Charles Welch

During this year (1800) Charles Welch, the father of Nathan Welch (he well-known insurance agent), and Otis Britton came from Remsen. They took a job of chopping out a road from a point on the river, at Brownville, to the ferry at Chaumont, a distance of ten miles. It was warm weather, in November, when they began their job, but before it was completed a heavy fall of snow came; their shoes were worn out, they could get no new supply, and were obliged to roll the big logs out of the road-track in order to finish up their job, and then travel to Herkimer county, a distance of more than eighty miles in their bare feet. Before leaving, however, they assisted Samuel Britton (an uncle of Otis), who had just came in from Herkimer county, to put up the body of a log house on the farm now known as the Crouch farm. By some mishap Otis had his leg broken, and as soon as his uncle could be spared, he took Otis on his ox-sled to Floyd , Charles preceding the team with his ax to clear the road. The snow was two feet deep, and the journey a hard one for his bare feet. The following fall Charles, having married Eunice, daughter of Moses Cole, of Newport, returned in company with Calvin (afterwards General) Britton and his own twin-brother, Nathan, bringing their goods on a hand-sled from Carthage,--the men and women following on foot. Arriving at Brownville, Charles commenced housekeeping in the little log cabin built by the Browns and used for a smoke-house. They had been in possession of it about a week, when William Dillon, with his wife and two children, arrived, and shared with them for a time their close quarters. Charles and Nathan took up the farm afterwards owned by Daniel Fox, in the Parish neighborhood, and here was born to Charles and Eunice a son.

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