Flashback: What was happening in each St. Lawrence County town 200 years ago?

Welcome to 2009!

But what was happening in St. Lawrence County 200 years ago?

Connie Sterner, whose fascinating North Country History website , is filled with historical photos census data, newspaper clippings and more, can tell us.

Here’s a “Flashback” she sent to us the other day with highlights of what was going on in 1809 in each of St. Lawrence County’s towns.

Bucks Bridge -- Isaac Buck, from Shoreham Vt, a veteran of the Revolutionary War built a bridge (yes, Buck's Bridge!) and saw mill.

Canton -- Daniel Campbell was Town Supervisor

DeKalb -- Judge Cooper was killed in Albany. Licenses were granted to Jonathan Haskins and Salmon Rich to keep taverns. Salmon built a saw mill on Borland Creek.

Depeyster -- James Averell 2nd came from Cooperstown on pack horses and settled near Silas Kellogg's Tavern. He opened a store in a log building. Smith Stillwell came the same year.

Fowler -- the Hailesboro grist mill was carried away by flood.

Gouverneur - In 1809 a clearing of 80 acres was ade in the vicinity of the Natural Dam by Joseph Bolton for Mr. Morris who erected a saw and grist mill which were know as Morris' Mill. (Gouverneur Morris traveled down the Oswegatchie River from Gouverneur to Ogdensburg by flat boat in 1808.) In the autumn of 1809 the first district school was opened and a small school was built by the Presbyterian church taught by Silas Brook. He was succeeded by Betsy Sackett who became the wife of John Parker. John Brown opened the first store at the east end of the bridge.

Hermon -- Thomas Tanner came to Hermon.

Hopkinton -- Henry McLaughlin was Town Supervisor

Lawrenceville -- Ephraim Martin arrived and built the first saw mill.

Madrid -- Hamblin-Castle Distillery was built

Massena -- a wolf bounty of $3 was voted in.

Norfolk -- There were no roads in Norfolk, only a trail from Potsdam to Raymondville in 1809. Erastus Hall and Ira Brewer came from Tyringham, Mass., cleared land and built a frame house near Louisville. Eben Johnson came from Williston Vt.

Ogdensburg -- The schooner "Experiment", first boat built in the city, was launched. Construction of the Parish mansion was underway. Rossell grants building of a school for 30 children. The First Baptist Church was organized.

Parishville -- Town Supervisor was Joseph Crary and that year Mr. Hoard surveyed and cut a road from Potsdam to the site of Parishville village. From Vt. and Mass. came Luke Brown, Isaac Towner, Hartwell Shattuck and Levi Sawyer. Mr. & Mrs. Whitmore came to cook for men clearing land and two Barnes brothers built a saw mill. When settlers arrived in Parishville they found the gorge spanned by a great pine tree trunk which served as a bridge by the Indians traveling the trail to Tupper Lake for a century. This causeway was replaced by a single span wooden bridge which served until 1868.

Potsdam -- Liberty Knowles came to Potsdam in 1809 and was admitted to the Bar the next year. The first bridge was built across the Racquette River. Before that people crossed on a raft. Benjamin Raymond was Town Supervisor. In North Potsdam the Union Settlement, established in 1807, an experiment in communistic living, was underway. The first settlers here were William Bullard, John Burroughs, Manasseh Smith, Nathan Howe, Ammi Currier, Thomas H .Currier, William Currier, Isaac Ellis, Alba Durkee, John McAllaster. The Smiths were from Turnbridge. Vt. and were relatives of Joseph Smith the founder of the Mormans. John Smith left the colony in Potsdam in 1809. He later became the High Priest in Salt Lake City Utah in 1853.

Rossie -- A road to Gouverneur was built and one from Somerville to Wegatchie to Natural Dam where there was a grist mill. A Sawmill was built in Wegatchie by Reuben Streeter.

Russell -- the state legislature selected Russell for as a location to build an arsenal. Plans were started between James LaRay and David Parish to build the turnpike road. Russell Atwater, Town Supervisor, was succeeded by Reuben Ashman. The Zion Episcopal Church had 15 members and the Baptist Society was building a church, led by Samuel Rowley a Baptist Missionary from Massachusetts starting his church with 7 members.

Stockholm -- the first school district was organized.

Waddington -- Construction of David Ogden's Island House started. Col. Mathew Myers admitted to the Bar in SLC - First Lawyer in Waddington.

Elsewhere in New York State and the U.S.:
James Madison was sworn in as 4th President of the U.S., while Jefferson quietly retired to his beloved Monticello. George Clinton - X- NY Governor was VP. (Uncle of DeWitt Clinton).

Daniel D Tompkins was Governor of New York.

Shawnee leader Tecumseh begins to establish a defensive confederacy to resist the westward movement of white settlers.

New England governors refuse to supply militia to enforce the Embargo Acts of 1807 and 1808.

The Napoleonic Wars i n Europe are well underway.

The Illinois Territory was created.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, is born in a humble Hardin, County, Kentucky log cabin to carpenter Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks on February 12, 1809.

February 20, 1809 - The Supreme Court of the United States rules that the power of the Federal Government is greater than the power of any individual state.

Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Darwin, Christopher Huston Carson (Kit Carson) were born.

Robert Fulton patents the steamboat. The same year the first steamboat on the St. Lawrence River - the "Dalhousie" - is built in Prescott. Meanwhile in Montreal the "Accommodation", a side wheel type steamboat is built.

Thanks, Connie, for the look back!