Town
of
From Child's Gazetteer of St. Lawrence County
1873-74
Link to listing of Individuals in Macomb Business Directory
In 1871 commissioners were appointed pursuant to statute to clear and open Birch Creek. Work was commenced in September of that year and is still in progress. When completed some 2,500 acres of land of the best quality will be reclaimed. The estimated cost of the improvement is about $6,000, which is to be paid by an assessment on the lands benefited.
The population of the town in 1870 was 1,673, of whom 1,391 were native, 282 foreign, and all, white.
During the year ending Sept 30, 1872, the town contained fifteen school districts and employed fourteen teachers. The number of children of school age was 689; the number attending school was 551; the average attendance 244; the amount expended for school purposes, $3,331.50; and the value of the school houses and sites, $4,470.
MACOMB, (p.o.) situated on the old State road, in the east part, contains a church, (M.E.) school house, grocery and a steam saw mill capable of cutting about 5,000 feet of lumber per day.
POPES MILLS,(4) (p.o.) situated near the junction of Birch and Fish creeks in the north-west part, contains a new church (Wesleyan Methodist) hotel, grist mill, saw mill, two dry goods and two grocery stores, a blacksmith shop, cooper shop and pump factory. The population in 1870 was 76. The dam across Fish Creek at this place broke away in March, 1862. The tract of about 1,200 acres which it overflowed has been sold to various parties, and now produces valuable crops of hay. The creek still supplies a water power about eight months in the year.
The first settlement was made in 1805 or ‘6, by Samuel Bristol, who came in from DePeyster, where he was one of the first settlers, located on the old State road, upon the place now owned by Samuel Honeycomb. Captain Rufus Washburn came in, it is believed, soon after, from DePeyster, where he had resided five years. He settled upon the place now owned by David Pierce. He was formerly from Connecticut, but moved into this county from Exeter, Otsego county, and resided at Ogdensburg, the first summer of his settlement. He was a blacksmith, and for many years kept a public house, the first in the town. He was drowned in the Oswegatchie, April 28, 1817, while returning from a town meeting in the village of Gouverneur. Samuel and E. Wilson and Samuel Peck were early settlers. The settlement progressed very slowly, owing to the inhospitable appearance of the lands and their remoteness from any great public highway. The mining operations which commenced in the town about 1836 brought in operatives and attracted settlers. A beginning was made at Popes Mills, as previously stated, by Timothy Pope, in 1818, up to which time no schools had been opened.
This town furnished its full quota of soldiers during the war of the Rebellion, mostly by voluntary enlistments in various organizations. There were 230 enlistments in the town. Of this number twelve were killed in battle, seventeen died of diseases and in hospitals, six from the effects of wounds, and four in rebel prisons.(5)
The M.E. Church at Macomb, was organized with five members, by D. Ferguson, its first pastor, in 1841. The house in which it worships was erected in 1870, at a cost of $2,800. It will seat 300 persons. There are 100 members who are under the pastoral care of Rev. J. R. Smith. The Church property is valued at $3,000.(6)
The First Wesleyan Methodist Church of Macomb, at Popes Mills, was organized with nine members, by Rev. R. E. Johnson, its first pastor, June 9, 1857. Previous to 1872 meetings were held in the school house. In that year the present edifice was erected at a cost of $1,200 and completed August 15th. It will seat 300 persons. The Society numbers forty-five members. The pastor is Rev. Richard Delarm. The Church property is valued at $1,800.(7)
NOTES:
(1) Named from Alex Macomb, the patentee of
(2) At the first town meeting, held at the house of David Day 2d, June 1, 1841, the following named officers were elected: David Day 2d, Supervisor; Eliphalet S. Pope, Town Clerk; David B. Woodworth, Wm. Whalin and Wm. Houghton, Assessors; Timothy Pope, Daniel Tully and Denison Coats, Commissioners of Highways; Charlemagne Pope, Collector; Wm Houghton, Charlemagne Pope and Washington Lawyer, Constables; Wm. Mills, G. Pope and David Tully, Justices of the Peace; George Kennan and Josiah Sweet, Overseers of the Poor; David Day 2d, John S. Kinda and Morgan Starks Jr., Commissioners of Common Schools.
(3) Considerable quantities of lead have been mined at
Mineral Point, on
(4) Named from Timothy Pope, who came here from Oswegatchie
in 1816 and erected mills. He was originally from Otsego county, and settled
in Oswegatchie in 1804. He and a man named Shaw were killed
(5) The following named officers entered the service from this town:
David Day, 2nd, Capt Co B., 60th Regt,
enlisted
John Snyder, Capt. Co B. 60th Regt, enlisted
Charles Snider, Capt, Co C, 106th Regt, enlisted
Jonathan Houghton, Capt, Co A, 142d Regt, enlisted
James Hurst, 1st Lieut. Co B, 60th Regt, enlisted
Frank Corbitt, Lieut. Co C, 106th Regt, enlisted
Geo. W. Newman, 1st Sergt. Co B. 60th Regt, enlisted
Edwin O. Betts, Sergt, Co G, 16th Regt, enlisted
Julius C. Bishop, Sergt, Co G. 16th Regt, enlisted
Ephraim F. Fishbeck, Sergt. Co B, 60th Regt, enlisted
John Sherwin, Sergt, Co B. 60th Regt, enlisted
Wilber Sterling, Sergt, Co B. 60th Regt, enlisted
Abram D. Lawyer, Sergt, Co B. 60th Regt, enlisted
Frederick Charter, Sergt, Co C, 106th Regt, Enlisted
John Watson, Sergt, Co C, 106th Regt, enlisted in July 1862, and died at Mew Creel. Dec 9. 1862
Nathan W. Thomas, Sergt, Co B, 142d Regt, enlisted
Wm S. Delong, Sergt. Co B 142d Regt, enlisted
John Sitts, Sergt, Co A 142d Regt, enlisted
Robert Hewitt, Sergt. Co A, 193d Regt, enlisted in February 1865
Donald Corbett, Corpl. Co B., 60th Regt, enlisted
Jacob Roberts, Corpl., Co B. 60th Regt, enlisted
John H. Love, Corpl. Co B. 60th Regt, enlisted
John Ward, Corpl. Co C., 106th Regt, enlisted
Hezekiah Fishbeck, Corpl. Co C, 106th Regt, enlisted
Geo. W. Jones, Corpl. Co A, 193d Regt, enlisted
(6) Information furnished by David Day, 2d
(7) Information furnished by D. D. Hutchinson