"On Friday of last week, (just after our paper went to press,) Francis Austin, aged fifteen years, son of Rev. Jehiel Austin, of this village, came to his death in the following manner. He was rowing a boat up the river, from below the grist mill bridge, with which he was going after some logs. When near the bridge the boat capsized, and became unmanageable. Young Austin clung to it till it was too near the dam for him to swim to shore, (which he attempted to do) and was carried over the fall. The first plunge undoubtedly killed him. Unavailing attempts to help him were made. The body has not been recovered, at time of writing this, (Wednesday noon) although continued attempts have been made for that purpose. Whoever finds the body will be rewarded."
The next article I found came from the April 2, 1902 Potsdam Courier and Freeman.
Reminiscences No. 4.
[By Josiah L. Brown]
"1857
Friday, May 15th. Jehial Austin's son carried over the dam on the west side of the island and drowned. The body not yet recovered although the river has been dragged thoroughly.
May 25th. Dry and windy. Jehial Austin's house and barn, one horse and all his furniture burned. It seems to be, a double affliction, as it is but eleven days since his son was drowned and the body has not been found yet. (Mr. Austin lived on Upper Main street on what has later been known as the Jackson place.)
May 28th. Henry Fling found Francis Austin's body about one half mile below the dam. It has been seventeen days since he was drowned. His parents bear up nobly under their affliction."
Francis Austin's Grave
The next drowning victim was Alex Bellaman. Who drowned on Sept 10, 1865 age 10 yrs. Here is the transcription from the article I found in an issue of the Potsdam Courier & Freeman:
"Drowned- On Sunday last, while Albert (that is what the article says, even through the gravestone says Alex, I believe it's the same person because the article appeared only a few days after Alex drowned, was around the same age, and he is buried in the Austin family lot), adopted son of Mr. Joseph B. Austin, aged about eleven years, was on his way to church in the morning, and while crossing the west bridge, which is being rebuilt, he by some means fell through the loose planking of the bridge and was drowned; and what is very singular, although there were many people before and behind him on their way to church, an inhabited dwelling with a number of inmates but a few feet from where he fell in, and several men in the saw mill just below the bridge, no one happened to see the accident, and not until his foster parents had returned from church in the afternoon and found Albert missing were fears entertained for his safety, Search was immediately made, his cap was found in the millpond, and soon his body was found a few feet below the bridge.
As the circumstances of his death were singular, so were the events of his short life. While the 106th Regt. N.Y.V. were encamped in or near Winchester, Va., Albert, a poor, orphan, friendless boy, found his way to the camp. Being bright and intelligent, he soon became a favorite with the officers and men, accompanied the regiment on several marches', and experienced many of the hardships of a soldier's life. On the return of Lieut. Austin to his home on account of ill health, he brought this lad with him, and although extremely illiterate when he first came to Potsdam, not knowing all his letters, he soon began to thirst for knowledge, and acquired most readily the rudiments of education. He gave promise of great usefulness in the future, was kind, affectionate and obedient. His foster parents loved him as their own child. All who knew him looked upon him as a remarkable boy. While in Virginia he belonged to the poor class of whites: coming North, he would no doubt have become an ornament to society. But alas! "he sleeps the sleep that knows no waking."
Gravestone of Alex Bellaman
Joseph Ledyard Jr was the next drowning victim. The notice in the Jul 11, 1873 issue of the Ogdensburg Daily Journal (which was reprinted from the Potsdam Courier) says the following:
"Master Joseph Ledyard, a lad thirteen or fourteen years of age, residing in Pine street, was drowned in the Racket river, just below the railroad bridge, in this village, about four o' clock last Thursday afternoon. Master Ledyard was in bathing with two other and smaller boys. He jumped of the boom or pier with the intention of swimming to shore, but sank and drowned before reaching it. His body was in the water an hour or more before it was recovered. We understand that that he was a member of the Normal School, a dutiful and exemplary boy."
Joseph and his brothers side of the family gravestone.
Next was the Chester Parkhurst family. Chester and his wife Myra and their son Freddie drowned Aug 3, 1878. Chester was 39, Myra was 30 or 31, and Freedie was 3 or 4. It happened at the resort area known as Hollywood. According to Nina Benham Daniels who was an eyewitness, in her article "The Drowing of Chester Parkhurst" Chester could not swim, and nobody was witness to the first part of the tragedy to see how it overturned.
The Chester Parkhurst Family Grave
On Jul 2, 1933 Horace Arquett (son of William) drowned. Horace was out boating with five girls. The party started out from Coney Island. The boat was leaking a little. When they were just south of Riverside Cemetery (Hannawa Falls) motor problems started. Horace was trying to start the motor when the boat listed and overturned. The girls all swim to safety.
Horace Arquett's Grave
The most recent one I could find was Thomas Snow son of Mr. and Frank E. Snow. He drowned Nov 24, 1981 while duck hunting in Sandy Pond.
The Snow Family Grave
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