Presented through the generosity of its author, Shirley Carpenter of Clayton and Butterfield Lake
The history of Butterfield Lake is tied directly to the history of the hamlet of Redwood, located in Jefferson County in the Town of Alexandria. Hough's History of Jefferson County in the State of New York, written in 1854, states that Redwood is a small village, located near Theresa townline, which owes its origin to a glass factory established by John S. Foster.
In April of 1833, Foster visited what is now The Redwood-Butterfield Lake area, examined several localities, and eventually selected a site on the small stream connecting Mud Lake to Butterfield Lake. Since Mud Lake is about 94 feet above Butterfield, the stream supplies a limited amount of waterpower. Several years prior to Foster's 1833 visit, David Smith of Adams had erected a saw and grist mill on this small stream. Thomas Clark had surveyed a village and named it Jamesville, probably after James LeRay De Chaumont. However, Mr. Foster promptly changed its name to Redwood because of its similarity to Redford. Mr. Foster had previously lived in Redford, been employed in the glass business there from which he claimed to have been unjustly discharged, and he hoped that this similarity in names might cause confusion in the minds of prospective glass customers, and perhaps help him compete in the sale of glass. Even though Foster died on January 2, 1834, less than six months after the establishment of his glass factory, the business, despite some setbacks, grew, and in 1854, according to Hough, the company employed about 30 men and made $40,000 worth of glass annually.
At this time Redwood, itself, had 58 families and 332 inhabitants. The hamlet contained a Catholic church still standing today, an Episcopal church which was torn down in 1995, two inns, three stores, a grist mill, two sawmills, two wagon shops and several other shops with water power. It is interesting to note that this Catholic church was built in 1848 by the glass factory workers in their spare time. Mr. Schmauss, a director of the glass factory at that time, contributed the glass for the windows. John Jacob Astor gave a fine bell of wrought silver which was nost recently rung on Sunday, July 5, 1998 when the church celebrated its 150th anniversary.
Butterfield Lake was called Grand Lake at this time and was not yet a place for summer cottages, recreation and liesure. People in the 1850s were still too busy carving homes and businesses out of the wilderness to have time for vacations. It would be another 30 or 40 years--1886--before the first summer cottage would be erected on Butterfiled Lake. William W. Butterfield, for whom the lake was named, had become owner of the glass factory in Redwood in 1859, and he owned it until it closed, the last glass having been blown there in August of 1881. After the closing of the factory, Mr. Butterfield must have begun to seek other diversions--perhaps he enjoyed fishing on the lake or more likely he was an early adeveloper and promoter of the area. In any case in 1886 he and Anson Harder deeded the Round Island to Doctor Richardson from New York City with the stipulation that he build a camp on it. According to Henry Carse, present owner of the island, they allowed Dr. Richardson to pick whatever island he would like. Butterfield and Harder owned the lake, and the extensive logging for fuel for the glass works had cleared the surrounding land, making it a prime area for the building of vacation homes. The summer home that Dr. Richardson built still stands today, almost exactly as Dr. Richardson built it. Andson Harder and Robert Hoffman also built camps at about this same time.
Harder built his camp on the head of Pat's Island. It has since burned, but the old foundation can still be seen there. Henry Carse remembers that his father used to sleep in the log cabin just below the Harder camp when he came over to visit.
Robert Hoffman built his camp on land located adjacent to the Redwood side of what is now Rogers Beach. He called it Camp Happy Hours. Mr. Hoffman was an early Redwood resident and Civil War veteran. He had worked for the Redwood Glass factory as a glass blower from 1864-1868 in the old days when wood was used as a fuel. In 1922 when H.B. Asurk wrote an article about Redwood glass for the Watertown Daily Standard newspaper, very few of those who had worked at the Redwood glass factory were still living in Redwood, however Robert Hoffman was, and he spoke reminiscently about his experiences.
He said, "I worked in the factory as a blower for four years. We had to be ready, at any time of day or night, whenever the melt was ready, and then we would work steadily until the melt was blown into glass. If we had good luck, we might make $75. a month. George Roy's father was a stoker when I was there and he was a good one, too. I can see him yet, pushing a two wheeled cart piled high with 3 1/2 foot wood around that furnace, putting a stick first in one end and then pushing his load to the other end and putting a stick in there. He used to walk around that furnace for six hours and never stopped. The biggest glass we made was 24 x 36 inches and that was cut up into little pieces. I quit when the factory burned down in 1868."
Both Henry Carse and Don Wingerath remember Robert Hoffman and Camp Happy Hours.
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