HISTORY OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

thelivyjr
Site Admin
Posts: 82321
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:40 p

Re: HISTORY OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Post by thelivyjr »

History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925

Chapter 125: The City of Little Falls, continued ...

The following additional data regarding Little Falls is furnished by the editor to supplement Mr. Hughes' chapter:

Little Falls was incorporated as a city in 1895.

In 1910 27 per cent of the population was of foreign parentage and nearly 32 per cent of foreign birth, the peoples of southern and eastern Europe predominating.

The city is located on the Central and West Shore Railroads, north and south highways and on the Mohawk River and the Barge Canal, the latter passing through the city in a rock cut channel.

A barge canal terminal dock is here located.

This is the terminus of the Little Falls and Dolgeville Railroad.

Interurban trolleys connect (1924) westward with Herkimer, Mohawk, Ilion, Frankfort, Utica and Rome and westward, from Utica, to Buffalo.

The chief industries of the city of Little Falls in 1924 were knit goods, leather, bicycles, dairy machinery, incubators, cotton yarn, batting, book cases, felt shoes, dairy preparations and butter color, upholstery fibre, knit goods machinery.

Largest calfskin finishing works in United States, and here are the largest tissue paper, bicycle and hammer works in the world.

There is a hydroelectric power development plant on the Mohawk at Little Falls, it being a station of the Utica Gas and Electric Company, where 1,600 h.p. is (1924) generated.

In 1909 the city had fifty-five factories, with 4,408 employes, producing an annual output valued at $8,500,000.

In 1912 knit goods and hosiery industries here employed 2,345 operatives.

In 1919 Little Falls had fifty-one factories, with a primary horsepower of 8,730, with 3,688 operatives, producing manufactures of an annual value of $24,851,536 (U. S. Census statistics).

Little Falls is a trading and shipping center for an important dairying and farming section.

The city has a sewer system, electric light and power, municipal water works, hospital, public library, Masonic temple and a handsome city hall.

TO BE CONTINUED ...
thelivyjr
Site Admin
Posts: 82321
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:40 p

Re: HISTORY OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Post by thelivyjr »

History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925

Chapter 125: The City of Little Falls, continued ...

Little Falls is a picturesque, historic city, the most beautifully located of any town on the New York to Buffalo route.

It is a fine, modern American commercial and industrial center and a city with a splendid future.

Little Falls is picturesquely situated on a series of rocky terraces rising from the north side of the river, the Rollaway cliffs on the south side rising sheer 240 to 340 feet above the upper streets and the adjacent West Shore tracks.

The views from city heights are among the finest in the Mohawk Valley.

The northeastern limits of the city of Little Falls rise to a sea elevation of 1,060 feet and are 697 feet above the river.

This is the highest point in any city or town on the New York to Buffalo route and on the Mohawk turnpike.

Little Falls is the eastern terminus of a trolley line which forms part of a continuous trolley route from Little Falls to Buffalo over various lines.

Dolgeville (population 1920, 3,448) is some eight miles north of Little Falls, reached from Little Falls over the Little Falls & Dolgeville Railroad, which has its north terminus at Salisbury Center, three miles north, in a lumbering district.

Dolgeville is the most important felt producing center in the state.

At Salisbury, near there, is an iron mine, now (1925) abandoned, and there are important lumber interests in the vicinity.

The Little Falls & Dolgeville Railroad is a branch of the New York Central Lines.

A bus line also connects the towns.

The Mohawk Valley is a famous agricultural and dairying section supplying great quantities of milk to the metropolitan district and, at one time, it furnished an enormous amount of butter and cheese for home and abroad.

"Herkimer County cheese" was famous and Little Falls was (1830-1900) the largest cheese market in the United States.

In this country "store" or American cheese making for the market originated in Herkimer County, near Little Falls, about 1800.

Utica supplanted Little Falls as the American cheese market about 1900, but now (1924) northern New York has become the state's great cheese factory, and Watertown since 1910 has supplanted Utica.

The present great metropolitan demand for raw milk takes most of the valley supply.

The Holstein-Friesian (black-and-white) cow is the favorite valley milch cow.

Little Falls has been fittingly called "The Gateway of the West", for through this backbone of the Atlantic slope vast numbers of settlers went westward to develop our great western empire.

This traffic went by river, later by canal and railroad, and largely over the Mohawk turnpike, which here forms the Main Street of Little Falls.

This river gorge here forms the gateway to the upper Mohawk Valley, the scene of Palatine German settlement, about 1722, in its eastern end, and of a large and important immigration of New England, British and other peoples, following the close of the Revolution in 1783, into the western section of this upper valley.

TO BE CONTINUED ...
thelivyjr
Site Admin
Posts: 82321
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:40 p

Re: HISTORY OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Post by thelivyjr »

History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925

Chapter 125: The City of Little Falls, continued ...

The Mohawk Indians called the rocky site of Little Falls Asto-ren-ga, "place of rocks", and Tal-e-que-ga, "little bushes", referring to the scrub cedars which covered the rocks and do today at certain points.

Mohawk River traffic was carried mainly in canoes until about 1740, when batteaux and flatboats began to be used by traders, pioneers and rivermen.

The Indians and early traders unloaded their canoes at one end of the carry and packed canoes and cargo on their backs over the rocks here.

About 1740 the boats were portaged here on stone boats and rough sleds and later on widewheeled wagons.

The portage trail was over the route of the first lock canal, which the visitor can see here.

Little Falls formed the eastern end of the Burnetsfield patent of 1725, and the carrying rights over the portage here thus became the property of the Palatine German patentees, who here engaged in hauling boats around the falls.

One of these carriers was Johan Jost Herkimer, father of Gen. Nicholas Herkimer.

A Palatine German named Petrie was the first settler at Little Falls.

He located at the mouth of Furnace Creek, where he built a house and grist mill about 1725.

From about 1725 until the close of the War of 1812-14, the Little Falls carry was used by Colonial British and later American armies in transporting ordnance and supplies up and down the Mohawk.

Supplies and material for the erection and fortification of Fort Oswego, Fort William and Fort Stanwix (at present Rome) and the later Revolutionary posts were all brought up the river and carried over the rocks here by British and American soldiers.

Colonial British-American army expeditions against Canada (1754-1760) and American armies of the Revolution and the War of 1812 all used this old carry after toiling with their laden boats up the Mohawk.

The greatest of these armies was that of General Amherst, numbering 10,000 men (6,000 American militiamen and 4,000 British regulars) which, in 1760, passed up the Mohawk on its way to the capture of Montreal and the final conquest of Canada, which was finally won through the Little Falls Gorge, as all other expeditions against Montreal by other routes had failed.

The passage of these armies through this then wild rocky gorge afforded scenes of vividly picturesque military activity.

The voyage of these epoch-making expeditions, through the Mohawk Valley and the Little Falls Gorge, is scarcely mentioned in American histories.

TO BE CONTINUED ...
thelivyjr
Site Admin
Posts: 82321
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:40 p

Re: HISTORY OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Post by thelivyjr »

History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925

Chapter 125: The City of Little Falls, continued ...

Probably many of the troops of Colonial and Revolutionary armies marched over the old Colonial highway from Fink's Basin to Jacksonburgh.

Many men were then required to portage an army's boats at this carry.

Besides these older military movements, American troops and supplies in great number and quantities passed by railroads and canal, through the Little Falls Gorge in the Civil war (1861-65), Spanish war (1898), and World war (1917-1918).

In 1778 British and Tories raided Manheim, a German settlement just northeast of Little Falls, carrying off a dozen prisoners.

During the last great Tory-Indian raid of the upper valley in June, 1782, an Indian war party came to Little Falls and attacked and burned Petrie's mill and dwelling.

Daniel Petrie was killed and several farmers and soldiers in the mill were captured and taken to Canada.

About eight miles north of Little Falls is the old Palatine German settlement of Manheim, with its Old Yellow Church, where over fifty soldiers of the Revolution are buried.

Little Falls was resettled in 1789, when the mill was rebuilt and the "old yellow house" was erected adjoining it.

John Porteous, a Scotchman, was the first merchant in Little Falls, coming here in 1790.

Thereafter the place grew rapidly, particularly after 1793, when bridges were built on the turnpike over the East and West Canada Creeks.

Among the Little Falls settlers were men by the names of Alexander, Philips, Smith, Lankton, Winsor, Carr, Moralee, Britteon, Parkhurst, Skinner.

In 1790 a toll bridge was here built across the Mohawk, the first on record to be constructed over our famous river.

Following the Revolution in 1783, a great tide of emigration flowed westward through the Little Falls Gorge to the settlement of all the northern belt of the United States westward of this famous gateway.

In 1792 the first stages ran to Utica and Whitesboro, at first following the south shore highway.

When the Mohawk Turnpike Company was chartered and the old King's highway improved in 1800, this great volume of travel and traffic generally passed over the old Mohawk turnpike on the north shore.

Then Little Falls became an important point for highway and river travel, with several famous taverns here.

In 1796 the settlers of this growing village formed the Concord Society and built on Church Street (where the present schoolhouse stands) the old Octagon Church, which here served Protestants of all sects, and which was a famous landmark for travelers.

A sort of Gabriel's trumpet in the shape of a long tin horn was used to call the citizens to worship.

A marker now locates the old church site.

TO BE CONTINUED ...
thelivyjr
Site Admin
Posts: 82321
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:40 p

Re: HISTORY OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Post by thelivyjr »

History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925

Chapter 125: The City of Little Falls, continued ...

In 1788 Elkanah Watson, a New England engineer, investigated the navigation possibilities of the Mohawk.

Having great faith in the commercial possibilities of this valley waterway to the west, he interested Gen. Philip Schuyler of Albany and others in the matter, and in 1792 the Inland Lock and Navigation Company was formed.

In 1797 canals and locks were completed at Little Falls, Wolf's rift (5 m. w.) and at Rome, there connecting the Mohawk with Wood Creek.

These were the first American commercial lock canals and this whole Mohawk River improvement became the progenitor of the great State Barge Canal of today.

The first Little Falls canal of 1797 is still in existence, being state property.

Most of its course through the city passes under factory buildings.

Its upper lock may be seen at the northern end of the upper river dam.

Prior to the Revolution, Alexander Ellice, an alien Scotchman and a friend of Sir William Johnson, secured ownership of the water rights of the Little Falls on the north shore and the property adjacent thereto, comprising most of the present city.

Water rights and lands on which to erect buildings could only be obtained under lease.

This interfered seriously with early village development, from 1790 until 1831, when the entire Ellice property was sold to a local company for $50,000.

The purchasers made $50,000 on resales of the real estate.

Several members of this local company donated large blocks of their property to form the East and West parks of the present attractive city park system.

Some other items of Little Falls history and development follow.

After 1790 a considerable New England element settled in and around Little Falls, and to the north of the city, these Yankees started cheese making about 1800.

In 1811 Little Falls was chartered a village, and in 1817 the Montgomery County line was moved east from Fall Hill to East Creek.

By 1821 the Erie Canal was built from Rome to Little Falls, boats leaving the canal here and proceeding eastward on the river.

The village boomed in this canal construction period and enthusiastically greeted Governor Clinton's triumphal canal tour on the Erie's opening in 1825.

From 1840 to 1875 was a period of Irish immigration.

From about 1830 until 1900 Little Falls was the chief American cheese market.

In 1831 Harry Burrell made the first shipment (10,000 pounds) of cheese from here to England.

Little Falls became an important station on the Utica & Schenectady Railroad on its opening in 1836.

In 1842 the manufacture of woolen goods was started.

Little Falls Academy was founded in 1844.

In 1845 yarn manufacture started.

The manufacture of dairy machinery began originally in 1869, and the manufacture of leather in 1873.

In 1872 knit goods manufacture began.

Between 1879 and 1882 the West Shore Railroad bed was blasted along the bottom of the south side cliff, its construction here involving great difficulties.

In 1881 the factory for the manufacture of dairy preparations opened.

Bookcase manufacture also began, and in 1900 a bicycle factory opened; felt shoe manufacture started about 1905.

TO BE CONTINUED ...
thelivyjr
Site Admin
Posts: 82321
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:40 p

Re: HISTORY OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Post by thelivyjr »

History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925

Chapter 125: The City of Little Falls, concluded ...

The construction of the Barge Canal here in its rock channel arounds the Little Falls of the Mohawk and the building of the big lock were engineering feats which were successfully accomplished between 1905 and 1916, when this section of the canal was opened.

In 1911 Little Falls celebrated its village centennial and, in 1916, the city held a Mohawk Valley historical pageant, in celebration of the completion of America's greatest lift lock, forming another chapter in the interesting history of transportation through the wonderful Little Falls Gorge.

Little Falls was the home of Judge Nathaniel S. Benton, author of the valuable "History of Herkimer County and the Upper Mohawk Valley", published in 1856. [i.e, A History of Herkimer County: including the Upper Mohawk Valley, from the earliest period to the present time, etc.]

About a half mile west of Fink's Bridge and well within the Little Falls city limits, is the Barge Canal big lock, with the greatest water lift in the western hemisphere, making a rise of 40 1/2 feet from 322 1/2 feet sea elevation below to 363 feet water level sea elevation above the dam.

This dam is one of the greatest engineering works of the many created during Barge Canal construction (1905-1918).

Barge Canal construction through the Little Falls Gorge offered most difficult problems, which were successfully met.

A rock cut channel, following the old Erie Canal bed, was blasted out of the solid rock for a distance of over a mile along the south shore, while the river follows its original course over the upper and lower falls, but with decreased water supply, except in winter, when the Barge Canal is not in operation.

The Little Falls lock is higher than any lock in the Panama Canal.

Between Moss Island and the lower falls the Mohawk is the deepest in its course — 150 feet from surface to bottom.

This stretch is in reality a giant pothole cut in the rock by the giant post-glacial cataract, which probably here exerted its most titanic force.

The Barge Canal cut makes a long narrow island of part of the city on the south shore bank.

At its southern end, between the big lock and the river, lies wooded Moss Island, which is one of the geological wonders of the world because on it are located the world's greatest potholes (worn in the rock by water action).

Some of these holes are thirty feet across, and these, with other evidences of ancient water action, attest the power of the mighty cataract which cut through this gorge.

Moss Island should be preserved as a state reservation to keep forever its geological wonders and to prevent its use for factory sites.

At the northern end of Moss Island the river is 150 feet deep, the point being a pothole formed by the action of the cataract of the Iromohawk which wore down the Little Falls Gorge.

The Mohawk Turnpike, in its course from Schenectady to Little Falls, makes a rise from an elevation above sea level of 240 feet on its roadbed at Scotia, opposite Schenectady, to 360 feet just below Fall Hill, at Fink's Bridge; from there rising to 420 feet sea elevation at the business center of Little Falls.

This gives a total rise from Scotia to Little Falls of 180 feet in fifty-eight miles.

The Turnpike, in its two-mile course through the city, forms picturesque Main Street (east and west) in Little Falls.

Roads run north to Piseco Lake, in the Adirondacks, northeast to Dolgeville and south to Richfield Springs, Cooperstown and the Susquehanna River.

TO BE CONTINUED ...
thelivyjr
Site Admin
Posts: 82321
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:40 p

Re: HISTORY OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Post by thelivyjr »

History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925

Chapter 126: The Village of Herkimer.

The great flat, settled by Palatines, 1720-1725 — Known as "Palatine Village" — Burnetsfield Patent of 1725 — French and Indian raid and massacre of 1757 — Fort Dayton built here, 1776 — Start of march of Tryon County Militia to Oriskany battlefield, August 4, 1777 — Fort Dayton and Fort Herkimer western American outposts in 1781 — Washington here in 1783 — Herkimer County formed in 1791, with Herkimer, the county seat — Herkimer County in the Civil War — Industrial development — First wood pulp paper made here in 1866 by Warner Miller, elected united states senator in 1881 — 1885, Mohawk and Malone Railroad first link completed — 1886, Founding of largest desk factory in the world — Rome to Little Falls electric line — 1902, Mohawk and Oneonta Railroad — Herkimer County Historical Society — West Canada Creek and Kuyahoora Trail — Mirror Lake and Hasenclever Hills — Fort Herkimer Church — Statues General Herkimer and General Spinner — "Herkimer led, Herkimer leads."

Herkimer lies at a strategic point as far as the roads and streams are concerned.

The second largest tributary of the Mohawk — the West Canada Creek, or Kuyahoora — flows along the eastern side of the town into the Mohawk about one mile west of Fort Herkimer Church.

The Kuyahoora Trail runs northward to the St. Lawrence and northern New York into the Adirondacks, branching at Hinckley northward to the Black River, Thousand Islands, Fulton Chain, Piseco Lake, Lake Pleasant and points further north.

The Mohawk and Malone Railroad branch of the New York Central follows the West Canada north to Remsen.

Southward, the Leatherstocking Trail runs to Richfield Springs, Otsego Lake, Cooperstown, Oneonta and the Susquehanna, while the Mohawk and Oneonta Railroad (electric) follows this popular and important touring route to Richfield Springs, where it diverges, running due south to Index (with branch to Cooperstown and Otsego Lake) and thence, to Oneonta.

West Canada Creek and these railroads and highways are mentioned later in this chapter on the Village of Herkimer.

Herkimer is the county seat of Herkimer County.

It is of city size, having, with East Herkimer, a 1925 population of about 13,000.

Herkimer is an important Mohawk Valley industrial community and business, banking and trading center, being situated in the midst of a rich agricultural and dairying section.

Herkimer and its neighborhood is of great historic importance.

The whole upper valley region, which was settled by Palatine Germans, was called German Flats, in Colonial days.

Here was the Palatine Village which was wiped out by the terrible French and Indian massacre in 1757, during the Great French War.

In Revolutionary times, Fort Dayton was located at Herkimer, while Fort Herkimer was diagonally southeast on the south side of the Mohawk.

From Fort Dayton, General Herkimer started his fateful march to Oriskany.

These two forts and the hardy American pioneers here located formed a bulwark of defense of this exposed frontier in the bloody and terrible years which befell the Mohawk Valley during the Revolution.

The splendid pioneer Revolutionary stock ever since here represented has had much to do with the upbuilding of Herkimer and its section.

The town takes its name from General Nicholas Herkimer, the hero of Oriskany.

From this fact Herkimer takes its inspiring slogan — "Herkimer Led — Herkimer Leads."

Herkimer lies in the belt of Hudson River shale surface rock, which covers most of the upper Mohawk Valley.

There are available quarry outcrops of building stone here.

At the northern village limits, on the west side of the West Canada lies pretty little Mirror Lake, the only lakelet lying near the Mohawk Turnpike with the exception of Sanders Lake at Scotia and the little ponds of the Noses.

TO BE CONTINUED ...
thelivyjr
Site Admin
Posts: 82321
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:40 p

Re: HISTORY OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Post by thelivyjr »

History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925

Chapter 126: The Village of Herkimer, continued ...

Road to Fort Herkimer Church

Fort Herkimer Church (1767) lies on the south shore about two miles southeast of the center of Herkimer and is generally reached (1924) by automobiles by crossing east bridge.

This is one of the most important historical structures in the state and the tourist should visit it and its picturesque locality.

It is the only remaining portion of a Colonial and Revolutionary army post standing on the north and south shore Mohawk Turnpikes.

Fort Herkimer Church can also be reached over the south shore highway from Mohawk and Little Falls.

Herkimer, Industrial

Herkimer is the county seat of Herkimer County, incorporated as a village in 1807.

In 1910 about 25 per cent of the population was of foreign birth, Poles, Italians and Slovaks predominating.

Interurban trolleys connect with Little Falls, Rome, Utica, Oneonta.

A number of residents of Herkimer are employed at Ilion, three miles distant.

The adjacent farming section is devoted to general agriculture, to stock raising and to dairying.

Herkimer has a hospital, sewers and municipally owned water and electric lighting systems.

In 1912 in Herkimer there were 21 factories, with 1,613 operatives.

Herkimer has the largest desk factory in the United States.

In 1912 the only industry employing over 1,000 hands was desk making, with 1,049 operatives.

In 1919 Herkimer had 34 factories, with 1,472 workers; 3,546 horsepower; $4,133,000 capital; annual manufactures valued at $3,933,000 (U. S. Census Report).

In 1924 Herkimer's manufactures were desks, knit goods, furniture, air rifles, nut picks, nut crackers, bookcases, paper fibre, gloves, etc.

The large amount of flat land here, both for residential building and for industrial plants close to railroads and waterway, gives Herkimer many advantages for manufacturing.

A Barge Canal terminal dock is located at Herkimer and a dam is here situated in the river.

TO BE CONTINUED ...
thelivyjr
Site Admin
Posts: 82321
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:40 p

Re: HISTORY OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Post by thelivyjr »

History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925

Chapter 126: The Village of Herkimer, continued ...

Shoemaker Hill, 1,200 Ft. — The Hasenclever Hills, 1,420 Ft.

Shoemaker Hill, opposite Herkimer, and east of Mohawk, rises to a commanding height of 1,200 ft. sea elevation, and 817 ft. above the Mohawk.

It is a westward extension of Mt. Okwari, 1,380 ft. sea elevation.

The Hasenclever Hills border Herkimer on the north and west.

Hasenclever Hill (about 6 miles n. w. of Herkimer) has an elevation of 1,420 ft. or 1,033 ft. above the Mohawk.

This range runs north about 8 miles and then turns west and forms Bell Hill, 1,582 ft.; Smith Hill, 1,207 ft.; Marcy Hill, 1,260 ft., all of which are north and northeast of Utica.

Oak Hill (980 ft. sea elevation and 600 ft. above the Mohawk) is the southern summit rising steeply directly from the Mohawk to the west of Herkimer and opposite Ilion and Frankfort.

The Hasenclever Hills form the western divide of the lower course of the West Canada Creek.

TO BE CONTINUED ...
thelivyjr
Site Admin
Posts: 82321
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:40 p

Re: HISTORY OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY

Post by thelivyjr »

History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925

Chapter 126: The Village of Herkimer, continued ...

Herkimer and Herkimer County

Herkimer is the county seat of Herkimer County, which takes its name from the American brigadier-general, Nicholas Herkimer, who was mortally wounded at the battle of Oriskany August 6, 1777.

The county, outside of the manufacturing towns, is principally devoted to dairying.

The upper part extends far into the western Adirondack region and includes many of its lakes and summer resorts.

The northern part is in the Black River watershed, the central in the Mohawk watershed and the extreme south in the Susquehanna watershed.

Nineteen hundred and ten population Herkimer County, 56,356; 1915, 64,109; 1920, 64,962; area, 934,000 acres.

The Herkimer-Mohawk-Ilion-Frankfort Civic Community

Herkimer, Mohawk, Ilion and Frankfort, forming an important manufacturing community running for five miles along the Mohawk, contain many large industries and have a 1920 population of 27,739.

It is a rapidly growing group of towns.

The history of Mohawk, Ilion and Frankfort is largely that of their sister town of Herkimer, which is the oldest village and is here so written for this entire community, which is a direct outgrowth from the Palatine German settlements along the Upper Mohawk under the Indian purchase of 1722 and the Burnetsfield Patent of 1725.

TO BE CONTINUED ...
Post Reply