admin RUTLAND
(Hamilton Child’s “Gazetteer of Jefferson County, N.Y.”, 1890)
BLACK RIVER (p. o.) is situated on the river from which it derives its name, and is a thriving little village, containing about 40 dwellings on the Rutland side and a larger number in the town of Le Ray. It has quite extensive manufacturing interests already, with a prospect of more being added. The Dexter chair manufacturing establishments are located here, whose reputation is not confined to this country, but extends to Europe and countries of the East. The Watertown Paper Company has erected a large paper and pulp-mill on the south bank of the river, and another firm is contemplating putting up similar works on the “island.” It also contains a grist-mill cabinet shop, bending shops, planing-mill, blacksmith shop, three stores, and two churches. It is a station on the Utica division of the R., W. & O., six miles from Watertown, 181 from Albany, and 323 from New York, has express, telephone and telegraph offices, and a population, on both sides of the river, of about 700.
RUTLAND CENTER (Rutland p. o.), situated on the old State road in the central part
of the town, is a little hamlet of a half dozen houses, and contains a blacksmith shop, blacksmith and wagon shop combined, and a hotel, the latter of which was the first built
in the town.
TYLERVlLLE (South Rutland p. o.), situated in the south part of the town contains one hotel, two stores, two churches, two wagon shops, two blacksmith shops, and about 25 dwellings. The first woolen-mill north of the city of Utica was erected here in 1814, by a
stock company, of which Daniel Eames was president and Eber Ingalsby, secretary. The building now stands unoccupied, and is in a dilapidated condition. The first frame building built in the village is now the kitchen of Mr. Scott’s hotel.
FELT’S MILLS (p. o.), so named from a grist-mill owned by Mr. Felt in early times, is a small village containing about 15 dwellings, one church, one hotel, three stores, one blacksmith shop, a wagon shop, grist-mill, saw-mill, and cheese-box factory. The building occupied as a pump and axehelve factory was built by Jason Francis in 1845, and is used by two companies, Roberts & Slack, who manufacture axehelves, and Hiram Howland, who manufactures pumps. On October 24, 1889, the village of Felt’s Mills was visited by a disastrous fire which destroyed the business part of the village. The buildings burned were: the glove factory, axehelve factory and pump shop, grist-mill, furniture and repair shop, Good Templars hall, Mary Lamark’s dwelling, W. S. Cooper’s store, Charles Tifft’s dwelling and confectionery store, Hiram Allen’s grocery, M. M. Parker’s general store, in which was kept the post-office, S. W. Foster’s general store, and a blacksmith shop. The loss was about $10,000. Since the fire several new houses have been erectecd.
M. Marshall has built a new store, and Henry Marshall & Son a glove factory building. The Felt’s Mills Paper Co. is now engaged in the erection of buildings for its extensive business. The buildings already up and inclosed are the engine house, dimensions 43X163 feet; two machine rooms, each 36X152 feet; boiler house, 34X45 feet; pump house, 31X59 feet; finishing room, 33X102 feet; storehouse, 40X97 feet; rag room, 40X73 feet; and chloride room, 20X23 feet. The buildings are all of brick, one story high, and cover considerable ground. During the past season over 150 men have found employment and 50 are now at work. A huge pulp-mill, 65X200 feet, will be erected this spring. The new paper company practically controls all the water privileges on the river at Felt’s Mills.