The Village of West Carthage

Researched and Compiled by
Lynn M. Thornton, Town of Champion Historian
February, 2006  

The Village of West Carthage, located in Jefferson County New York, is in the Town of Champion.  The village is at the junction of Routes 26, 45, and 126 at the east town line, bordering the Village of Carthage. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 2,102.  It’s precise location is  43°58'25" North, 75°37'17" West..

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.3 mi². 1.2 mi² of it is land and 0.1 mi² of it is water. The total area is 8.40% water.  The village is on the south side of the Black River, which separates it from the Village of Carthage.

Settlement of the area on the west bank of the Black River, began before 1800 in part due to a ferry service established at that location by Frenchman Jean Baptiste Bossuot.  In 1806 David Coffeen erected a hydraulic grist mill in West Carthage, and in 1813, with the completion of the Ogdensburg Turnpike, Ezra Church erected the first bridge between Carthage and W. Carthage for Russell Atwater and David Parish.  With the toll bridge in place, the old ferry built and operated by Bossuot passed into history.

The Village was incorporated on March 20, 1889 (as the result of a vote taken on March 18 at the Park House hotel), after all preliminaries had been settled, officers were elected as follows:

At the time of the Incorporation the following industries were operating: C. Knepler, Manufacturer of chairs Hutchinson and Clark , roller mills, dealers in flour, grain and hay W. S. Farrar – manufacturers of shingles and lumber  Scott M. Gibbs – manufacturer of sash, blinds, doors, moulding and stair work E. E. Brace – manufacturer of doors, sash  and blinds Augustus Maxwell – Pulp mill Harvey Farrar – manufacturer of pails and tubs Meyer & Ross – manufacturer of map rollers and feather duster handles Charles Cooley – spring bed manufacturer Martin Howard – manufacturer of fine hosery

By 1896, in addition to those mentioned above, we also find: Leander Bossout – General Store Charles A. Beyer – Grocery and Drug Story Charles Dizotell – Meat Market J. J.  Wilson – Blacksmith N. W. Ackerman – Photographer Mrs. Wm. Hammond – Green House Benjamin Archer – Market Gardener George  D. Hewitt - Physician & Surgeon C. J. Hull – Physician & Surgeon C. W. Wilcox - Painter Orville Cutler – Undertaker M. P. Mason – Map rollers & wooden handles for Dusters Meyer & Ross – Fine furniture manufacturing Fayette Herrick - Star Steam Laundry Russell Lovejoy – Blacksmith

Beyers Store at Bridge Main Corner – circa 1900

Balmat & Brayton; currently Johnson Service

Edgar Emerson, in his History of Champion, paints a rather negative picture of the local government in 1898:

“The municipal history of West Carthage village from the time of incorporation has been substantially as follows: June 21, 1889, and again March 15, 1892, the electors rejected a proposition to light the streets with electricity. On the first Tuesday in August, 1891, at a special election the voters refused to dissolve the corporation. At the annual village election March 15, 1892, a resolution asking that $1,500 be raised for a village hail was voted down, and at a similar meeting held in March, 1896, a proposition to purchase the Philip Hull lot for village purposes was likewise rejected. At the same meeting the sum of $2,700 was asked for a village and fire department building, which was also refused by the voters, At a special election held July 2, 1892, to vote on a proposition to raise $17,546 for a water supply system, the electors voted 49 for and 82 against the measure, but at a meeting of the trustees held August 14, 1895, the proposition was so modified as to read $14,700 for water works, $300 for a lot, $2,700 for a fire department building, and $1,000 for hose carts and apparatus; and at a special election held August 29 the measure was adopted. Later on it was discovered that an error had been made in giving-notice of the election, therefore another election was necessary. It was held November 7, 1895, and again the proposition prevailed. In the meantime a contract for constructing the water works had been made, and in January, 1896, the system was completed and accepted by the board of commissioners. The water supply is obtained from Carthage, the main pipe being extended across the river and through the village streets. For the water the local board pays the Carthage commissioners $500 annually.

The West Carthage fire department comprises two companies, known, respectively, as the M. P. Mason and W. B. Van Allen hose-company. Each has a good hose cart and sufficient supply of serviceable hose on its reel.”

West Carthage is a place of much importance in commercial industry …  Up the hill, in the mercantile and residence locality, the business interests comprise Charles A. Beyer’s grocery and drug store, R. S. Hillman’s general store and A. M. Hawkins’ bakery.  This apparent lack of mercantile interests is caused by the proximity of the village to Carthage, where purchasers may choose from the larger stocks kept by business men of that enterprising municipality.”

Papermakers Mill circa 1910

Champion Mill circa 1910

The beginning of the 20^th Century brought with it the implementation of the paper industry that was the lifeblood of this area for nearly 80 years.  The St Regis Paper Company was erected in 1902 by Champion Paper Company.  After a series of reorganizations and mergers St. Regis  gained control of the mill in West Carthage in 1928 and continued to operate it until 1963.  The operation consisted of a paper mill and a bag mill. The bag mill closed May 7,  1949.  At the height of their operation here St Regis employed 400 man and women.  One building, formerly used as a warehouse was converted into the Village Barn for the Department of Public Works until the present facility was built on Hewett Drive.

Climax Manufacturing, located on Champion Street, was constructed in the early 1900’s and was called Champion Pulp and Sulphite.  In 1936 Urban Hirschey of Climax Manufacturing Company along with William Shortess of Federal Paperboard purchased the mill at public auction.  The name was changed to Carthage Papermakers with Mr. Hirschey  as President.  During the 1960’s the mill merged with Climax Manufacturing Co and in the early 1980’s the name was changed to the Paperboard Division of Climax Manufacturing Company.  Today the mill is an historic building that has been equipped with the latest process technology. More than $15 million was recently invested in capital improvements as they remain committed to “providing customers with the highest quality products on the market today”.  Climax paperboard, using both recycled and virgin raw materials, is found in a host of end use products ranging from mat board, illustration and skin board to photo albums, gift boxes, CD and software packaging.

In 1940 Charles J. Reeder and his sons R. J. Richardson Reeder and Roscoe G. Reeder organized  Climax Fibre Drum Company to make cheese boxes and fibre drums from chipboard obtained from Carthage Papermakers from whom they leased the premises on Champion Street.  In 1950 the company added the production of inside roll headers used to protect large rolls of paper made at St. Regis Paper Company and changed the name to Carthage Fibre Drum Company.  In 1985 Richardson Reeder sold the company to Timothy Wright, who also operated a printing business he and Kathy  bought from West Side Printery (WSP). 

West Side Printery first started in the garage of Burton Wheeler on High Street in Carthage.  It was then passed to Thelma and Carl Wheeler who were brother and sister.  Tim and Kathy Wright moved WSP to Carthage Fibre Drum on 35 Champion Street in 1985.  Marlene Bears started working part time in 1982 gradually working to full time.  WSP was then later sold to Lyle and Brenda Austin.  In June of 2002, Brenda Austin sold WSP to Michael Biolsi, Brian Peck, and Gary Ingram.  September of 2002 WSP was moved to the current location on 15 Bridge Street.  In September of 2005 Mike, Brian, and Gary purchased AMF/ Coughlin Printing in Watertown, NY adding locations one in Watertown (Mill St) and one in Lowville (State Street) and a production site located on 144 Main Ave. 

In the 1980’s the face of housing also changed in the community: 

·        801 Military Housing:  When Fort Drum became the permanent home of the 10^th Mountain Division in 1984, there was a need for off-base housing.  The 122 units in 35 buildings, constructed by WDC Realty Corporation, were dedicated November 13, 1986.

·        Low and Middle Income Family Housing:  Champion Apartments, located northwest of the intersection of Routes 26 and 126 was con structed by Swiden and Sons inc of Delmar , NY is made up of 64 apartments, 32 were completed in 1985 and 32 in 1988.

·        Senior Citizen Public Housing:  The three apartment complexes located between Madison Street and Broad Street, were built by the West Carthage Authority between 1984 and 1988 were open on these dates:

o       West Side Terrace – June 1984                                50 apartments

o       William J. Dalton Estates – June 1986                     24 apartments

o       Grandview Courts – January 1988                           24 apartments

In the year 2006, additional housing is in the process of being built on Broad Street.

The early churches of West Carthage were the First Congregationa; Church organized by Rev. Nathaniel Dutton in March of 1835 and the Free Methodist Church organized in June of 1894 by Rev E. N. Jinks.

The Calvary Assembly of God Church  located on Martin Street Road, was built in 1962.  The church was organized in 1930 and moved several times before  settling on the Route 26 site.  In 1980 built the present church and the original building became the Christian Heritage School.

For about 40 years Jehovah’s Witnesses met at  Kingdom Hall on Barr Street (from 1957 until about 1995)

Long Falls Baptist Church was organized in 1982.  The members bought the church at 21 North Main Street in 1985 and made extensive repais and remodeling.  This church has a long history; built in 1852 and enlarged in 1893 by the Congregational Society and was also used by the Universalists and the United Christian Congregation.

Currently a part of the Carthage Central School District, West Carthage originally had its own Elementary and High Schools.  ·        The first school house was built about 1832 at the corner of Champion and Jefferson Streets on land donated by A. Champion.  ·        In 1856 the residents of West Carthage purchased a lot on the corner of Jefferson and Vincent Streets where a schoolhouse was built.

Shows early school, later Firehall and Village Offices on Jefferson Street

Twelve years later the school was enlarged and remodeled.  (This was later the village hall until the building of the facility on High Street in 1990.)

In 1905 it was decided to pay $28,000 for a new building and to sell the old site to the Village for $2,000.  The new school was opened that same year, equipped  in modern fashion with electric lights and other conveniences (probably running water and toilets).  There was one graduate the following June; Robert A. Hughes.

·         In 1929 an addition was made to the school and a building twice the size of the original was added at a cost of $140,000.  The building (still in evidence between Madison and Vincent Streets) was fully equipped with a combination gymnasium and auditorium, home economics department and a work shop.

·        April 29, 1954 fire destroyed the old 1905 portion of the school.  The new portion was protected by the fire door although it received serious smoke and water damage.

·        West Carthage High School became a part of Carthage Central School in 1954 and, after rebuilding the burned section, the school became an elementary school covering kindergarten and grades one through six.

·        In 2000 a new elementary building was built on Cole Road and West Carthage Elementary moved to a new campus, the building on Madison and Vincent was mothballed and in the Winter of 2005-2006 was offered for sale.  The dedication of the new building was held October 25, 2001.

The Town of Champion Municipal Building at 10 North Broad Street, was dedicated on  March 22, 1998.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there are 2,102 people, 830 households, and 557 families residing in the village. The population density is 1,758.3/mi². There are 915 housing units at an average density of 765.4/mi².

There are 830 households out of which 38.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% are married couples living together, 10.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% are non-families. 28.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.53 and the average family size is 3.09.

The median income for a household in the village is $30,156, and the median income for a family is $34,609.

HISTORY of CHAMPION, NY  FROM OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE A DESCRIPTIVE WORK ON JEFFERSON COUNTY NEW YORK
EDITED BY: EDGAR C. EMERSON
THE BOSTON HISTORY COMPANY, PUBLISHERS 1898

Researched and Compiled by

Lynn M. Thornton, Town of Champion Historian
February, 2006