
than eight or ten members, of which Dr. Kirkpatrick
and Harvey Baldwin, then a young man, were the most
prominent. The Doctor had long been a regular sub-
scriber for the most popular English and Scotch reviews,
and to him was entrusted the office of supplying the
standard works, and it is said that to him belongs the
credit of bringing to Syracuse the first copy of Bulwer
Lytton's novel, Falkland, first published in 1827. Mr.
Luce furnished an ample room free of charge, and his
accomplished daughter had charge of the reading matter.
Once a month was held a social meeting for consultation
and conversation on literary subjects, and on these occa-
sions the popular landlord furnished a collation which
made these entertainments very enjoyable as well as profit-
able. Moses D. Burnet was among the first to locate here,
TO A CITY.
139
and he selected his home in a beautiful grove of walnut trees
located on a rise of ground on James street. The usual
way of reaching his house at that time was to follow the
tow-path of the canal until opposite his house, where
there was a road cut through the woods to the house.
There was also a grove of walnut trees left standing on
the corner of Lock and Pearl street, where St. John's
Church is now. This walnut grove consisted of small
straight trees several inches in diameter; all the under-
brush was cleared away and the trees made a beautiful
appearance, and were much prized by the owner, who
was a very eccentric character by the name of Sackett,
and then lived on North Salina street on the lot now
occupied by Parshall's hardware store. Mr. Sackett was
a man of wealth and a large owner of land, most of which
he had procured by the purchase of land-claims from
soldiers, some of whom after locating their claims were
so desirous of raising a little money that they sold out to
Sackett for fifty cents an acre, in some instances regret-
ting it very much thereafter. Notwithstanding Sackett's
well-to-do condition, he was very slovenly in his appear-
ance, and it was said that sometimes during the hot
weather he would wear an old sun bonnet to keep the
sun from shining in his face. The house he lived in was
unlike any that had ever been seen before and was ac-
counted for in this way: He had employed a contractor
to build him a house, which was to be finished by a
stated time. Sackett waited until he was out of patience
for the contractor to commence the job, but seeing no
evidence of his intention to perform his contract, agreed
140
FROM A FOREST
with another party to do the work which was to be com-
menced at once. When the frame was up and partly
enclosed, and before the expiration of the time agreed
upon with the first contractor, he made his appearance
with all the work, ready to be put up and completed.
within the time specified. Mr. Sackett was greatly
astonished and chagrined, and on inquiry, by the con-
tractor, as to where he would have his house placed, Mr.
Sackett after a few moments hesitation directed it to be
attached to the rear of the one that was then being built,
where ever afterwards it made a most comical appear-
ance. On account of his eccentricities he was made the
subject of many jokes, one of which I will relate. One
night a party of men took possession of his beautiful
grove and with their saws had felled every tree before
the dawn of day. This party was supposed to have been
headed by one who was smarting with regret over the
sale of some land claim for only a fraction of its value.
The largest grove was located south of James street and
contained thirty-five acres, the trees were tall and very
uniform in size. Public out-of-door meetings were some-
times held in this grove, such as Fourth of July gather-
ings, the last one occurred in 1845, when the Bedell Bros. -
who kept a hotel on Salina street north of where the
Malcolm Block is now, prepared a dinner in the grove at
which two or three hundred could be seated at the same
time. Soon after Green street was laid out through its
centre, and those who were fond of a shady retreat
located here for their homes. That some of these beau-
tiful groves could not have been preserved for a park
TO A CITY,
141
seems a misfortune, none of these wood covered plots
would have been so desirable for this purpose as Prospect
Hill; it seemed designed by nature for a park. Its
height, shape and location, were all the most favorable.
Originally it was forty or fifty feet higher than now, and
clothed with fine specimens of the forest. Terraces of
sufficient width for drives and walks could have been
constructed from base to summit. One-half of what is
to be expended on Burnet Park would have transformed
Prospect Hill with its original wooded heights into a
beautiful terraced mound. When our first Mayor, Harvey
Baldwin, delivered his speech on what should be in-
cluded within the limits of the city, and was indulging in
the flights of fancy he encircled our lake "with a wide
and splendid avenue, bordered with continued villas,
shady groves and hanging gardens." Had he proposed
Prospect Hill as the site of the hanging garden instead
of the lake shore, he would have been more practical.
This little mountain located near the center of our city,
designed by nature to be a "thing of beauty and joy
forever," with the waving branches of tall forest trees a
hundred feet above our streets, would have filled every
citizen with pride, when he reflected that no other city
had a similar attraction so near its center. Large sums
of money have been used, by different parties, to bring
Prospect Hill to its present level. Many feet of its
summit fill the depths of the old mill pond, and the soil
for many feet below the green turf of Armory Park was
taken from this hill top. Different companies have
labored with large forces of men and horses to fill up the
142
FROM A FOREST
valley between the two hills, with the vain hope predicted
by many, that the Capitol of the State would be located
here. Millions of dollars might have been saved to the
State if this had been accomplished. After several un-
successful attempts to obtain some legislative action on
the removal of the Capitol to a more central part of the
State, the most sanguine gave up all hope of ever seeing
the State Capitol located on Prospect Hill.
It was
mapped out into streets and lots, and the map filed in
the County Clerk's Office in 1856. Few villages had
more admiration for fine specimens of the native forest
than Syracuse. Only a few of these trees can be
mentioned. Genesee street was justly entitled to the
credit of the finest. One pine tree near the side-
walk opposite the High School building, was probably
the best specimen of the giants of the forest,—it was a
little over twelve feet in circumference and of a great
height. The means to convert it into timber were near at
hand, as a saw mill stood within its shadow. It must have
been reverenced for its greatness, as it was allowed to
stand so long in a public place. An equally fine speci-
men of the oak was standing near the side-walk in front
of where the Grand Opera House is built. A fine wal-
nut tree was standing in front of the present location of
Wieting Opera House. At that time Mr. Judson's jewel-
ry store was near by, and to this tree was nailed the
first jeweler's sign that appeared in Syracuse. A walnut
tree swung its wide, extended branches to the breeze
near the corner of James and Pearl strets. This tree
was made the subject of a comical joke. When North
TO A CITY.
143
Salina street was lined with cooper shops, there was great
competition and jealousy existing between the coopers of
the village and those of Cicero, the latter having the ad-
vantage of cheaper materials near at hand, and for this
reason could undersell the coopers of Syracuse. At that
time there was a row of salt blocks on the banks of the
Oswego canal which were furnished with barrels from
Cicero. One evening several long loads of barrels from
that place were left standing by the side of the road to
be unloaded the next morning at the blocks near by.
The jealous and irritated coopers of Salina street all turn-
ed out at a late hour of the night; some of them cut the
branches of this walnut tree in such a manner, that a
barrel with a part of the head knocked in could be hung
on the branches. The loads of barrels were all run un-
der the tree, one load being left for a scaffold, which was
covered with coopers handing up the barrels to those in
the tree. In a short time most of the many branches
upheld a barrel. The wagons were returned empty from
whence they were taken, and the next day the street was
filled with spectators to see the most comical sight that
could be imagined. It was claimed that this was the
first time a walnut tree was ever known to bear a crop of
salt barrels. Those citizens who have spent three score
or more years of life in Syracuse, can reflect on the many
changes they have seen,-industries springing into activ-
ity only to disappear. Forty or fifty years ago the roads
leading to Syracuse were lined with wagons thirty or
forty feet in length, with high racks filled with salt barrels
to be filled and sent to all parts of the country. For
144
FROM A FOREST
years this industry has ceased to be active. It is also
remarkable what circumstances have to do with localities
as well as with individuals. A good illustration is Pearl
street, which about seventy years ago was lined with one
story buildings and slab shanties, occupied at first by
those who dug the canal, and later by the first salt boilers.
At this time it was called "Whitehall," from the cir-
cumstance of these little dwellings being whitewashed
inside and out several times during the summer season,
as it was believed to be an antidote for the malaria then
so prevalent. It certainly gave the little homes a neat
appearance, and no doubt the inhalation of the vapor
from the lime had a beneficial effect upon the health of
the occupants. "Whitehall" only exists now in the
memory of very few. Fifty years ago Pearl street was
lined with one and a half story houses occupied by re-
spectable citizens. On the corner of Pearl and Willow
streets lived Dr. Parker, a man popular as a good physi-
cian and citizen. Recently I looked with astonishment
at the changes time had wrought in this locality.
one of the houses were left standing, but instead the
ground was covered with the railroad ties of the West
Shore road. Other localities, such as West Genesee
street between Clinton street and the creek, until a few
years ago remained with but little change, and even to-day
many of the original houses are still there. Rev. Dr.
Adams' house, that he first occupied in 1825, with many
others in its near vicinity, are still standing where they
were built sixty years ago.
Not
TO A CITY.
145
ONONDAGA CREEK AND OTHER STREAMS.
The few unassuming water courses which flow through
Syracuse are mere rivulets compared to some others, yet
they come in for their share of importance when the his-
tory of Syracuse is written. One of these, called the
Yellow brook, was once quite a formidable stream, but now
only exists in memory and even its precise location is a
matter of dispute among some of our older inhabitants.
It found its way from the hills in the eastern part of the
village, crossing, in its wanderings to Onondaga creek,
Genesee street near Forman Park, and passing in a cir-
cuitous route near the Jewish synagogue to the junction.
of Warren, Madison and Onondaga streets, where, near
the location of the Farmer Block, its waters filled a pool
of considerable size. From this point it crossed South
Salina street half way between Jefferson and Fayette
streets, whence it found its destination after crossing
Clinton street. The mouth of the stream, as it entered
the creek, was several rods in width. It is a problem of
Syracuse to-day how to fill the mouth of the city's poor,
but it was a greater problem in the early days of the vil-
lage how to fill the mouth of Yellow brook, and appro-
priations were made from time to time for this purpose,
and the few inhabitants felt the tax for this purpose
keenly. The banks of the small stream that continues
to flow in the western part of the city, known as Harbor
brook, were once covered with so dense a growth of
brush and brakes that it was almost impossible to pene-
trate it as the stream neared the lake. This brook is
connected with a bit of history which will be of interest
10
146
FROM A FOREST
to those not familiar with it. During colonial times the
King of England granted to Sir William Johnson, for
services during the French war, 100,000 acres of land
north of the Mohawk. When war was declared between
the colonies and the mother country, Sir William seemed
to love each alike, and felt he could not war with either.
When the time came that he must decide which he must
serve, he made a long and earnest speech on the situation.
A few hours afterward he died, and it was said by many
that he caused his own death to avoid warring with either
side. His son John inherited the immense estate and at
once took part with the Tories against the colonies,
whereupon his property was confiscated. He fled to
Canada, and, raising a large force, proceeded to the
Mohawk valley for revenge. The course of his army was
up the Oswego and Seneca rivers to our lake where they
were obliged to leave their boats, and, fearing that they
might be destroyed by the enemy, found a safe harbor
for them in the brook that was so thickly covered that
notwithstanding a party was sent from Rome, N. Y., to
destroy the boats of Sir John, they could not be found,
and for one hundred and ten years this stream has been
known as Harbor brook. Onondaga creek has been of
some advantage as power for machinery before the days
of steam, and has been of service for sewerage; it has
also been a great source of annoyance to us, without
doubt being the cause of much sickness and death. Large
sums have been spent to counteract this difficulty. The
first dam across the creek was built in 1805 where Gene-
see street crosses it, and was built of logs and earth in
TO A CITY.
147
such a way as to serve as a bridge and dam also. It was
swept away by a freshet in 1807 and rebuilt where Water
street crosses the creek. This dam was also of logs and
of a much larger capacity than was necessary, causing
the detention of a large body of water. At that time
Clinton street was not a straight street, but wound around
the mill pond. For many years there was much com-
plaint among the inhabitants of the village that the pond
caused much sickness in the place. So great was the
complaint that in 1825 a much smaller dam was built.
This did not entirely remove the difficulty, and as soon
as Syracuse became a city the first great work was to cut
a new channel for the creek and fill the old mill pond.
There has been no greater improvement made within the
limits of Syracuse, during my recollection, than the re-
claiming of nearly ten acres near the centre of the city
from a pond of water which constantly fluctuated in
filling the full capacity of its banks, and during dry
weather leaving bare a wide surface of mud and decaying
algae, filling the central part of the town with miasma.
Ague and fever was very prevalent. The filling in of the
mill pond with earth from Prospect hill employed a large
force of men and teams for several months, but the ad-
vantages were greatly in excess of the outlay. By this
means this immense frog pond was transformed into acres
of green turf, which was laid out in a beautiful park and
named Jefferson Park. Soon after an effort was made to
obtain appropriations from the State for an Armory.
After nearly $2,000 was raised by subscription, the State
appropriated $5,000, and the first Armory was built in
148
FROM A FOREST
1858. It was quite an unassuming structure for so fine a
location. In 1871 it was destroyed by fire, and the fol-
lowing year the present building was erected at a cost of
$80,000, and the name of the park was changed to
Armory Park, which was then inclosed with a substantial
iron fence. A part of the tract reclaimed from the old
pond is now occupied by an extensive coal yard, also the
D. L. & W. R. R. depot and freight office, besides many
other substantial buildings. In making a new channel
for the creek its course through the city was greatly
shortened, as the original channel was exceedingly ser-
petine. South of Onondaga street, so far as the sanitary
effects were concerned, an evil greater than the first was
created, as the old channel remained filled with water
without a current. These conditions were most unfavor-
able to the health of the inhabitants of that part of the
town. So frequent were malarial fevers that during some
portions of the year one-half of the inhabitants on Baker
street were shaking with the ague, and many on South
Salina street suffered from the same cause. Repeated
petitions were made to the Common Council for relief.
Some of the greatest sufferers brought the matter before
the Grand Jury for indictment as a nuisance, and upon
the testimony of the best physicians, including Drs. Clary
and Shipman, as to the sickness caused by these stagnant
pools, the bed of the old channel was indicted as a
nuisance, but for some cause there were no further legal
proceedings. The Mayor called a public meeting as to
the sense of the citizens, whether a tax should be levied
for the purpose of filling the old channel south of Onon-
TO A CITY.
149
daga street. This meeting was attended by a large num-
ber of citizens, the city hall was filled to its utmost
capacity and a great interest was felt by those present.
The meeting was opened by a prominent lawyer residing
on West Onondaga street, who, in his usual earnest and
eloquent manner, presented the facts concerning the dis-
tress and sickness caused by the stagnant water in the
old channel of the creek, and, to support his argument,
referred to the testimony of the prominent physicians
before the Grand Jury by which an indictment had been
granted. An unexpected opposition arose from a strong
party from the First and Second Wards, denouncing the
proposed outlay in the strongest possible terms, stating
that large sums had been expended in filling the
mill pond and cutting new channels, and that compe-
tent judges estimated that it would cost twice
much to fill the old channel as it cost to construct
the new, and that the people of the First and Second
Wards were tired of being taxed for further improve-
ments for one side of the city, until something was
done for their relief, as they were equal sufferers from
the influence of the creek, that the southern and central
portions of the city drained their filth into the creek, and
that it was caused by the current to lodge in the many
bends of the stream, and there pollute the atmosphere of
their section of the city, and that they felt it was their
turn to have the channel straightened in their locality
before any further outlay was made. These points were
well taken, and most forcibly presented. The discussion
then became general and sharp, and speeches were made
as
150
FROM A FOREST
on both sides, which had a tendency to irritate, particu-
larly those from the north side, who from the first had
manifested a bad spirit. The feeling had become so in-
tense between the two parties, that it looked as if the
meeting would break up in confusion, when Charles
Andrews gained the floor and with a heart always over-
flowing with kindness, delivered one of the most concila-
tory speeches I ever heard, in which he said that there
should be no north nor south, that we were one people,
and if any part was suffering from any cause, we should
all sympathize and work to remove that cause. Mr.
Andrews' speech was well received by all, seeming to be
like "oil on the troubled waters," but the meeting ad-
journed with but little accomplished. The following winter
the Legislature appointed commissioners known as the
Onondaga creek commission, who employed George
Geddes to make surveys and report in his judgment the
best means of improving the course of the creek to the
lake. In the spring of 1867 the creek was troublesome
in flooding its banks with an unusual freshet. The flats
south of Onondaga street were under water, which
reached as far as Salina street. The barns of the Oakwood
street railway company, which had been erected the year
before, and the houses near the creek on West Adams
street were flooded, and the water was four feet deep in
the parlors and living rooms of the brick gothic house
standing near the creek on Adams street, the plank side-
walk on Clinton near Onondaga street was afloat. The
water was eighteen inches above the arches of the Onon-
daga street bridge. While several people were standing
TO A CITY.
151
on the bridge and viewing the great mass of water strug-
gling to find its way under the arches, a sight was wit-
nessed that shocked the strongest nerve. A boy who had
built a raft from the floating boards to take a sail on the
wide expanse of waters, had been so indiscreet as to ven-
ture too near the strong current of the stream, in which
he was caught, and was completely powerless, being car-
ried along at a rapid rate in the centre of the stream,
where he made his appearance but a few rods above the
filled arches of the bridge, under which it seemed certain
that he must plunge, and he, with all beholders felt that
for his life there could not be a ray of hope. At that
moment he was carried near a few twigs that hung from
a small tree on the bank, and with a desperation known
only to those who stare death in the face, sprang and
caught the frail twigs and unexpectedly to himself and
all who saw him, pulled himself to safety in the main
branches of the tree, although it was trembling from the
immense pressure of the water and was liable to give way
any minute, he felt himself most providentially saved.
from what seemed certain death. He was rescued by
Frank Billings, who constructed a raft and with a long
rope, floated it under the tree and rescued the poor little
fellow. The flood of that year was succeeded by ex-
treme low water, and this condition was regarded by Mr.
Geddes as most favorable for his calculations.
He ex-
hausted the appropriation of $1,000 in surveys and maps,
and he proposed to lower the bed of the creek by a cut
that would average six and a half feet deep, and to put
into this cut a timber floor made of plank four inches.
152
FROM A FOREST
thick, twenty-eight feet long, laid across the channel,
close together, and connected by iron dowels. On the
ends of these planks build stone walls, without mortar,
made of heavy stone, and four feet thick on the bottom
sloping three inches to the foot on the face sides, and
perpendicular on the bank sides-these walls to be six
feet high. This would make a trunk twenty feet wide
on the bottom, and twenty-three feet wide on the top,
having a smooth plank floor. The bottom of this sewer,
as it may be called, would rise in the sixty chains from
Spencer street to the canal, five feet and a quarter; and
the water running in it when it is six feet deep will have
a velocity of four and three-quarters miles to the hour.
The estimated cost was $135,108. The increase of
taxation that followed the bonding for the two railroads,
the Northern and the Chenango Valley roads was so
great that nothing since has been done.
ONONDAGA LAKE.
The lake into which these waters flow is a beautiful
sheet, about five miles in length from the mouth of On-
ondaga Creek to its outlet into Seneca River, and of
about the average breadth of one mile and a half. Its
southerly margin is sandy and in many places marshy
and its water shallow, but at a distance of from two to
four hundred feet from shore it abruptly increases in
depth one hundred feet or more. It is largely fed by
subterranean springs several of which are easily identified
by the extremely low temperature of the water in their
vicinity, even in the warmest weather. The existence of
these large fresh water springs so near our well known

TO A CITY.
153
and abundant reservoirs of salt water is a geological
peculiarity not yet fully explained. We give here a cut
showing a transverse section of the ancient Onondaga
Valley before it was partly filled with drift. Also giving
the thickness of the several strata, ascertained by boring
salt wells at the lake.
5
B
6
7
330 FT.
DEP THOF VALLEY 8
1 Black muck, five feet 2 Marl, five feet. 3 Blue clay, five feet. 4
Fine sand, three feet. 5 Gravel, alternating from coarse to fine, one hun-
dred and forty feet. 6 Dark brown sand, one hundred and fifty-five feet.
7 Gravel, compact and cemented, twenty feet. 8 Hard-pan, the primary
formation on the bottom of the valley. A A A Sides and bottom of ancient
valley excavated in red shale. B Alluvium filling the valley. D Onon-
daga Lake. E Surface of the lake.
The geology of our county is more interesting than
almost any other part of the state. The best geologists
claim that we are living in a valley that has been partly
filled during some period of the earth's history. Mr.
Vanuxem in his geology says, "the real depth of the
ancient Onondaga Valley cannot but be a matter of con-
jecture, as its present known depth shows that its outlet
has been covered up by alluvium sand and rolled
stones, with the exception of that part occupied by
the lake. That the surface of the original valley was
of red sand stone, the same as crops out on the shores
154
FROM A FOREST
of Lake Ontario." To the circumstance of the closing
up of this vast basin we are indebted for our immense
brine reservoir. The providential circumstances that
have preserved our salt interests are most remarkable.
Had it not been for the thin layer of marl and hard
pan placed at the bottom of our lake, thus dividing
the salt and fresh water, we should have a salt lake.
Within a few weeks the great mystery has been solved
where the rock salt beds were located. In 1820 the
legislature passed an act authorizing Major Byington to
bore for rock salt, the state to pay him two cents.
per bushel premium on all salt dug, used, or manufac-
tured from such rock salt for ten years. His efforts to
find rock salt were confined to the hills east of Salina.
Great credit is due Mr. Vanuxem, who published a work
in 1842, including the geology of our county, in which
he gives reasons for believing that the rock salt must
exist south of where the borings had yet been made, and
from his suggestions I believe rock salt has recently been
found in the vicinity indicated by this geologist.
Our beautiful lake has attracted many to its shores,
some for pleasure and others to seek recreation in a boat
ride upon its usually quiet and placid surface. Many
have been drowned in its waters, some under the saddest
circumstances. Of these I will only mention two unusu-
ally sad cases of drowning, which at the time filled the
whole town with sorrow and sympathy. These cases are
separated by a period of fifty-seven years. The first is
remembered now by only a very few. When the manu-
facture of salt was commenced here much the same
TO A CITY.
155
•
interest was manifested as in the California gold mines in
1849, men of wealth and culture being sometimes attract-
ed here. Among this class first to make a home in Liver-
pool, then only a small clearing in the woods, was
Jonathan P. Hicks, who soon became a well-known and
prominent business man in our county. In 1821 Mrs.
Hicks's sister, Miss Louisiana Mathews, came from her
home in Johnstown, N. Y., for a visit. Miss Mathews
was a very accomplished and beautiful young lady.
There was also a highly respected and worthy young
man living in Liverpool named Harvey Hawley, who
became acquainted with Miss Mathews and married her.
In a few weeks after, they left Liverpool, on the 2d of
January, 1822, to attend the wedding of Mrs. Hawley's
brother at Johnstown. This journey was a great under-
taking at that season of the year, as many deep and dark
forests must be encountered, and sometimes the roads
could only be kept by blazed trees (a white spot made
on trees by removing the bark with a hatchet). At that
date such a journey was attended by perils and hardships
unknown to the present age. They left Liverpool in a
severe snow storm, expecting to be absent about three
weeks. After an absence of six weeks, Mrs. Hicks wrote
to her brother in Johnstown to discover why they re-
mained away so long. Two weeks were required to
receive a reply, which was to the effect that they had
not been there, and that the Johnstown friends supposed
they were in Liverpool. Suspecting what might have
happened, as soon as the snow was thawed from the ice
search was made, which resulted in finding one corner of
156
FROM A FOREST
the trunk above the ice and within the distance of a few
feet the horse and cutter. About five feet from the cut-
ter Mr. Hawley was found and Mrs. Hawley was dis-
covered entangled in the reins between the horse and
dashboard. It was supposed that on account of the
snow storm Mr. Hawley became confused, driving over
some thin ice that had formed over a space cut away by
the fishermen for their nets. The place on the lake
where they were found is but a few feet above where the
R. W. & O. R. R. crosses the Oswego canal, and was
near the shore where the water was but six or eight feet
deep. This accident filled a large circle of relatives and
friends with sadness at the time, and brought to every
reflective mind the uncertainty of life. This young and
accomplished couple, filled with hope and anticipation
of a long and happy life which seemed to spread out
before them, in which to enjoy each other's society,
were, without a moment's warning or a parting good-bye,
plunged into a cold and icy grave. To-day, those who
stroll through the cemetery at Liverpool may see their
quiet resting place, and upon a marble slab that has been
beaten by the storms of three score years and seven, this
simple inscription:
HARVEY HAWLEY,
aged 28 years;
LOUISIANA, his wife,
aged 18 years,
Departed this life January 2, 1822.
"They were lovely and pleasant in their lives,
and in their death they were not divided.”
TO A CITY.
157
After this date he traveled
An equally sad accident happened on June 20, 1879,
by which Alfred T. Sanford and Miss Olive C. Holmes
were drowned in Onondaga lake, near Lake View. Mr.
Sanford was a son of Prof. H. H. Sanford, once a mem-
ber of the faculty of the Syracuse University. Miss
Holmes was the daughter of Judge S. N. Holmes of this
city. These parties were from highly respected families
of Syracuse, accomplished and carefully educated. Mr.
Sanford graduated from the High School in 1873, and
from the University in 1877.
in Europe, completing some of his studies in Germany.
At the time of the accident he was a student at the Madi-
son Theological Seminary. Mr. Sanford was a scholar
of rare ability, and a nephew of Benjamin F. Taylor, the
poet. Miss Holmes was a student at the High School,
and a very beautiful and accomplished young lady. Mr.
Sanford had just returned home for a short visit, and
together with Mr. Arthur L. Howes, had invited the two
daughters of Mr. Tolmes to take a boat ride on the lake.
Accordingly they, rocured boats at the Salina pier, and
had made the trip safely across the lake, where they made
a landing, and after a short ramble on the shore they
proposed to go to another part of the lake in search of
water lilies, and pulled away from the shore, keeping
ten or fifteen rods apart. While attempting to change
places in the boat it capsized, owing to its exceedingly
frail and treacherous construction, and the parties were
thrown into the water, and Mr. Howes made all possible
haste to their rescue. When he arrived at the spot his
boat was under such speed that it was carried by, and
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FROM A FOREST
before he could return the couple were seen to sink,
clasped together. Mr. Howes dove into the water and
made every effort to find them, but on account of the
great depth of the water at this point he could not see
them. Mr. Howes and the sister of the unfortunate
young lady made haste home to bring the sad news.
When it became known through the city, many repaired.
at once to the lake to render all assistance possible in
recovering the bodies. Much sympathy was felt for the
bereaved families, particularly that of Mr. Holmes, as
five years previous one of his daughters met a violent
death from the falling of the floor of the parlors of the
Central Baptist Church during a festival. When the
accident happened at the church, the young lady who
was drowned was seated on a sofa, eating ice-cream, and
when the floor went down she was saved from death by
falling in such a manner as to be protected by the sofa.
There were some circumstances connected with the
drowning that the superstitious would have thought re-
markable. When the boat ride w proposed by the
young men, Miss Olive seemed to be ac once filled with
apprehensions of danger. So strong and increasing were
these forebodings that she went to her mother for counsel,
who advised her to suggest a carriage ride around the
lake instead. This proposition was strongly opposed by
the young men and the sister, and she was informed
there could be no danger, as the men were both expert
swimmers, Mr. Sanford stating that he once swam from
Lake View to the Salina landing without difficulty. She
then very reluctantly consented, but still felt strong mis-
TO A CITY.
159
givings as to safety. It was said that Mr. Sanford had
just completed his first sermon, which he was to preach
the next day, and in which, as an illustration, he had
given a description of a drowning man. The efforts to
recover the bodies of these unfortunate parties were
unceasing, but they were not found until the eleventh day.
The body of Miss Holmes was first discovered by her
father, a mile distant from where the accident occurred.
THE EPIDEMIC AND ENDEMIC DISEASES OF THE VILLAGE
OF SYRACUSE."
The advent of the cholera in Syracuse in 1832 was not
the sudden outbreak of an unexpected epidemic, but as
an anticipated deadly scourge that was most sure to visit
us, and from which there was but little hope of escape.
It seemed an epidemic destined to travel over the whole
world. It originated in 1817 in the delta of the Ganges,
near Calcutta, and drew nearer our shores every year. It
ravaged the fairest portions of the world, and its victims.
seemed as numerous as the sands on the seashore. Its
march had been as rapid as the shadows of the sun-dial,
and it had clothed in sackcloth every city, village and
hamlet through which it passed. In 1831 it spread over
most of central Europe, appearing in England in October,
and in January 1832 in Edinburgh. It first appeared on
this side of the Atlantic in Quebec and Montreal on the
10th of June, 1832. The newspapers published the full-
est account of its ravages, very much to the discomfort
and alarm of a large class of naturally apprehensive and
timid people. The Board of health may yet think best,
160
FROM A FOREST
on the approach of such alarming epidemics, to advise
the suppression of the full particulars of the frightful loss.
of life as it was claimed in cases in Syracuse, that fear
rendered some more susceptible to the disease. The
cholera commenced in New York on the first of July,
and from that time until the first of September was em-
phatically the reign of the most awful pestilence that was
ever known in that city. In sixty days there were over
three thousand deaths from cholera, and the population.
at that time being only slight in comparison to what it is
to-day. As soon as it became known in Syracuse that
the dreaded disease had commenced its work of death so
near as Montreal, the people were at once active in mak-
ing preparations to meet it, by taking all sanitary pre-
cautions, in cleaning yards and streets as far as possible.
A meeting of the freeholders of the village was called on
the 20th of June, 1832, for considering the best means to
be pursued. They resolved to station two competent
persons at Teall lock (so called) with directions to ex-
amine every boat from the east, and should they find any
sick to stop the boat until the sick could be examined by
a physician from the village and then proceed according
to the physicians directions. They also resolved that
the physicians of Syracuse should constitute a board of
health for said village. It was resolved at this meeting
that the trustees be empowered to borrow a sufficient.
sum of money, not exceeding one thousand dollars on
the credit of the inhabitants of the village, to be ex-
pended, or any part thereof, for the benefit of the health
of the village. A meeting of the trustees was called,
TO A CITY.
161
when they resolved to divide the village into four wards.
In the First ward, Silas Ames and E. B. Wicks were to
have charge. Second ward, Henry Raynor and Theo-
dore Ashley. Third ward, Paschal Thurber and B. C.
Lathrop. The names of the Fourth ward I do not re-
member. One of the duties of this committee was to
cause a quantity of lime to be kept in each ward at all
times, and that liberal use be made of it wherever they
deemed necessary. On the 25th of June the board of
trustees of the village of Syracuse adopted the following
resolutions: Whereas, a disease commonly called Asiat-
ic Cholera exists in Quebec, Now, whereas in pursuance
of authority to us given by the Governor of the state by
proclamation, we, with a view to prevent the introduction
of the disease into Syracuse, order as follows:-No canal
boat having any person on board sick with cholera shall
approach within one mile of the village, unless such boat
has first performed a quarantine of fifteen days or until
Dr. George Hooker or any other appointed physician
shall certify that no such cholera patient be on board."
The board of trustees petitioned the Governor, to appoint
and commission Dr. Jonathan Day of the village of Syra-
cuse to proceed forthwith to Montreal, for the purpose of
ascertaining the best mode of treatment to be employed
for cholera patients. Dr. Day's visit to the cholera
stricken city of Montreal was short, and without any sat-
isfactory results. Yet it was illustrative of the confidence
the people of Syracuse reposed in the medical fraternity.
Fifty-seven years have passed by since that occurrence,
and yet this epidemic possesses a character which has
11
162
FROM A FOREST
hitherto defied all the researches of philosophy, and with
our present measure of information respecting such dis-
eases, it is scarcely to be presumed that we could possess
the means to prevent it if our resources were so extensive
as to be limited only by the measure of possibility. Who,
in the exercise of his senses, would pretend to arrest the
march of influenza or measles? And yet those diseases.
were known and described two thousand years ago. We
may as well confess our ignorance at first as at last. The
most intelligent physician or natural philosopher knows
no more of their causes than the peasant or the arti-
zan. The only difference between them is, that the one
can conceal his ignorance in terms of science, while the
other is obliged of necessity to confess it. Nature will
sometimes reveal her secrets at the stern demand of
science, yet there are some secrets she stubbornly refuses
to make known, and epidemic cholera is one of these.
The air has been tortured in vain to reveal the secrets,
no sidereal, telluric, nor appreciable atmospheric changes.
have been satisfactorily connected with its endemic or
epidemic appearance; bacteria, animalcule and fungus
growth have been equally unable to account for it. Of
its primary cause the world with all its science and
M. D.'s is yet unable to account for the cholera. The
first case of cholera occurred in Syracuse on the 17th of
July, the victim being a laborer, living on Clinton street.
The day had been very hot and the man had drank freely
of cold water, which was given as a reason for his death,
but the next day another case occurred which proved
fatal in twelve hours, and was so well defined that there
TO A CITY.
163
could be no doubt of its being cholera.
The Rev. Nelson
J. Gilbert preached the funeral sermon. The follow-
ing evening he was stricken down with the disease, and
died within a few hours. This circumstance seemed to
be evidence that the cholera was contagious, and there
were few, if any funeral services held thereafter. Mrs.
Gilbert was attacked with the same disease within a
few hours of her husband's death. Dr. Day attended
both cases which seemed precisely alike in every res-
pect. The doctor allowed the free use of ice-water in
Mrs. Gilbert's case during the first stages, until she be-
came too weak to swallow. Though there were indica-
tions of death, such as cold limbs, the eyes set, and a
seemingly unconscious condition, life continued and she
finally recovered. Dr. Day was in hopes that he had
found in the ice-water what would be useful in other
cases, but in this he was disappointed. Two domestics
in the Gilbert family left as soon as they found that
cholera was in the house, but both died within a day or
two. After these cases there was no disguising the fact
that the fearful disease was establised in Syracuse, and
from the popularity of Mr. Gilbert and his temperate and
regular habits, it proved that the disease was no respecter.
of persons, and was not, as had been reported, largely
confined to the lower classes of intemperate people.
Cases in rapid succession occurred in different parts of
the village, also in the hotels where guests from New
York and Albany were staying. The number of deaths
daily increased and furnished much work for the under-
takers. Alarm and dismay seized a large class of the
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FROM A FOREST
inhabitants, and with the increase of fear the disease also
seemed to increase. The two officials stationed at Teall's
lock, for the purpose of establishing a quarantine, had
detained several well filled boats (it must be remembered
that at that time nearly all travel was confined to the
canal boats). Much complaint arose among the pas-
sengers and the captains of the boats about being com-
pelled to be thus detained to perform quarantine in an
inland town. While this matter was being discussed be-
tween the owners of the boats and the officers of Syra-
cuse, another serious matter came up for consideration.
The canal boat "Western Barque" which had left Albany
after the cholera had appeared in that city, had made its
way westward as far as Utica, with about sixty passen-
gers, composed of English, Swiss and Irish emigrants.
The boat was said to have become very foul, and the
large number confined under the low decks of a canal
boat, afforded the most perfect conditions for a pesti-
lence. The captain was the first to succumb to the
cholera; within six hours after the beginning of the
attack, and by the time the boat was stopped at Syra-
cuse, there were several dead and others sick. Mr. Gould,
the grave digger, was at once informed that he must
increase his forces, as he must furnish graves for others.
besides the citizens of Syracuse. Another boat, "The
Columbia," had on board over fifty passengers. The
cholera made its appearance when near Utica, and on
arrival in Syracuse six persons had died. They were
buried in the old burying ground west of Clinton street.
The Board of Health, together with the more intelligent
citizens, became alarmed at this feature of the case, and
TO A CITY.
165
at once decided to raise the quarantine and allow the
boats to proceed as fast as possible on their way through
Syracuse to their destination. An attempt to fulfil the
law of quarantining every boat, according to Governor
Troop's proclamation, would soon establish an immense.
hospital and concentrate in our midst a condition, the
consequences of which could be nothing less than appall-
ing. During the days of the greatest number of deaths,
the bodies were buried after midnight and the rumbling
of the wheels on the streets at night filled the minds of
many with more fear than though the true number of
deaths had been known to them, as they were apprehen-
sive that an effort was being made to suppress the true
conditions. Such a time is a good school in which to
study human nature. While some were nearly frantic
with fear, others were as cool and indifferent as if noth-
ing unusual was transpiring around them. Of the several
resident physicians of Syracuse, Dr. Day was by far the
most popular. He was well educated in his profession,
and possessed a sympathetic nature, and unlike the phy-
sicians of to-day, spent his whole time, as far as possible,
with the sick, to watch for himself the effects of the
remedies prescribed. By such a course, together with his
kind words of hope and encouragement he endeared him-
self to his patrons, and when he was stricken down with
this destroyer, many seemed to feel that they were left to
the mercy of the disease. Yet to all appearance the death
rate was no greater after his death, and it is probable that
had there not been a physician in Syracuse, the death
rates during the cholera siege would not have been in-
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FROM A FOREST
creased, as no effectual remedy was ever found. Many
experiments were tried by the empirics without effect.
One remedy being to heat a bushel of salt to a tempera-
ture just below that of burning the flesh of the victim,
and when the cold stage of the disease made its appear-
ance, to place the heated salt and the patient in a sheet
and roll them together snugly. Although ingenious, this
procedure would not restore to the system that heat
which sustains life. In other cases they were not a few,
some of those having no friends nor families to look after
them, crawled away in some salt block or out of the way
place and contended single handed with the monster,
sometimes coming off victorious, and their cadaverous
countenance and personal appearance showing what they
had suffered. The above doubt in the efficacy of the
physician's remedies may be criticised, but in support of
the statement I will quote as high authority, James R.
Manley resident physician of the city of New York dur-
ing both years of the cholera in that city, and at that
date one of New York's most eminent practitioners, in
a memorial addressed to the Legislature of the state of
New York, April 17th, 1833, upon the cause and treat-
ment. We give space for only a few lines of this most in-
teresting and able essay. "Cause :-A frank confession
of ignorance is always more becoming than a labored
attempt to conceal it. The world has been amused for
centuries by speculations on the causes of epidemics, and
to this hour we are as ignorant as those who lived three.
thousand years ago. We can arrange facts, we can frame
analogies, copy tables of temperature, measure by the
TO A CITY.
167
ingenuity of dial plates the humidity of the atmosphere,
note its weight, measure its density; nay we may and
have ascertained its component parts with a precision
which leaves no room for deception, in so far as the con-
stituents are cognizable by our senses; and after all what
information have we acquired which we can apply to
practice in enabling us to control the agency of the still
unknown cause? We have satisfied ourselves that there
are agents whose force we cannot measure, and whose
power we therefore cannot appreciate.
The gaseous
materials which enter into the composition of our atmos-
phere we have analyzed, but there are also constituents.
so subtle that the gases compared with them, are ponder-
ous masses of brute matter, and for all our knowledge to
the contrary mere instruments through which these sub-
tle agents operate. Our knowledge of meteorology is
very limited, and can never become very extensive, inas-
much as the agents most efficient in producing the
changes in our atmosphere are precisely those whose
nature we cannot examine, and whose properties we can-
not therefore fully estimate. All that is left to us then,
is honestly to confess our impotence, and confine our-
selves within the scope of our known powers. Of the
cause of the epidemic we know nothing. Treatment:-
It is unfortunate for humanity and not less so for the
interests of science, that seasons of great public distress
from pestilence are those in which fraud and imposture
are most successful. Where there is no opportunity for
examination into facts and especially where there is no
ability to reason from or improve them; assertion will
168
FROM A FOREST
readily pass for truth and impudent pretension for scien-
tific acquirement. Every country under heaven which
cholera has visited presents the same sickening details of
fraud and imposture; and it is not to be expected that it
is within the scope of possibility to enumerate the reme-
dies to which the cure of this disease has been confided.
Among the profession themselves, and those of them too,
who may of right claim distinction, a most unaccountable
discrepancy of opinion and practice has prevailed."
When the doctors disagree who shall decide?
cuse.
Salina, what is now the First and Second wards, then
contained quite as large a population as Syracuse. The
cholera was equally destructive there and perhaps in
1834 a greater number of deaths occurred than in Syra-
Mr. Hill, a resident of Salina, returning home at
nine o'clock one evening, passed a neighbor's house con-
taining a family of five who were all well. The next
morning he saw there was trouble, and calling found
three of the five dead, whom he had seen in apparent
health only a few hours before. Such cases were not
uncommon. A portion of the people kept on with their
business as usual, while a large number would congregate
on the street corners relating the death of friends and
neighbors. Fear compelled many to leave the place, in
fact, all who could get away, left for Onondaga and Pom-
pey Hills and other elevated places. Truly it was a sad
time. Mr. Campbell, the sexton at Salina, was kept busy
with his old dilapidated hearse, with its narrow box of
plain boards painted black, an object frightful enough to
strike terror to the bravest heart. This was on the street
TO A CITY.
169
day and night. When a person died they were rolled up
in their clothing, laid in their coffin, and thus found their
resting place. Every countenance wore the expression
of seriousness. The voices of mirth and merriment were
everywhere hushed, and sadness and gloom seemed to hang
like a pall over the town. Among the most prominent
victims I still remember, were Dr. Kirkpatrick, Anson
Richmond, uncle to Dean Richmond, I. Dunscombe,
Wm. Smith and wife, a very highly respected young man
named Holcombe, Dr. Jonathan Day and Rev. N. J. Gil-
bert. The whole number of deaths in Syracuse from
cholera I do not think was ever known, as records during
that exciting time if kept at all must have been far from
accurate. It would be safe to place the number at one
hundred during the two years of 1832-4. The year of
1833 was an unusually healthy one, there being but
seventeen deaths, nine of that number were less than one
year old. The population of Syracuse in 1832 was 3100,
with eleven practicing physicians, prominent among whom
were Drs. Day, J. W. Hanchett, George Hooker, Lyman
Clary, James Foran, R. R. Davis and Hiram Hoyt.
Among those most affected by fear were Mr. Holcombe
and Dr. Kirkpatrick, both gentlemen of refinement and
culture. The village of Syracuse probably never con-
tained a man of more rare qualities than Dr. Kirkpatrick.
He was a graduate of Princeton College, N. J., and first.
settled in Whitestown, N. Y., where after ten years of
practice he felt a growing desire to abandon a profession
which required him to constantly mingle with those in
pain and suffering. Notwithstanding his education was
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FROM A FOREST
of the highest order, acquired by years of close applica-
tion to study, he resolved to discontinue the practice of
medicine, and accept the office of Superintendent of the
Onondaga Salt Springs, which position he filled with
ability for a period of more than twenty years. His leis-
ure hours were devoted to study and research, there being
but little of interest in the world made known by the
press which escaped his notice. When the cholera scourge
made its appearance in Central Europe and other
places, he was at once interested and thus became
acquainted with its dangers. He had read accounts of
its ravages in the island of Java the previous year, how
many persons attacked died within an hour and some
in twenty minutes, and that in many instances no time
was allowed to administer remedies of any kind, many
of the laboring poor dying on the streets. He well un-
derstood its nature and history, how at one time it was
found creeping along with slow and steady pace, 'through
a country at an average rate of thirty miles per day, and
at another time bursting out in the midst of a devoted
city containing a million of souls, with the violence of an
surcharged volcano, leaving its dismayed inhabitants con-
founded in all their speculations on the cause of a fatality
that numbered the living with the dead, at the rate of
one thousand a day when operating in the fullness of its
deadly powers, which was literally true in the city of
Paris. In the city of Mexico, with a population of about
200,000, the deaths at one period, were 700 per day.
Accounts like these would cause a man with a nervous
temperament like Dr. Kirkpatrick, to be dismayed at the
TO A CITY.
171
danger which was daily carrying to the grave numbers of
his friends and neighbors. He was also deprived of that
hope and confidence which sustain some in the belief
that death is only the gateway to a more beautiful and
happy existence. On the contrary, it was said of him
that the thought of death brought an awful horror, the
idea of exchanging this beautiful world, with its sunshine.
and flowers, its songs of birds and the love of friends, to
sleep in the dark, cold grave. "To lie in cold obstruction
and to rot," was to Dr. Kirkpatrick, as with the re-
nowned Dr. Johnson, too horrible to contemplate. It
was said that a near neighbor came rushing into Dr.
Kirkpatrick's house in great alarm to borrow a syringe,
as a member of his family had cholera. It was believed
at that time to be a contagious disease, Dr. Kirkpatrick
felt that by this circumstance he had been exposed, the
person coming directly from the bedside of the patient.
This so affected his mind, that he was taken sick and
died in a few hours. I have heard this case alluded to
as here stated by Drs. Foran and Hiram Hoyt, as showing
the effects of mind upon the body. On the last Sunday
in July of 1834 more cholera victims were buried than
on any other one day in that year. Theodore Ashley
having charge of ten funerals of which number seven
were assigned to Charles F. Williston, who was appren-
ticed to Mr. Ashley to learn the cabinet makers trade.
In those days cabinet makers performed all the duties
which have since been assigned to undertakers.
From its earliest days to the present time Syracuse has
been most fortunate in escaping epidemic diseases, the
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FROM A FOREST
cholera above described being the only occurrence of
this most to be dreaded affliction. Some evidence will
be offered to show that Syracuse, aside from the preval-
ence of one endemic disease, is more healthy than any
other part of the county or even the state. Onondaga
and Pompey Hills and other elevated portions of the
county, are credited with being more healthy by far than
Syracuse, yet this might be difficult to establish as a fact
as these localities have suffered by what appeared to be
local epidemics, while Syracuse has escaped. About
1830 a fever of a low grade visited Pompey Hill and
afflicted many of its inhabitants; it was considered con-
tagious and in many instances proved fatal. So trouble-
some was this malady that Dr. Stearns wrote a lengthy
article at the time in description of its character. About
1845 the elevated locality of Otisco was afflicted by a
disease called "black tongue," which was so prevalent that
it caused great alarm among the people. It made its ap-
pearance in the district schools which were discontinued,
and Mr. Loomis, a teacher, died with the disease. The
most destructive epidemic that ever occurred in this
county was in 1828, when it appeared in every variety of
grade, from the mildest to the most stubborn and malig-
nant affection, and undoubtedly resulted from animal
and vegetable decomposition. In July of that year im-
mense rainfalls had occurred and the county was com-
pletely deluged with water, the ensuing weather was
extremely hot and with this state of things the epidemic
commenced its ravages. During the spring of 1834,
Onondaga Hill was visited with scarlatina, which pre-
TO A CITY.
173
vailed there with malignity, the population at that time.
being 400 and in so small a number as many as fifty or
sixty cases appeared, in some instances proving fatal in
thirty-six hours. The winter had been very unusual for
its mildness, the month of February was without a storm
and as warm as April. What was most remarkable dur-
ing this period of epidemic diseases Syracuse was in un-
usual health. The object of thus referring to the health-
fulness of our surrounding locality, is to strengthen the
belief that the health of the inhabitants of Syracuse is
protected to a greater extent than we are aware by the
Saline influences in our atmosphere. This subject has
been too much neglected by the medical profession.
Syracuse hardware dealers find that it is not safe to
expose their cutlery to the atmosphere, as rust so soon
corrodes the polished surface. I recently had an oppor-
tunity to observe this condition, in its effects upon tin
roofs, one of which covered a roof in the city, and the
other at Onondaga Valley, the tin was precisely the same
and both roofs were laid at nearly the same time. In a
few days the roof in Syracuse became rusty, and to save
it from destruction required painting, while the roof at
the Valley for months remained bright and free from
rust. These conditions in our atmosphere are too obvi-
ous to need farther proof. The effect upon this immedi-
ate vicinity of large masses of vegetation, indigenous to
the sea coast, such as samphire, which covers with a
dense growth acres of marsh lands near our lake, should
be considered. At one time samphire claimed some
attention from the belief that it contained iodine, and it
174
FROM A FOREST
was most carefully analyzed by Stephen Smith, for many
years connected with our salt interest, and Prof. Stillman,
and not the slightest trace of iodine was detected, but
the plant was discovered to be composed almost entirely
of muriate of soda. From these facts it would seem that
this vast amount of vegetation yearly depositing its prop-
erties in the soil, and constantly evaporating would exert
an influence upon the atmosphere of Syracuse. Hun-
dreds of acres have been covered with salt vats contain-
ing the strongest of brine, some of which has percolated
into the soil, and must continue to affect the atmosphere
by imparting to it a degree of pungency and keenness,
whether arising from their saline particles or their
elements, matters not. How far these vapors may be of
value in warding off and protecting us from the influence
of miasmatic diseases, is a difficult matter to establish,
but of its efficiency in destroying mephitic animal gases
there can be but one opinion, and if so, the atmosphere
of Syracuse is to a great extent freed from those sources
of malignant diseases, which may arise from any cause.
In support of this theory, it has long been observed that
men employed in the manufacture of solar salt, though
they be ignorant and careless in regard to the laws of
health, are as a rule healthy and are very seldom num-
bered among the sick. During the cholera visitation.
here, there were about one hundred men employed about
the solar salt works, and their habits were such as
were supposed would attract the disease, yet they all
escaped. Typhoid fever usually claims a large number
of victims from all parts of the land, and in many
TO A CITY.
175
The
localities has been epidemic to an alarming extent.
cities of Brocklyn and Albany, and many other places,
have suffered from its effects. In Newport, N. Y., in 1845
typhoid fever was so prevalent that there were not well
persons enough to care for the sick, and assistance was
required from the adjacent county. About 1856 the
fever was more prevalent and more deaths occurred in
the little village of Baldwinsville, than I ever knew to
result from that disease in Syracuse in the same length of
time. If the cause of this exemption was known, it is not
improbable that it would be credited to the atmospherical
conditions alluded to above. In still further support of
this theory, experiments have been successfully tried
where decaying vegetable matter produces ague in par-
ticular localities, certain kinds of plants may be rendered
useful in absorbing the effluvia as fast as it is produced,
and thus prevent the poison from attacking the inhabi-
tants. The sunflower is said to be one of the most active
absorbers of ague poison; the hop plant is another. In
1855 the experiment was tried at Washington, by Lieut.
Maury, on the grounds near the Potomac, where the
observatory stands, and which were known to be exceed-
ingly unhealthy at some seasons of the year, from the
effects of decaying vegetable matter, the inhabitants
always suffered from the annual visitation of ague. The
fever was observed to make its appearance during the
five months of the year in which the decay of vegetable
matter was most active, in the marshy grounds around
the observatory, or within a short distance of the place.
In the fall of 1855 Lieut. Maury caused a strip of land
176
FROM A FOREST
45 feet wide to be dug about two feet deep, around the
observatory, at a distance of about 200 yards from the
river. This land was properly prepared for seed, and in
the spring of 1856 was sown with the seeds of the sun-
flower plant which flourished well, and in the month of
August following, when ague fever might have been ex-
pected to appear as usual, no sickness occurred, and to
the surprise of everybody the locality remained quite
healthy during the whole season. This was a remark-
able experiment and worthy of universal attention. It
would seem that the success of this experiment is of suffi-
cient consequence as an indication that the field is wide
for research in this direction, and a method found, if
possible, of absorbing, on a larger scale, the poisonous
effluvia of decaying vegetable matter in marshy places, so
as to prevent, to some extent at least, the ravages of
ague, cholera, and yellow fever, in countries where these
dire diseases are most prevalent. Hitherto the progress
of the world has been slow and unsuccessful in determin-
ing the cause and cures of even the simplest diseases.
which are common in the nursery of every family, such
as whooping-cough and measles, yet from the days of
Æsculapius and Hippocrates to the present day, there
has never been a physician who could inform us of the
cause and prevention of these simple diseases. The pre-
vailing disease of Syracuse, which has been the cause of
more sickness and suffering by far than all the other
maladies to which we are liable, has been a fever caused
by malaria or from poison arising from the decomposition
of vegetable matter in the midst of stagnant water and
TO A CITY.
177
marshy grounds.
What the chemical nature of this
effluvia may be, has not yet been positively ascertained.
Some say carbonic acid mainly; others, nitrogen; others
again, hydro-carburetted gas or a peculiar compound of
nitrogen and oxygen called septon. In the early history
of Syracuse so favorable and abundant were the con-
ditions to generate fever poison, and so highly charged
was the atmosphere, that the fever was of a malignant
type and frequently dangerous to life, while at a later
date, when the causes were less abundant, the same dis-
ease was of a much milder form. Much has been already
said in description of this endemic disease; so exceed-
ingly prevalent and troublesome has it been that the peo-
ple of the present day can hardly comprehend what the
inhabitants were obliged to endure. Physicians have made
a specialty of treating this disease. Dr. Zenas Corbin
made himself wealthy and popular as a specialist, and for
many years Corbin's Ague Cure required an ample space
in all our drug-stores, from which place it found its way
into many houses. Even so late a period as the first
years of our city life the mechanics and laboring classes
were extremely annoyed by this disease. Dr. Moore felt
such compassion for these poor people who were spend-
ing their time and money in consequence of the fever,
that he hung a sign in front of his drug-store that read:
"Fever and Ague Cured for One Dollar." Great num-
bers availed themselves of this generous offer, and many
a quinine bottle was emptied in his store. The citizen
of to-day will comprehend, to some extent, the great
amount of labor performed by lowering the lake, drain-
12
178
FROM A FOREST
ing the swamps and stagnant pools once so numerous,
and a lurking place for this troublesome disease, and
will also rejoice with me in sceing a completion of a
work which has been continued through the long period.
of sixty-nine years. The garbage wagon of the present
time has been the instrument to complete the task of
filling the old channel of the creek and every pool in
its vicinity. In consequence of all this that has been
accomplished no citizen of Syracuse shivers within the
clutch of the ague and it is probable since its last hiding
place is obliterated it has taken its departure forever.
There have been three periods in Syracuse when the
inhabitants have suffered more than usual by sickness.
In 1847 a disease most commonly called ship fever or
emigrant fever, was quite prevalent along the line of
emigrant travel. At that date and for a year previous,
there had been unusual suffering in Ireland, famine pre-
vailed among the inhabitants and so great was the dis-
tress from scarcity of food, that parliament voted $50,-
000,000 to relieve the famishing poor. Many became
discouraged and resolved to cmigrate to America, where
famine was never known. In the over-loaded ships.
where large numbers of these half starved people were
stowed away, every condition existed for the outbreak of
pestilence and death in some form, and ship fever was
the result. The quarantine grounds were filled with these
people, and at one time there were 1382 persons lying
sick with the fever in the emigrant sheds in Montreal
and to some extent the fever found its way among the
inhabitants. At that date large numbers of emigrants
TO A CITY.
179
were shipped from New York west, by way of the Erie
canal, and Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo were in a
measure sufferers from the disease. In Syracuse it was
quite prevalent, though in a mild form, yet quite a num-
ber died from it. J. P. Dodge was at that time the prin-
cipal undertaker, he seemed much elated over the in-
crease of his wealth which this harvest of death had
brought him, and frequently boasted to his friends that
he had "planted" so many during the week, but seem-
ingly as a retribution for his unfeeling remarks, he too fell
a victim to the fever and was "planted" with the rest
at Rose Hill. For a few years previous to 1849, cholera
had been prevalent in Europe, and it was feared and
expected that it would visit America in the same manner
as in 1832-34. In the fall of 1849 a disease resembling
Asiatic cholera made its appearance in several of our
northern cities, and quite a panic was the result, and
hospitals were extensively organized in some cities in
anticipation of a fearful epidemic. The disease, however,
proved comparatively mild, and possibly may have been
nothing more than cholera morbus. There were about
a dozen cases in Syracuse said to have been cholera,
this was sufficient to create an excitement among the
more timid of our citizens, and every effort to avert the
disease was made, but it very soon passed by and quiet
was restored. Notwithstanding the city was in usual
health, the following notice made its appearance in the
newspapers:
"NO MORE CHOLERA
By order of the Board
S. CORNING JUDD, Clerk."
180
FROM A FOREST
The lack of proper punctuation in the notice made con-
siderable amusement, whether the error was the fault of
the printer or the clerk, it was all the same to his fun
loving friends, who joked him in assuming to have power
to banish the cholera. In 1865 there was more than the
usual amount of sickness, those diseases generally pecu-
liar only to the autumn months made their appearance
in the summer, severe cases of dysentery occurred, many
proving fatal. Malarial fevers to an unusual degree pre-
vailed throughout that year.
EARLY BUSINESS MEN.
The recital of the evolution of the first crude dwellings
of the early settlers, to the spacious and magnificent
blocks and residences that adorn our city, together with
the redemption of our miles of city streets from the log-
filled roads of mud that existed in early times, would
be incomplete without a short description of some of the
early business men whose energy and thrift put in motion
the wheels of commerce and manufactures that to-day
have developed into a power, whose influence is felt far
and near through this broad land of ours. Ephraim
Webster, from New Hampshire, who came here in 1786,
was without doubt the first white settler. He built of
logs the first store, where a few goods were kept for trade
with the Indians. Webster was an important personage
in our early history, and much has been written about
him. The most complete account I have ever seen was
published in the centennial edition of the Syracuse.
Evening Herald, September 1, 1886. Webster was of
TO A CITY.
181
much service to the early inhabitants; in fact, it was
through his influence with the Indians that the first set-
tlers were permitted to make homes here. He was on
the most friendly terms with the Indians, understanding
their language; and, in many ways, was of the greatest
assistance to the early settlers in establishing peaceful
relations with the savages. Webster's services had been
of great value to the government, for which he drew a
pension. He was a man who never knew fear nor danger
and acted as a spy when we were at war with England.
His knowledge of the language and customs of the
Indians, together with his pretense of being a half-breed,
gave him an advantage as a spy by which he entered
their lines and returned with the most valuable informa-
tion. At one time he swam across Lake Champlain at
night, a distance of three miles, at the imminent risk of
his life, carrying dispatches that enabled our forces to
concentrate, by which an important victory was achieved.
So great were the services he rendered to the State of
New York that, as a token of acknowledgment, the State
delivered to him, on the 12th of April, 1796, a warranty
deed of 640 acres of the beautiful Onondaga valley. His
house was built near the centre of his mile square, and is
still standing within half a mile of the post office at the
Valley, on the farm now owned by Mr. Bostwick. Mr.
Webster died while on a trading excursion with the Sene-
cas in 1825, and was buried at Tonawanda. Miland C.
Taylor and Sidney Dole purchased the mill in 1814 and
built the first store in Syracuse. In 1817 Northrup &
Dexter took a large contract on the canal and purchased
182
FROM A FOREST
the store of Taylor & Dole, where they continued until
the canal contract was completed in 1821. Henry New-
ton made his appearance here in 1824 and engaged in
the grocery business on Water street, about midway be-
tween Salina and Warren streets. Newton was a genial,
good-natured man, and soon made many friends; but he
was too vacillating to accumulate wealth. As soon as he
had secured a good trade he changed his business to that
of boots and shoes. At one time he rented the corner
store in the old yellow building on the corner of Warren
and Water streets, where John Mann's tea store is now
located. Mr. Newton fitted up this place for an auction-
room, and on the Water street side he put in a wide door,
opening it outward and fastening it back to the outside
of the building, where it much resembled a barn door. By
this means during auction sales the whole corner was
thrown open to the street. One day a customer was
brought to this store in a way never before known. In
those days cattle, hogs and geese roamed at will in the
village. A lordly bull, whose disposition was far from
being amiable, was walking over Warren street bridge to
take a stroll through Hanover Square. The drive and
sidewalk on the bridge was divided by a tight board par-
tition. An Irish woman was walking from James street
across the bridge a little in advance of the bull. As
soon as he espied her he made a bound and picked her
up on his horns, upon which she was so nicely poised
that she was carried along with great rapidity. The
animal, being blinded with the skirts of her dress, ran
into Newton's store and, falling over some dry-goods
TO A CITY.
183
boxes, landed his passenger in the centre of the store.
The woman, although nearly frightened to death, was
only hurt from the fall upon the floor.
Haskell & Walbridge were the first saddlers and har-
ness makers, locating here in 1824. This same year the
first jeweler, Hiram Judson, commenced business here,
continuing for many years, and in 1847 he was elected
Justice of the Peace, having his office in the west wing of
the Empire Block. It was believed by some that his
decisions favored the plaintiff as far as possible. John
Wilkinson was the first lawyer, locating here in 1819.
The first physician was Dr. Swan, coming here in 1807.
While the canal was being dug sickness was so prevalent
that Dr. Bassett came to assist, their successor being
Dr. Colvin, whose life labors were in Syracuse. Later,
in 1824 Dr. M. Williams and Dr. Day came here. Benja-
min Rector was said to have been the first cartman.
the winter of 1834 he drew a load of salt to Pennsylvania,
returning with two tons of coal, which he sold for $28.
It was said to have been the first coal in our market.
The first German to make a home in Syracuse was
Andrew Fesenmyer. The first Irish family was that of
John Savage, father of the late Richard Savage. The
first Scotchman was Boyd, the hermit. The first French-
man was a Mr. Lewis, who lived here when the name was
Cossett's Corners. The first colored man was Isaac Wales.
GROWTH OF THE VILLAGE.
In
An idea of the growth of the village of Syracuse, for
the first ten or fifteen years of its existence, may be
gained from the following statements: In 1820 there
184
FROM A FOREST
was a scattering population of 250 inhabitants; a village
charter was applied for and passed the Legislature April
13, 1825, with the usual powers granted to villages when
chartered. The first meeting for the election of officers
of the village of Syracuse was held at the school-house
in said village, May 3, 1825, at which Joshua Forman
was elected President; Amos P. Granger, Moses D. Bur-
net, Herman Walbridge and John Rogers, Trustees;
James Webb, Alfred Northum and Thomas Spencer, As-
sessors; John Wilkinson, Clerk; John Durnford, Treasurer;
Daniel Gilbert, Justice of the Peace, presiding. In 1830 the
population was 2,565, but the increase in population and
business was greater after that date. That same year
the Onondaga County Bank was chartered, giving life
and confidence to business, the bank being located in
the east wing of the Syracuse House. During the three
years following, the population had increased 1,200. 1834
was a year of decided progress in the appearance of the
village, notwithstanding it had suffered from a destruc-
tive conflagration which had destroyed many stores, yet
happening, as it did, early in the season, allowed of re-
building with much finer blocks. At this time the Frank-
lin buildings were completed; by this means both
sides of Hanover Square presented a row of four-story
buildings which, in those days, were considered attractive.
structures. In 1834 there were fifty-five stores opened
for trade, as follows: 22 grocery and provision stores,
16 variety stores, 2 hardware stores, 4 clothing stores,
5 boot and shoe stores, 4 drug stores, 2 book stores,
3 printing offices, 3 silver-smiths, 2 flouring mills, 1 lum-
TO A CITY.
185
ber mill, 1 planing mill, 3 tin shops, 3 furnace and ma-
chine shops, 2 carriage shops, 3 cabinet shops, 2 leather
manufactories, I morocco manufactory, I soap and can-
dle manufactory, I distillery, I brewery, 3 marble yards,
1 boat yard, 15 salt blocks, 1 Episcopal church, 1 Metho-
dist church, 1 Baptist church, 2 lyceums. There were
also sixteen lawyers and eleven physicians. In 1834 the
fire department was much improved, as the great destruc-
tion of property by fire in that year was an impressive
lesson of the folly of constructing costly buildings with
no means to protect them from the flames. Previous to
this date the facilities for extinguishing fires were of the
simplest and most primitive kind. Most of the depend-
ence was to form a line of men from the fire to the
nearest water supply, when buckets of water were passed
from one man to another, until the last man in the line
threw it upon the fire. As a curiosity I will here pro-
duce an ordinance which was passed by the trustees for
the purpose of protection:
“June 23, 1831. And be it further ordered that the owner of
every dwelling house, store or shop in said village, shall procure and
keep at his, her, or their house, store or shop, the following number
of good leather buckets to be used for extinguishing fires, viz: every
dwelling house having one smoke, shall have one fire-bucket, and
every additional smoke shall have an additional fire-bucket, which
bucket shall be of good quality and marked with the owner's name.
In case of neglect or refusal to comply shall forfeit the sum of $1."
1839 was an eventful year in consequence of the com-
pletion of a line of railroads so essential to the growth of
a town. The first train of cars arrived in Syracuse from
the east over the Syracuse & Utica road in that year.
186
FROM A FOREST
The locomotive "Syracuse drew the first train of cars
out of the old depot over the Auburn road on the 4th of
June of the same year. The first telegraphic message
was received from Albany in 1846. The first levy for
taxes after the village charter was $250; the first levy
after the city charter was $23.441; the last levy (1888)
was $537,000. The least number of votes cast at any
election was 56, which occurred in 1826; the greatest
number was 15,026, at the election in 1888.
THE LOCATION OF THE COURT HOUSE.
Probably no other county in the State has had so much
dispute over the location of its county seat as our own.
Onondaga Valley, Onondaga Hill, Salina and Syracuse
have all in their early days been earnest competitors for
its location. To give an account of all the spirited de-
bates and shrewd schemes employed by each would
fill a volume. A brief account can only be given, and
that confined mostly to the part Syracuse has taken in
the matter. The history of the locating and erecting
these county buildings is such that it seems necessary
to commence at the beginning, which ante-dates my re-
collections by many years. I know of no authentic
records relating thereto. There have been newspaper
articles published at various times, the writers of which
are unknown to me, and from this source, and accounts
verbably given me by the early settlers of Syracuse, a
part of the information is gained by which this account.
is written. The first courts were held in Onondaga
Valley in barns, corn-houses and dwellings of the first.
settlers as early as 1794. When the population of the
TO A CITY.
187
county had increased in numbers and had sufficient
wealth to build a court house, there was much strife be-
tween the dwellers on the Hill and in the Valley as to
where it should be located. The arguments of the people
at the Valley were, that their location was every way
more desirable than the Hill for the county buildings;
that the clerk's office was already there, and that it
should not be removed without some good reason.
Those living on the hill succeeded, however, in getting a
bill passed, April 7th, 1801, empowering the Board of
Supervisors to raise the sum of $3,000 to erect a court-
house and jail at the Hill. This amount was insufficient
to complete the buildings, and other sums were raised
from time to time for that purpose. In 1803 the first
court was held in the new building, before it had been
completed. The salt interest of Salina had attracted to
that place a sufficient number of inhabitants to organize
in 1824 under a village charter. Although Syracuse was
the smaller of the two, yet it was but one year and one
month later in securing a village charter. The canal was
then nearly completed, and this gave Syracuse a great
advantage over its rivals, as its situation on the line of
navigation through the State attracted men of wealth
here to make investments. The Walton tract had been
purchased by the Syracuse Company, which was com-
posed of some of the best business men in the State, who
for purposes of speculation had located here and become
owners of a large tract of land, upon which, if possible,
they were determined to lay the foundations of a flourish-
ing town. They proceeded to rebuild the Syracuse
188
FROM A FOREST
House, making it one of the finest hotels in this part of
the State. Their lands were laid out in village lots, with
energetic agents to boom them. The company at once
saw that upon the growth of Syracuse depended the
value of their investments. They were therefore deter-
mined not to let any advantages slip through their hands,
if possible to prevent it, and they, believing that great
benefits would arise from the location at Syracuse of the
county seat, all energy was centered in an effort to bring
that about. The jealousy that had ever existed between
Salina and Syracuse seemed at this period to be at its.
height. They watched each other's movements with the
closest scrutiny. The people of Salina claimed that their
village was the largest, and more business was done there
than in any of the other villages in this vicinity, and for
those reasons if the county seat was removed from the
Hill it should be located in Salina. Meanwhile the
people at the Hill became greatly excited over these
plots to deprive them of the only interest that gave some
little importance to their village. At that time a large
part of the legal talent of the county was located there,
and frequent meetings were held to prevent if possible
the removal. B. Davis Noxon, in a speech at one of
these meetings, advocated the raising of a sufficient sum
to put the buildings in perfect repair, and by this course.
it could be made to appear that there was no necessity
for a removal, and a large expense could be saved the
county by this means. The advocates of removal had
the advantage, as it was apparent to all disinterested
parties that the old buildings had been constructed on
TO A CITY,
189
such a plan that it would be folly to expend more
money in the hope of making them comfortable, or
even of decent appearance. They were built when
the inhabitants were living on their new farms which
had to be cleared from forest trees before a crop
could be raised, and nearly all were too poor to pay any
taxes that could possibly be avoided. Under such con-
ditions the first court-house and jail were built. So
scarce was money at that time that a "bee" was made, to
which nearly all the inhabitants turned out and cleared
the trees away for a place to lay the foundation for the jail.
The buildings had been built by piece-meal, from time
to time as money could be raised. The foundation walls
of the jail were several feet high, upon which the build-
ing was constructed. These walls were laid in mortar
without a crevice for an air passage, and this large space
was used for a vault, into which all the filth of the prison
was deposited. There was not a drain nor even a venti-
lator carried above the roof. To imprison human beings.
in such a place was nothing less than barbarous. So
great and unceasing was this nuisance that it was obviated.
by indictment by the Grand Jury; but ever after the
county buildings at the Hill were in disrepute and fur-
nished an argument to the advocates for their removal to
another locality. Onondaga Hill had enjoyed for more
than twenty years the honor of being the county seat,
and an effort had been made to elect Supervisors from
each of the towns who were favorably inclined towards
building a new court-house at that place. Accordingly,
in 1826, at a meeting of the Supervisors, a resolution was
190
FROM A FOREST
passed to present a bill at the next meeting of the Legis-
lature asking the passage of a bill empowering the Super-
visors of Onondaga county to levy a tax for the purpose
of building a new court-house at the Hill. This resolu-
tion was brought before the Legislature as early as Janu-
ary, 1827. The people at the Hill had instructed Daniel
Mosely, their representative, who was a lawyer then re-
siding at the Hill, to look after their interest in the mat-
ter, as he was personally interested. When it became
known that the initiatory step had been taken to rebuild,
Moses D. Burnet, John B. James, and a few others, met
at the office of the Syracuse Co., taking care that the out-
side parties should not be advised of their movements.
Mr. Burnet was made chairman, and on taking the chair
stated that the object of the meeting was consultation
upon the best course to be pursued in order to defeat all
other competitors for the location of the court-house, and
to establish the county seat at Syracuse. After the most
careful deliberation of this body of able schemers, it was
resolved that a sufficient number of capable canvassers
should be placed in every town in the county, to obtain
the signatures of as many tax-payers as possible, petition-
ing the Legislature to establish the court-house at Syra-
cuse. So effectually was this plan carried out that a can-
vass of the whole county was made before the opposition
could take measures to counteract it. The petitions of
a large majority of the tax-payers of the county, praying
that the court-house might be located at Syracuse, came
pouring in at Albany until the legislative halls were de-
luged with them. The consideration of the bill was
TO A CITY.
191
postponed from time to time, and earnest speeches were
made by several different members for and against its
passage. Prominent among the latter were Mr. Living-
stone and Mr. Mosley, but their speeches seemed more
an appeal for sympathy than sound arguments. They
claimed that many had located at the Hill because it
was the county seat, and to remove now to another
locality would be an injustice to that class. That the
removal would be a greater damage to the people at the
Hill than it would benefit Syracuse, as that place had
other advantages, such as water power and the canal,
while the location of the court-house on the Hill was
their only attraction, and to remove it would create there
an "eternal Sunday." Final action was reached on
March 19, 1827, when the bill was passed to locate the
county buildings at Syracuse. Much disappointment
and dissatisfaction was expressed by those who desired
its location at the Hill, and the usual complaints and
charges were made of unfairness. The paper published
at the Hill was violent in its denunciations of the Syra-
cuse schemers who had crammed the lobby with active
workers, and insinuated that money was freely used by
them, believed to have been furnished by "John Bull"
(a name sometimes applied to John B. James). June 3,
1828, the Supervisors held a meeting at the Syracuse
House to consider the many sites offered, but two of
which claimed much attention. Syracuse demonstrated
the enterprise of her leading citizens even at that early
date by offers equivalent to $12,000. The agent of the
Syracuse Company offered to give the whole of the block
192
FROM A FOREST
upon which the Government building now stands, with
the exception of the corner of Salina and Fayette streets,
which had been previously given to the First Presby-
terian Society. They also offered to give a lot on the
corner of Warren and Fayette streets for a location for
the jail. Gen. Amos P. Granger, in addition, offered to
build a fire-proof building for a County Clerk's office,
also one thousand dollars in cash to be used in construct-
ing the court-house. It was thought by many that the
larger part of Mr. Granger's offer was to have been fur-
nished him by the Syracuse Company. The Company
had perfect confidence that these offers would be suffi-
cient to secure the location of the buildings in the centre
of the village, and that the tax-payers of the county
would most willingly acquiesce, as it would thus relieve
them from so much of the burden. The sequel of this
matter will show that these generous offers were rejected
and a vastly inferior site was selected. Mr. Knapp, then
Supervisor of the town of Salina, tendered to the county
a tract of land owned by Dr. Kirkpatrick, bounded by
Salina, Division, Townsend and Ash streets. The value of
the offer, at that time, could not have been more than
$2,000, which would leave Syracuse in the lead by
$10,000, which, in those days, was considered a large
sum. In making this offer on behalf of the town of
Salina, Mr. Knapp delivered a speech which produced a
greater effect on the Supervisors than the money offers.
Mr. Knapp was a good speaker, being very persuasive in
his effort on this occasion, the substance of his remarks
being that he hoped the Supervisors would not decide.
TO A CITY.
193
upon the matter before them without due consideration
of its importance; that there was a deep feeling upon the
subject, that the eyes of all the county were earnestly
watching how the long and spirited controversy would
be decided, and that he felt it his duty to impress upon
each Supervisor the necessity of being able to give good
reasons for his decision. He then referred to the many
insinuations afloat about Syracuse using unfair means in.
getting the bill passed removing the county seat from the
Hill, and should the large sum now offered by Syracuse
be accepted, it would give great dissatisfaction to a large
class from the Hill, who would say the almighty dollar
had finally conquered over right and justice and given
the location to Syracuse. He urged that the Salina
claim be considered, because Salina was the larger, and
more business was done there than in Syracuse.
Knapp referred to the time-honored custom of splitting
the difference in cases where parties could not agree; he
said Salina was fair and just, and was willing to divide
the difference between them, by locating the buildings
half way between the two places, on the lot he had ten-
dered the Board. Mr. Knapp concluded with a strong
argument that the acceptance of his offer would in the
future benefit both places alike; that Syracuse aided by
the canal, and Salina by its salt interests, would both
grow to places of importance, and at no distant day the
petty jealousies now existing between the two places
would be outgrown, when it would be for the interest of
both villages to be included in one incorporated town,
and that the location of the court-house half way between
13
Mr.
194
FROM A FOREST
the two would be a great factor to bring about this
much desired result. Mr. Knapp had hardly taken his
seat before the Supervisor from Onondaga called for a
vote, as he saw that the speech so forcibly made had pro-
duced an effect upon the Board, which he did not wish
to be lost by reflection, or allow the chance for other
matters to come up. The vote was 8 to 6 in favor of
locating on lot 276, half way between the two places.
The result caused great rejoicing in Salina, as it was
considered another victory over their rivals, but the care-
ful and considerate people of Syracuse believed a great
blunder had been made. At that time the buildings in
that locality were of the poorer class, generally the homes.
of coopers, whose unattractive shops, with the litter of
hoops and staves, lined the streets. On the west the
smoke from the salt blocks filled the air, while to the
east arose abrupt hills with deep gorges between them.
Prospect hill, then nearly twice its present height, clothed
in a thick growth of underbrush and tall forest trees, cast
its shadow over the locality until a late hour in the morn-
ing. Not a sidewalk in any direction was laid, and in
rainy weather the mud seemed to be without bottom. To
build the court-house in such a place seemed a crowning
absurdity. To follow the history of the building to its
completion would be interesting. The people at the
Hill, seeking to avenge themselves for the removal, ham-
pered and criticised every movement of the Building
Committee, charging dishonesty and extravagance, until
the tax-payers clamored so loudly that commissioners.
were appointed to investigate charges. The Building
TO A CITY.
195
Committee was sustained by the investigation. The
court-house and jail were finished in a very substantial
manner. The court-house was of brick, two stories in
height, with a portico having four round columns, with
elaborate capitals. The portico and columns were fin-
ished to represent white marble. A dome surmounted
the building, upon which a statute of liberty stood hold-
ing in one hand the scales of justice and in the other a
sword. The building was of fine appearance for those
days, and could be seen the whole length of Salina street
to the junction of Onondaga street. The finest view was
from Salina street bridge. The first court was held there
May 13, 1830, Judge Earl presiding. In those days it
was quite common to place on court-house domes a
figure of justice with her emblems. Some of the Build-
ing Committee thought best to omit the figure, as there
had been so many complaints of extravagance, but Mr.
Archie Kasson, one of the committee, said that rather
than leave it off he would furnish one at his own expense.
His offer was accepted and the figure was placed on the
dome. A few years later, while the court was engaged
in a very exciting suit which had continued to fill the
house for many days with interested listeners, the jury
rendered a decision contrary to what nearly every one
thought to be right and just, and great surprise and dis-
satisfaction was the result. The most remarkable part of
this affair was that the same day of the decision the scales
in the hand of the goddess fell with a crash to the court-
house roof. This, in connection with the verdict so much
disapproved of, caused so much talk that some one with
196
FROM A FOREST
a poetical turn of mind, to give expression to his feelings,
sent the following lines to one of the papers:
The figure perched on court-house top,
For justice (grace defend her)—
Where judges, lawyers, clients stop,
Looks like the Witch of Endor.
Her scales by whirlwinds blown away,
She stands with sword in hand-
"Thus, justice now," she seems to say,
"Is dealt throughout the land.”
The sign is right, upon my word!
In this peculiar day
Justice is meted by the sword-
The balance thrown away.
The advantages expected to be derived by the location
of the county buildings were never realized by the peo-
ple of Salina or Syracuse, and it is doubtful if it was one
dollar's benefit to the property adjoining, or to any indi-
vidual, and ever after its completion there was one
unceasing complaint in regard to its location. Away
from the business part of each village, away from the
lawyers' offices and the hotels, to reach court it necessi-
tated a long walk over poor sidewalks and muddy streets.
These inconveniences were endured for nearly twenty
years, when, in 1847, a delegation consisting of James R.
Lawrence, John Wilkinson and Peter Outwater met the
board of Supervisors and presented strong reasons for
the removal of the court-house to a more convenient site.
No action was taken upon the subject, and it continued
to be annually brought before the Board. In the mean-
TO A CITY.
197
time the project of building the penitentiary engaged the
attention of the Supervisors, who agreed upon the loca-
tion in 1850, and the building was completed in 1854.
It was then thought the court-house matter would be
speedily settled; but the Supervisors failed, from year to
year, to agree, as a sufficient number was of the opinion
that the expense should be saved to the county as long as
there was so good a court-house. February 5, 1856, it
burned to the ground; the torch of the incendiary had
made a bonfire of a structure that had been nothing
but a source of strife and dissatisfaction from its con-
ception, and in its destruction there seemed not one to
deplore its fate. Measures were at once taken to rebuild.
The contract was awarded to Timothy C. Cheney and
David Wilcox for the sum of $37,500. The Board of
Supervisors in 1857 voted the acceptance, and declared
the court-house completed in a very satisfactory manner,
and for the first time in over a half century we had a
court-house that every one was satisfied with. I feel that
I must take this opportunity to speak of a fellow mechanic.
with whom I labored for years, to complete many of the
old and substantial buildings that line the streets of our
city. I think the present court-house was the last con-
tract performed by Mr. Cheney as a builder. To hist
skill and ingenuity this temple of justice stands to-day as
firm as the foundations of our granite hills, a lasting
monument of my friend Cheney's integrity. I can say
for a truth that during the many years of our acquaint-
ance I never heard him spoken of only in the highest
praise, nor did I ever hear of dissatisfaction with any
198
FROM A FOREST
work performed by him. The city owes him a debt of
gratitude for the many years of faithful service performed
by him in many capacities. As a Supervisor he was.
noted for his sound judgment, and was always prominent
in the Board. He performed the difficult task of an
Assessor for many years satisfactorily.
THE CHARTER.
In 1844 there was much activity in the village of Syra-
cuse, and some enterprising citizens proposed asking for
a city charter, as the village was of sufficient size; but
the majority seemed indifferent. About the year 1846,
however, the subject was renewed and the changing of
the village to a city became quite popular. Well written
articles appeared in the papers, describing the healthy
growth of the place and advocating arrangements for
procuring a city charter. In such an event it seemed
necessary to include Salina and Syracuse under one mu-
nicipal government. The animosity, jealousy and rivalry
that had from the first existed between the two places
still remained and seemed a severe hindrance in com-
pleting the enterprise. To overcome the prejudices of
the people on this subject, the strongest advocates for a
charter proposed to include the towns of Salina, Liver-
pool and Geddes, and this was strongly indorsed in the
preliminary meetings.
January 11, 1847, a meeting was held at the house of
James Scott in Salina, for the purpose of considering the
propriety of uniting with Syracuse in an application to
TO A CITY.
199
the Legislature for a city charter, and the following reso-
lutions were adopted :
Resolved that we will unite with the inhabitants of Syracuse in an
application for a city charter to embrace the territory now included
within the corporate limits of the two villages, on the following con-
ditions, viz: That we compose a ward including all the territory in
the village of Salina on the northwestern side of Union Place and
Elm street to be set off and denominated the Salina Ward. That the
location of the Bank of Salina is to remain in the Ward; that the
postoffice at Salina be not discontinued, nor the canal, nor salt offices
removed from the Ward.
These resolutions were presented at an adjourned meet-
ing held at Market Hall, January 12, 1847. This meet-
ing was called to decide upon the boundaries to be in-
cluded in the charter. Much discussion resulted in but
little being accomplished. Harvey Baldwin and George
Stevens were prominent advocates for including Geddes
and Liverpool. Mr. Baldwin made a strong and eloquent
speech in favor of this measure. The most important
matter accomplished was the adoption of the resolution
of Dr. Lyman Clary, that the cnair appoint a committee
of thirteen to draft a charter and report at some future
meeting. In addition to this, the following resolutions
were offered by Oliver Teall, the faithful and ever watch-
ful champion of temperance:
Resolved that whether the annexation of Salina takes place or not,
the inhabitants of the village of Syracuse will hold a day of public
rejoicing, thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God as soon as that
most debasing and degrading custom of furnishing wine at our social
parties shall have taken its departure from our beautiful village, no
more to spread its withering and deleterious influence through our
community.
200
FROM A FOREST
This resolution was seconded by William B. Kirk, and
carried unanimously.
February 9, 1847, a most enthusiastic meeting was held
to agree upon the boundaries of the proposed city. The
tumult and excitement ran high, and those who proposed
that the whole salt springs reservation be included were
severely ridiculed. One speaker made a short sarcastic
speech in which he said that he was opposed to having the
future greatness of the city crippled by confining it within
such cramped limits; he therefore proposed that "John.
Brown's tract" be included. The next speaker proposed
an amendment, that "Cicero swamp" be substituted in
place of "John Brown's tract." These speeches pro-
duced the greatest hilarity among a part of the large
audience, and for a few moments it seemed as if the
meeting would result in failure. At this critical point.
Harvey Baldwin gained the floor and, feeling that the
tide of merriment must be checked, delivered a speech
that probably would have been modified under other cir-
cumstances. He was listened to with marked attention.
After describing the many advantages with which we
were surrounded, the natural beauty of our hills and
valleys and the rapid growth that we might expect from
our natural advantages, the activity and energy of our
inhabitants, he said: "Contemplate for a moment the city
of Syracuse when she enters upon the next century with
at least one hundred thousand inhabitants. Immense
structures of compact buildings will, in every direction,
cover this delightful plain, and every hill, knoll and swell
of ground be occupied by some stately mansion or neat
TO A CITY.
201
cottage. All bordering territory will be brought into a
high and perfect state of cultivation, and our beautiful
lake, on all its shores and borders, will present to view
continuous villas ornamented with shady groves and
hanging gardens, and connected by a wide and splendid
avenue that shall encircle its entire waters and furnish a
delightful drive to the gay and prosperous of the town,
who will, towards the close of the summer's day, throng
it for pleasure, recreation or health. In every salt manu-
factory that studs its shores will be seen the ponderous
steam-engine breathing forth its heated vapor, and by the
same power draw its rich treasures from the bowels of
the earth, while it drives a thousand wheels and propels
cotton, woolen and flouring mills, and all the varied
machinery known to man. Then, too, will be seen the
magnificent steamers of the ocean and of our inland seas
arriving and departing, or lying at our extended wharves.
receiving or discharging their well-assorted cargoes, and
everywhere will be heard the hum of the busy, thrifty
and happy people. On yonder hill will be seen the
gilded dome of the massive and stately Capitol, and pin-
nacles and spires towering from the plain in every direc-
tion, pointing their shafts toward heaven as emblems of
the faith of those who worship beneath. Deem me not
extravagant. I speak of things as they are and are to be.
This is not a fancy sketch, but a slight penciling, an im-
perfect, dim shadowing forth of the future." The earnest
and attractive style of Mr. Baldwin's speech added much
to the effect upon his audience; he was at least an
hour in its delivery. I have only given sufficient to show
202
FROM A FOREST
the flight of his imagination concerning the future. His
predictions of the number of our inhabitants at the com-
mencement of the next century will not be overestimated,
but some of his predictions will never be realized.
The adjourned meeting was held on the 17th of Feb-
ruary, when the committee of thirteen presented their
report, which was: "That in the opinion of this com-
mittee, it is expedient that the villages of Salina and
Syracuse be included in the boundaries of the city." A
motion was made that the report be adopted, which was
carried, and measures were at once taken to procure its
passage. The old animosities between the two villages
sprang into new life, and a sharp opposition resulted in.
petitions being sent to Albany opposing the charter,
causing so much delay that a committee was sent to the
Capitol to facilitate the passage of the bill if possible.
On their return a meeting was called, which was attended
by a large number of citizens, B. Davis Noxon being
made chairman, and speeches were made by Baldwin,
Pratt, Leavenworth, Clary and others. It was resolved:
"As the deliberate sense of this meeting, that the Legis-
lature be requested to enact the charter as reported to
the Assembly by the committee of which the Hon. Mr.
Henderson is chairman." After some delay the bill
passed in the form originally drafted. An election was
held January 3, 1848, in each village, Syracuse giving
1,072 votes for a charter, and 771 opposed. Salina gave
385 votes for a charter, and 39 opposed. The first char-
ter election ever held in the city of Syracuse occurred on
the first Tuesday in March, 1848. The Hon. Harvey
TO A CITY.
203
Baldwin was elected Mayor, also eight Aldermen, two for
each of the four Wards. At that date the population was
a little over 15,000.
CONCLUSION.
According to the title of this book my task is finished.
The forest has given place to a city. I have related so
far as my knowledge extends, a history of the work and
the workers who, with strong arms and willing hearts,
laid the foundations of our beautiful city of to-day. That
their names and works might not be forgotten, is my ex-
cuse, if one is needed, for this book. Of the interest
contained in this record, the reader alone is to decide. I
have endeavored to be truthfull in my statements in re-
gard to the events occurring in the early periods of our
history. In speaking of men, I have desired to be just
and impartial. Personal experiences, and a retentive.
memory, have been the source of most of the statements
herein contained. The records of early events in Syra-
cuse are few indeed, and the early settlers who are still
with us are rapidly disappearing, taking with them that
unwritten history which, in future years, would be of
great interest to the people of Syracuse. I trust that in
the future some abler pen than mine will take up the
story, and will write of the growth and the glory of our
modern Syracuse, when in the years to come, it will have
filled the beautiful valley for miles to the south, with its
paved streets lined with palatial dwellings and costly
public structures, with their gilded domes glittering in
the sunlight, when its greatness like ancient Syracuse,
shall be known to all the world.
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Early History.
The Name..
The Old Red Mill...
The Empire House..
•
Syracuse House and vicinity..
Corner of James and Salina Streets.
West Water Street to Clinton Street.
• •
·
Corner of West Genesee and Clinton Street..
Powder Explosion....
Early History of Business on Salina St. from Water St. South...
The Old Depot......
The West side of South Salina Street between Washington and
Fayette....
Vanderbilt Square to Fayette Street..
South Salina Street from Fayette to Onondaga.
•
8
15
24
28
31
50
53
56
59
63
71
75
78
80
Encroachment on Salina Street.
•
91
The North side of Water St. between Salina and Warren Sts..
East Genesee Street....
98
102
South side of Washington Street between Warren and Mont-
gomery Streets....
Early History of the Site of the City Hall.
Corner of Lock and Water Streets.. . .
The Hermit....
The Streets of Syracuse..
Groves and Forest Trees.
•
Onondaga Creek and other Streams.
Onondaga Lake...
114
I22
125
129
133
137
145
152
The Epidemic and Endemic Diseases in the Village of Syracuse. 159
Early Business Men...
Growth of the Village..
The Location of the Court House.
•
The Charter....
180
183
186
198


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