. . . . Glass Copyiight^°_ £ 1 COFVRIGHT DEPOSIT A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA Uj/a^JL*-*. J /k^Cc^- A Sketch of Old Utica Blandina Dudley Miller EDITED BY Helen Lincklaen Miller MDCCCCXIII Copyright 1913, by Helen L. Miller v Second Edition v FIERSTINE PRINTING HOUSE UTICA, N. Y. ©CI.A330868 /^ 2!n ifemortam She hath gone forth where Silence needs no speech, Into the music of the chanting spheres, Safe harbored now beyond all sorrows' reach, Beyond the mists of pain and human tears. Yet here is left a Song that still shall sing Above life's strident ways, and softly bless: She hath gone forth into that final Spring, Leaving the echo of her loveliness. — Thomas S. Jones Jr. Miss Blandina Dudley Miller A woman of considerable accomplishment, superior char- acter and representative of the best intellectual endowment of this region died Saturday evening in the home she and her devoted sister have made for several years past in the Olbiston. She was Blandina Dudley Miller, known to the old readers of The Observer for a long time as a regular contributor to its Saturday issues. She was from historic families, as is shown in other col- umns of the paper. Her father was the Hon. Rutger B. Mil- ler and her mother was one of the beautiful and noble sisters of Governor Horatio Seymour. She was not only a niece of the Governor by blood but of the Hon. Roscoe Conkhng through his marriage to one of her aunts. She came early to a love and reverence for local history which was characteristic of her family on both sides. There- by she was inspired to be a writer and her utterances were of note Her writings, we may admit, helped to inspire that spirit which has lifted to its present state the Oneida Histor- ical Society of which the Governor was for years the Presi- dent and whose fine building is one of the ornaments of this city. She has not lived in vain. Her Christian character was exemplary. Refinement was native in her breast and was in all the breathings of her spirit. To what sweet sleep she goes . — E. Prentiss Bailey INTRODUCTION "In these mansions used to be Free hearted hospitality. Here great fires up the chimney roared And guests oft gathered at the board." The old houses of Utica are so rapidly disap- pearing from our streets before the march of mod- ern improvement, that is has been deemed of suffi- cient interest to jot down these fragmentary de- tails of the life of some of the early settlers and de- scriptions of their dwellings, for the pleasure of those now living, and perhaps for the amusement of those who are to come after us; who may scarcely refrain from a smile at the quaintness and sim- plicity of the life in Utica in its early days. The little village has grown into a beautiful city, far surpassing the dreams or hopes of its original founders in the luxury and beauty of its houses; yet there was an air of substantial comfort and stately dignity about these old homes that will not be effaced from the memories of those who as chil- dren had the happiness to sit around the ancient fireplaces, or to gather fruits and flowers in fields and orchards now built over by solid blocks of stores and houses. Blandina Dudley Miller. Utica, N. Y., Oct. 15, 1895. Utica's Old Homes Some Historic Houses of the City's Early Days IN writing of the old homes in Utica, the very name brings before one large substantial look- ing buildings of wood, brick or stone, and of but two designs, the double house or a single house with wings, the front door surmounted with a fan- light, and the side lights divided into squares and diamonds by light wreaths of metal. The door knobs and knockers will be of shining brass, and the iron railing up the steps will usually be fin- ished with two brass balls which reflect the sun- light far and hear. A hall running the entire length of the house will usually have fluted pil- lars and a fanlight dividing it in two, and the hand- some staircase with an easy ascent will either be at the end of the hall, or may be placed at right angles. In either case the mahogany balustrade and carved post make it a conspicuous feature. 13 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA In the house built by Samuel Stocking, on Broad street, the hall is of unusual size and beauty. The wails are decorated with paintings executed by an English artist by the name of Gordon. They rep- resent Trenton Falls, a town in France, and a scene in Oswego, where one of his daughters was then living. This house, since occupied by Judge Denio and now by his daughter, Mrs. Louis A. Tourtellot, has often been quoted as one of the best and handsomest models in this part of the state. In the house built by Mr. Bagg in 1824 for his family and afterwards occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Charles A. Mann, are beautiful rooms and high mantlepieces with elaborate carvings, and a hall large enough to make a modern "apartment," while a fine garden extended to Main street, and was always full of flowers. On Whitesboro street is still standing, and but little changed in external appearance, the house built by Judge Nathan Williams, and in which five generations of the family have lived. Here also we shall find beautiful specimens of carved woodwork on mantlepieces and doors, while the handsomely proportioned parlor, papered with the quaintest of designs, great branching trees and vines of a Chinese pattern, always attracted much 14 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA attention and admiration. The large garden and orchard ran down to Water street, and were most attractive. Next to Judge Williams' was the pleasant double brick house built by David Childs in about 1810 or 1812. It was afterwards purchased by Henry Seymour in 1820 and is still owned by his grand- children, although not occupied by any of them. Here, as in many other houses of the time, we shall find the delightful fireplaces and Dutch ovens, and a large, cheerful, basement kitchen whose windows open on the attractive garden. The comfort and cheerfulness of this large house was much increased by the beautiful gardens which joined that of Judge Williams with only a hedge between. All the fam- ily were strongly attached to this house, and car- ried its ruling ideas into their own widely scattered homes as much as possible. Governor Seymour spent many of his happiest days here and his attachment, which seemed only to increase with his years, sometimes resulted in a rather unfortunate fondness for all the old things and an aversion to many needed improvements. When he ensconsed himself in his easy chair by the side of the fire always kept blazing in the sunny east room, and drew out a pile of newspapers, he was a picture of enjoyment not often seen. Al- ls A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA though the last years of his life were spent in Deer- field on his farm, he seldom let a day pass without spending many hours in the old home. On moving to Deerfield and making a farmer of himself he remodeled and added to a farm house on the place, and made a house picturesque and at- tractive to look at without being very comfortable to live in. It was a rambling house that ran all over and lost itself, and the crooked stairs were a problem to many to mount or descend in safety. His delight was to collect in his library and parlors all historic mementoes of the past, and in looking at them and recalling the events these inanimate objects had had a share in, he seemed to live the past over again, and his informal conversations up- on them were delightful to listen to. "Now sit on Daniel Webster's chair a little while" he would say, "then try Bishop White's to brace up your churchmanship; then mount this high backed chair of Charles II. 's day and you will be glad to settle down in your great Aunt Dudley's chair, the most comfortable of them all. General Schuyler's clock is telling you it is time to go to bed and General Forman will tell you when to get up in the morning. These old trees talk only Dutch and Indian so they can tell no tales to you. I manage to understand them, because they belong to Mrs. Seymour who is Dutch herself." 16 \ U I w The Stocking, Denio or Tourtellot House A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA The view from his front piazza was inspiring in- deed, and here he loved to sit under the shadow of his favorite black cherry tree of great size and re- trace the route of the different nations that had traversed this broad valley of the Mohawk. "Why do you always say the broad valley of the Mohawk, Governor?" asked Senator Kernan, who always kept up a running fire of jest and quips with his old friend. " Because neither you nor any one else would ever think how broad this valley is if I did not keep telling you it was so. Mohawk Valley sounds very commonplace and tells you nothing. When I say the 'broad' valley it makes you look to see how wide it is." His library was well filled with interesting books on history, ornithology, botany, etc., and he took the keenest delight in watching the habits of the birds on the farm, and never would allow one to be disturbed. Wild flowers he was especially fond of, and took unwearied pains to have great clumps of all his favorites growing on the edge of the beau- tiful woods back of his house. "I do not like the trailing arbutus at all," he once said. "It will not grow for me. I have transplanted it from many localities, and brought a wagon load of its native soil to make it feel at home, but to no purpose. I believe it knows my indifference to my Puritan 17 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA ancestors, and so this little New England May flower will have nothing to do with me. All the Dutch 'bloemen' bloom delightfully here. Your arbutus is an obstinate little minx. I will have no more of it." THE INMAN HOUSES On the beautiful drive from Utica out to Whites- boro stand the two Inman houses, very different in style and appearance, and both very interest- ing. William Inman came to this country from England in 1792, and had charge of large estates owned by a gentleman in London. He lived first in the picturesque English cottage on the north side of the road, and, being a man of ample for- tune, led the life of a country gentleman, driving about in a heavy English carriage and wearing powdered hair, with knee breeches and buckles. The old road must have run much closer to the house than at present, and our Englishman pres- ently becoming choked with the Yankee dust, built the large substantial looking house on the south side of the road, standing far back from the trees, and which impresses the passer-by as a mansion of ye olden time. Mr. Inman was one of the founders of the old Trinity church, and an original pew holder. His sons distinguished themselves in different 18 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA walks of life. John Inman was editor of the lead- ing New York papers of the day, such as the Col- umbian Gazette, Spirit of the Times, etc. Henry Inman became an artist of note on both sides of the Atlantic. He at first painted miniatures under Jarvis in New York, but gained greater reputation as a painter of portraits and genre pictures. Among his best pictures are those of Chief Justice Marshall, Bishop White, Rip Van Winkle awaken- ing from his dream, Boyhood of Washington, etc. In addition to his talent as an artist, his social and conversational gifts were of the highest order. He became vice president of the National Academy of Design. THE YORK HOUSE On the north side of Whitesboro street, corner of Hotel street, stands the large yellow brick hotel, formerly known as the York house, and whose history is closely associated with many interesting events in the early days of Utica. It was built in 1797 by Samuel Hooker for the Holland Land Company to accommodate the many settlers who were beginning to pour into the western part of the state to settle on the company's land. Though apparently far too large a hotel for the size of the village, it was often taxed to its utmost capacity 19 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA by these settlers coming up the valley and requiring accommodation for man and beast. In the annals of Albany, it is stated that in 1795, twelve hundred sleighs loaded with men, women and children, and all household belongings, passed through Albany, en route for the west, in three days. The York House was an excellent hotel, and its register, if it had been preserved, could show the names of many people of distinction. The wide sweep of the street in front was made to allow the stages and carriages, with their four and six horses, to turn around. In the second story was a large ball room with an excellent spring floor, where were held all the fashionable balls or assemblies of the day. At one end of the ball room was a wooden screen painted and cut out to represent trees and groves in a sort of Forest of Arden effect. At the sound of the music the dancers emerged from be- hind these trees, and when the graceful gavottes or scarf dances were finished they disappeared into these leafy shades, which was thought to have a very beautiful effect. The room was lighted by candelabra, and sconces filled with wax candles, and woe to the unlucky beau who forgot himself and stood lingering beneath them. His garments were apt to be covered with a waxen coating diffi- cult to remove. 20 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA These balls and parties began at seven o'clock in the evening, (think of this, ye fin-de-siecle belles and beaux!) until some ultra fashionables from New York made a sensation by coming at the un- heard of hour of half past seven. And from that time on the village belles found it difficult to com- plete their toilettes before that hour — while their parents mourned over the evils of fashionable life and customs. The word hotel was cut as well as painted on the front walls of the building, and no subsequent painting could ever efface it, even when used as a private residence. It still stands as a memorial of the Holland Land Company in the early days of Utica, and was the largest hotel this side of New York City for many years. 21 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA THE MILLER HOUSE In 1820 Judge Morris S. Miller began to lay out the grounds and to plant the trees and shrubs on that part of the Bleecker property since known as Rutger place, at the head of John street. In the family the place never had a name of any pretense, it was and is today called "The Hill," or "Up on the Hill." "Miller's Folly" was a name given by many at the time — so remote was it from all neighbors and friends. A carriage seen crossing John street bridge was surely coming to The Hill, for there was no other place to go to through the muddy lane called John street. The seat origin- ally extended from Howard avenue to Dudley avenue, and from Rutger to South street. 2 2 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA A stone wall was built all along the northern line of the place, and a pretty winding walk led through the shrubbery nearly around the entire place. This shrubbery of purple and white lilacs, snowballs, syringa, etc., formed a dense wall of green overhanging the stone wall, and a large wil- low at the gate sheltered the rather narrow en- trance from all outsiders. Mountain ash trees and honey locusts grew luxuriantly in the rich soil, and combined with the other trees, formed grove- like clumps all over the grounds. Fruit trees were in great profusion, and the Bleecker and orange plum were planted everywhere, and were famous. Judge Miller died before the house was built, ex- cept its foundations, but his original plan was car- ried out and the house completed in about 1830. The square stone house was flanked by two small Grecian buildings, i. e., a low pediment and pillars; the one on the west was the office, and that on the east served for the gard- ner's and coachman's house, and ran back to the wood house and stable. These houses were connected with the main house by the upper piazza, which extended across the carriage drives to the roof, and gave something the effect of a huge bird. Notable men and women have gathered within its walls from the first Sunday when Mrs. Miller 23 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA occupied it. The dining room and hall were the only rooms in order. Judge Conkling was in town holding court, and Rutger B. Miller was his clerk. The judge was invited to Sunday dinner, and was the first guest in the house that was des- tined to be the home of his son, Senator Conk- ling, for so many years. Old Jimmy, the house- hold factotum, was in despair for the honor of his family — such a stately, elegant man as Judge Conkling coming to dinner and no parlor to show him into! My grandmother was perfectly com- posed. "You have a good dinner?" "Yes, ma'am." "Very well, serve it well and no one will feel the lack of another room. Friends come before furnishings." Hospitality was the cornerstone of the house, and a long array of pleasant guests were to follow. Bishop Hobart, Bishop DeLancey, General Scott, Colonel Worth, General Stephen Van Rensselaer, General Bloomfield, Mrs. Schuyler and her beau- tiful daughter, now Mrs. John Taylor Cooper, of Albany; Mrs. Davidson and her talented young daughters, Margaret and Lucretia; Gerrit Smith, the noted abolitionist, and his southern wife, Anne Carroll Fitzhugh; Mrs. Alexander Hamilton, Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Dudley, from Albany, Mrs. 24 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA Miller's beautiful nieces, Mrs. Tibbits and Mrs. Neilson, made a circle not often excelled. How clearly comes before me among the few recollections I have of the place, the morning early in the spring of 1850, when a party of men with spades, picks and wheelbarrows arrived and began breaking the ground to the west of the house for the house of J. Wyman Jones! We children thought it most interesting, and could not at all understand the white, sad faces of the older mem- bers of the household, to whom it was the begin- ning of the end, the breaking up of the old home- stead into city lots and places. OTHER RESIDENTS Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Walker lived here for several years, and pleasantly entertained many of the favorite artists, poets and sculptors of the day, while Senator Conkling, during his residence of more than twenty-five years, gathered here all the noted men of his time. "This is a marvelous house," said Mrs. Conkling, after entertaining a large party of friends for several days. "There is ample room for the pleasure and comfort of many people, and I can live here by myself without feel- ing it is too large for the cozy comfort of a quiet life." 25 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA Perhaps the most brilliant array of distinguished people met him at the re-union of the Army of the Cumberland in 1875, when General Grant, Gen- eral Sherman, General Hooker were all guests of Senator Conkling, who kept open house during the days of their visit. A military parade was fol- lowed by a brilliant meeting in the Opera House, where soldier after soldier was called upon for a speech, and greeted with rounds of applause. When the heroes entered the house and took their seats on the stage, the whole audience rose, and a deafening cheer upon cheer arose that shook the very walls. Everyone cheered — ladies and all — without half knowing what they were doing. 11 Why have I lost my voice so suddenly," said one lady to another after the turmoil had subsided. 11 Because you were cheering with the others." "I never knew I had opened my lips," was the re- ply, "but I felt it." Nicholas E. Kernan purchased the place in 1894, and in the possession of his family there need be no fear that the hospitable traditions of the past will ever die out. On the contrary, the fire on the hearth will still burn brightly, and the friends of three and four generations will still feel that Miller's Seat or Rutger Place is theirs to enjoy, and to re- ceive the cordial welcome as in days of old. 26 SKETCH OF OLD UTICA THE BIG FIREPLACE If I were asked to give the ruling motif of Utica's old houses, I should say it was the fireplace, and the dominant chord would be the cord of wood. The woodshed took up an important share of the yard, and with its pile upon pile of beautiful maple and birch and beech wood in all stages of dryness, and the odor of pine from the kindling-wood corners, it was a delightful spot. These large houses were rarely warm except immediately in front of the fireplaces. Large folding screens were drawn about them to cut off the drafts, and as the weather grew colder the circle grew closer and smaller. Of wel- come and hospitality there was no lack, and wood was piled up high to greet the newly arrived guest. The furniture for these large rooms was corres- pondingly large and massive. The mahogany sofas and side-boards are the despair of those who try to move them into more modern houses. The high mantlepieces were adorned with silver candle- sticks and candelabra, and those fortunate enough to have friends connected with the India trade could have Indian vases, but these were rare. Girandoles graced the walls. The handsomest had eagles holding arrows, and balls or chains In the large book cases we shall find many tomes of the 27 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA sermons our forefathers so delighted to collect, and to read, too, as we find many of them marked and interlined. Baxter, Jeremy Taylor, Blair, Paley, Bunyan make a goodly show, and for poetry did they not commit whole volumes of Scott, Moore, Burns, Cowper, Byron, etc., to memory in a man- ner to fill us with envy at their aptness in quota- tion? Dickens and Thackery were not, but Wav- erly^was upsetting both Europe and America, and people could scarcely wait for the next novel to ap- pear. Magazines were scarcely known, and the PAID newspapers were few and far between. Letters from absent friends came only seldom as the form- idable postage of 18 cents to 30 cents precluded very active correspondence. Pianos were highly prized, and Utica could boast of two or three pro- 28 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA ficient players on the harp, Mrs. James Madison Weed, and Miss Sarah Miller and Miss Evarts among others. The Battle of Prague, a descrip- tive piece of music for the piano, was a test of skill and proficiency. Songs were of a rather distress- ingly sentimental type, more descriptive of lovers' woes and sighs than of joy or happiness, and the love lorn swain or damsel found far more favor with the musical world than the commonplace, happy lover. In fact, to die for love seemed to be the acme of happiness in these ballads. LIFE OF THE TIME The description above given applies to all these old homes. Such were the houses of the Varicks, the Devereux, Manns, Williams, Seymours, Doo- littles, Camps, Ostroms, Harts, Hubbards, Denios, Bacons, Kirklands, Kips, Lothrops, Johnsons, Beardsleys, Hunts, Greens, and many others, all surrounded with beautiful gardens for pleasure and use . M ar kets there were none , and every one raised his own fresh vegetables and fruits. Entertain- ments were frequent, and while handsome mahog- any, silver and china, and fine napery made the ta- bles elegant, the simplicity of the dinners would, I fear, scarcely satisfy the club man of the year 1895, but for excellence of the viands they hold their own 29 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA bravely. A dinner consisted of a rich soup; a calf's head was a great favorite, then two joints of meat, a "roast and a boil," with vegetables served at the same time, or a saddle of mutton and haunch of venison on a lordly dish, the size of a small table. A ham soaked in champagne was a dish to set be- fore a king, and a spiced round of beef, with a dash of sherry, was a most popular dish. The desserts were simple but how good and tempting! Calves' foot jelly, served in glasses, mounted on a high epergne, was the favorite centre piece. Whipped cream, custard, baked in India blue cups with the covers on, floating island, alternated with the richer mince pies and plum puddings. A second course was a great anxiety to provide with so lim- ited a market; but when that was accomplished the housekeeper's cares were over. The word " menu," and its ten to fourteen courses made up of airy nothings, were both happily unknown. For wine, ample provision was made in the bins of the attic and the vaults of the cellar. Port, sherry and ma- deria, that had taken a voyage around the Cape to ripen, were the favorite brands, and not to offer a friend a glass of wine and a bit of sponge cake was an incivility. Egg-nogg parties were very popular, when the entire company adjourned to the dining- room, beat the eggs and mixed the ingredients to 30 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA taste. When finished, the nogg was poured foam- ing into pitchers or served from a punch bowl with a ladle. Oysters were a rarity, and when a barrel of them was brought up, every one gave a supper party to celebrate the event. For evening parties, ices, cake, coffee and chicken salad were the usual viands, which were very often handed about on trays. PETER FREEMAN Many of us will recall the tall figure of Peter Freeman, a colored waiter, who had known Utica society for many years, darting in and out between the dancers with skill and quickness, for to have run up against any one or to have dropped a spoon, would have dealt a blow to his professional pride. Peter, like most of his race, was aristocratic, and took deeply to heart the passing away or the step- ping down and out of his old families and the up- rising of others not so worthy in his estimation. "Sassiety ain't what it used to be" was his fre- quent complaint, and he lost his interest in many of the parties, and, probably, from the nature of his remarks his valuable services were not as much in demand as formerly. At his last appearance at a party at Mr. Edmund A. Wetmore's the heart of Peter revived. Many of his old patrons were 31 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA present, and he sailed into the parlor with his tray of glasses, greeting all with a cordial welcome, and saluting one lady, for whom he had a great regard, with "Come in, come in, Mrs. . This is a real select, genteel party, and none of our sudden rich ain't here — not one of 'em." THE GARDENS OF UTICA The old gardens of Utica were a very marked feature of the place. The shrubs and trees and plants had each a distinct value and individuality as the gifts and remembrances between friends and neighbors. There were no florists in those days to send out their finely illustrated catalogs — • and plants were given in exchange between neigh- bors and thus were spread far and near. The Erie canal was turned from the course originally plan- ned, to avoid the destruction of the beautiful gar- den and grounds belonging to Mr. James Kip on Broadway — probably the finest place then exist- ing in Utica. Great was the anxiety of Mrs. Morris Miller that Mr. Henry Seymour, then Canal Com- missioner, should not by the digging of his "big ditch" injure her favorite roses and fraxinellas which she had brought up from her father, Rutger Bleecker's old garden, on Market street, Albany. The Kip-Miller place on Main street was surround- 32 Judge Nathan Williams, The Wager or Goodwin House A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA ed by a large garden which ran as far as Cathar- ine street and was of course ruined by the canal. The old time garden walks were bordered with the fragrant purple and white fraxinellas, spireas, velvet roses, cabbage roses, sweet briar, spicy shrub, white snow balls, lemon lilies, Canterbury bells, Judas Tree, peonies in great glory, four o'clocks, pinks, purple and white lilacs, laburnam, bar- berrys, lilacs, mignonette, sweet lavendar, Jeru- salem oak, etc., while the flowering bulbs made the garden gay from early spring to late in autumn. "Whenever I found a specially fine garden in Clinton," said Mrs. George Wood, "I found the plants had originally come from Mrs. Henry Sey- mour's garden in Utica." Any one who would take a root or cutting and make it grow, was sure to find favor in her eyes. The plants thus exchanged be- tween friends assumed an almost personal individ- uality and were valued accordingly, while the gar- dens so carefully cultivated made a pleasant and attractive environment of the quaint old houses. JOSEPH KIRKLAND HOUSE Probably one of the oldest houses in the city is the one on Genesee street, built by Watts Sherman, who came here to live in 1802, and as he was pros- perous in his affairs it is probable he built this most 33 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA attractive house, with its beautiful garden, not many years afterwards. It consisted originally of the main building and south wing. When General Joseph Kirkland purchased it and removed here with his family from New Hartford, he added the handsome well-proportioned room on the north side, and added the third story. Mr. Kirkland was the first mayor of the city of Utica, and distinguished himself in that capacity as well as in all other walks of life. During the terrible cholera year, when sixty years of age, he maintained his post, remained in the city which was deserted by so many, and was untiring in brave efforts to stem the tide of this dreaded plague, and to give courage to the terrified inhabitants. Within these walls was reared a family of twelve children, ten of whom lived to manhood and womanhood. Of the sons, Charles P. Kirkland was a noted lawyer in New York, and a leading member of the Oneida County Bar, William Kirkland, a professor of Latin in Hamilton College, while among his sons-in-law were Judge William J. Bacon of Utica, John G. Floyd, Charles Tracy of New York, John G. Holly of Lyons. The house was afterwards purchased by Judge Philo Gridley, and remained in the possession of his family until 1882, when Dr. Willis E. Ford pur- 34 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA chased the house and part of the lot. Stephen Sicard, the judge's son-in-law, reserving part of the lot and building a handsome house on the north- ern side. Its large, well proportioned hall and generous sized parlors have always made it one of Utica's most attractive houses. Judge Apollos Cooper was one of the enterpris- ing pioneers of central New York, and settled in what is now Oneida county in 1793, as we hear of him as leaving his birthplace in Southampton, L. I., and "poling" up the Mohawk and Fish creek in that year, but in 1794 he came to Fort Schuyler. He was judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and held many offices of public trust. In an address delivered before the Historical Society in Utica a short time ago, by one of the most eminent law- yers of New York city, and a former resident of Utica, this sentiment was expressed: "Of the men who one hundred years ago, in 1794, came from the east and drove their stakes at old Fort Schuyler, there was one among them — Apollos Cooper — whose influence through himself and his posterity has been sovereign all through your history, and even to the present day is benignly felt. To Judge Apollos Cooper we owe the life and fame of one of the brilliant lawyers for whom Utica has been re- nowned." Mrs. E. A. Graham, the only daughter A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA of Judge Cooper, still survives, and is believed to be the oldest native born resident of Utica. From early youth she was one of the chief promoters of that noble charity, the Utica Orphan Asylum, and for nearly fifty years its first directress, resigning that position but a few years since. Judge Ap- pollos Cooper was the lineal descendant of John Cooper, who sailed in the Hopewell for America in 1635. He first went to Lynn, and was made a "freeman" of Boston in 1636. He soon removed to Southampton, L. I., and was one of the twenty heads of families who formed the Association for the Settlers of Southampton in 1637. South- ampton was the first town settled by the English in the state of New York. This ancestor was also one of the founders of the New England states. Judge Apollos Cooper purchased in 1794, 115 acres of land from James S. Kip, being a part of Cosby's Manor. A small house was on the land, but Mr. Cooper added to it, and the house which is still standing on Whitesboro street near its junction with Liberty, presents as to the building the same appearance as when Judge Cooper resided there, which he continued to do until his death in 1839. It was never as pretentious as many others, but partook something of the stern simplicity of its puritan founder. The old orchard which sur- 36 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA rounded the house until quite recently has now disappeared, but for many years, in its time of flower and fruitage, it was a thing of beauty as well as a landmark. The Cooper farm extended from the river on the north to Genesee street at its junc- tion with Cornelia on the southeast, which street Mr. Cooper named for his only daughter. The Cooper farm covered most of the city now com- prised in the third ward. BROAD STREET OF LONG AGO A gentlewoman of the olden school, a native of Utica, and long a resident of the city, has written the following reminiscences. Of the circle that clustered around Broad street forty or fifty years ago there is no better representative to be found among the living than in the gracious personality of the writer of these recollections, Mrs. E. T. Throop Martin, of Willow Brook, Auburn, N. Y.: In the early settlement of Utica, Broad street was a desirable place of residence. Many of the lots on which dwelling houses were erected be- longed to the estate of Mr. Bleecker of Albany, and were a part of the inheritance of his daughter, Mrs. Maria Miller, from whom the purchasers de- rived their title. 37 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA Broad street was not great in extent, but its width was generously planned. The dwelling houses erected both on the north and south side were built to suit the convenience of their owners. A few of them were stately and commodious, yet modest in external decoration, while others were suited to the requirements of families with mod- erate means of living. These families included many of the distinguished citizens of the State, and any lack of adornment in the externals of their homes was made up in the quality of the inmates. Among these early and honored residents were Judge Jonas Piatt, Abraham Varick, Richard Lan- sing, Rev. Henry Anthon, Hon. Ezekiel Bacon, Thomas H. Hubbard, John H. Ostrom, Zephania Piatt, William Williams, John C. Devereux, Sam- uel Stocking, James H. Hackett, Alfred Van Sant- voord, Joab Stafford, James Dana, Ebenezer Shearman and Orrin Clark; while at a later day among the residents of Broad street were Hon. Hiram Denio, Bleecker B. Lansing, Thomas R. Walker, Thomas Skinner, Abram Shepard, Elizur Goodrich, Henry White, Harvey Barnard, Theo- dore P. Ballou, Joseph Porter, Charles A. Mann, Truman K. Butler, George Dana, John Francis, Ezra Barnum, A. G. Dauby, Samuel Lightbody and John Williams. 38 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA As the century draws to its close, with loving reverence for those who once walked our streets and in their departure left to us the memory of their good examples, we would recall their honored names and clear away the moss from the memorial stones which record their virtues. On each monu- ment might be engraven the tribute paid to one of them: " The noblest work of God — an honest man." There were no defaulters among them. Not one who proved faithless to any trust reposed in him; not one who sought his own aggrandizement at the expense of his neighbor, or who filled to overflowing his own coffers regardless of the in- terests of those around him. "Weighed in the balance," those early dwellers in Broad street were not "found wanting" in the qualities which con- stitute the good citizens. Among the most conspicuous of the descend- dants of the residents of Broad street 70 years ago, are the sons of Col. William Williams and James Dana, whose names are honored throughout the civilized world. Wherever the Chinese language is spoken or studied or the history of the "Flowery Kingdom" is read, the name of Samuel Wells Williams is known; while the mineral kingdom and its expon- ents and the coral beds of the sea, which long hid 39 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA the secret of their history from the world, now bear testimony to the power and skill of the great geolo- gist to unfold the mystery of their construction. Other sons of these families have cut their names high on the tree which they have climbed to fame. Many more of the occupants of the dwellings in Broad street deserve honorable mention and we regret that the limited space allotted to this brief "looking backward" will not admit of the tribute justly due to those who have given dignity and re- nown to our city. These sons did not grow into a noble manhood without the training hand of the gifted and watch- ful mother, and this may also be said of the daugh- ters of that period, many of whom still adorn every circle in which they move, distinguished by their intelligence, refinement and high-breeding as well as by their large benevolence and retiring modesty. No doubt these characteristics were the result of a combined effort on the part of the mothers, by precept and example and careful training, to culti- vate in their daughters all the virtues and graces which constitute the highest type of womanhood. It was their custom, on the first entrance of their daughters into society, to give them careful in- struction in all the amenities of social life, impress- ing them with what is due from the younger ladies 40 The Henry Seymour House, Whitesboro Street A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA to their elders and reminding them before engag- ing in the entertainments of the evening to pay due respect to all the elderly ladies of the company. The men and women, who, at an early day, com- posed the society of Utica, set up a high standard of morals and manners. Virtue was exalted and vice frowned upon, and truth and sincerity and uprightness in conduct were earnestly if not se- verely inculcated. What wonder, then, that twice the State of New York selected from this community its first executive officer and that later, the two senators representing the Empire State in Congress at the same time, should chance to be both residents of Utica? THE MALCOLM HOUSE On upper Genesee street stands a house, now oc- cupied by Egbert Bagg, whose early occupants be- longed to the Revolutionary families of Gen. Schuyler and Gen. Malcolm. Samuel Bayard Mal- colm was educated for the law, but his occupation was solely in looking after his wife's estates in Cosby's Manor. He had married Cornelia Van Rensselaer Schuyler, the youngest daughter of Philip Schuyler, of Albany, much against the wishes of her father, and the youthful pair lived in much state and extravagance on this place. The daughter of one of our greatest generals, she was 41 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA closely allied by ties of blood to the families of Van Rensselaer and Van Cortland, while her older sister was the wife of Alexander Hamilton. Sad and pathetic was her life; the rich heiress became in a short time reduced to almost poverty and, in 1815, after the death of her husband, this place or farm of 120 acres was advertised for sale. Mrs. Malcolm afterwards married James Coch- ran and removed to Oswego, where many years later, and when a widow for the second time, she became postmistress in the same place where she had gone as a young girl with her father in 1794, and shared in the adventures of that difficult and romantic expedition. She lived to the age of 76 and died in Oswego, its oldest, as she had been one of its very earliest inhabitants, honored and beloved by all, for her lovely traits of character, her pa- tience and courage in adversity, and for her many intellectual gifts. "We never drove past this house" writes Doc- tor Anson J. Upson, "that my mother did not de- light in telling me all about her early friends, Rose and Sarah Malcolm." THE JOHNSON HOUSE One of the few old houses that remain to us un- touched by the hand of time is the somewhat oddly- 42 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA constructed wooden house on Genesee street, built by John H. Lothrop in 1809, and occupied by him until 1811. Mrs. Clinton, afterwards Mrs. Abram Varick, lived in it for a few years when it passed into the hands of Alexander B. Johnson, and is still in the possession of the family. Surrounded by its beautiful garden with its famous pink thorn trees, rare roses and flowering shrubs of all descrip- tions, the house is still one of the most striking of our old residences. It stands well up from the street on a terrace, its deep stone steps guarded by two frowning lions, which were always objects of terror to youthful minds. Mr. Johnson was known all through the State as an able banker and a man of rare intellectual gifts and attainments. His mar- riage with the daughter of Charles Adams and the granddaughter of President John Adams brought a delightful circle of friends into his home life, while his high standing as a banker and financier brought him into close intercourse with the lead- ing men of the times. RECEPTION TO LA FAYETTE On the morning of June 9, 1825, all the village of Utica was a gay scene of festive activity to honor the nation's guest, the Marquis and General La Fayette. Arches were raised, houses were gaily 43 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA decorated with flowers and flags, processions were formed, crowds of people from the surrounding country and villages filled the streets. The road leading to the west was changed from Rome street to La Fayette. While a general reception and grand review of the troops was held at Shephard's or Bagg's Hotel, a more private reception was held at the Johnson House. The Marquis hearing that the granddaughter of his friend John Adams, whom he had known so well in former days, was living in Utica, requested leave to pay his respects in person, and the ladies of the village were invited to come and be presented to him. In this little village of Utica La Fayette was to find many army friends and their descendants, although so remote from any of the scenes of war. At Oriskany was Colonel Lansing, who had been at Yorktown, and General Knox, both of whom rode as his escort in the procession, while Mrs. Henry Seymour represented her father, General Jonathan Forman, who had served at Valley Forge and York- town with La Fayette, and there were doubtless many others. "I was a young school girl at the time," said her daughter, Mrs. Rutger B. Miller, "and when my mother wished to take me with her to Mrs. Johnson's to be introduced to La Fayette, I foolishly thought it would be far more interest- 44 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA ing to see the procession from the top of a building in Genesee street with Mary Kip, afterwards Mrs. Charles P. Kirkland, than to go to the reception, and how often have I most deeply regretted my de- cision. My mother was much overcome at seeing the general and could scarcely command her voice to ask him if he remembered her father, but he in- stantly recalled him as having been one of his lieu- tenants at Valley Forge." Charles D. Miller, of Geneva, N. Y., writes in reference to this visit: ''Brother Rutger took all of his little brothers and introduced us to the general at Bagg's hotel. We shook hands with him. He was tall, distinguished, gentlemanly and hand- some. Pictures of him were extensively sold and adorned many houses. Later on in the day our old waiter, Jimmy Lang, took me, I was about six years old, to the canal bridge at Third street, un- der which the boat carrying the General and his staff was to pass. I sat on the railing, and at the right minute I poured a basket of flowers from our old Main street garden over his head. He picked up some of them, stuck two or three in his button hole, and looked up with a smile of thanks. Jimmy and I were as proud as though we had been the mar- quis himself. Captain William Clarke's horses were the handsomest horses in Utica at that time, 45 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA so they were harnessed to Mrs. Henry Seymour's barouche, which had been painted and varnished for the occasion, and was placed at the service of the General. The driver was a black man, your grandfather Seymour's coachman, whose name I do not recall, although he has been to see me, and his daughter lives here in Geneva. This carriage was the one General Forman had brought up from New Jersey when they came to settle in Cazenovia, and was the first thing of the kind to go over these rough corduroy roads. We used it afterwards on the "Hill." I used to drive your Grandmother Miller down to the Dutch church. It was hung very high, and the carpeted steps let down like a step-ladder." In a memoir of the late Mrs. Thomas R. Walker is also an interesting account of the reception at the Johnson house for La Fayette, where a collation was served and a few distinguished people assem- bled. The marquis exchanged pleasant greetings with his friends, and afterwards went into the house of Arthur Breeze, directly next to the Johnson place. He also went to the house of Captain Clarke, then president of the village, and whose house stood on Genesee street where the Second National bank has since been built. His son, Thomas Allen Clarke, then a little boy, was lifted 46 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA up to be kissed by the general, and was a proud and happy boy forever after. Probably never again will Utica have the opportunity to give such a greeting to a man so distinguished in Europe and America, and whose history reads like a romance, blended with the stern realities of two revolutions — the most fearful struggles for life and liberty. At the eastern end of Broad street stands a house far surpassing any other in Utica, for its associa- tion with the revolutionary hero, Colonel Benjamin Walker. It was known for many years as the Colonel Walker place, but is more familiar to those of the present day as the Wager place and the Cul- ver place. Colonel Benjamin Walker, an English- man by birth, was educated in France, and from his knowledge of the French language was ap- pointed aide to Baron Von Steuben at Valley Forge in 1777, and translated his orders to our American soldiers. He was afterwards on Washington's staff, and served with distinction all through the war. He and Colonel North became part of Von Steuben's family, and at the baron's death became his heirs. In 1797 Colonel Walker was appointed agent for the estate of Lady Bath, in the western part of New York state, which led him to remove from the city of New York to the village of Utica, where he laid out the beautiful grounds and built 47 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA the ample house which still stands as a monument to his good taste and cultivation. Here he lived in much state and elegance, with his three slaves for house servants, besides the men employed on the place. His coach is said to have been the first one ever used in Utica, and he always exercised a most genial hospitality, while his interest in the general welfare of the little village was unceasing. He was one of the earliest founders and pew holders of old Trinity church, securing for the corporation a gift of land from Lady Bath and subscribing lib- erally himself. He was always present in his pew at church, which was generally full, for he was rare- ly without guests, whose attendance at church in the morning was as much a matter of course as the Sunday dinner in the afternoon and the game of whist in the evening. The grounds surrounding his house were laid out with much taste, and the two beautiful pepper- idge trees in front of his house were marked features of the lawn, and grew to a large size. They were planted by the Colonel himself, as were also the large pines at the rear of the house, and the haw- thorne hedge which surrounded the entire place. The cheerful white wooden house, with its hand- some hall and spacious rooms, is familiar to many of our citizens, and the hospitality that was built 48 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA into its walls originally, never failed to offer a wel- come and cheer to all comers when occupied by its successive owners, the Bours, the Sewards, the Wagers and the Culvers. The house was sold to his son-in-law, Peter Bours, who built the house on Broad street, after- ward occupied by the families of Mr. Varick, Mrs. Breeze, Mrs. George S. Dana, G. Clarence Church- ill and Truman K. Butler. After the latter's brief occupancy the Walker house was used as a school by Madame Despard, and was much frequented by the incipient belles of the village. Among the list of scholars we find the names of Frances Hunt, (Mrs. George H. Throop), Frances Lothrop (Mrs. Lathrop), Jane Lynch, Mary Kip (Mrs. Charles P. Kirkland), Mary Seymour (Mrs. Rutger B. Miller), Sophia Seymour (Mrs. Edward F. Shon- nard), and many others. The beaux of the village were not slow in finding out that the walk out Broad street was one of the pleasantest in town, and one of the wits of the day, John H. Lothrop, is said to have asked if the old Walker place was not a genteel institute for young gentlemen as well as a ladies' seminary. The last occupant of this famous house was Abram E. Culver, who purchased it in 1856 and resided there until his death in 1885. The house 49 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA and grounds remained practically unchanged with the exception of throwing two rooms into one and extending the piazzas. At Colonel Walker's death in 1818 Abram Var- ick, Nathan Williams and Judge Morris S. Miller were named as executors of his will, and in the let- ter book of the latter are many interesting letters written to announce the death of his friend. To the nephew of Mrs. Walker, Mr. William H. Rob- inson, of New York, he writes: "In the death of Colonel Walker, his immediate friends and connec- tions have met a severe and irreparable loss. The public calamity is sensibly felt here. For myself I have lost one of my oldest and most steadfast friends to whose experience and good counsels I have been much indebted for many years past. He was a man of the most enlarged and active be- nevolence I ever saw." Colonel Walker died in 1818. In June, 1875, his remains, with those of Dr. John Cochran, were re- moved from the old cemetery on Whitesboro street to Forest Hill. The following account taken from the Utica Herald gives the interesting details of this impressive military and religious ceremony, while the letter from Rutger B. Miller gives the per- sonal recollections of one who as a boy had seen and admired these heroes of bygone days. 50 A SKETCH OF OLD UTICA MRS. DESPARDS FOR TBE EDUCATION OP YOUNG LADIES. TERMS. Board, with English Tvition, $37 50 per Quarter. Washing, an additional charge. ...