The Old Merchants of Norwich, Chenango Co. NY

 Chenango Telegraph, Norwich, NY, February 4, 1875

The Past & Present of Norwich

By S.S. Randall

The Old Merchants of Norwich

The venerable Benjamin Chapman of your village [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY], is now [in 1875], I believe, the only survivor of the enterprising traders who flourished there, in the early years of the century, and from their prudent or imprudent management of their capital and stock - their lucky or unlucky ventures - their reputation among their customers for truth and veracity, or the reverse - made or marred their fortunes.  My father Perez Randall was one of the earliest - Joseph S. Fenton, another - Asa Norton a third, Charles York, a fourth - followed by the firms of P.&W. Randall, Randall & Harris (John), John Lamb, Johnson & Noyes, John Noyes & Son, John Noyes Jr., Bright & Fenton, York & Chapman, J.S. & Loring Fenton, Benjamin Chapman, Richard L. DeZeng, Porter & Holmes, Purdy & Wood, Giles Chittenden and David I. Perry.  All these firms may be traced back fifty years and upwards, but the oldest were the first five or six above named.  Among the earliest Drug Stores was that of Anson Jones, the successor, in after years, of President Sam Houston of Texas, who occupied some fifty-five years since, the old store of my father.  He was succeeded a few years later by Richard L. Lawrence, on the first floor of the old Thurlow Weed Printing Office, opposite the present American Hotel.  Dr. Thomas Steere, also dealt in drugs, medicines and miscellaneous groceries in a small shop on the site of the house built by James M.D. Carr, south of the American.  John W. Weller was I believe, the first to open a Hardware store, and David G. Bright, the predecessor of David Griffing, a hat store, on the north-east corner of the East Green.  Eli M. Gibbs and Peter Fryer were the pioneer silver smiths and jewelers - immediate predecessors of H.N. Walters.

Benjamin Chapman became an early resident of the village, and soon established an enviable character for industry, enterprise, strict integrity and mercantile ability.  This character he maintained throughout a long and prosperous career - reaping the rich rewards of cautious and prudent investments of capital, uniform courteousness of demeanor fairness and uprightness in all his dealings with factors and customers, and close and rigid attention to every department of his business, contented with small and sure profits, his prices were uniform, but he was never "in haste to be rich," preferring the respect and confidence of his customers to securing a profitable bargain by the display of "cheap goods" and magnifying their value, in an inverse ration to their intrinsic worth, he assured himself of their permanent patronage, and good will.  Distrusting, as a rule, the "credit system," and in his own wholesale purchases, spring and fall neither asking nor accepting credit, he uniformly insisted in the absence of cash upon short settlements and punctual observance of the terms of payment - thereby avoiding vexations litigation and retaining the friendship and regard of all with whom he was in the habit of dealing.  The quality, durability, excellence and value of the goods upon his well-filled shelves were always to be relied upon, and his catalogue of prices, inflexible.  His clerks and employees acting under his own ever present eye, were uniformly patient, obliging, courteous and indefatigable.  It is needless to add that his daybooks and ledgers, his invoice books and daily and weekly balance sheets were models of accuracy and cleanness.  In short, in all his transactions, in all his principles, in all his daily life throughout the greater part of half a century preceding his final retirement, he was a model merchant - a useful and respected citizen and a just and upright man.  In his declining years he is surrounded by an affectionate and beloved family, and the good wishes of an extensive circle of acquaintances and friends wait upon his infirm footsteps as he from time to time, retraces the familiar paths of his meridian usefulness and vigor.

Asa Norton became a resident and merchant of the village upwards of sixty years since.  In 1813 he was appointed one of the Associate Judges of the County Court.  His store was in the south wing of his residence, and in this portion of his dwelling the present Chenango Telegraph - then the "Anti-Masonic Telegraph" commenced its career in 1829.

The store of Joseph S. Fenton formed the front portion of the spacious dwelling house owned and occupied by him - afterwards known as the "Mansion House" on the northeast corner of the West Green.  Although eminently successful as a merchant and one of the pillars of the Presbyterian or Congregational Church, he failed, in the estimation of a large portion of the community, to attain to that high standard of mercantile excellence which was so universally recognized in his contemporary, whose character we have attempted to sketch.  His brother and subsequent partner, Loring Fenton, presented in this respect a most favorable contrast to his senior.  The elder Fenton was regarded by many as a "hard man and severe" - unflinching and sometimes oppressive in the enforcement of his debts - and in some instances resorting to unjustifiable devices for the accomplishment of his object.  His connection with the elephantine Bright was brief.  Many years ago, he removed to Michigan, where he died.  Mr. Bright transferred his residence to Indiana, from where his son, Jessie D. Bright was elected United States Senator.  The preference given to the son over the father we believe, attributable to the fact that the Senate Chamber was, at that time regarded as too restricted in area to accommodate at the same time Dixon H. Lewis of Alabama and David G. Bright.

Charles York and Benjamin Chapman were eminently adapted to affiliate with each other in their capacities as merchants.  A more genial, popular, courteous, upright, and deservedly successful and prosperous firm could neither be expected nor desired.  Its dissolution took place only on the retirement of Judge York to his farm below the village, when his partner embarked in business on his own account. The store of the old firm was situated just below the south boundary of the old "Stone Block" and a few rods north of the old Brooks tavern.

Messrs. Chittenden and Perry on the northwest corner of South Main and West streets, were succeeded by James Kershaw and Nelson B. Hale, Mr. Kershaw was a quiet, retiring, unostentatious man - of the strictest integrity and most unblemished character.  Of Mr. Hale it is unnecessary for me here to speak.  His success as a merchant and his excellence as a man, a citizen, and a financier, are known to all.  As the genial friend, companion and fellow student of my early youth, my respect and regard for him have kept pace with advancing years and more extended knowledge of his prosperous and useful career.

Dr. Jonathan Johnson and Judge John Noyes, who composed the firm of Johnson and Noyes, occupied for some years the old corner store on South Main and East Streets.  Both are too well known as among the earliest settlers of the town, and as men of stainless repute in all the relations of life, professional and personal to require more extended description here.  The firm was of brief duration - as were its immediate successors, all of whom, have long since disappeared from among the living. Orrin Porter and Reuben Holmes, composing the firm of Porter and Holmes, occupied for an equally brief period the old store opposite the "American."  The latter was doomed to a premature and melancholy termination of his career and his senior partner, Mr. Porter, soon afterwards removed from the County.

At a somewhat later period Cyrus Wheeler opened a store in the building vacated by York and Chapman, and subsequently formed a partnership with Sheldon Tomlinson, occupying a part of the Stone Block.  This firm was not of long duration, neither of the partners proving very successful in the community, for reasons well understood and appreciated by the older residents of the town and village, and to which it is unnecessary here to do more than allude.  David E.S. Bedford also opened a store on the northeast corner of the Stone Block, then recently erected, and Squire Smith another, lower down.  David Griffing, hatter, Peter Fryer, jeweler, and James H. Smith, leather dealer had stores and shops in the same block.  Ralph Johnson at about this period opened a hardware and stove store, and William J. Sheldon a dry goods store, on the opposite side of the street.

Eli M. Gibbs, who established the earliest silversmith, watch, clock and jewelry store, under the office of the Norwich Journal, on the same street, was a man of original genius and a general favorite in the village.  It was commonly remarked of him that he never was known to retire for the night, while a single individual remained on the street, or was at all accessible for conversation.  Previous to his advent, however, and at an early period in the century Jesse R. Hovey carried on the clock and watch repairing business nearly opposite the present site of the "American" and a few years later was succeeded in the same line by Bela Farr on the present site of the Spaulding House on the west side of North Main Street, a few doors north of the Bank.  Of Horatio N. Walter, the successor of Peter Fryer, I retain a very pleasing recollection, as a gentlemanly, courteous and obliging dealer, and with his accomplished and beautiful lady, a general favorite in the society of the village.