Drowning 2

I have found two other drowning victims.

The first one is Prentiss Deming son of O.E and S.D. Deming. He drowned Aug 17, 1855.

Prentiss's Grave

The other one is Frank Ives. Son of Martin Van Buren and Sarah Benson Ives. Frank drowned in 1877.

Here is the transcription of the article I found in the Dec 13, 1877 issue of the Potsdam Courier and Freeman:

Sad Case of Drowning- We are pained to announce that at about 2 p.m. last Saturday Frank W., the only child of Mr. and Mrs. M.V.B. Ives, of this village, a bright and promising lad of 9 years, was drowned in the Racket, about a third of a mile above the bridge. Little Frank and the three little boys of Capt. E.C. Knapp were sliding down hill, near the old cemetery lot, on Pierpont Avenue, the west side of which borders on the river. While thus sliding another boy came along and told them that the ice on the river was sufficiently strong to hold, when Frank and the two oldest Knapp boys, aged about 9 and 12, went out on to the river and proceeded to the head of "Snake Island," a little island about 20 rods from the shore. Around the head of the island there is an eddy and in consequence it is supposed that the ice there was thinner and weaker than between the island and shore. They turned around to go back to the shore, the Knapp boys being ahead, when the youngest Knapp boy broke through the ice but got out. Then the eldest Knapp boy fell in and he did not succeed in extricating himself, so Frank and the other Knapp boy went to his rescue, one taking hold of one arm and the other taking hold of the other, and tried to lift him out. While thus at work, the ice gave way and let all three in. The younger Knapp boy succeeded in getting out again, while the older one clung to the ice and Frank want down. The little boy who got out went to the shore and sent his younger brother, who was standing on the shore, for his father, Capt. Knapp, who was at his home, some 100 rods away. Upon notifying Mr. Knapp, the Captain hastened to the spot with all possible haste and found his oldest boy still in the river, clinging to the ice. By means of a ladder laid out on the ice he soon got him out and then made a search for little Frank and found him laying about four feet under the water, evidently held there by a scarf tied around his neck, one end of which had become fastened to the ice. He took him out at once and immediately carried him to his home, near by, where every effort was made by physicians, the family and neighbors to resuscitate him but to no avail. It is thought Frank must have been in the water from 20 to 30 minutes. Mr. and Mrs. Ives are buried in grief at this sudden and sad bereavement, for little Frank was fondly cherished and idolized by them. They have the fullest sympathy of this entire village and community in this hour of their severest affliction. The funeral occurred at their residence, on Pierpont Avenue, on Monday, Dr. J.S. Lee, of St. Lawrence University, officiating.

Frank Ives' Grave

The USS Susquehanna

       This post is about a ship instead of a certain person or family. The reason I am doing a post on the  Civil War ship USS Susquehanna is because there are four sailors who served on it buried in Bayside.

        The Susquehanna was a sidewheel steam frigate. She was launched Apr 5, 1850 and commissioned Dec 24, 1850.

        It was the flagship of the East India Squadron from 1850 to 1855. The first captain was John H. Aulick. In 1852 it was Commodore Matthew Perry's flagship when he entered Tokyo.

       1856-1861 was part of the Mediterranean Squadron.

USS Susquehanna on the left (Wikipedia)

Civil War

        In 1861 the Susquehanna was assigned to the Atlantic Blockading Squadron. It participated in the capture of Forts Clark and Hatteras.In September 1861 it captured 2 British schooners and 2 Confederate schooners. From October 1861 to the spring of 1862 it was part of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. It mostly served in blockading Charleston, SC. On Apr 3, 1862 the Susquehanna took another British schooner.

        April 27, 1862 the Susquehanna was ordered back to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. On May 8, 1862 the Susquehanna was among five Union warships that bombed Confederate batteries at Sewell's Point, Virginia.

          In late May of 1862 the Susquehanna was assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, where she delivered dispatches for David Farragut to the Gulf of Mexico. During her time in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron she seized one Confederate schooner and one British streamer.

          In the spring of 1863 the Susquehanna was sent back to New York for repairs. On her way she captured the schooner Alabama. The Susquehanna was decommissioned on May 14, 1863 at the New York Navy Yard.

          On July 20, 1864 the Susquehanna was recommissioned and reassigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. She participated in the attacks of Fort Fisher, NC that failed on Christmas Eve 1864. She was one of the ships that re-attacked it on mid February and that time the Union was successful.  During that time Real Admiral Sylvanus William Godon was in command.

After the Civil War

          From 1866-68 she was part of the Atlantic Squadron. The Susquehanna took American delegates to open up relations with US backed Mexican President Benito Juarez, during the destruction of the Second Mexican Empire. The ship turned back when it was found out that Maxmilian I, who was the acting imperial ruler, was not going to abdicate.

          The Susquehanna's final decommission came on Jan 14, 1868 at the New York Navy Yard. On Sept 27, 1883 she was sold for scrapping.

Sailors Buried in Bayside

           The four sailors who served on the Susquehanna who are buried here are :Moses Chaney, Julius Hand, Merrill Hosmer, and Chester Parkhurst (Ironically the same one I just wrote about in my last post)

Moses Chaney's Grave

       Moses was born in Potsdam on Sept 2, 1829 to Moses and Ruth Chaney. He was a farmer. Moses Jr. enlisted Sept 1, 1864 in Brooklyn for one year. He was mustered in as a private on Sept 1, 1864. Moses Jr. also served on the U.S.S. Savannah. He participated in both attacks on Fort Fisher. In the 1870 US Census he was listed as insane. Moses was married to a lady by the name of Orissa. He died Sept 1, 1875

        

Julius Hand's Grave

Merrill Hosmer's Grave

         Merrill Hosmer was born Sept 16, 1841 to Mr. and Mrs. John S. Hosmer. After attending St. Lawrence Academy,  he was a for a little while a partner with H.K. Baldwin in a grocery and feed store. Afterwards he entered into the shoe business with his father. 

          He enlisted in 1863 and served one year. Mr. Hosmer also served on the Mount Vernon. After the war he entered in the business of buying butter and produce. For 12 years he had a farm near Potsdam. 

          Mr. Hosmer was a Republican. He was County Committeeman for 15 yrs. From 1897-1905 he was Postmaster of Potsdam. He was a member of the Universalist church.

           On Oct 7, 1867 he married Axie B. Sayles. They had four children. Two sons John S. (Helen's father) and Sumner survived him along with with Axie and two sisters Mrs. Susan Hackett and Rose Forbes. He died at his home on Bay Street on Jul 23, 1915.

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Drowning Victims

 One of the causes of death during the summer is drowning. I have found a few people buried in Bayside who drowned. There are at least eight drowning victims buried here. The earliest one was a Francis Austin. Here are transcriptions from newspaper articles I found on the Northern New York Historical Newspaper website. The first article comes from the May 23, 1857 issue of the Potsdam Northern Freeman.

  "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

Death By Lizard!

       You read this right we have someone buried in Bayside who died because he swallowed a lizard! His name was George H. Kelley. Mr. Kelley was born in 1846 and died October 8, 1889. He married a woman by the name of Helen Martin. George's obituary is as follows:

"Mr. George H. Kelley, of Carthage was buried today Friday. He was formerly a resident of this county. While living in a farm in this vicinity Mr. Kelley drank from a spring on the premises, and it is thought that he swallowed a lizard, about five years ago, and has carried it in his stomach ever since. He had been in poor health for some time and a week ago, at Watertown, where he had gone for for medical treatment, under the operation of medicine given him threw up a lizard four inches long. An escort of the Knights Templer accompanied the remains to the grave."

Grave of George H. Kelley

Partridges in Bayside

  I meant to post this earlier but I was so busy over the holidays I did not get a chance to finish it. One of the lines in my least favorite Christmas Carol The Twelve Days of Christmas is " A partridge in a pear tree", well we have some Partridges not in a Pear Tree but in the Cemetery. Of course those Partridges are not birds but were living people at one time and no they are not the singing Partridge family either! Some of them might have sung on their Church Choir but they did not start a band. I could not find out if all of them were related to each other but I assume somewhere back in the line there is a common ancestor.

One of the Partridge families who are buried in Bayside is the Amos Partridge Family. Amos was born Jun 11, 1794 or 1795 in Athol Ma. He was the son of Amos who was born Apr 12, 1758 in Mendon Ma. Amos Sr married Sarah Harrvey Aug 28, 1783 in Athol. Amos Sr. died Jan 3, 1844 in Ogdensburg and is buried in DePeyster. Sarah was born Nov 9, 1764 in Northfield Ma and died Aug 23, 1849 in DePeyster.
    Amos Jr married Abigail Lewis Jul 23, 1823. Abigail was born Jul 30 1800 to David and Mary Chambers Lewis. They both died of Typhoid Fever during the epididemic of 1885- 1886. Amos died June 8, 1886 and Abigail died 1885.

Amos and Abigail Partridge side of the gravestone

Gravestone of Amos, Abigail, Rufus and Carl Partridge

      Amos and Abigail had a son Lewis David who was born Sept 8, 1833. He was married twice first to Angelina Bresee who was born Apr 4, 1837 and died Feb 16, 1876. Lewis and Angelina had a son named Amos S. who was born 1871 and died 1942 and is buried here also. Lewis than married Mandana Olmstead daughter of William H. and Susan Waterman Olmstead. She was born Feb 5, 1852 and died in 1929. Lewis died May 2, 1918.

Lewis Partridge Headstone

Lewis Partridge Family Headstone

Angelina Partridge Headstone

L. Mandana Partridge Headstone

Amos S. Partridge Headstone

  Amos and Abigale Lewis also had a son Rufus Harvey who was born Jul 20 1849 in Depeyster NY. He married Sarah Almeda Sayles who was born in Dec 11 1854 in Bangor NY to Rev. and Mrs. S.S. Sayles. Rufus and Sarah had three children: Carl R. 1877-1885, Ceylon Glenn 1881-1965, and Gertrude Mae 1881-1970. Both Carl and Rufus died of Typhoid. Rufus died Oct 1, 1885 in Norwood.

After Rufus died Sarah married Gaylord Turner Chaney. Gaylord adopted Ceylon and Gertrude. Sarah, Gaylord, Ceylon and Gertrude are buried in the Old Hermon NY Cemetery.

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   I could not find any connection to Amos Partridge and his family to the next Partridge family. The next family is a set of half brothers who are the sons of Sylvester Partridge. Sylvester Partridge was born Feb 20 1766 in Wrentham, Norfolk MA and died Sept 5 1850 in Alstead, Chesire NH. Sylvester was the son of Samuel and Keziah Hawes Partridge. He was married three times. The oldest two brothers were from his second marriage to Sally Collins whom he married Mar 10 1791. Sally was born abt 1764 and died Feb 4 1813.

     The oldest of the brothers was Samuel Partridge who was born Dec 19 1791. He was married to Abigail Ladd Oct 25, 1812 in Alstead. She was born to John and Abigail Ladd on Jul 1, 1794. They were some of the earliest settlers in Potsdam when they settled here in 1814.

   Samuel was one of the first trustees of the village of Potsdam. He was President of the Village 1834-35, and 1840. He was also supervisor of the town of Potsdam 1822, 1825, and 1828-29. In 1825 he erected the new St. Lawrence Academy building.

    They had at least nine children.

  Samuel and Abigail's daughter Louisa was born Jun 4, 1818 and died Sept 20, 1892.

Grave of Louisa Partridge

     Samuel and Abigail's daughter Miranda was born around 1820. She married William Liberty Knowles son of Liberty and Melinda Raymond whose families were some of the early settlers of Potsdam. William was born Feb 24, 1818. William and Melinda had a daughter Harriet Florence who was born around 1849 and died Sept 2, 1850. Melinda died in 1853. William remarried afterwards to a woman by the name of Sarah Brown.

Grave of Miranda Partridge Knowles

Grave of William Knowles

Grave of Harriet Florence Knowles

    Samuel and Abigail's daughter Lydia Collins was born about 1813 in Alstead. She married Charles Thomas Boswell. She died Dec 7 1840.

                                       Top of grave of Charles and Lydia Collins Partridge Boswell

Grave of Charles and Lydia Collins Partridge Boswell

     Samuel and Abigail's daughter Harriet was born Feb 12 1822. She married Edward W. Foster. Edward was born Mar 28, 1819 in Connecticut. He was an agent for the Pierrepont estate. Edward was in the Real Estate business the rest of his life. He was a Republican. Mr. Foster served as a supervisor of Potsdam. He was influential in dealing with the important issues growing out of the Civil War. Edward also helped secure the site for the Normal School. In 1872 he was appointed a member of the State Commission to revise the Constitution. The following year he was appointed to the State Board of Charities which he served on until his death at 5:30 Mar 12, 1896. He died from Paralysis of the Brain resulting from the grip. On June 18 of the following year Harriet followed Edward to the grave. They had a son Henry P. who was born in Valentines day of 1846. Henry engaged in business for a few years in the 1880's in Bismarck ND. He did not engage in any business in Potsdam because he was of independent means. He married Minnie Gordon who died in 1880. Henry died Jun 14, 1920.

Grave of Harriet Partridge Foster

Grave of Edward W. Foster

Grave of Henry P. Foster

Samuel and Abigail 's daughter Cornelia was born and died in 1837.

Samuel and Abigail had a daughter who married a Miner.

   Samuel and Abigail's daughter Elmina P. married Harvey N. Redway. Harvey died Nov 9, 1885. Elmina died Apr 1, 1891. They had two sons Henry and Samuel Augustus. Samuel Augustus was born Aug 28, 1844. He was educated at St. Lawrence Academy, an Episcopal school in Burlington, and Holbrook School for Boys in Hamilton NY. He worked with his father in the insurance business. On Sept 20, 1873 Samuel was married to Margaret Ross. Margaret was born Jun 5, 1852. In the late 1880's he was connected with a Western Railroad in Chicago. Sometime during his life Samuel lost an arm but he could do almost as much as an ordinary man could do with two. At the time of his retirement from the insurance business it was believed that  Samuel was the oldest insurance man in term of service in the state. He also was the oldest masonic in continuous membership of the local chapter. Samuel was a member of the town board for a few years. He also was Justice of Peace and Register of Vital Statistics for the town and village. At the time of his death he was Police Justice. Samuel was interested in current events and the latest inventions. He died at his home 4 Leroy St on Oct 24, 1930. Margaret died Mar 18, 1942. They were survived by a daughter Mrs. Henry V. Bush of Canajoharie NY.

Grave of Elmina Partridge Redway

Grave of Harvey N. Redway

Grave of Henry Redway

Grave of Samuel Augustus and Margaret Redway

  Samuel and Abigail's daughter Calista S. was born on Jan 15, 1824. She was the last of her generation when she died Jan 7, 1910.

Grave of Calista S. Partridge

Abigail died Oct 8, 1850. Samuel died Oct 11, 1858.

Grave of Samuel

Grave of Abigail Ladd Partridge

Samuel and Abigail Ladd had a son Samuel H. who married a woman by the name of Elizabeth. Samuel H. Died Apr 10 1867. Elizabeth died Dec 16, 1883.

    Samuel H. and Elizabeth had a son Frederick C. He married a woman by the name of Adella. Fredericck and Adella had a son Willie. Adella died Sept 8, 1875. Willie died Aug 6, 1876. Frederick died Jun 2, 1899.

Grave of Adella and Willie.

    Samuel H. and Elizabeth also had a daughter H. Gertrude. She was born in 1851. She married George H. Bridge. He operated the American House in Potsdam and later run the Kirby House in Watertown. George died Apr 17, 1894. In 1910 Gertrude returned to Potsdam where she died in 1925.

Grave of George H. and H. Gertrude Partridge Bridge.

   The second oldest brother was Sylvester who was born Feb 7, 1798 in Alstead. On May 28, 1827 he married Judith Stow dau of Peter and Deborah Stow. She was born Mar 2, 1803. Sylvester died Oct 11, 1858. Judith died Jun 29, 1877. They had a daughter Elizabeth who was born in 1843 and died in 1928.

    Sylvester and Judith also had a son Charles B. who was born Jul 27, 1839 in Denmark, Lewis, NY. He came to Potsdam when he was two years old. Charles attended St. Lawrence Academy. He operated a dry goods store with E.D. Brooks and Son. In 1876 he became ill and retired. Afterwards he entered onto the manufacturing and lumbering business. He was the treasure of the Fair. Charles was a Republican and Baptist. He married Mary Newland of Lawrence. They had two daughters Helen who was born 1874 and died May 30, 1897 and Anna who was born 1878 and died Feb 6, 1884. Charles died in 1901.

Charles B. Partridge Headstone

Charles B. Partridge Family Headstone

Helen Partridge Headstone

Anna Partridge Headstone

Grave of Sylvester, Judith and Elizabeth Partridge.

    The youngest brother was Cyrus W. Partridge who was one of Sylvester's son's from his last marriage to Rachel Brown. Sylvester married Rachel Brown on Feb 23, 1814. She was born 1763 and died May 28, 1861. Cyrus was born in Sept 16, 1817. In 1851 he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Mason who was born Mar 2, 1829. Cyrus and Elizabeth had a son Henry who was born in 1856 and died 1865. Cyrus died May 28, 1881. Elizabeth died Mar 7, 1908.

    Cyrus and Elizabeth had another son Charles S. who was born in 1861. Charles was postmaster of Sanford Fl. He was also a lawyer. Charles was a member of the Odd Fellows and the Econlockhatchee Tribe of Redman. He was a leader in the Florida Republican party. He fell, broke his neck and died in 1902 in Florida.

Closeup of Cyrus Partridge family headstone

Grave of Cyrus, Elizabeth, Henry and Charles S Partridge