Town Of Kirkland Turns 175 Years Old
By Bernard S. Jones

Samuel Kirkland

    The history of what is now the Town of Kirkland begins long before the arrival of European settlers mainly by the Oneidas of the six nations of the Iroquois and the Brothertown tribes.
    The area which now constitutes the State of New York was first subdivided into twelve counties in 1683 as follows: New York, Albany (which contained the present Town of Kirkland), Dutchess, Kings, Queens, Orange, Ulster, Richmond, Suffolk, Westchester, Dukes, and Cornwall. In 1772 Tyron County was formed out of Albany. A further change of names, to Mongomery was made in 1784. The Legislature further divided the county into five districts Mohawk, Canajoharie, Palatine, German Flats and Kingsland; the future Kirkland being part of German Flats.
    The huge Town of Whitestown, which stretched from Canada in the north to Pennsylvania in the south and from its approximate present eastern boundary west to the westerly state line was carved out of the German Flats district. Whitestown was in 1792 then divided into six towns: Whitestown, Paris, Mexico, Steuben, Westmoreland and Peru. Two more changes finally formed the present day Town of Kirkland. In April 13, 1827 Kirkland was formed from a part of the Town of Paris and in 1829 the Town of Marshall was formed from part of the Town of Kirkland.
    The Oriskany Creek which has its origin in the hills between Solsville and Munnsville runs through the center of the Town of Kirkland. The creek could be referred to as the life blood of the town. Initially it was used by Native Americans as a source of food, for transportation and as a navigational reference. When European settlers arrived the possibilities of using the creek as a power source were realized and industries arose that spawned the growth of the town.

    Samuel Kirkland was, as we would say in this day and age, bigger than life. He was born in Norwich, Connecticut in 1741. Coming from a family of religious up-bringing it was no surprise when he chose to become a missionary. It is not known exactly when he decided to become a missionary, but the influence of his home life and Rev. Dr. Wheelock’s Academy in Lebanon, Connecticut must have swayed him in that direction. Certainly by his sophomore year at Princeton, when he embraced the Christian faith, he had made his final decision. Another influence which effected the decision was the friendship he made, at college, with several Native American youths who taught him the Mohawk dialect in which he rapidly became proficient. During his senior year at college he decided to make a tour, which included living with the Seneca Indians in western New York, an experience which was to serve him well for the remainder of his life.
    Living with the Senecas was considered hazardous owing to their warlike nature and the remote location. After an arduous and rewarding interlude, where he attained much knowledge of the lifestyle of the Native Americans, Rev. Kirkland found it necessary to continue his studies with the Oneidas at, what is now know as, Oneida Castle. Three years were spent learning the ways of the Oneidas by living amongst them under sometime difficult conditions for a non-native. When his health began to fail he was urged by friends to return to New England for a rest, advice which he heeded.
    During his stay in New England, and after a much needed rest, he married a niece of Dr. Wheelock, Jerusha Bingham, and returned to central New York. It was necessary for him to provide a home for his bride, which he did. The log cabin he used as a bachelor was expanded to accommodate his new wife and resulted in a small but spacious and elegant home for the standards of its time. Soon twin sons, George Whitefield and John Thornton, were born. Owing to agitation among the Six Nations, Mrs. Kirkland and her sons, for their safety, lived in Stockbridge for several years.
    As a missionary, Rev. Kirkland’s purpose was steadfast and his zeal as a teacher was intense. In addition to the spiritual life of the Oneidas, he did not overlook their material needs. Among other necessities he provided them with a grist mill, a sawmill and a blacksmith shop.
    The Revolutionary War interrupted Rev. Kirkland’s missionary services to the Oneidas. He served as a Chaplain in the Continental army until such time as his services were used to ensure the neutrality of the Six nations. Despite his efforts, Colonel Guy Johnson, Joesph Bryant and other British agents won over all the tribes with the exception of the Oneidas and the Tuscaroroas. Their absence on the British side at the battle of Oriskany could well have saved the cause for the Continentals. They bravely fought under Skenandoa in certain special services by order of General Schuyler.
    The remainder of Rev. Kirkland’s service during the war was as brigade chaplain with General Sullivan in the Susquehanna campaign. Before leaving his Revolutionary War service it is my opinion that his service to the continental side was greater than may appear on the surface. The stopping of St. Leger on his march to the east, and the halt of Burgoyne at Saratoga by Gates caused Sir Henry Clinton, under the command of General Howe, to turn back on his approach from New York to Albany. The failure of the British to cut the colonies in half by this campaign is considered by some as the turning point in the revolution. So Samuel Kirkland’s small part in persuading two tribes to remain neutral, if not changed the outcome of the war, brought the end of the war closer.
    During the years of his reappointment as missionary to the Oneidas, after the war in 1784, he found he had much work to do. The Oneidas were concerned that many settlers were moving west to occupy lands sold for pennies by their forefathers. Rev. Kirkland realized that the Native Americans lacked the knowledge and industrious habits as seen from the European eyes. The settlers would always have the advantage when seen from this view until the natives became educated to the ways of the newcomers. This was the genesis of an idea to provide an academy with the education of Native Americans in mind.

    In a life full of accomplishments, the founding of Hamilton College was Kirkland’s greatest achievement. Several years passed by after his initial idea to establish an educational facility and before any concrete steps were taken toward that end. As can be imagined, many months were spent just soliciting funds to begin this ambitious project. Eventually the funds were found and the next step of petitioning the state for a charter was begun. In 1793 the charter was obtained with significant aid from the governor, the Board of Regents and Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton, being one of the trustees on the petition, was honored by having his name designated to be included in the name of the new Hamilton Oneida Academy. Kirkland was the first to make a generous donation for the erection of the first academy building which consisted of ten pounds sterling, fifteen days work and three hundred acres. With the help of other donations from around the state, a suitable building was built on the present site of Hamilton College. Overlooking the village of Clinton, it became the predecessor to the beautiful campus we know so well today.
    The school became well known and prospered, but Rev. Kirkland’s health had been failing and was aggravated by a fall from his horse. Although he continued to minister to his Native American charges it was progressively with lesser zeal than he had shown throughout his life. In February of 1808 he died, just four years before, in 1812, his academy was elevated to the status of a college and has since been known as Hamilton College.

    Clinton is the first and the largest settlement in the present day Town of Kirkland. Moses Foote and several other New England settlers chose the spot for this community in 1787. The settlement was named after the first Governor of New York, George Clinton. Originally it was located in the Town of Whitestown, then Paris and finally Kirkland in 1827.
    Early families of Foote, Bronson, Pond, Bristol, Curtiss, Stebbins, Hart, Hopkins, Barker, Williams, Kellogg and Gridley (many of whom lent their names to streets still existing in the village) struggled to etch out an existence in the wilderness.
    Important to these families was their spiritual life. Early meetings took place on the village green, but more permanent quarters were soon sought. The first church was the Old White Meeting House situated on the green. The Stone Presbyterian Church was erected where it stands today. A Universalist Church, called the Free Church was built in 1821 at 8 Utica Street; in 1871 it built the church on Williams Street, opposite St. James which was the Masonic Lodge until the 1990’s. Baptist built in 1832 (now the home of the Kirkland Historical Society), the Methodists in 1842 (now the Kirkland Art Center), the Roman Catholics in 1850 and the Episcopalians in 1862.
    Throughout the 1800’s a proliferation of schools led many to refer to Clinton as “School-town”. Already mentioned is Samuel Kirkland’s founding of the Hamilton Oneida Academy in 1793. There were so many schools in the village it is difficult to determine how to proceed. I will try to mention all the schools, but highlight, at random, the accomplishments of just a few.
    The Clinton Liberal Institute, sponsored by the Universalist Church, was the largest of the private schools. Its original concept was to establish a school for the purpose of educating young men in the field of science and literature to better equip them for entry into the ministry. By the time the school opened it was co-educational, but not in the same sense as we know today. There were separate buildings for girls and boys from the beginning in 1831 to 1878 when the school moved to Fort Plain. The boys division was at Mulberry and Utica streets, and the female department was first at 14 Utica Street and then, after 1851, on Chestnut Street opposite Williams Street.
    There was a Cottage Seminary for girls and Clinton Preparatory school for boys.
    Starting in 1814, Miss Royce’s Seminary was operated by a physically challenged woman at several different locations in the village. The prosperously operated school with Miss Royce as the principal teacher was a boarding and a day school for young ladies. When, due to ill health, Miss Royce passed operation of the school to others, the school went into decline and finally closed its doors forever.
    The Rev. Hiram H. Kellogg established a seminary for young ladies in 1834. The school flourished for eight years When elected to the presidency of Knox College, Rev. Kellogg sold the Seminary to the Free Will Baptists. After three years the Baptists relinquished ownership and the school was operated as a private institution until it was forced to close. Rev. Kellogg’s return and attempt to resurrect the school, failed causing the school to close in 1850.
    The Home Cottage Seminary was established in 1854 by Miss Louisa M. Barker on a hill south of Clinton overlooking the Oriskany. She operated the school successfully until 1861 when she sold it to Dr. J. C. Gallup who operated it as the Houghton Seminary.
    Dr. Gallup named the seminary in honor of the assistant principal, his wife, Mrs. Marilla Houghton Gallup. For those who find this name familiar you may remember that the Fountain in the village park was erected by the Houghton Alumnae Association in memory of their school.
    On the corner of Elm Street and Factory Street (Norton Ave.) the Dwight Rural High School stood where it operated from 1858 until 1865 when it burned to the ground.
    After an aborted attempt in 1813 to establish the Clinton Grammar School a further and successful attempt was made in 1815. Several locations were occupied in the village during the life of the school. The date of the addition of a girls department is thought to have been around 1817. In 1828 the school was placed under the Board of Regents and became entitled to receive State funds. In 1866 the school was combined with the Dwight Rural High School which was discussed in the previous paragraph.
    Schools obviously played a major role in the history of Clinton, but other businesses also thrived or failed in the community. Early on grist mills, saw mills and tanneries populated the village. As the population grew so did the need for building products which was followed by the establishment of a few brick making enterprises. Even a clock-maker, a pottery plant, a hat maker and a nail plant made their appearance.
    In 1887 William Bristol established a pharmaceutical firm on the second floor of a building on West Park Row. So rapid was the growth of this business that after three years it moved to Syracuse for better shipping facilities. Eventually the company moved to Westfield, New Jersey and is now the internationally renown, Bristol-Myers-Squibb Corporation.
    Textiles have also played an important part in community growth. The most recent and last venture into textiles was The Clinton Knitting Mill opened in 1906 by Edward Stanley, Henry Roberts and Owen J. Burn was located just off Kirkland Avenue across from Chenango Avenue. The knitting mill failed, as did many textile ventures in the early 1950’s, when the textile industry moved to the southern United States. A woolen mill, as early as the 1800’s, operated on Factory Road, one mile south of College Street along the Oriskany Creek. It closed after the War of 1812 when British competition became too intense. Sometime in the 1880’s the mill reopened for a short period and was operated by the Hind Company of Clark Mills.
    Much of the prosperity of Clinton came from the iron mines in and around the village. Primarily, because the ore was not of high grade, its value did not last for a long period of time. During this short time, however, it was quite prosperous.
    Since the grade of ore was poor, but the supply was abundant, another use was sought and found. Its indelible color was used for several purposes among which were as coloring for brick and, of course, paint.
    Today Clinton is an active village which survived the loss of industrial businesses and now bustles with activity from, among others, its largest employers, the Clinton School System and Hamilton College.

    Although parts of Clark Mills lie in the Towns of Whitestown, Westmoreland and New Hartford, it is the second largest, and the most northern community in the Town of Kirkland.
    Proof has been found that temporary Paeleo-Indian settlements were established along the banks of the Oriskany, on the present site of Clark Mills, some twelve thousand years ago.
    The first settlers of European descent came to Clark Mills from Connecticut. A grist mill, at the end of the present day Maple Street, was erected here in the early 1790’s by Nathan and Ebenezer Thompson, Connecticut natives. The business only lasted for two years before they returned to New England.
    Noah Clark, also from Connecticut, came during the 1790’s as well. He operated the grist mill abandoned by the Thompson’s and also purchased, from none other than George Washington, additional land. On part of this property, along the Seneca Trail, he built his house which was later used as a tavern. The location of this tavern was on the present day Route 5 at the line between the Town of Kirkland and the Town of New Hartford. It was destroyed by fire in the 1950’s.
    Living in the wilderness became more and more difficult for Noah and his family so they too soon moved back to New England. Among the children he raised there were three (Eneas, Ami Bailey, and Ralph) who became textile brokers on the stock exchange. In 1846, with the idea of using the land their father owned in central New York, they decided to go into the manufacture of textiles as well. They purchased additional land along the Oriskany where they built dykes for water power and a large cotton factory just north of where the old grist mill had been.
    The factory was four stories high, 275 feet long, and 70 feet wide. More than 110 looms were set in place by 1849. Business was so prosperous that a woolen mill in Clinton and a rope and batting mill in Peckville were acquired. By 1875 the plants produced two million yards of sheeting with the use of 225 looms.
    Bailey had two children but Ralph Eneas had none. For reasons unknown, neither Bailey’s children nor those of his brothers who were not directly involved in the business chose to continue operation, so cousins by the names of Sweeney and Fitzimmons took over ownership until 1890 when the mill closed and “Clark’s Mills” went into severe decline for the second time.
    Owing to competition from foreign manufacturers the United States Congress passed the McKinley Tariff (Named for Senator McKinley, later President McKinley) in 1890. As a result Mr. Arthur Hind of Wyke (south Bradford), Yorkshire, England formed the Hind and Harrison Plush Company with a contractor, Mr. H. B. Harrison. (Interesting to note is that Captain Daniel Clark, ancestor of Noah Clark, came from Chester, England, only 65 miles distant from Bradford.) Their main product was the manufacture of Hudson Seal plush coats mainly for sale in the United States. The natural response to the tariff was a move to this country where the plush could be manufactured and sold free of the tax.
    After first considering the purchase of land at Kingston, New York, Mr. Hind heard of the Clark building at Clark Mills which suited his purposes. To Clark Mills he came and subsequently bought the property. To the original building he added another to be used for the spinning of cotton. Facilities also provided were a dye house, a print shop, a weave shop, a boiler room and an electricity generating plant which supplied electricity for the mill and entire village. ( Much of the staff and skilled workers were brought over from Yorkshire, England to set the operation in motion. Relatives and friends, eager for work, soon followed. Some of the most noteworthy were P. W. Copeland, and engineer and hardheaded businessman, Arthur Wright, who came to America as an eighteen year old office boy and rose to head bookkeeper, Alfred Rhodes, a brilliant chemist who was in charge of the dye-house, and the German born Hilladore Pfeiffer an expert and genius printer of cloth.
    Although a community developed which appeared to be “A little bit of England”, names from countries other than England appeared on the payroll. Such names as DePerna, Moretti and Pisano represented the Italians, the Ptaks, Wojikowskis and Broseks the Polish, Germany was represented by the Christs, Pfiefers and Bensons and the Irish by the Overands, Tobins, Hargreaves and Toners. The Acees, Josephs, Adours, Abaieds, Jabours, Asmers and several other Lebanese families joined the population and added to the mix.
    George Waddington, in his article on the Arthur Hind Club in the Recorder, best explained the company town as follows: “Much of the village was owned and managed by the Hind and Harrison Company. The company put in, maintained, and plowed (with horses) the sidewalks into the 1930’s. Perhaps a majority of the villages houses were built by the company and rented for $5 a month. In the center of the town was the “New Store” also owned and operated by the company….. The Arthur Hind Club was built by the company in 1913 and operated until 1943. The term, company town, most often carries a sinister connotation that mill owners blatantly exploited their workers. But, in my years in Clark Mills, I can’t recall that sentiment being voiced.”
    When Mr. Hind first came to Clark Mills, he lived in the abandoned home and grist mill of Nathan Fitzsimmons at the end of what is now Maple Street. (The present day Strobino home) Since most of his “cronies” lived in Utica he subsequently moved there, living in the Hotel Utica which he finally owned. One cannot speak of Mr. Hind without mentioning his stamp collection, which was one of the greatest collection in the world. The most prized stamp of his collection was a one-cent British Guiana issue which he bought for $32,500 and was valued at $50,000 at the time of his death.
    The company prospered in the United States and, in addition to Collins & Ailman of Philadelphia, were one of a few companies in the country to make silk plush. Plush (imitation fur) was much in demand during the early years of Hind and Harrison’s existence. In addition to plush, the company manufactured silk plush, velvet, broadtail, Persian lamb and imitation leopard fur. During the early thirties the Ford Motor Company gave the company an exclusive contract for automobile upholstery fabric. When Radio City opened in New York City the then popular maroon curtains on the great stage were manufactured in Clark Mills.
    Upon his death in 1933, Mr. Hind left almost all of his estate, including the Hind and Harrison Plush Company, to relatives in England. Since P. W. Copeland had retired, Mr. William R. Kennish, who came to this country as secretary of the company, bought the business out of the estate. The company was run by Mr. Kennish until 1943 when it was sold to Mr. Amos Horvath and was renamed The Clark Mills Company. This transition took place during World War II when the mill was manufacturing a heavy canvas-like cloth used by the military. After the war the plant was closed forever.
    Clark Mills once again went into decline and now survives as a bedroom community whose residents, for the most part, work elsewhere.
    The spirit of the community, although not as bright as during the hey-day of the Plush Company, is still evident in its people. The civic minded American Legion thrives and provides the community with a variety of activities. The Fire Department, also an asset to the community, in addition to serving the hamlet in its capacity of rescue and fire-fighting, sponsors activities such as the annual Field Days and periodic community dinners. The Central Oneida County Volunteer Ambulance Corp., founded in Clark Mills by Rev. Harold Durando and first located at St. Marks Church, now located just outside the hamlet, provides an invaluable service as well as community activities enjoyed by all.
    Parts of the community have become rundown owing, in part, to absentee landlords and transient residents, but there are still those who are proud of, and care for, their property. A resurgence of long past better times is the hope of the present generation.

FRANKLIN SPRINGS

    On maps prior to the 1850’s this community was first known as Franklin. When the first post office was established in 1867 it was called Franklin Iron Works after the company operating there. In 1898 the post office was once again renamed to Franklin Springs. The Oriskany Creek, discovery of iron ore in the Clinton area, the Chenango Canal and its boats, and later the Ontario & Western Railroad, were all instrumental in the birth and prosperity of this hamlet.
    A busy furnace processed ore into pig iron which was sent all around the country to be turned into all sorts of products from stoves to cannonballs.
    To support this thriving business, homes were erected for the workers. Two boarding hotels, a company store, an ice house, two schools and a railroad station soon followed. The years of ups and downs for the factory which followed its early success, could not destroy what had been established, a substantial but small community.
    The boom days came to an end in the early part of the Twentieth Century. When mines along Lake Superior began producing superior ore which could be shipped on the Great Lakes at lower cost, the Franklin works were doomed.
    Fortunes changed when, in 1888, Fred Suppe drilled a well on his property on Dugway Road and discovered a fine grade of Lithia water. Spa water was in great demand at the time. So popular, that many European settlers were ordering water from their favorite Spas in Europe.
    Fred and his brother took advantage of this opportunity and developed a respectable clientele. Their success encouraged others to follow suit and soon they had competition from eight other wells. Free enterprise eventually left only two plants remaining, Arthur C. Suppe’s Split Rock Lithia Springs and I. W. Hazelton’s Franklin Beverages.
    Soon after this date, the name of the post office was changed to Franklin Springs in order to recognize this change of fortunes.
    The water and subsequent soft drink companies continued until 1972 and leaves a small, pleasant rural community on a busy highway between Clinton and Deansboro.

    Kirkland’s origins come from being a stage coach stop on the Seneca Trail. The name Manchester was used until 1829 when it took on its to its present name.
    Manchester was on the Oriskany Creek, at a point where south bound navigation was no longer possible. Boats made their way to this point by means of two dams which ensured sufficient water level. I imagine this point was chosen because it also intersected with the Seneca Trail.
    The Manchester Manufacturing Company, a cotton mill, was erected in Manchester in 1815 which manufactured cloth by hand before the event of powered looms. In fact, much of their product was made in homes where the work was farmed out to those who had a loom. In 1831 the factory was enlarged to accommodate ninety six looms. Prosperity lasted until 1854 when the plant burned to the ground and was never replaced.
    Water power still being the main source of power for most industries, The Clinton Iron Works was built in 1873, on the same site as the cotton mill, to make use of the Oriskany’s flow. Production of iron lasted for twenty five years when manufacturing in Manchester halted forever.
    Owing to the busy highway that runs through the hamlet, tourist (traveler) trade has always been an important part of its economy. One exception was the Stittville Canning Factory situated on Kirkland Avenue which operated until a few years after World War II.
    Tourist homes appeared along the highway and were very successful. Landry’s Hotel and Tavern, Dawes’ Place and Avery Wheelock’s, Willow Rest Tourist’s Home, served the public for years. “Ye Ole Trolley Diner” was a favorite dining spot for travelers as well as the locals. At one time M. L. Eldredge and L. R. McConnen operated a dance hall called Danceland along Route 5. Not to be outdone Charles Dawes competed with his Kirkland Dancehall.
    A furniture store under the ownership of E. R. Harrison flourished for many years. More recently a now defunct Antique Store occupied the space.
    A building on Route 5 which still exists is the “Tack and Saddle”, the former Kirkland Presbyterian Church which existed from the 1830’s into the 1870’s. Two additional landmark buildings are the brick, one-room school houses, one on Old Bristol Road and the other on Route 5 just east of the Hamlet.
    Currently, a few comfortable homes with several used car lots, a few antique shops, The Tack & Saddle, Bonomo’s Ice Cream stand, a woodworking shop, a restaurant, two bars and two nurseries (one for plants and another for toddlers) operate in the hamlet.

    For years the largest business in Oneida County has been agriculture. It is now going through a change where many family owned farms are now a few large farms.
    From the earliest days when settlers had felled trees and arduously pulled the stumps to clear the land for planting, agricultural production has been successful. The principal products have been: corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye, grass, clover, buckwheat, peas, beans, potatoes, carrots and turnips. Hops were once a major product of this area and even tobacco was tried. More recently, many fields of soy beans and sorghum can be spotted in the country-side.
    Rhubarb, cabbage, beets, cucumbers, onions and pumpkins have always readily grown in the Oriskany Valley.
    Many fruits have thrived, the main ones still plentiful are apples, strawberries and blueberries, but in the past, peaches, plums and cherries were abundant. Wild and cultivated blackberries, raspberries, thimbleberries and blueberries have also flourished.
    Syrup and sugar, products from the maple tree, were the basis for many active enterprises during the town’s earlier years. Some producers are still active today. Bee-keeping and honey-gathering are also still widely practiced here. Apple cider, a perennial favorite of many, has been produced throughout the history of the town.
    Dairy farming has been the chief occupation of the majority of the farmers in the Town of Kirkland. Gone are the times when each individual farm delivered its milk to the local milk-house. Not only did the processing of an important product take place at the milk-house, but the farmers were able to chat with their neighbors.
    Chatting ranged from discussing methods of increasing production to grumbling about the low prices paid for milk, and also to the latest gossip in the area. The camaraderie of theses individual developed a farmer with strong work ethics, who faced life with good humor, and was a credit to the Town of Kirkland. The town still reflects the spirit inherent in these individuals.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

    It has been a pleasure looking into our past in this manner over the last few months. What a rich history we have, and may it continue to produce the same quality of people who will be remembered for their noteworthy achievements one hundred and seventy five years in the future. For this article I relied heavily on David H. Beetle’s “Along the Oriskany” and the “History of Kirkland” by A. D. Gridley.
    I also appreciate the help from Richard Williams, President of the Clinton Historical Society, and Mary B. Dever’s “Kaleidoscopic Glimpse of the Town of Kirkland—Past and Present” for more invaluable information.
    Betty Clark’s genealogy was crucial to early Clark Mills history and articles by Barbara (Kennish) Goodwin and Mrs. Frances E. Rhodes provided much of its history after the appearance of Arthur Hind. Many newspaper articles courtesy of The Clark Mills Historical Society, and Milford Morris’ historical scrapbooks and Sophie Acee’s “History Of Oneida County’ were also helpful in tying many incidents together.
    May the youth of today start a legacy which will allow their descendents to look back in another one hundred seventy five years with the same pride that we feel today toward our ancestors.

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