By J. F. Gilbert
Seth Graves, one of the early settlers of Chazy, came from Connecticut to Chazy the first of the present century, locating at Saxe's Landing. In 1807 he went on horse-back from the Ianding to where the village now is. The only road at that time was through a continuous woods by a path indicated by marked trees. He made a hut of bark on what is now called " The Fisk lot," opposite the school house. Here the family lived until they bid it more permanent home in L house built just back, and a little to the north of where Mr. McCuen's store now is. The house was what was called "grouted house." That is, the inner, or studding, walls were made of small stone and mortar, painted blue and stripped with white, imitating stone. Later on the house was bricked. A few years ago it was torn down.There were nine children in the Graves family, all of them musical. Mrs. Laura Hall, whose death occurred in 1889, was the last of the children.
The first grist and saw mills in the town were built and owned by Mr. Graves. The first loaf of bread from wheat flour in the town was made by Mrs. Graves.
Mr. Graves was a public spirited atnd benevolent man. He gave the lot on which the Presbyterian church now stands, deeding the lot to the congregation as then organized. He contributed also in other ways to the erection of a church edifice; and to an cxtent crippling his resources for his own and his family's needs. The total amount of his gifts was twenty one hundred dollars ($2,100.00). It was through his efforts that the first bell for the church was obtained. He went to Troy for it, and when it was landed at Saxe's Landing he took it on a two-wheeled ox cart to the church edifice. The place where the church now stands was formerly a corn field. In 1889, while digging in the basement of the church, preparing to floor it, there were yet traces of the rows of corn with the stubble remaining. Mr. Graves was one of the building committee of the original church edifice. He died at the age of eighty, being killed by the fall of a tree while at work in the woods with his grand son, Perin Beckwith.
Of the descendants of Mr. Graves there are at present but three of that name living in the town of Chazy, Edgar Graves, Mrs. Joel W. Graves and Laura Hall Graves. Three other of his descendants, and all that remain in the town. are Miss Julia Hall, Mrs. David B. Dunning and Ransom Dunning. Numerous descendants however are scattered over the land from Massachusetts to California.
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