Chateaugay Record, March 21, 1930
EARLY HISTORY OF NORTHERN N.Y.
(By F. L. Turner)
The town of Franklin was erected from Bellmont May 20, 1836, and comprises about half of township No. 9 and all of No. 10 of the Old Military Tract. In area it is the third largest town in Franklin county, containing over one hundred and five thousand acres. Many lakes and ponds are to be found there, and both branches of the Saranac river cross the town, affording excellent water power. As illustrative of the size of the town a story is told that one of the early supervisors journeying to Malone to attend the annual session, after having driven all day arrived at a primitive hotel, inquired what town he was in and was amazed that he had not wholly traversed his own.
Gerrit Smith's "Negro Colony" was an interesting innovation in trying to find homes for this unfortunate race. Smith brought several families into the town. The deeds were worded something like this: "In consideration of $1.00 and the grantor's desire to have all share in the means of subsistence and happiness which a bountiful God has provided for all." There were at least seven families—Morehouse, Hodge, Smith, Wicks, Hazard, Thomas and Runyon. One of them, Smith, settled first at Elbow Pond but soon moved out to the turnpike. Hodge settled near a hill about mid-way between the Loon Lake hotel and Inman station, which still bears his name, "Hodge Hill." Poor fellows! They were soon frozen and starved out and disappeared in search of "sunnier climes." Only the Morehouse family stuck it out for many years. They had located down the hill from the hotel just opposite the present home of Charles Stickney. Some years ago, stones and old rose bushes marked the spot, but they have disappeared now. Hazard lived near Bloomingdale. Mrs. Jane Jones many years a resident of Malone, was a daughter of the old Morehouse colonist. When a girl 15 or 16 years old she worked for Paul Smith in his hotel at Loon Lake. Mrs. Jones was a fine woman and had the love and respect of everyone who knew her! She worked for many prominent families in Malone though she maintained her own home. She was an ardent and devoted Episcopalian and at her death it was found that out of her meager savings she had left $500 to the church. Part of these colored people were escaped slaves. It is said that Thomas' former master located him and sent agents to apprehend and turn him to slavery but the agents were warned by the white people that Thomas was armed would never be taken alive, and that they would also stand by Thomas. The agents abandoned the effort and turned back.
John Merrill and his sons, John R. Wesley, Eben and Jeremiah, were settlers in Merrillsville during the years from 1835 to 1839. Frances Merrill, daughter of John R.—said to be the first girl born in the town —married William J. Ayers, a prominent hotel keeper in Duane and later at what was Long Pond in the town of Malone. The first settlement was made at Franklin Falls in 1927 by Isaac G. McLenathan and William Wells, of Jay, N Y. There were fine water power sites alone the Saranac river and from 1828 until the present time the water has been made use of in developing various enterprises.
James H. Pierce was one of the early pioneers and was a man of keen judgment and unusual abilities. For a good many years Mr. Pierce made up and led to Republican county conventions the delegates from all of the "south towns" viz., Brighton, Franklin, Harrietstown and sometimes Duane. Often they attended those meetings, without caucuses having been held at all, and with credentials prepared en-route. For several years Mr. Pierce represented Franklin county in the assembly. In 1839 when Boss Tweed, of New York, lacked one vote in that body to pass his city charter he finally obtained it by the payment of $100,000 to O. S. Winans, of Chautauqua county. but the offer had first been made to Mr. Pierce and turned down by him.
Fremont F. Smith, long a resident of Franklin has furnished mush valuable information regarding early events of the town in speaking of the Hopkinton and Port Kent Turnpike he says cedar mile posts were set along the entire route with the numbers cut in the wood. The 36th mile post was in front of the hotel of John R Merrill. This same hotel is now owned by Ina A. Merrill, daughter of J. D. Merrill, who was a brother of John R. The hotel is open summers for the city trade. The last one of these mile posts to disappear was the 44th at Duck Pond. In speaking of the teaming done over this highway and the produce marketed at Port Kent, an important item was large quantities of Parishville whiskey. It sold for 20c a gallon. They also marketed a considerable quantity of home-made product as good as that sold in the cheese (not Dutch cheese, but a stores today) that sold for three and four cents a pound. Today Mr. Smith facetiously remarks it takes the price of a cow to buy a small piece of cheese and a quart of milk.
It has been generally believed that Paul smith's first hotel was at Hunters' Home on the Saranac river, but Mr. Smith says Paul leased a small place on Loon Lake known as the Lovering hotel for five years, and at the end of this period, not being able to renew the lease, built the hotel at Hunters Home. He conducted it only a short time for in 1861 he moved to the St. Regis lakes where he developed a wonderful hotel property. The property at Hunters Home was later conducted by "Print" Lovring.
Harry B. Hatch, who built a hotel at a place now known as the Hatch Place, and grandfather of Sidney and Nate Bernard. was the first supervisor of the town of Franklin. Mr. Hatch built a mill south of his place on Hatch brook but soon sold it to Richard L. Ross, who an expert chemist and a gentleman of fine education, formerly of Albany. He had e fine library and the later years of his life were spent in Malone. Valuable books from his library were hawked about the town to get money for drink. While, living at the mill Ross would ride horseback several miles north to Hiram Ayers' hotel, where he would get uproariously drunk, be put to bed, and after sobering up a bit has been known to ride back to the mill with the horse on the dead run.
When Fremont Smith and others went to Plumadore Pond on fishing excursions the Hatch hotel was still standing, the doors and casings being covered with initials and names of hunter and fishermen. The water from the spring on place was even then highly prized.
In referring to Sid Barnard, Mr. Smith says he was to the east end the town what Paul Smith was to the west end (although Paul lived over the lines of Brighton) for when the funds of the guides would run short in the spring Sid and Paul would stake them until the "gold stream" from city guests again put in an appearance. In conversation with Sid a year ago he admitted he owned 8,000 acres of land. Some of which I suspect he acquired from a too liberal credit at his store in Bloomingdale.
Smith was born at Durant, Ill., in 1855, his people having moved there from Vermont. In 1860 the gold rush to Pike's Peak in Colorado was in full swing and Fremont's father with 40 of his neighbors decided to hit "Pike's Peak or Bust," Mr. Smith then returned to Vermont and Fremont to Hunters Home where his grandfather was running the hotel. Fremont moved to Loon Lake in 1880 and from 1898 to 1917 conducted a store that was largely patronized especially by the crowds of summer guests that always flocked to Ferd Chase's hotel, even then one of the finest in the Adirondacks. Of all the men who used to come down to Malone from the "south woods" Freemont was always in the greatest hurry to get back in-to the tall timber. Arriving in Malone on the morning train he would do a score of errands, shout "hello" to his numerous friends, and be ready to return on the 10:00 a.m. train, it just seemed as though the pavement or hot sands of the village burned his feet, he moved so quickly. He evidently prospered, for in 1917 he retired from business and has since lived comfortably and quietly in Chateaugay or Malone. He referred to the "gold stream" on which so many in the Adirondack depend but I suspect he panned out his share. In 1886 his father and mother went to Franklin Falls and conducted a hotel which was later managed by Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Gunn.
The last panther killed near Loon Lake was shot by William Washburn, the best guide, trapper and fisherman in all that section. A Mr. Bigelow, who lived where Inman station is now located had a trap out for deer, but caught a panther instead. He sent for Washburn to help find the panther that had disappeared in swamp, hauling the trap and clog after him. Washburn had no difficulty following the trail and soon heard the rattle of the trap and chain, He put a bullet into the head of the animal, that measured seven feet from tip to tip. The last wolf killed in that section was shot by Bill Danforth. He found a pair of them on the shore of Plumadore Pond devouring a deer they had killed. Bill shot one and while reloading the other disappeared. Danforth was said to be the best shot in Franklin county. Jim Beane, of Duane, was also a good shot. None of them could match Washburn with rod and reel. The tatter's son, Sim Washburn, was a good fisherman and a guide at Loon Lake all his life, following in the footsteps of his father.
Of all the old-time lumbermen on the north and south branches of the Saranac river, C. F. Norton, of Plattsburgh, was the only one to make a million. That was some money in the old days. After lumbering the north branch he went to the south branch. At the height of his prosperity he took in S. C. Gunn, of Saranac, Clinton county, and J. A. Totman, of Plattsburgh, as partners. Totman was Norton's right hand man in the mills at Plattsburgh which were the finest in this section of the state. About this time, Norton's ambition led him to attempt the acquisition of all the mills and water rights on the Saranac including both branches. In buying these up the crash came and all of his fortune took wings. Totman had started to build a residence in Plattsburgh that was to be the show place of the city, but his connection with Norton made him a bankrupt. Hon. Smith M. Weed bought the unfinished house. When Norton failed, he owed Gunn a large sum of money.
Probably no river flowing out of the Adirondacks (unless it be the Raquette) has carried so many million feet of logs as the Saranac. With its branches the river drained a large area of heavily timbered land. Every lumberman had his own private mark stamped on the end of each log. In the sorting booms above the mills it was easy to distinguish the logs owned by the various firms. Of all the different marks, the crow foot was said to be the best. A stamp in imitation of a snowflake was also used.
Few hotel keepers except Paul Smith, Ferd Chase, of Loon Lake, and the Stevens brothers, of Lake Placid have made money. Hough and Edward Darby laid the foundation for Saranac Inn. Later it was taken over by a corporation and after many years of successful management is one of the most complete and best paying resorts in the Adirondacks. The Lake Placid club, Mr. Smith avers, was born with a silver spoon in its mouth.
Among the best guides and later hotel men were James and Seth Wardner, of Rainbow Lake. They were fine woodsmen. Much of the Wardner property later came into possession of the Barnard brothers. The original Wardner hotel at Rainbow Lake has been transformed into a sanatorium and is conducted by the Foresters.
