LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
 
 Shelf JLtiU. 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
From a Forest 
 
 To a City. . 
 
 Personal Reminiscences of Syracuse, N. Y. 
 
 BY 
 
 OCT 211889.; 
 
 M". C. HAND- 
 
 
 GTO^' 
 
 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 
 
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 
 some of which sign boards were placed which read " five 
 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 
 
 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 snuffbox 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 
 
 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 
 
TO A CITY. 
 
 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 
 
8 
 
 FROM A FOREST 
 
 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, 
 
10 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 ! " A 
 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. From 
 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 
 
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 
 fav 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 
 
12 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 eyer 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 programme 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 
 then shaded by the tall forest trees that were standing 
 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 Gary 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 shewing 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. 
 
 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. It 
 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 
 
l6 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 '.hat 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 probably 
 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 
 
 were famed in antiquity. The forum surrounded by 
 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 18 19 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 
 
 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 1855, I passed Mr. 
 John Wilkinson's on James Street. His garden was ex- 
 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 a rustic moss covered 
 bridge, near which were rockeries encircled with wild 
 flowers, and artificial mounds 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 LeMoine 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 u 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 
 
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 vole 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 cur 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 
 
2 2 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 
 
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 
 
2(5 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 an d 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 " 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 novfs 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. 
 
 Mr. Tomlinson, the builder and owner of the " Em- 
 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 ihe 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 x\lexander 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 181 r 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- 
 
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 ly 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 1 823 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, 
 :: 
 
34 FROM A FOREST 
 
 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 side, and next to him 
 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 
 
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 
 
 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. There 
 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 prcbably 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 ! Chanticleer ! 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 feet 
 
 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 : u 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 & SafTord 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 natuie 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, 
 originally 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. VVilmot 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, 1S47, 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 of 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, 
 dining 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. 
 
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 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. GrorT 
 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 Siioam 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- 
 
60 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 
 
TO A CITY. 6 1 
 
 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 
 
62 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. 6$ 
 
 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 businessman; 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 lut 
 a few rods west of Mr. Malcom's store. Mr. Malcom 
 tried to persuade him that there was not trade enough to 
 
64 FROM A FOKEST 
 
 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 
 
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 TROM 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 
 
 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. The 
 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 
 
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 T838, 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 tern 
 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 
 
76 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- 
 
78 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 
 
8o FROM A FOREST 
 
 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 SALTNA 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. 8 1 
 
 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 
 musk rat or wild duck skulking in the flags to hide out of 
 sight. On the banks of this creek a Mr. White built a 
 
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 
 
84 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 he 
 
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 $1 0,000. Several years later the 
 interior was remodeled with beautiful designs at an addi- 
 
CO 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 drv 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 
 
TO A CITY. 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 
 
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 sireet 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 r* ad six rods wide, north and south from the 
 Walton tract through the state lands to specified points. 
 This road is now Salina street. In .824 the Syracuse 
 Company purchased the Walton tract and other st 
 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 orifice 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; lie 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 o( 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 1X29 there v. 
 three candidates in the field for Governor, Mr. Van- 
 Patten bet his tavern that Francis Granger would be 
 
98 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. 
 
TO A CITY. 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 
 
IOO FROM A FOREST 
 
 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 
 
TO A CITY. IOI 
 
 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 
 
102 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. I03 
 
 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- 
 
104 FROM A FOREST 
 
 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- 
 
mm » »^J?«r ' 
 
 THe"fIKST BRICK BOUSE 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. IO9 
 
 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. Ill 
 
 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 iMyers 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 
 
112 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 12^ 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- 
 
 8 
 
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 story. 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 
 
Il6 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 
 
Il8 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 
 
120 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. It 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 1 
 
 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 story 
 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 littie 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 
 
122 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 bell 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 /<?-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, 
 
124 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 VanBuren'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 
 i860. 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 mor.e 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- 
 
128 FROM A FOREST 
 
 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, 
 which, at that time, he found ready sale at the locks, 
 to supply the passing boatmen. While marketing his 
 9 
 
I30 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 ont 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 
 v^te 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 fi'ling 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, 
 
J 36 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 cnv. 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 
 v. as 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 
 
I40 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 
 fur 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. Not 
 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. 
 
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 
 
14S FROM A FOREST 
 
 1858. It was quite an unassuming structure for so fine a 
 location. In 187 1 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 as 
 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 
 
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. I5T 
 
 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 $r,ooo 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 
 
1$2 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. 
 
 '53 
 
 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. 
 
 1 mack 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 flffy-flve feet. 
 7 Gravel, compact and cemented, twenty feet. 8 nard-pan, the primary 
 formation on the bottom of the valley. AAA Sides and bottom of ancient 
 vaUey excavated In red shale. B Alluvium Ailing the valley. D Onon- 
 daga Lake. E Surface of the lake. 
 
 The geology of cur 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 cavered 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 182 1 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 
 
I56 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 
 
 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. After this date he traveled 
 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. Holmes to take a boat ride on the lake. 
 Accordingly they procured 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 
 
I58 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 Wu. 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 181 7 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, 
 
l6o 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. l6l 
 
 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 resales. 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 
 
l62 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 denned 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 
 
164 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- 
 
1 66 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 
 
l68 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 ? 
 
 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- 
 cuse. 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 
 
170 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 
 
172 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 tne 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 
 
 localities has been epidemic to an alarming extent. The 
 cities of Brooklyn 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 w r ould 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 
 ./^Esculapius 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. I 77 
 
 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 seeing 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 emigrate 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." 
 
i8o 
 
 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. l8l 
 
 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 postomce 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 181 7 Northrup & 
 Dexter took a large contract on the canal and purchased 
 
1 82 FROM A FOREST 
 
 the store of Taylor & Dole, where they continued until 
 the canal contract was completed in 182 1. 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. In 
 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. 
 
 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 1 830 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 stoies, 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, 1 morocco manufactory, 1 soap and can- 
 dle manufactory, 1 distillery, 1 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, 1S31. 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. 
 
I 86 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 
 
1 88 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 
 
I90 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. I9I 
 
 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 
 
I92 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 
 $r 0,000, 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. Mr. 
 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 
 tiie 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; thai 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 
 1.; 
 
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 his 
 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. I99 
 
 the Legislature for a city charter, a:id 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 chair 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. 20 1 
 
 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 8 
 
 The Name 15 
 
 The Old Red Mill 24 
 
 The Empire House 28 
 
 Syracuse House and vicinity 31 
 
 Corner of James and Salina Streets 50 
 
 West Water Street to Clinton Street 53 
 
 Corner of West Genesee and Clinton Street 56 
 
 Powder Explosion 5g 
 
 Early History of Business on Salina St. from Water St. South... 63 
 
 The Old Depot 71 
 
 The West side of South Salina Street between Washington and 
 
 Fayette 75 
 
 Vanderbilt Square to Fayette Street 78 
 
 South Salina Street from Fayette to Onondaga 80 
 
 Encroachment on Salina Street 91 
 
 The North side of Water St. between Salina and Warren Sts. . 98 
 
 East Genesee Street 102 
 
 South side of Washington Street between Warren and Mont- 
 gomery Streets 114 
 
 Early History of the Site of the City Hall 122 
 
 Corner of Lock and Water Streets 125 
 
 The Hermit 129 
 
 The Streets of Syracuse 133 
 
 Groves and Forest Trees 137 
 
 Onondaga Creek and other Streams 145 
 
 Onondaga Lake 152 
 
 The Epidemic and Endemic Diseases in the Village of Syracuse. 159 
 
 Early Business Men 180 
 
 Growth of the Village 183 
 
 The Location of the Court House 186 
 
 The Charter 198 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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