The Elevators
Oswego's first permanent resident
was Niel McMullan, who, with his family, came here from Kingston, N.Y.,
in 1796. McMullan brought with him a house framed in Kingston and erected
it on the West side of the river bank, which was afterward known as Seneca
Street. McMullen was a merchant and his trading with the Indians was carried
on extensively. His son, born in 1802, was the first white child born in
Oswego. Archibald Fairchild and family located in Oswego in 1800 and the
tavern, which he opened, was the headquarters for every sort of public
enterprise and gathering. The first frame building to be used as a store
was erected by Daniel Hugunin, Jr., in 1805. Bradner Burt established the
first manufacturing industry in 1802, and his small mill paved the way
for the larger foundations of later days. In 1806, a tannery was built
by Judge Edmund Hawks and in the same year a grist mill was erected by
Forman and Brackett. Messrs. Townsend and Bronson established the first
warehouse in 1810. In 1817, the "Ontario," the pioneer steamboat on the
upper lakes entered this harbor and this was an epoch-making period in
the marine history of the town. In the latter part of the year "the Oswego
Gazette" made its appearance to chronicle happenings and encourage progress.
It was published by Seth A. Abby.
Slow but
Sure
As early as 1812 Methodist Episcopal
ministers visited Oswego, but the first religious organization was that
of the First Presbyterian Church, founded in November, 1816. The church,
however, was preceded by the schoolhouse and Miss Artemesia Waterhouse
taught the pioneer school in 1798. The next year, 1799, the collection
district was established in Oswego. In March, 1816, the village became
a county seat and the first court house was opened in the Fall of the year.
Peter D. Hugunin was the first judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Oswego
County and in 1816 George Fisher was admitted to practice at the earliest
Court of Common Pleas held. In the summer of 1818, two years after
the organization of the county, the erection of the first public building,
a courthouse, was commenced. The stones for that building were obtained
from Fort Ontario, principally from the walls of the bomb-proof which stood
in the Northwest angle. Simeon DeWitt was appointed Surveyor-General in
May, 1784, and held this position for many years, one of his works being
the survey of the first cemetery in 1814. An act was past in the year 1797
requiring the Surveyor-General to lay out from lot one, not to exceed
one hundred acres, into streets and house lots, reserving in the most convenient
place a public square upon which should be erected the public buildings.
A map of the same was made and submitted to the Legislature and it was
afterward filed in the office of the Clerk of Onondaga County. The map
covered the ground from the river to West Sixth Street and from the lake
to West Utica Street. The Oswego Canal Company was chartered in 1823 and
that year a steamboat line was inaugurated on the river, with three steamboats
in operation. The building of the Oswego Canal was begun in 1826 and it
was completed two years later.
Along the
Canal
The Village of Oswego was organized
in 1828 and the first village officers were Alvin Bronson, President; Thomas
Millet, Treasurer; John Howe, Collector. The city was incorporated in 1848.
The city Hall was not erected until 1870 and at that time was regarded
as on of the handsomest municipal buildings in the State. It was constructed
of Onondaga limestone and cost over $100,000. That year the city began
its ambitious flight to more exalted civic planes and the changes of the
past quarter of a century were the outcome of the combined efforts of it's
citizens, and thus from civic pride, grit, and industry sprung the beautiful,
prosperous Oswego of today.
Harbor
Entrance
(from pages 23-25)
Source: Oswego
Yesterday & Today, A Souvenir of the Celebration of Old Home Week and
of the Garrisoning of Fort Ontario, published under the auspices of The
Chamber of Commerce, Oswego, NY, 1906.
