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Irishtown |
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Irishtown |
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From the Stafford Gazeteer of 1813: "The
settlement called Dominick was first begun about 1800 and contains a few
families who have one sawmill, a grain mill and a school house in which are
held the meetings for worship. The state road from Chester to Canton
lies through this settlement." At that time the settlement
was known as Dominick. Ebenezer West and five sons came to Dominick in 1800,
settling near the crossroads of what now would be known as 28N, 14th Road
and Shed Road. The West holdings were called "The West
Side". William Hill settled in what is now known as Olmstedville,
and built a sawmill and gristmill. This settlement was called the
"Four Corners".
 Fresh Snow on Irishtown Photos by W. Brannon - Feb. 15, 2007
Incorporated Absalom P. Morse became Supervisor in 1817 when Minerva was named a Town by the State Legislator and he named the town "Minerva" after the Greek goddess of wisdom. The West Side became known as Minerva: The Four Corners was named Olmstedville after the Olmsteds who started the tannery: The section of town taken over from Schroon Lake was called Leonardsville: The northeastern section of town where the O'Neils, Donnellys, Doughertys, and Kellys who brought their land directly from the Dominick heirs and was called Irishtown. A.P. Morse acted as their agent in 1823.
In 1848 St. Mary's Church was built in Irishtown with the cemetery surrounding it. A larger St. Joseph's Catholic Church was built in Olmstedville in 1871 and St. Mary's (in Irishtown) has been periodically repaired and a Memorial Mass is held there every May and sometimes a baptism or wedding is held there (in Irishtown).
Beneath the fragrance of thyme |
Irishtown School: In 1847 the Town Board authorized $14 for a school to be built in District #4. It was made of logs. School was held 4 months of the year. In 1860 a school was built to replace the log school, and was situated just east of the church and cemetery.
In 1878, 38 children ranging in age from 5 to 19 attended the Irishtown school. In 1800 to 1900 Irishtown teacher's salaries ranged from $70 to $106. In 1931 a Central District was formed in Minerva and all students went to a larger school in Olmstedville. The Irishtown school was closed.
The Minerva Historical Society has acquired the Irishtown school and is in the process of restoring it as it is the only one room school left in the town.
The Irishtown families suffered during the periodic epidemics which took the lives of so many children. In 1861, three children of Patrick Lynn died during the month of June. In 1882 there was a diphtheria epidemic. John Dougherty's children; Willie, 8 months; Nellie, 7 years; Sadie, 6 years; and David, 11 years; all died within 3 months. In the David Lynch family a child died in October, November and December. Mary Ann O'Neil, age 11, and Esther O'Neil, age 9, died within days of each other. Gillilands lost one child. Laheys lost three daughters in July. Three year ole John Ratigan died April 15th. The William Brannon family lost three infants. Between 1864 and 1882, the McKenna family lost five of their nine girls. In the McInerney family three children died and then their mother in 1892. The father, Patrick McInerney, died of consumption in 1893 and the four children left in the family were cared for by aunts and uncles. Their grave markers can be seen in the Irishtown Cemetery.
Mines in Irishtown: Irishtown Iron Mining: In 1864 iron mines in Irishtown were opened. Peter O'Connor was boss. Also, he and his wife kept borders. The scene of this enterprise was Lot 21, Township 25. In 1869 it was assessed at $2,000 and by 1874 the assessment had gone down to $1,000. The venture didn't last as the character of the ore was not good, the distance inland, and depression in values made it unprofitable.
Photos by W. Brannon - Sept. 2007
Irishtown Marble Quarry: on Dan Lynch's property. He
opened a marble quarry and sold several gravestones. A headstone from
the quarry is in St.Mary's Cemetery. However, the marble proved to be
too soft and the project was abandoned. It has been said that the
dynamiting spoiled the quarry. Mills in Irishtown: |
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Syracuse University Library Special Collections Research Center |
Optional Background Music - Irishtown Breakdown by John Kirk & Trish Miller Fiddle Tunes of the North Country www.JohnAndTrish.com |
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In
order to give a history of Irishtown, I first need to give you a brief
resume of the Town of Minerva. The Totten and Crossfield Purchase was
bought in 1771 from the Mohawk Indians for 1,135 pounds and covered over one
million acres. In 1786 patents on this land were granted to Totten and
Crossfield Associates. Francis Dominick had his land (12,600 acres)
surveyed and made a settlement in what later became known as Minerva.
