The Wisconsin Cartters – Chapter Four
September 22nd, 2005 . by CaryCARTTER SONS MIGRATE TO LOWVILLE N. Y.
Now back to Nehemiah and Mary (Kellogg) Carter who were married in this early pioneer settlement of Westfield, Mass. September 8, 1768. Nehemiah from Leominster, Mass. was born October 15, 1742; Mary was born in Westfield June 13, 1748. This marriage was blessed by twelve children, as follows: (1) Chandler (2) Nehemiah (3) Mary (4) Zeboim (5) Catherine (6) David Kellogg (7) Submit (8) James Bruce (1) (9) Bethsheba (10) Isaac (11) Phederus (12) Samuel.
Of the twelve children in the family four lived to be more than 90 years of age and the eight who lived beyond 80 years accumulated an average of 87 years.
The children of Nehemiah and Mary whose births span the twenty years from 1768 to 1788 were reaching their maturity at about the time when the westward migration was building most rapidly. The two older boys, Chandler and Nehemiah sank their roots deep in Hampden County, Mass. soil and remained there until death. Zeboim, David, James, Isaac, Phederus and possibly Samuel followed the general path described by Hopkins (in the preceding chapter) as “leading westward over the mountains through the valley of the Hudson and up the valley of the Mohawk.” Instead of stopping in Saratoga County they pushed north and west to the valley of the Black River in New York State, an area in which most of them eventually settled.
Only Samuel, youngest of the brothers, seemed to have gravitated in a southwesterly direction toward Kansas where it is recorded that he died at age 90. No record has yet been discovered concerning his family or location in Kansas. Cutter and Adams in their Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Mass., Vol. I have this statement on page 374. “Samuel (b) September 9 1788 died in Kansas aged ninety; removed 1806 to Lowville; served in war of 1812.” If this is correct Samuel may have accompanied Phederus and his parents to Lowville before eventually leaving for Kansas.
Whether the Cartter brothers from Westfield knew what promise the Black River region held for them, or if they merely stumbled on it, is not told in any recorded history which the writer has read. Certainly they knew others were going in this direction and that new country was to be found. One story relates the origin of the name “Black River region” as having come from the St. Regis Indian language (o-tsi-qua-ke) meaning “where the black ash grows with knots for making clubs.”
From F. B. Hought’s History of Lewis County, N. Y. written in 1860, we read:
“Early in 1798 the first families of this town (Lowville, Lewis County) left Westfield, Mass. and by slow stages found their way to the last clearings in Turin township N. Y.” He writes at some length about the difficulties of these early settlers especially after they left the well traveled waterways of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers, and began to make their own trails or to follow the trails previously made by the Indians. The Black River was not an easy stream to navigate.
It is very probable that several Kellogg brothers, either sons or nephews of David Kellogg, also made this migration, for the names Kellogg and Cartter seem to appear simultaneously in the Black River Valley. Other Carters, not tracing back to Nehemiah’s family, are also found in this area which was later to be included in the Counties of Lewis and Jefferson. It is interesting to note that all of the Cartter brothers who made this migration from Westfield did so before marriage except for Phederus who came later than the others bringing his parents with him.
When the Lowville area was originally settled in 1798 – 1800 the Black River region was a part of Oneida County. The first three towns organized, Leyden, Turin, and Lowville had accomplished that organization by 1800. Two more, Harrisburg and Martinsburg, were organized before 1804 when the Black River region of Oneida County was divided making Lewis County to the east and Jefferson County to the west. In 1800 the population of Lewis County numbered 300. It had grown to 1604 by the year 1814. Expansion was largely agricultural. Lowville was the only incorporated village in the county for several years. It has no cities.
The land sales book of Mr. Low shows that Zeboim, the oldest of the Cartter brothers who came to Lowville, purchased farm land in 1799 the second year of open sales. Six sales had been made in 1798 and four more in addition to Zeboim’s in 1799. We do not know of purchases of land by David or by James, his next younger brother, who presumably came with him. We learn from the first census of electors in Lowville, taken in 1807, that Zeboim, David and James were there at the time. Also listed were twin brothers Pardon and Paul Lanpher who had arrived in 1800 from Westerly, R.I. They purchased land the same year. These two families, the Cartters and the Lanphers, played an important part in Lewis County development and were drawn closer together through marriage. This happened first in Lewis County when Fanny Cartter, daughter of Isaac married Paul B. Lanpher, son of Paul. It happened again in Black River Falls, Wis. two generations later in 1898 when David Kellogg Cartter, son of James Bruce, (our subject) married Emma E. Lanpher, the author’s mother who also was a descendant of Paul Lanpher.
Settlement on the land was being encouraged during the early 1800’s as there was at that time an agricultural and self-sufficient economy. Land was not difficult to come by as is shown by the indenture made the 12th day of November, 1800, between Silas Stow, party of the first part, and Paul Lanpher, party of the second part. The original of this indenture is to be found in the Court House at Lowville. The indenture covers the sale of 50 acres of land in Stow’s Square, part of Lot #17 for the sum of $175.00 (The author has a copy of this indenture). A similar purchase was made by Pardon Lanpher. Lowville at that time was a part of Oneida County.
When the 1810 census was taken the following Cartter brothers were present in Lewis County. Zeboim, David, James, Isaac, and Phederus. The latter two had only recently arrived. Phederus, who came in 1806 brought his aging parents from Westfield to live with him. Both parents died in 1810 and are buried at Lowville. Zeboim, Isaac and Phederus lived out there lives in Lewis County, while David and James were to move to Rochester N.Y. to do their bit in establishing that new settlement.
Before we leave this family of brothers to follow David and his family, just a word about each of them. The genealogical section of this story will give descendants of all that are known.
CAPT. CHANDLER the oldest son of Nehemiah and Mary (Kellogg) Cartter, b. 2-27-1768 m. 4-28-1805 Ann Waterman in Medford. He resided in Russell and Chester, Mass., was captain of the mounted militia at Russell and was a blacksmith by trade. He had eleven children, 3 boys and 8 girls.
NEHEMIAH JR., next oldest to Chandler, was b. 5-8-1769 – m. 1-23-1799 Sophia Shepard and lived in Westfield. As far as we know they had five children, 4 boys and 1 girl.
“COL” ZEBOIM, b. 6-13-1772 m. twice (1) Olive Hanchett (2) Roena Richards. He was a farmer and when the 1825 Agricultural Census was taken, owned 50 acres of land, 8 cattle, 9 horses, 65 sheep, and 10 hogs. On June 15, 1808 when the 101 Regiment of the militia was formed he was made 2nd major. When the war of 1812 was declared he was made colonel in charge of the militia from the entire county. The last call was made in 1814 to serve at Sackett’s Harbor. Zeboim died at age 81 in the state of Iowa. His remains were returned to Lowville for burial. He had 9 children, 7 by Olive and 2 by Roena – 4 boys and 5 girls in all.
DAVID KELLOGG, b. 3-22-1776. M. 10-31-1789 to Elizabeth Millicent Hollister. He became a carpenter and millwright, the later occupation keeping him busy as many mills were needed to grind meal and to saw lumber in the Black River region. He, with his wife and three children, moved to the new settlement of Rochesterville, N.Y. in 1814. The story of this move was told in Chapter II.
JAMES BRUCE (1), b. 5-17-1781, m. (1) 7-4-1815 Mahala Doty (2) Mary Mulkins. He took up the blacksmith trade and became expert in iron working, both being trade skills in great demand at all frontier settlements. He did not see the future of his trade in a largely agricultural community so was the first to move further west settling in Rochesterville, N.Y. when it was laid out in 1812. Its potential for industrial development must have appealed to him. He had only one son by his first wife.
ISAAC, b. 10-21-1784, m. (1) _______ (2) 3-6-1820 Amanda Day of Lowville. Up to this time the writer has not been able to find information concerning his life though the censuses of 1810-20-30 all record him as a resident of Lowville in Lewis County. His death is recorded in that same village in 1872 at the age of 88. They had six children – 3 boys and 3 girls.
PHEDERUS, b. 6-6-1786, m. twice (1) Sophia Murray – 1807 (2) Mrs. Ruth Hendel, 1834. Timothy Hopkins in his genealogy The Kelloggs in the Old World and the New World relates the following:
“Removed from Westfield, Mass. to Lowville, N.Y. in 1806; was a farmer, served in the War of 1812 at Sacket’s Harbor; had twelve children by his first wife and one by the second. died Dec. 19, 1874, age 87 yrs.” The 1825 Census of Agriculture for the Town of Denmark records his holdings as 8 acres, 5 cattle, 2 horses, 16 sheep. The 1830 census shows him as a resident of Harrisburg township.
SAMUEL, the youngest of the brothers, b. 9-9-1788 is reported to have died in Kansas at age 90. One genealogist reports his removing from Westfield to Lowville; serving in the War of 1812 and then removing to Kansas. (We are hoping to learn more accurately of his movements.)
The West Lowville Rural Cemetery which was incorporated in 1871 is the final resting place of Zeboim, Isaac, and Phederus. The cemetery is very well tended, all markers being in good condition. Resting here also are the twin brothers Pardon and Paul Lanpher, referred to above, and many of their descendants including the writer’s maternal grandfather William Duane Lanpher.
There are in the Lowville area many living descendants of both the Carters and the Lanphers who have been mentioned above, but even more have moved further west and south.
