Those who from age, infirmity, or otherwise become unable to support themselves, and are so unfortunate as to be obliged to rely upon public charity for support, are provided with a comfortable home on the county poor-farm, situated in the town of Pamelia, one mile below Watertown city. The first county poor-farm was located in the town of Le Ray. The present farm was purchased in 1833, and cost, including buildings erected son after the purchase, $6,123.36. In 1855 a lunatic asylum was built of brick, at a cost of $4,811.57. In 1870 the poor-house was remodeled and rebuilt at an expense of $13,750. In 887 other improvements and additions were made, and it will now accommodate 150 inmates. The present superintendent of the poor-farm is John Washburn.

The Jefferson County Orphan Asylum has served a most useful purpose since it was started as the “Watertown Home” in 1859. It is a brick structure, and is pleasantly located on Franklin street, surrounded by a beautiful grove. The institution is ably managed, and more than maintains itself. A. O. Freeman is superintendent; Mrs. A. O. Freeman, matron; G. W. Knowlton, secretary and treasurer. At the present time about 60 children are cared for.

The soil generally of Jefferson County is of average fertility. The districts underlaid by limestone and slate are exceedingly fertile, and particularly adapted to dairying and the raising of spring grains. The intervales are also remarkably fertile, while the ridges are often naked rock. The soil, over a part of the sandstone, is too thin for cultivation, but the barren region is comparatively limited. Barley, oats, corn, rye, and peas are staple products. For many years, from the first settlement of the territory, manufacturers have received much attention, and employed a large amount of capital. They have been principally carried on along the line of Black River, and are quite fully described in the sketches of the towns in which they are located. The growing of hay for the great markets has become a chief staple, and we are told by a New York dealer that Jefferson County grows the best hay that comes to that market. Ship-building and lake commerce form prominent pursuits at several points along the lake and St. Lawrence River.

To give the reader an idea of the business of the county in the early days we quote the following from Spafford’s Gazetteer of 1813.

“Agreeable to the census of 1810, there are in this county 660 looms; 16 tanneries, 16 distilleries, two breweries; eight clothieers, five carding machines, and seven or eight large asheries, which produce large quantities of pot and pearl ashes, and bring much money into the county.”

In the same author’s Gazetteer, of 1825, the following for 1820-21 is quoted: --

“Statistics. -- ***Postoffices, 20; persons engaged in agriculture, 8,907; in commerce, 134; in manufactures, 1,603; slaves, 5; free blacks, 135; school districts, 165, in which schools are kept an average of seven months in 12; public money received in 1821, $3,071.77; No. of children between five and 15 years of age, 8,000; No. of persons taught in the schools, 8,444; electors, 7,196,; taxable property, $2,483,671; acres of improved land, 122,209; neat (sic) cattle, 34,896; horses, 6,118; sheep, 59,448; yards of full cloth made in the household way in 1821, 54,470; yards of flannel, 77,082; yards of linen, cotton, and other thin cloths, 144,758=276,310 yards; 55 grist-mills; 98 saw-mills; one oil-mill; 27 fulling-mills; 27 carding machines; four cotton and woolen manufactories; four forges; one furnace; 10 trip-hammers; 33 distilleries; 139 asheries; two paper-mills; and two printing offices.”

From the census report of 1880 we find that Jefferson County, in that year, had 6,422 farms, representing an area of 594,899 acres of improvement land, valued at $26,869,176, including fences, buildings, etc. The value of farming implements and machinery was $1,009,347; value of live stock, $3,468,873; cost of building and repairing fences (1879), $86,458; cost of fertilizers purchased in 1879, $9,214; estimated value of all farm productions (sold, consumed, or on hand) for 1879, $5,199,352.

In 1880 the principal vegetable productions of the county were: Barley, 393,024 bushels; buckwheat, 33,556 bushels; Indian corn, 357,964 bushels; oats, 1,256,468 bushels; rye, 57,312 bushels; wheat, 189,322 bushels; orchard products valued at $86,105; hay, 236,000 tons; hops, 135,955 pounds; Irish potatoes, 460,881 bushels; tobacco, 1,850 pounds. Of live stock in the county there were 17,463 horses, 45 mules and asses, 427 working oxen, 61,900 milch (sic) cows, 29,280 other cattle, 15,642 swine, and 18,748 sheep (exclusive of spring lambs), which produced 90,975 pounds of wool. Of dairy products there were 13,261,680 gallons of milk, 4,071,740 pounds of butter, and 283,990 pounds of cheese.

ASSESSED VALUATION--1889.

(from Child’s Gazetteer, pub. 1890, pp. 129-132)

The following account of the first manufacture of cheese for market in Jefferson County is extracted from an article written by Mrs. John A. Sherman, and read before the Historical Society in April, 1887: --

“My husband and myself were the pioneers in that now vast industry, having commenced making cheese for sale in 1834. The causes that led to our starting the business were so interwoven with the circumstances of Mr. Sherman’s family at that date that a brief history of his early struggles may not be inappropriate, and may be of interest to the people of the present day.

“Alfred Sherman, the father of my husband, died in 1827, five years before our marriage, leaving a widow and six children to obtain the necessaries of life, on an unproductive farm of 90 acres. My husband, who was then 17 years of age, and was living with Norris M. Woodruff, of Watertown, was called home to care for the widowed mother and her children, five younger than himself. But little change for the better had taken place in the family at the time of our marriage, November 17, 1832. It was arranged that we should take the farm and pay off the heirs as they became of age. To Mr. Sherman, with all his energy, it looked like an endless task, and he was also discouraged by unforeseen and unexpected misfortune. A large flock of sheep had all died, and also a fine colt, and there was a hundred dollars due Adriel Ely that he could see no way of paying. At this point in our severe struggles there came a ray of light. A young man and his wife from Herkimer County purchased a farm adjoining ours, and as soon as convenient I called and made friends of our new neighbors. I found the lady in poor health. She said the farmers of Herkimer County had all got rich from cheese-making, but it had broken down all the wives and daughters with hard work. Caring little for the hardship I immediately resolved that we should have some cows and make cheese. Why could not cheese be made in Jefferson as well as in Herkimer County? I hastened home with the inspiration of hope, to mature the plan with my husband, which he readily approved, and before sleeping that night he had resolved to loan the money of Mr. Woodruff, and go to Canada for the cows.

“As spring was upon us there was no time to lose, and in three days he was in Canada buying cows, and one week from that time we were milking many of them. He had driven the cows across the St. Lawrence River, with the snow and water nearly knee-deep, and the ice dangerously thin in many places. Foot-sore and weary he reached home late in the evening, to spend a sleepless night of suffering from his blistered feet. We were soon in readiness to make our first cheese, and the Herkimer County lady, as she had promised, was ready to teach me. As the process was simple I was, in about three days, an independent cheesemaker. Our first cheese was a wonderful one, and weighed 40 pounds. We had never seen as large a cheese before. Our little hoop would not hold the curd, and the now Rev. Jedediah Winslow, who was then a member of our family, a tall, handsome youth of 16 years, was sent to great haste to Dr. Kimball’s to borrow a hoop. Mr. Sherman told him to run the horse.

“Our admiration knew no bounds. This promise of future prosperity---this first cheese--was absolutely on the table, and I had made it, and could make any number more. Little did I think then that this was the starting point of a great and important business in Jefferson County. We had improvised rude and inexpensive implements for present use, that would look curious to the dairymen in this day of great inventions and labor-saving machinery. I distinctly remember the press, a rough plank, and probably a ton or more of stones thereon. It was worked by a lever, lifting it off and onto the cheese by main strength. It was a terror to me, when I was sometimes left alone, to use it. But rude as the implements were they served our purpose, but were not labor-saving. The making of the cheese was but a small part of the labor. Order and cleanliness were absolutely necessary, to maintain which required plenty of water, which had to be lifted over the top of a cistern and drawn up from the well in the old oaken bucket. There was much discussion at the time as to the propriety of making cheese on Sunday; but as we must do that, or nearly waste our milk, we continued to make it on Sunday with no compunctions of conscience, and we were as early to church as our neighbors, riding in the farm wagon. Sometimes, on great occasions, Grandmother Sherman would come and take us in her carriage.

“We had commenced this new industry in the early spring, and, there being no one to purchase the cheese, had continued its manufacture until our temporary rooms and tables were full to overflowing. By the advice of Mr. Crosby, our new friend from Herkimer, Mr. Sherman sent it to New York to be sold. It took 21 days by lake and canal to reach there. It proved to be good, sold readily, and we soon had returns at six cents a pound, sufficient to pay for every cow. But this was not all of our product. At the close of the season we had 15 beautiful calves, one room full of cheese, several tubs of butter, and plenty of everything after the summer’s product was sold. We cured the late-made cheese with stove-heat, and kept it for the spring market.

“There soon joined us on the dairy business such men as Isaac Munson, C. P. Kimball, Daniel Sherman, Moses Eames, Franklin Hunt, Clift Eames, David Granger, Z. Larned, Henry Hopkins, Gardner Town, Jerod Canfield, and a host of others. But these were our immediate friends and neighbors. We had many visitors to see and many to learn the art of cheese-making, and we all had much to learn from experience, and, as in everything in life, we never arrived at a state of perfection. Moses Eames, the following year, made a journey to Herkimer County, to learn the best mode of building for the manufacture and cure of cheese, but not approving of the Herkimer buildings, he constructed a building after a plan of his own, which was every way convenient, with running water and steam. Franklin Hunt’s dairy buildings were the first built in the county. Moses Eames’s cheese-house, which but recently survived the destructive fire which swept away the old home, was one of the finest in this county, and recalls recollections of pleasures past. These two buildings were the first, and are standing monuments of enterprise in the great business that spread rapidly over the county, resulting in prosperity to all classes.

“The winter was our season of rest and social gatherings, and the few of us who are left well remember the joyous festivities of the farmers of that day. There were no factories for many years to lighten out labors, but the butter and cheese was all made in our own homes, and with our own hands, and the farmers of the present know little of the hardships of our day, and perhaps little of our pleasures. The business was new and exciting, and cemented us in the bonds of friendship and interest for each other’s prosperity. In a very few years prosperous results were very perceptible in the farmers of Jefferson County. They could ride in fine carriages; dress in rich clothing, furnish their homes pleasantly, send their children to the High school, have an instrument of music for their daughters, and good teachers to instruct them. Their daughters were also required to help do the work, and were taught that good housekeeping was an accomplishment essential to their education, and we could trust them to make good bread and coffee, prepare a farmer’s boiled dinner, or anything required for the table. The business was very prosperous to us, and Mr. Sherman added farm to farm, until we had nearly 400 acres of land, and had also increased the number of cows to, I think, about 50--20 being our first number. The large farm and dairy required many laborers, who had constant employment, and occupied the different houses belonging to the farm, --three in number, besides our own home, --to one of which our dairy was removed, and ever after the cheese was made by the laborers, until the dear old home passed into other hands, and we to other scenes far less congenial than our quiet rural life.”

FROM 1861 TO 1890.*

*Furnished by A. W. Munk, of Watertown

The cooperative cheese factory system was first started in Jefferson County in 1861. David Hamlin, of Watertown, was the first in this county to make the milk of other dairies into cheese. He charged from $1.75 to $2.00 for every 100 pounds of milk that he manufactured into cheese. They were not cheddared as now, and not uniform in size, weighing all the way from 100 to 300 pounds each. They were sold at anywhere from 20 to 25 cents per pound. From 1861 to 1879 there was a rapid growth in the number of new factories erected, and a vast change in the method of its manufacture. At present there are 98 factories in Jefferson County, which produce 150,000 cheese annually, equal to 9,000,000 pounds. Manufacturers do not get on an average $1.05 for every 100 pounds of milk manufactured into cheese. Most all of these cheese are cheddared, and the average weight is just 60 pounds each. Three-fourths of the county’s cheese is exported to foreign countries. The average of the county’s cheese is exported to foreign countries. The average price for the past 10 years has been just $0.092343, nearly 9-1/4 cents per pound.

Since 1888 very little Limburger cheese has been manufactured in Jefferson County. The cheese factories have taken the place of butter factories and creameries, and there are only four in active operation during the summer months.

The cheese of this county are sold principally on the board of trade, which was organized in 1874, and known as the “Watertown Board of Trade and Jefferson County Dairymen’s Association.” Of the 150,000 cheese manufactured in this county annually, 50,000 of them are sold directly upon this board, and the balance at the weekly ruling, average or extreme prices paid for the direct purchases. This board holds weekly sales day, beginning the first Saturday in May, and continuing until the season’s product is all sold, when it adjourns to the following May. This organization is sustained by the annual dues of factories represented, which was formerly $3 each per annum, but in 1889 was reduced to $2. Buyers doing business on the board pay the same as is charged the factories. At the annual meeting of the factories a patron is chosen to represent the factory at the board, and sell the cheese during the season. This board has proved quite a boon to dairymen, as it brings buyers together in competition, and often it is the case that prices paid in Watertown are relatively higher than those ruling in New York.

The Jefferson County Butter and Cheesemakers’ Association was organized February 2, 1889. According to article 2 of its constitution the objects of this society are to “further promote the interests of the dairymen of Jefferson County; to advance the standard of their goods; to enforce all laws which are now or may hereafter be enacted in their interest; and by thorough organization be prepared by petition or otherwise to further promote the welfare of this association and the interests of the dairymen at large.”

The officers of the society for 1889 were: E. A. Ayers, of Rice’s, president; D. A. Goodrich, of South Champion, James Purcell, of Sterlingville, Anson Miller, of Rodman, vice-presidents; A. W. Munk, of Watertown, secretary; R. H. Bent, of Antwerp, treasurer.

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and a few farmers. Many of the broken-down politicians and sore-heads were quick to avail themselves of an opportunity to join the Grange, with the hope and expectation that in the near future a strong political party would grow out of it. This brought into the organization an element that was foreign and antagonistic to all its aims and objects; and as the farmers heretofore had had but limited, experience in meetings of this kind, they had but little chance to carry out, compared to the wily politicians, what they would like to have accomplished, and what the Grange was originally intended for.

In the fall of 1874 A. C. Middleton was nominated for state senator by the Grangers of Lewis and Jefferson counties, and although the district was largely Republican, with the assistance of the Democrats, who made no nomination, he was elected by a majority of more than 800. His election so elated many of the members that before another election time had come the aspirants for office was so numerous that jealousies arose in different localities, which caused much dissension in the different Granges. As the discussion of politics in the meetings was strictly prohibited by the constitution of the Grange, those who cared more for the good of the order than the spoils of office demanded that all matters of this kind be discontinued in the Grange meetings. The politicians, quick to see that only through united strength could they achieve success, began to drop out, and in a year or so the membership had greatly diminished. Many of the Granges were allowed to die out, and others barely existed.

Not until 1885 did there seem to be much change in the standing of the order. The fire insurance, which had been in operation for several years, the benefits of which were confined to members in good standing, had so far been the means of saving a large amount of money to its patrons. Other insurance companies having raised their rates on farm property, and the continual depression of farm products, caused many of the leading farmers to look around for some way in which they might lessen their expenses. At this time the Grange was the only avenue. The public press, instead of ridiculing the society as formerly, published extensive articles calling the attention of the farmers to the advantages to be derived from a thorough organization. This caused a healthy revival in its favor, and many new members were received.

At the session of Pomona Grange, held in Belleville in June, 1889, a committee was appointed to ascertain the advisability of holding a farmers’ picnic in August. After quite an animated discussion, as to what the object was in calling such a meeting, it was said to be partly for the purpose of getting together, comparing ideas, and, if thought best, to put in nomination a candidate for member of Assembly in the First District, and perhaps a full county ticket to be composed of farmers. This was strongly opposed by many who favored only making a nomination for member. Before the meeting closed, however, it was voted to hold the picnic and convention at Henderson Harbor, August 8 and 9. No vote was taken as to what should be done at the picnic, but the impression went forth and gained rapidly that nominations would be made, and when the time arrived it was estimated that full 3,000 were in attendance. On the second day of this meeting delegates were appointed from the different towns in the First Assembly District, and called to meet in the village of Adams, August 14, to put in nomination a candidate for member from that district. The delegates met and nominated L. D. Olney, of Rutland, and adopted resolutions setting forth their wants and grievances. Later in the canvass Mr. Olney resigned on account of business relations, and Floyd C. Overton was nominated in his stead. The nomination of the Grangers was indorsed by the Democrats, but the Republican majority of 1,600 in the district could not be overcome, and Mr. Overton was defeated by a majority of 172. The result of this so encouraged the farmers that in a few weeks five new Granges were started, and the old ones nearly doubled in membership.

The State Grange held its 17th annual session in Watertown, February 4 to 7, inclusive, the first ever held in the northern part of the state, and was said to have been the largest, in point of numbers in attendance, in its history.

There are now, in the county, about 26 Granges, with a membership of more than 1,600. Of these, “Watertown,” “Star,” “Indian River,” “South Rutland,” and “Pamelia” Granges own buildings, while the others rent.

Union Grange, No. 5, of Belleville, has 138 members; A. A. Scott, W. M.; George E. Bull, secretary.

Watertown Grange, No. 7, has 365 members; W. H. Vary, W. M.; F. E. Wilson, secretary.

Star Grange, of Hounsfield, 73 members; L. F. Allen, W. M.; A. M. Marsh, secretary.

Mannsville Grange, No. 16, A. P. Williams, W. M.; W. A. Schell, secretary.

Champion Grange, No. 18, S. Loomis, W. M.; S. J. Hubbard, secretary.

Indian River Grange, No. 19, of Antwerp, 100 members; Henry Mason, W. M.; Ezra S. Beaman, secretary.

South Rutland Grange, No. 53, 60 members; C. H. Cramer, W. M.; Mrs. Agnes Johnson, secretary.

Pamelia Grange, No. 68, 130 members; S. N. Gould, W. M.; N. Burgess, secretary.

Philadelphia Grange, No. 114, 60 members; William Whiting, W. M.; W. G. Mosher, secretary.

Lorraine Grange, No. 117, 40 members; L. B. Bishop, W. M.; L. S. Pitkin, secretary.

Three Mile Bay Grange, No. 126, 75 members; J. W. Taft, W. M.; Charles Kinsley, secretary.

Adams Grange, No. 391, 16 members; A. W. Bartlett, W. M.; J. A. Bemis, secretary.

St. Lawrence Grange, No. 390, 40 members; D. S. Rees, W. M.; W. D. Phillips, secretary.

Natural Bridge Grange, No. 497, 122 members; F. W. Palmer, W. M.; B. B. Smith, secretary.

Depauville Grange, No. 59, 60 members; E. J. Seeber, W. M.; Alonzo Cheever, secretary.

Adams Center Grange, No. 590, 60 members; M. E. Darling, W. M.; A. M. Thomas, secretary.

Thousand Island Grange, No. 593, on Wells Island, 22 members; Hiram Moore, W. M.; O. T. Greene, secretary.

Plessis Grange, organized January 29, 1890, has 30 members; D. Snell, W. M.; William J. Tilley, secretary.

Texas Grange, No. 532, of Wilna, E. N. Reynolds, W. M.; P. H. Castle, secretary.

Great Bend Grange was organized in March, 1890; A. J. Shew, W. M.; A. J. Wadsworth, secretary.

Kirtland Grange, of Redwood, was organized in May, 1890, with 41 charter members; O. M. Norton, W. M.; W. H. Marshall, secretary.

A Grange was organized in Theresa village in March, 1889, with 40 charter members; I. C. Cooper, W. M.; C. B. Still, secretary.

The future prospects of the Granges are very flattering, and it is thought that in a short time they will embrace in their membership 75 per cent of the farmers of the county.

END

MANUFACTURES.

The manufacturing interests of Jefferson County have been generally written up in the sketches of the towns and Watertown city (see Index of Child Gazetteer Topics on this website), in which the many important industries of this character are located. In addition to these we are fortunate in being able to give the following history of the paper-mills of this county, prepared by John C. Knowlton, of Watertown: --

SKETCH OF PAPER MANUFACTURE.

The beginnings of the papermaking industry in Jefferson County are to be credited to Gurdon Caswell, who was born in Norwich, Conn., in 1783. He was a tailor by trade, and in 1804 came to Westmoreland, Oneida County. At Walesville, Oneida County, about nine miles west from Utica, was, and still is, a paper-mill on Oriskany Creek, which, in 1804, was owned by Nathaniel Loomis and his son Erastus. Now Nathaniel had not only a son, but also a daughter, Mary, and the young tailor from Connecticut forthwith fell in love with and married her, and joined his fortunes with his father-in-law in the paper-mill. He must have found papermaking more attractive than the tailor’s bench, for, in 1808, when the Black River country was the Mecca for so many pilgrims from the Mohawk region, Gurdon Caswell came to Watertown and built the first paper-mill on the south bank of the river opposite town and built the first paper-mill on the south bank of the river opposite Beebee’s Island, above Cowan’s grist mill. This site was about where the easterly end of Knowlton Brothers’ wood pulp-mill now stands, and may have been partly in Mill street, for there was no street or bridge there in 1808. The building was a two-story frame structure, 35 x 50 feet, but a considerable part of the second floor was used for a wool-carding machine. The machinery in this mill consisted of a small rag engine, or Hollander, carrying about 150 pounds of rags; two or three potash kettles set in a brick arch, for boiling the rags and preparing the sizing; one vat for making the paper, sheet by sheet; and a rude standing press to squeeze the water out of the pack, as the pile of alternate felts and wet sheets was called. After pressing the sheets were taken from the pack and hung on poles to dry, and, if intended for writing purposes, were afterward dipped in sizing, a few sheets at a time, and dried again. There was no steam used in any part of this process; no chlorine for bleaching; no calendering, the substitute for the later being pressing between boards.

Such a mill costing from $3,000 to $5,000 would employ four or five men and as many women, and was capable of turning out 150 pounds of paper per day; but there was little of the pushing that to-day crowds every machine to its utmost capacity. Rags were scarce, the demand for paper limited, and the men had an uncomfortable habit of going on prolonged drunken sprees, when all work must come to a stop. Caswell called the mill “The Pioneer Mill.” William Thornton and Gardner White were interested with him in building it.

It continued to make paper till 1833, when Knowlton & Rice, who had bought the mill in 1824, sold the lot and moved the building to their new premises, a few rods further up stream. The old building, as removed, still stands on Factory street, in front of Knowlton Brothers’ mill, and is used by them for a storehouse. Caswell’s family remained in Oneida County till 1814, when he bought a farm on State street, know (sic) later as the Emerson property, and removed them to Watertown. In 1819, he built his second mill on Factory Square, between N. Wiley’s machine shop and Fairbanks’ tannery, a part of the property now owned by the H. H. Babcock Co. This mill was soon sold to his brother, Henry Caswell, and brother-in-law, Erastus Loomis, and in 1824 was bought by Knowlton & Rice, who continued to use it till February 7, 1833, when it was burned with Fairbanks’s tannery and several other buildings.

In 1823 Caswell, in company with Ralph Clapp and William K. Asherd, built his third mill on Sewall’s Island, occupying part of the premises now owned by the Bagley & Sewall Co. This mill was torn down about 1830. Gurdon Caswell removed to Clayton, Jefferson County, in 1832, and died there in 1862, aged 78 years.

In 1824 George W. Knowlton and Clark Rice, then living at Brattleboro, Vt., bought of Joseph Fessenden, of Brattleboro, the first two mills built by Caswell for $7,000. For the next 30 years, till 1854, Knowlton & Rice were, with unimportant exceptions, the only paper manufacturers in Jefferson County. In 1833 they abandoned both the mills, and built on the site now occupied by the easterly half of Knowlton Brothers’ mill a new mill, with two rag engines and the first machinery for making a continuous sheet of paper (36-inch cylinder). At first the wet web of paper was wound on a reel, cut open with a knife, and dried on poles as before; but copper dryers, calenders, and a cutter were added, and the mill ran successfully until 1848, when it was burned on March 21, in a great fire which swept several manufactories from the south shore of Black River, opposite Beebee’s Island. It was immediately replaced by a brick mill having three rag engines and improved machinery. The capacity of this mill having three rag engines and improved machinery. The capacity of this mill was 600 pounds to 700 pounds per day. This mill continued to run till 1869, when it was practically rebuilt by Knowlton Brothers and equipped with modern machinery.

In 1854 Knowlton & Rice retired from active business and sold the mill to Brown & Chamberlin, of Dalton, Mass., though either Mr. Knowlton or Mr. Rice retained an interest in the business most of the time till 1861, when Mr. Knowlton’s sons, John C. and George W., Jr., bought the mill, and under the name of Knowlton Brothers still continue the business, having added adjacent premises and additional buildings as their business increased.

Up to 1854 most paper-mills had made a great variety of papers, partly to use up all kinds of stock collected and partly to supply the local demand for different kinds of paper. Wrapping paper, news paper, paper for school books and blank books, ruled foolscap, and letter papers were all turned out of the same mill with the same machinery, the main difference being in the quality of the rags used, for all the stock was rags in those days. But after the completion of railroads, and the greatly increased facilities for the exchange of goods with remoter parts of the country, it was found to be more economical for each mill to have its specialty and confine itself to one line of goods. Thus the Brown & Chamberlin mill--subsequently operated by Chamberlin, Farwell & Co. and Knowlton Brothers--was about this time devoted, entirely to the making of writing papers, and so continued till 1873, when its product was changed to colored papers.

In 1854 I. Remington & Sons, then operating a mill at Fayetteville, N. Y., eased the long-idle Juhelville cotton-mill from P. O’Dougherty, and fitted it up for papermaking, with four rag engines and an 84-inch Fourdrinier machine. The mill was fun entirely on news paper. It had a capacity of one ton per day and was, in those days, considered a large mill. The firm was composed of Illustrious Remington and his two sons, Hiram and Alfred D. A. D. Remington removed to Watertown, and to his energy, business ability, and mechanical skill much of the development of the paper-making industry in this section is due. In 1863 he became sole proprietor of the mill, and in 1865 organized the Remington Paper Co., now operating one of the most extensive plants in the country. On the expiration of the O’Dougherty lease, in 1867, the mill was removed to Sewall’s Island, and in 1869, the first wood pulp machinery was introduced. From that time there has been an almost constant increase of facilities and capacity until now the Remington Paper Co. operates to large paper mills, three wood pulp-mills, and one sulphite fibre-mill, the daily output of paper being 30 tons, all made from spruce logs on its own premises, no rags or other fibre being used.

In 1862 the mill now owned by the Watertown Paper Co. was built by A. D. Remington, at the island end of the upper dam, crossing the south channel at Sewall’s Island. This mill was for many years operated by Hiram Remington and Charles R. Remington, a third son of I. Remington. Since 1881 it has been owned by H. Remington & Son.

The mill now owned by the Taggart Bros. Co., on the lower dam in Watertown, was formerly a distillery and flouring-mill, built by William H. Angel. The buildings were purchased by West, Palmer & Taggart in 1866, and paper machinery put in the western part of the buildings. Subsequently all the buildings were utilized for papermaking, part of the product being paper made from manilla rope, which is made into flour sacks on the premises. B. B. Taggart and W. W. Taggart have been identified with this enterprise from the first, and are now largely interested in the Taggarts Paper Co., owning a fine new mill at Felt’s Mills.

Charles R. Remington sold his interest in the Watertown Paper Co.’s mill in 1881, and in company with his son Charles H. built a mill three miles below Watertown, at Wood’s Falls. This mill has a magnificent power, 3,000 to 4,000 h.p., and is equalled only by the Ontario Paper Co.’s power just below it. C. R. Remington & Son use most of this power in their extensive wood pulp mills.

After the completion of the Sackets Harbor Canal a hand mill was built there about 1836, by Elisha Camp, and was burned on May 23, 1838.

The Great Bend Paper Co.’s mill, built by George Clark in 1868, was at first intended for a straw board-mill, but machinery was soon put in for making hanging paper. After Mr. Clark’s death *1887) the mill was purchased by F. A. Fletcher, of Watertown (1888) who associated with himself E. H. Thompson, also of Watertown, and made extensive additions to it, continuing to operate it under the name of Great Bend Paper Co.

The manufacture of straw boards was begun in Brownville in 1880, by Haight & Lane Bros. This mill later developed into the paper-mill of the Black River Paper Co., now known as Globe Paper Co.

The development of the paper industry since 1887 has been so rapid that the details must be looked for under the accounts of several towns. The table appended (below) gives a full statement of all mills now in operation in the county, with the full daily capacity (not average product) of each, and dates of commencement of the business, and also date of organization of present company or firm. The 13 companies operate 14 mills with 19 Fourdrinier and two cylinder machines, and have a daily capacity of 140 tons.

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		Business first estb’d.	Organization of present company.	Full daily capacity in pounds	Kinds of paper made.
Knowlton Brothers	Watertown	1808	1861	10,000 lbs	Colored
a Remington Paper Co.	“	1854	1865	60,000	News
Taggart Bros. Co.	“	1866	1887	12,000	News and Manilla
Watertown Paper Co.	“	1862	1864	26,000	News
b C. R. Remington & Son	“	1882	1882	18,000	News
b Ontario Paper Co.	“	1888	1888	40,000	News
c Taggarts Paper Co.	“	1889	1889	36,000	News
Globe Paper Co.	Brownville	1880	1889	14,000	Manilla
Outterson Paper Co.	“	1887	1887	8,000	News and Colored
Brownville Box and Paper	“	1888	1888	8,000	News
Frontenac Paper Co.	Dexter	1889	1887	20,000	News, etc.
St. Lawrence Paper Co.	“	1889	1889	20,000	News
Great Bend Paper Co.	Great Bend	1868	1888	8,000	Hanging

                                                                                                                                                                                                             280,000

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aTwo mills
bMill in town of Brownville.
c Mill at Felt's Mills.

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Wood pulp. -- When the Voelter process for grinding wood for paper pulp was introduced into this country it was at once adopted by the Remington Paper Co., who started their first wood pulp-mill in 1869.

Owing to our abundant water-power, and our proximity to forests of suitable timber, there has been, in recent years, a rapid increase in the production of this pulp, which is now essential for the making of news paper.

The table below gives the names of the mills now in operation. Most of these, it will be seen, belong to the papermakers, and produce pulp for their own consumption. A limited part of the product is shipped to mills out of the county. The date given is either organization of the company, or, in case of some of the older mills, the date when they began to make wood pulp.

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a Remington Paper Co.	Watertown	1869	50,000
b C. R. Remington & Son	“	1882	24,000
c H. Remington & Son Pulp and Paper Co.	“	1887	12,000
Taggart Bros. Co.	“	1872	6,000
Knowlton Brothers	“	1884	3,000
b Ontario Paper Co.	“	1888	25,000
d Taggarts Paper Co.	“	1889	24,000
Outterson Paper Co.	Brownville	1887	6,000
Globe Paper Co.	“	1888	4,000
Brownville Box and Paper Co.	“	1888	5,000
St. Lawrence Paper Co.	Dexter	1888	10,000
Leonard, Gilmore & Co.	“	1888	5,000
Everitt, Jones & Hunter	“	1888	5,000
H. Spicer & Sons	Carthage	1888	5,000
M. R. Diefendorf	“	1888	5,000
Great Bend Paper Co.	Great Bend	1888	6,000
Black River Wood Pulp Co.	Black River	1888	6,000
Empire Wood Pulp Co.	‘	1888	9,000
Jefferson Paper Co.	‘	1887	24,000
			234,0000

 

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a Three mills--the largest one in town of Pamelia, below county house.

b Mills in town of Brownville.

c Mills at Black River.

d Mills at Felt’s Mills

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Sulphite fibre. -- Two large mills for the production of this new and important addition to our resources for paper stock have recently been completed. This fibre, made from wood, is much more costly than the ground wood, pulp, but in strength and color can be made to equal the best rag stock, and is used by all the mills to take the place of rags.

Dexter Sulphite Pulp and Paper Co., Dexter, 1888, daily capacity, 20 tons; Remington Paper Co., Watertown, 1889, daily capacity, 15 tons.

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