(from a Scrapbook)
(Date Missing)
A Pioneer Wedding
This is a special story of a pioneer
wedding and the early death of
husband when the raft was wreck-
on a Trip Through the Rapids.
By Ernest B. Cook
Theresa Town Historian
“Did you hear there’s ‘going to be a wedding? And you can never guess who?
Members of the pioneer homes at Barnes Settlement were all excited as they spread the news from one log house to another, for this was a real event. And the bride was to be none other than the prim school teacher, Miss Almira Barnes, daughter of one of the first settlers of Alexandria, and from whom the Settlement took its name. And she was to become the wife of a leading merchant at High Falls on the Indian river, Mr. Abenzer Lull, partner of Azariah Walton, in the firm of Lull & Walton. And the school teacher was finishing one of the finest quilts, or counter-panes, the section had ever seen, which would be one of the choice possessions of the new home.
To being with the section known as Barnes Settlement, came from a desire of Mr. LeRay to induce settlers to locate in this north wilderness. He had hired workmen to clear 40 acres of land on the Indian river just south of the High Falls, and in the now Alexandria section at which became Barnes Settlement. The Barnes Settlement clearing is said to have been the first one made in that part of Alexandria, but the town of LeRay at that time. It was made in 1811, the same time the clearing was made on the Indian river in what is now Theresa, and where James Shurtleff later purchased. The land in the Barnes Settlement area, as at the Indian river clearing, was sold for $3.00 per acre, with the settlers agreeing to make certain improvements within a specified time.
Miss Almira Barnes was without doubt the first school teacher to be hired in the Indian river section at what was known as High Falls. A Mrs. Castleman had taught a few children living in the clearing at the Indian river, but Miss Barnes was secured by officials at High Falls, (now Theresa village) to teach school at a wage and accepted the position in 1820.
She was born in Steuben, N. Y., September 11, 1797, and came to Alexandria with her parents when they moved into the LeRay clearing which became known as Barnes Settlement. So well did she conduct her duties and so careful was she in her appearance that she won the favor of the senior partner of the first firm to open a store in what is now Theresa.
Mr. Ebenezer was a kindly man who had come up into the northern region of Jefferson county from Butternuts, Otsego county, probably drawn this way because other of his region were talking about the wonderful opportunities to be had in the north. It is recalled that the Flower family, as well as the Fayel family came from Butternuts. And Mr. Lull had thrilling stories to tell of his childhood days. His parents were among those to escape from Cherry Valley when that section was laid waste by the British and Indians. Mr. Lull’s mother with great daring secured their force, tied a pillow on the back of the saddle and to the pillow she tied a child, while she held the baby in her lap, and made her escape. Her name was written as one of the heroines of Otsego county.
At the time of the marriage the fortunes of Mr. Lull were very bright and promising. The firm was considered one of the strongest in the north and the marriage of the 24-year old school teacher to such a prominent man was considered a highly important event.
To be the bride of such a noted man called for the finest dresses and plenty of quilts and bedding. Long hours she worked with her needle to make herself ready for the wedding day, set for July 29, 1821. Probably the counter-pane was the finest piece of bedding she made, taking days and days of time. To refresh myself on the beauty and richness of this quilt, I made a trip to the home of the Misses Helen and Anna Bearup, Main street, Theresa, granddaughters of Mrs. Almira Barnes Lull, to get first hand information about the quilt and the wedding. That will be our story for next week.*
Typist’s Note: I believe the following article is the second article referred to in the above paragraph.
(from a scrapbook)
(date of article not evident)
Biographical Sketches
Descendants of Pioneer Theresa Storekeeper, Ebenezer
Lull, Who Died at Age of 29, Still Reside in Theresa.
By ERNEST G. COOK
One hundred and ten years ago kindly neighbors were digging a grave just within the entrance gate of the plot of land that Mr. LeRay had given to the settlers at Theresa for a burial ground. The grave was for a young man who had been a leader in their community and who had opened the first store there in partnership with Azariah Walton, the man who was later to own most of the Thousand Islands. The young man, Ebenezer Lull, had caught a violent cold while seeking to rescue timbers of a large raft that he was guiding down the waters of the St. Lawrence river to Montreal and which had gone to pieces in the Lachine rapids.
Ebenezer Lull was born in Butternuts, Otsego county, April 10, 1799. In this town were the members of the Flower family who had considered going north into Jefferson county and that caused the young man to think that he might do likewise and this he did when very young. The Lull family had been pioneers in the Cherry Valley section but left there when the Indians made a raid on the settlement; the mother escaping with her two children on horseback.
When Ebenezer Lull came north he met Azariah Walton. Azariah had come north to Brownville to take charge of the work of building a new cotton mill, to be established there. Mr. Lull had established a little store in the settlement called High Falls--later Theresa--and thought there was a wonderful opportunity to make money by rafting timbers to the Montreal market where they would find a ready sale at a good price.
Miss Almira Barnes was the village school teacher at the High falls. She was a native of Steuben county, her birthday being Sept. 11, 1778. (Typist’s Note: This date does not agree with the date used in the above article - I believe the correct date is Sept. 11, 1797.) Her parents had come north to settle near Goose Bay and the community they helped to establish became known as Barnes Settlement and bears that name today.
On July 29, 1821, the pioneer village merchant married the pioneer village merchant married the pioneer village school teacher. In the year 1824 Mr. Walton decided that the opportunities set forth by Mr. Lull as to a successful business in his fast growing pioneer store, and more especially in the timber trade, were attractive enough so that he came to High Falls and became a partner in the venture. The firm became known as Lull & Walton. Their business grew. Late in the season the firm had several large rafts of timber in the St. Lawrence river in which they had invested all their funds, and more, and it was decided that Mr. Lull should personally pilot the rafts down the river. After several days the rafts were entering the Lachine rapids, and a storm arose to add to the troubles of the men. The largest and most valuable of the oak timber rafts began to break up and seeing his fortune slip from him, Mr. Lull sought to retrieve the timber, but was drenched to the skin and took a severe cold.
He was brought hack to his home in Theresa to die on Dec. 8, 1827, only 29 years of age. The loss of the timber swept the firm off its feet financially, and Mr. Walton received right away the appointment for collector of customs at Alexandria Bay, an office which he held for 19 years.
There were three children in the Lull family. Mary, Marie and Hiram. Mary became the wife of John A. Haddock, the historian. Hiram went to Middletown, Conn., and Maria became the wife of David Bearup, who later was the builder of the Philadelphia-Morristown railroad and served as its president for a term of years.
Today, the David Bearup residence is but a short distance in Main street from the site of the pioneer store of Lull & Walton. Two members of the Bearup family, Helen and Anna, reside there, and among their choice possessions is some of the handiwork of Grandma Almira Barnes Lull, the pioneer school teacher who found time to piece some beautiful quilts in her girlhood and which have been treasured down through the years.
(from a scrapbook)
(Title and Year Missing)
BARNES FAMILY
Theresa, June 25. -- Visiting in this village is Mrs. Russell Robinson a native of Theresa, who is here to recall former scenes and events, remembering it was 54 years ago on June 21, that she married Russell Robinson, also a Theresa boy, who became a missionary in the west.
Mrs. Robinson’s home was on the Theresa-Redwood road, --the Barnes farm -- and there she attended the Hyde Lake school and the Theresa Methodist Sunday school, when she could get a ride with one of the leading farmers of the neighborhood, George W. Phillips. On the Phillips farm worked Russell Robinson and it was not (long?) before he was calling at the Barnes place.
Pastor at the Theresa Methodist church at about that time was the Rev. E. S. Cheeseman, also a Theresa boy, and a successful pastor. It was he who inspired Russell to take up the work of the ministry, but it looked like a long road of studying ahead for Russell. But he entered Cazenovia seminary and succeeded in passing his examination so that he was given a position by the Home Mission Board of the Methodist church and offered an appointment in the new west.
It was at the close of school that he married Libbie Barnes, and they started for the (west?) 54 years this month. They went to western Nebraska, and Mrs. Robinson tells that she will never forget the cords and cords of corn she saw piled up beside the track, hardly worth shipping, as the price was only eight cents a bushel. Farmrs had struggled for years to get a crop of corn, and now with the first bumper crop they had they could not sell it for enough to pay the freight to get it to market. So they kept it at home to burn for fuel. And it was several years before they obtained another good crop.
For years the two labored in the west, with scanty pay and awaiting with great expectation the box that would come from the church at Theresa with clothing and other articles to help. Other churches would send in boxes and these were opened with great excitement by the missionaries, wondering what there would be inside to help with their family life.
All of this time they could not find time or money to visit their home in Theresa. And there were the babies in the home, --13 in all and all lived to take their place in the world, the first death being a daughter when she was a young woman. It was a rugged life, but she says they enjoyed it all and several churches came into being in the west because of their efforts to start Sunday schools, awaken people spiritually and foster religious life in the neglected fields.
And with the passing of Rev. Russell Robinson, Mrs. Robinson finds time now to revisit her old home section and note the changes that time has made in the over half a century since she lived here. The entire Hyde Lake school section has changed with new owners on every farm. Last Sunday Mrs. Robinson attended the Children’s Day service in the Methodist church here, the first time here since she was a girl in the Sunday school, taking part in the Children’s Day program herself.
One incident Mrs. Robinson tells is of how one cold day in western Nebraska, a tramp came to their door for food. After they had fed him the man started to go and Russell noticed that he was thinly clad, so took his own overcoat and gave it to him. Mrs. Robinson objected, but her husband told her the Lord would provide, and anyway, the man needed the coat badly. The very next day the box came from the east and in it was a nice overcoat that just fitted the missionary. He put it on, with the remark: “You see, wife, the Lord did provide--and both of us are happy.”
Mrs. Robinson makes her home mostly in the state of Wisconsin, but spends a portion of her time with relatives in Rochester.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
(from a scrapbook
(no title or year)
Theresa, April 17. -- “We did business with three Presidents of the United States, with J. P. Morgan, P. T. Barnum, Stanford White, and many notables in their day, when we had our Old Curiosity Shop, at 123-124 West 40th street, New York city. But one day a lady walked into our shop and selected a few things and when she completed the purchase, I learned that she was Emma Flower Taylor of Watertown, which seemed to me like getting back home.”
So said Mrs. Helen Barnes Pries today as she was asked about her life as a merchant in New York city and of some of the interesting experiences she had while there.
“It might interest you to know that I now own, and have stored in one of my homes in New Jersey, three beds that have a history. One bed is a mahogany, low and massive, that was owned by Peter Louralairds of the American Tobacco king in his day and grandfather of the Louralairds of the Amrican Tobacco company of today. There is also a rosewood bed and an oak bed, and I have used two of these beds in my home. My husband, the late William Pries, expert antique collector, purchased these beds years ago.”
For nine years a quiet, retiring and rather small woman has been residing in Theresa, going in and out of the William Root home, where she took over the care of Mr. Root, retired merchant, who ---------(lines missing)--------- industry made use of her shop and collection when they filmed a certain picture. When the fire destroyed certain property of theThousand Islands some little time ago, Mrs. Pries told me that her husband made the wrought iron trimmings for the home. It was at that time a promise was gained from her that she would tell more of the story some day. Today she consented to tell the story. But first as to her childhood:
“My father was the late Uriah Barnes, who owned a farm down on the Redwood road, near West Corners. My mother was a member of the Dingman family of Alexandria, -- Dingman Point on the St. Lawrence, you know. Father’s people were the Barnes family, who made the first settlement in Alexandria, known as Barnes Settlement. Rev. Benjamin Barnes, who preached the very first sermon in Theresa in probably 1817, was a relative.
“Before I was born my fathr had a very attractive offer from an extensive fruit grower at Sodus, to come to that section and take charge of the farm. The offer was too good to pass up, so father went to western New York with mother. There I was born. But I always kept in touch with this section and the St. Lawrence river.
“Yes, I met my husband, the late William Pries, at some of these summer picnic places and he had a most interesting story to tell. He came from the north of Germany, was an expert ironmaster, in that he could design and make the most attractive iron railings, fireplace equipment and the like. His playmate in New York city, when he was younger was Peter Cooper Hewit. When the Hewitt family went into the City Hall, the friendship continued.
“As our business grew we opened a shop on West 40th street. If you saw a certain movie, -- it was “Love’s Law” you saw our shop. It was quite a story and the leading part was played by Gale Kane. The old violin, found to be an old antique, was sold by the enraged uncle to my husband, Mr. Pries, and went into the window of the shop. The reason for the uncle’s action, he couldn’t bear to see or hear the old violin played by his little niece because it made him think of his favorite sister who ran away to marry a poor musician.
“The violin was on exhibition in the window of the shop and the little girl used to come and stand outside the window and say it was her violin. One day a wealthy man stopped to admire the instrument, and came in and purchased it. The little girl asked if she could play it, because it was her instrument. He said she could and had her come to his house to take lessons. Later he gave her parts in certain plays and in time she was given the violin.
“The movie company used to rent articles from the shop and take them to Long Island, where they were shooting the plays, and in this way it seemed as if the pictures of our goods went all over the United States.
“But I have stories of P. T. Barnum’s mother, and of many other people, including Mrs. J. P. Morgan and Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, that I can tell you. If you will come in again when I have time I’ll show you the pictures of the shop and more about the people. Also, how and why I quit the shop after the death of my husband in 1928.”
Return to New Postings