Lyme, Jefferson, NY ALHN

Fisheries & Grist Mills

FERRIES AND BRIDGES

The old State road which was extended from Brownville to Port Putnam, on the St. Lawrence, in 1803, crossed Chaumont river at Chaumont village. This was also true of the turnpike which Mr. James Le Ray was authorized, in 1815, to construct to Cape Vincent. (In 1831 this turnpike was surrender to the public and laid out into road districts.) the crossing of the river during the early years of the town was by means of row-boats and scows; poling across was not an unusual method of navigation; afterwards a rope ferry was used; and in 1823 (March 12) Vincent Le Ray obtained the right to build a toll-bridge, with a draw for the passage of vessels, which should be not less than sixteen feet in width. It was also stated in the act of legislation that the proprietors should not present a crossing of the stream in the winter over the ice within five rods of the bridge. The bridge was to be completed before December, 1824. Several years after, the property fell into the hands of the State, because the parties had not complied with certain provisions of the law of authorization; and in 1849 it was impassable. The legal power was given the Lyme commissioners of highways to borrow a sum of money, which should not exceed $5000, for the purpose of rebuilding the bridge’ and to pay this loan the supervisors were instructed to levy a tax on the town in five annual installments. The comptroller added to this five thousand dollars the sum of six thousand, and the commissioners of the land office released whatever interest the State has in the right of way, or in the old bridge, then just ready to fall into pieces. With the means thus secured a substantial stone bridge was at once erected, whose solid piers remain good at this writing, and look as if the town would never have occasion to bridge the stream again. There is also a draw for the passage of vessels as in the old structure.

THE FISHERIES

Fishing in the water bordering the town of Lyme has been a business of prime importance from its first settlement. Indeed, a year before any inhabitants permanently located, a law was passed protecting all the people of this region against the seine-fishing of the Canadians; no Canadian was allowed to obstruct the rivers or streams with seines at the east end of Lake Ontario, under a penalty of twenty-five dollars. In 1808, fishing with scoop-nets was introduced. This method is not entirely abandoned at the present time. A post is set firmly in the ground, at the edge of the water, and a strong pole poised on its top like an old well-sweep; crossing each other at right angles, and fastened to the end of the pole over the water, are two strong bows; to the four extremities of the bows is attached the scoop-net, about twelve feet square, and looking very much like a huge bag sieve. The fishing is done by letting the net down into the water, and suddenly raising it as the finny travelers attempt to pass over. Scores of fish have been caught in this way at a single haul.

Seines were introduced about the same time, perhaps a little earlier than 1808. These nets vary in size from a hundred and sixty feet in length to twenty in breadth, and from sixteen hundred in length to a hundred in breadth, being wider in the middle than at the ends. Along the edge of the net, which is designed to be kept at the surface of the water, are attached floats, and along the lower edge are fastened sinkers, which carry the seine down into the water; a rope several feet in length is found at each end. In fishing, the seine is taken into a boat, with the rope attached to one end fastened on shore. At once the boat is pushed off. When a few rods out the fishermen begin to let off the net, taking a wide circuit in their course; then they come ashore, fasten both ends of the rope to a windlass, and slowly draw in the net with leaping and struggling fish, unless it happens that none are caught, which is sometimes the case; but when five thousand are brought ashore at one time, the scene is an exciting and hilarious one. A horse is frequently used in turning the windlass, and two or three hours are required to haul the largest seines. This method of fishing is now given up.

In 1845 the gill nets were brought into use, and are still employed. They are uniform in width, are sunk to the bottom or very near it, and their position is indicated by buoys at the surface of the water. The fish are caught in the meshes by the gills, which fact has given this net its peculiar name, and are invariably found dead; for this reason they are inferior as a market fish, being more liable to spoil. But the most successful fishing in Chaumont bay has been with the pound-net. This method of fishing was introduced in 1859. In the spring of that year Frederick Kirkland and Ralph Rogers set a pound-net off the shore of Point Peninsula, and about the middle of October another was set by O. H. Kirtland, Lucius P. Ingham, and D. W. Clark, who came on from Saybrook, Connecticut, for the purpose. The yields were enormous for the next two or three years, and it was sometimes impossible to care for the fish which were caught.

The average size of the pound-net is thirty feet square, and it is usually set in about thirty feet of water. This is securely fastened to four stakes driven firmly into the bottom, with the upper ends two or three feet out of water. From this pound or receiver, towards the shore, is a large heart-shaped net, with the apex terminating in the pound. (Jefferson County History, L. H. Everts, 1878)

Transcribed by Holice B. Young

Html by Debbie

December 26, 1999

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