CNY History Bits

The village of Prospect, New York is a small village located within the greater Town of Trenton. It rests between route 365 and the West Canada Creek that flows out of Hinckley Lake.

Map of Prospect, New York courtesy of www.city-data.com

Prospect was a bustling community in the 1800s and early 1900s. Many local folklore and historical tales began right there.

The first we will explore is Boon's Bridge, located on Military road right on the village and county line. Boon's Bridge spans a chasm of the Trenton Gorge below Prospect Falls, that the West Canada Creek travels through.

Boon's Bridge

View of the chasm

Nov. 2014

Stories:

One of my favorite stories about Boon Bridge is the story of the farmer who crossed the bridge at night while it was under construction, somehow not slipping off the narrow boards thrown across the chasm. The farmer was from Russia, N.Y.,  and knew nothing of the construction. While riding horseback one dark night, he passed the bridge in the usual way, thinking nothing of the feat. It was not until villagers brought him back to see that the bridge was nearly impassable before he realized how close he had come to disaster.

This photo came from Wikipedia. The caption said that the photographer was kicked off of the property shortly after the photo was taken.

Another fun story about Boon's Bridge is the story about the little old lady and the justice of the peace. The justice had been trying to serve legal papers to the woman for a long time. She had been accused of harboring transgressors of the law, including some of her own relatives. The story goes that one day he showed up at her home, but she had seen him coming. She had taken off running across the bridge, where the county line changes to Herkimer County, where the justice had no authority. The story goes that there was a foot chase, but the old lady outran him.

Boon's Bridge, Trenton Gorge.

Sign near the bridge.

How did Boon's Bridge get that name?

The first bridge that was erected at the site was a structure supported by limestone blocks piled tightly against the chasm wall, according to Tales from the Adirondack Foothills, by Howard Thomas.

The bridge was named after Gerritt Boon, an agent of the Holland Land Company, who founded the settlement of Barneveld nearby.  Some say he was attracted by the abundance of maple tree syrup, according to the village of Barneveld website.

Remsen, N.Y. has a deep history of Welsh roots. The community was built upon Welsh values and built by the sturdy hands of Welsh immigrants.

The countryside is speckled with old Welsh churches and cemeteries. One of my favorites is the Enlli church on Fairchild road, at the intersection of Lake Julia road.

Enlli church in the springtime.

Enlli has two entrance doors. Men entered on one side, and women entered on the other. They sat separately inside during the service. Enlli was a Welsh Calvinistic Methodist church established in 1837, according to rootsweb.ancestry.com

The church has been owned and maintained by the Remsen-Steuben Historical Society for many years. In the spring the society hosts an ice cream social and Sunday service in the Enlli church.

 "The Welsh children have been born and raised in it and they have brought it with them to this country where they have clung to it tenaciously. Around the church has been centered the main interest in the Welshman's life. Poetry and music have been his recreation, theology his food and religion his life." The Welsh In Oneida County, New York

Enlli church

Across the road from the church is the cemetery associated with it. The plot is well-maintained and contains seven tombstones. The following tombstone inscription information is courtesy of internment.net, an online database of cemetery records.

Davies, Jane, d. Sep. 23, 1865 age 42 yrs (stone broken and lying on the ground) appears to be duplicate of the following newer stone, although that name reads Davis not Davies), wife of Richard R. Davies Davis, Jane, b. 1823, d. 1865, “Mother” Prichard, Evan P., d. Apr 10, 1872 (rest of stone broken) Prichard, John W., d. Feb 5, 1861 age 50 yrs, native of Enlli,           N. Wales, emigrated to America in 1826 Roberts, Margaret, d. Nov 8, 1869 age 71 yrs 9 mos, wife of Griffith           Roberts Williams, John, d. Jun 29, 1867 age 9 yrs 6 mos, son of Robert           & Jane Williams Williams, Robert, d. Mar 22, 1861 age 36 yrs

The Enlli church cemetery.

Near the walking trail near Boonville, NY.

The Black River Canal now quietly rests next to a walking and biking trail in Boonville, NY, but at one time it was a vital part of the economy of the north country towns.

The Black River Canal was proposed by Governor DeWitt Clinton. The thought was that the Black River Canal would link the Mohawk River with Lake Ontario.  This canal was to make use of the Black River, which rises in the central Adirondacks and flows north, dividing the Tug Hill Plateau on the west from the Adirondacks on the east.

Map depicting the Black River Canal region.

Built largely by Irish immigrants, the locks were constructed of locally available limestone, much of it quarried in the Lansing Kill Gorge and at Sugar River, north of Boonville.  Many of the locks still exist today, although not in use. 

There is a five-lock combination in the Lansing Kill Gorge, and four-lock combination just north of Boonville.

My dog Sadie on the Black River Canal towpath walking trail.

Nowadays there are many places to walk, run, or ride bikes along the towpath of the Black River Canal. It is a popular place among locals, especially in the summer and autumn.

2014

History:

The Didymus Thomas Library has been a staple of the Remsen community for over a hundred years. Since 1908 the library has been in the middle of the village, but before that it was on the upper floor of the E.G. Williams drug store, located in the southern portion of town.

The old location of the Didymus Thomas Library

The sign from the old library is displayed on the interior wall of the modern library.

  Mrs. Marion Francis, the daughter of Didymus Thomas, left $60,000 upon her death to provide a building for the library. The exterior is pressed brick and marble. The interior is finished oak. The library is stunningly beautiful. It is a gem located in a great little town full of rich history. The building was erected for a total of $30,000. This sum includes improving the grounds and all lighting for the building.

The front steps of the Didymus Thomas Library

The exterior of the library, October 2014.

The interior of the Didymus Thomas Library. Not much has changed, except for the lighting.

Modern Use:

The Didymus Thomas Library is a fully functioning library that is a part of the Mid-York Library system. The collection of the library contains 13,975 volumes and serves a population of Remsen and the surrounding communities.

Some of the services offered at the library are use of the computers including free wifi, the Mid-York Video net, free informational brochures, income tax forms, large print books, magazines, maps, photocopies, book, dvd, and audiocassette rental, and local history.    The library hosts a writer's night and also a preschool story hour. Amy Piaschyk was the coordinator of the preschool story hour.

"We brought in kids ages two to five that would come in and read books, have a snack, and have a good time."

Piaschyk spends a lot of time at the library.

" I use the library all the time. I'm probably their best customer. I'm always in and out. And I love it here."

The hours for the Didtmus Thomas Library are :

Monday: 1 - 5 Tuesday: 2 - 6 Wednesday: 2 - 5 Thursday: 2 - 6 Friday: 2- 5 Saturday: 10 - 12 Sunday: closed

In July 1906, a capsized boat was found in the south bay of Big Moose Lake. One occupant, pregnant 18-year-old Grace Brown, was found beaten and drowned nearby. The other occupant, Chester Gillette, a nephew of the rich owner of the Gillette Skirt Factory, was gone. He had abandoned his dead girlfriend and the rented rowboat.

   Photo credit:http://www.crimelibrary.com

In his book Murder In The Adirondacks, author Craig Brandon described the grisly discovery: "The head and chest came out of the water first," and the corpse was quickly hauled on board the steamboat and hurried towards shore. The crew noticed the woman had horrible lacerations on her forehead and mouth.

Grace Brown. Photo credit: http://murderpedia.org

On the day before the discovery of the body and the boat, Gillette and Brown had taken a train to the Adirondacks. They were staying at the Glenmore Hotel. They rented a boat from Robert Morrison, who recalled Gillette bringing a formal suitcase and a tennis racket with him in the boat. Morrison found this to be unusual.

Big Moose Lake. Photo Credit: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/23280095

Background:

Chester Gillette's parents were traveling missionaries for the Salvation Army. Gillette did not like this lifestyle and left his family at age 14. Eventually his rich uncle in Cortland, N.Y., took Gillette in. While in Cortland, he socialized among the upper tiers of society and had many affluent girlfriends. His uncle gave him a job at the factory he owned. This was where Chester Gillette and Grace Brown met.

Grace Brown came from a farming family in South Otselic, N.Y. She attended a one-room schoolhouse while growing up. After her schooling she went to Cortland to work in the factory.

The factory where Gillette and Brown met.

Photo credit:http://murderpedia.org/male.G/g/gillette-chester-photos.htm

Grace Brown was so flattered to have caught the attention of the owner's nephew. It was not long into their romance that she became pregnant. She wanted to get married. He suggested an abortion. She refused. He then urged her to be patient.

When Brown's pregnancy caused her to become sick, she went to stay with her family. While she was gone, Gillette continued to date the rich girls of Cortland.

Brown sent many letters begging Gillette to marry her. When it became clear that his "problem" was not going to go away, Gillette decided to take this matter into his own hands.

That was when he took her to the Adirondacks.

Big Moose Lake. Photo credit: http://www.bigmooseinn.com/information/history/

Arrest and Conviction:

Gillette had signed the hotel registry under a false name, but it was quickly deduced that it was he that was Brown's companion and lover.

Gillette was arrested in the Adirondacks and brought to Herkimer for the trial. His trial was well-attended by young women. Some accounts say that this was because they found him fascinating and attractive.

Chester Gillette. Photo credit: murderpedia.org

He claimed that Brown had committed suicide. He said that when she leaped out of the boat, he reached to save her, and the boat then capsized.

The jury did not believe his story. Gillette was found guilty after less than five hours of deliberation.

He was executed in Auburn by electric chair in 1908, two years after the death of Grace Brown.

Walter Butler had the reputation as the most despised villain in the Central New York region during the American Revolutionary time. The "Terror of the Mohawk Valley" met his end near a crossing of the West Canada Creek that now lies underneath the present-day Hinckley Reservoir.

Route 365 near Butler's Crossing.

Every Autumn the reservoir is drained, and remnants of the past peek through the mud. Old foundations and bridges are revealed. It is only when the water gets very low that the remains of Butler's Crossing can be viewed.

On the upper end of the reservoir, in the town of Russia, north of Hinckley, Walter Butler met his fate. The two stone mounds that formed the base of the bridge over the West Canada Creek are still there.

The stone mounds of Butler's Crossing in the background.

The remains of Butler's Crossing, 2014

Butler's life:

Walter Butler fought as a Loyalist to the king during the American Revolution. Before the Revolution he was a lawyer. He became a Captain in his father's company, Butler's Rangers.

Butler's name is historically tied to the Cherry Valley Massacre. The party he was leading charged through a civilian village, murdering children, women, and civilian men. The village was destroyed.

Butler was known for being unmerciful and bold.

In 1777, he was arrested in Shoemaker's Tavern, in the town of German Flatts, near Herkimer. He was sentenced to death for spying, but escaped captivity before the sentence could be carried out.

Butler's death:

In October of 1781 Butler was killed near the crossing of the West Canada Creek that is now referred to by locals as Butler's Crossing. Legend has it that he was shot through the eye socket by an Oneida Indian fighting with the rebel forces. The Oneida then scalped Butler. Some accounts say that Butler was also tomahawked. There is no record of a burial. Some say his body was propped up against a stump and left. Some say it was dragged away by animals.

Route 365 as viewed from Butler's Crossing.

Unfortunately there is no historical marker at the scene to make note of this very significant piece of American history. There used to be a historical marker, but it was taken down when there was disagreement as to the correct location of the incident. This is a tragedy because something so important in our history should be noted.

My dog Merle and I at Butler's Crossing.

This week's post takes us from Germany, to upstate New York, and then finally, to Hawaii.

This was the path of Marianne Cope, born Maria Anna Barbara Koob, the saint who spent her childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood living and working in Utica, N.Y.

Cope was born in Heppenheim, Germany. She was the first child of ten. Her family emigrated to the United States shortly after she was born.

When her father became unable to work when she was a teenager, she went to work in the Utica mills to support her family.

When her father died, Cope was in her early twenties. She then left Utica and went to Syracuse to join the Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis.

An depiction of young Marianne

Photo credit: http://credointhecommunionofsaints.wordpress.com

While in Syracuse, Cope worked as a teacher, a principal, and then a hospital administrator for the Catholic order.

She had a fearless sense of duty and an enduring optimism. She was sometimes criticized for her philosophy of providing care to those who need it, without judgment. She cared for outcasts, such as alcoholics.

 In the 1880s Cope received a letter from pleading for help in the Hawaiian hospitals. She felt a strong calling for the work. In her response letter, she wrote:

"I am hungry for the work and I wish with all my heart to be one of the chosen ones, whose privilege it will be to sacrifice themselves for the salvation of the souls of the poor Islanders.... I am not afraid of any disease, hence, it would be my greatest delight even to minister to the abandoned lepers."

So in 1883, Mother Marianne Cope, age 45, and six other nuns travelled to Hawaii to answer the call for help.

Cope intended to eventually return to New York, but she never did.

An image of Marianne Cope

Photo Credit: www.saintmariannecope.com

Cope spent the next 35 years tending to leprosy sufferers in Hawaii. The work was heavy but she carried on.

Amazingly, Cope was never infected with leprosy, despite being in close contact with sufferers for many years. Some called this a miracle.

Cope died in Hawaii of natural causes at the age of 80.

The last photo of Cope. She is in the wheelchair. This was taken just days before her death. Photo credit: www.stmariannecope.org

Mother Marianne Cope was officially made a saint by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. There is a shrine dedicated to her in Syracuse. There is also a statue in her honor and memory in Hawaii.

Mother Marianne Cope statue

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Steuben is a quiet town north of Utica, marked with rolling hills, abundant foliage, and stretches of open meadow. In 1973 the comfortable calm was shattered by the gruesome discovery of bloody drag marks on the road, piles of intestines, and a mutilated human torso in a shallow grave.

"Upon unearthing the grave, the police made the shocking discovery of a badly mutilated female body, footless, armless, and faceless." from www.ocgov.net

The remains were identified as Mary Rose Turner, 56, a mother of five, from Utica.  

Photo credit:  "A Killer Named Hatch Massacre On Potato Hill" by Thomas Blanchfield.

Photo credit:  "A Killer Named Hatch Massacre On Potato Hill" by Thomas Blanchfield

The discovery unleashed a frenzy in the Steuben hills. The town of Steuben Highway Garage was turned into a command post for the National Guard, police officers, and detectives.

After a thorough investigation, local resident Bernard Hatch is arrested and held without bail.

While Hatch was behind bars, another discovery was made. This time it was of a skull and other decomposed body parts. These remains were identified as Hatch's former girlfriend Linda Cady and her three-year-old daughter, Lisa Ann Cady. The pair had been missing since the summer of 1970. While executing a search warrant on the Hatch residence, officers discovered clothing belonging to both Cadys.

Later that same year, burned clothing was unearthed near the Turner gravesite. This clothing was identified as belonging to Lorraine Zinicola, who was Hatch's girlfriend after the Cadys disappeared. She also went missing, along with her young sons. They were last seen in 1971.

Hatch was found guilty of Turner's murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Since then, he has come up for parole eight times and has been denied every time.

Bernard Hatch circa 1970's. Photo credit: wktv.com

Current photo of Bernard Hatch. Photo credit: www.wikiworldbook.com

In 2009 Clinton resident and former college professor Thomas Blanchfield released a book about the Steuben murders called "A Killer Named Hatch Massacre on Potato Hill". He said his mission was to raise awareness about these crimes and "reinforce the parole board to have this merciless felon spend the rest of his natural life in prison."

Remsen, N.Y.

The quaint community of Remsen is home to one of the north country's hidden gems: The Remsen Performing & Visual Arts Center.

The building that houses the RPVAC used to be a Baptist church. At one time this building was a thriving piece of the community, but had sat empty for many years before the RPVAC took over.

photo from "Honey Out of the Rafters" by Margaret P. Davis

photo from http://remsenartscenter.wordpress.com/newsletter-2014/

photo showing 2012 renovations to building.