Roads and Bridges

Roads and bridges were an important element in the settlement of a new country. The legislature of this State had been led to pass an act for the opening of two roads into these new townships, March 20, 1803, one from Rome to Brownville, via Redfield and Adams, the other from Utica, via Boonville and the Black river valley. Jacob Brown was one of the commissioners appointed to locate these roads. Upon these State roads $30,000 was expended.

The French company’s road, projected by Tillier, was never completed; the road was cleared and the stumps removed, but there was no bridges, and consequently it was of little use to the early settler. When it was represented to Tillier that bridges were indispensable to the road, he replied, ”Why, I have reserved fifty dollars for that very purpose!”

The attention of the settlement was now directed to bridging the river, and for this purpose $1000 was raised by subscription, from the people and land-owners, and Deacon Oliver Bartholomew was employed for this sum to build the bridge. It was completed in the summer of 1802. It crossed the river near the present mills, nearly where the main street, if continued, would strike the river. This bridge was carried off the great flood in the spring of 1806, and was rebuilt by the deacon and his sons in 1807, on the site of the present bridge. For thirty-two years money was raised for bridges amounting to $9050. In 1846, money was raised to build a bridge over Perch river, near its mouth; and in 1835, ’48, ’49, and ’50, one at Dexter village.

In 1802 there were six frame and four log houses in the village of Brownville.

The acquisition to the colony of a man of the temper and spirit of Deacon Oliver Bartholomew was valuable. He was amiable and benignant in manner, yet firm where principle was concerned, and was accustomed to do the office work of an itinerant minister for the new settlement. By invitation he would occasionally hold a religious service on the Sabbath, at the house of Jacob Brown. These were the first religious meetings in the colony.

Prominent among the settlers at this early period was William Webb, the father of Jonathan, William, Silas, and Lewis. He lived and died on the Edward Spicer farm, which was first taken up by Leonard Wilson. John Cole also took up the farm where he lived and died, and where his son, John, Jr., lived and died, and where his grandson, Byron, afterwards lived. John Cole used to say he had “paid for his farm three times, on account of defective titles.”

John Baxter took up land on both sides of Perch river, to the amount of about six hundred acres. Isaac Moffatt, Melvin Moffatt, Abner and Leonard Wilson, Frederick and Richardson Avery, Stephen Stanley, and others, came about this time. In September, 1805, the village of Brownville contained twenty-five houses, and was growing rapidly.

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Transcribed by Holice B. Young from Jefferson Co. History by L. H. Everts.