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Biography of Russell Calkins
Newspaper Article - Pulaski Democrat August 15, 1884
Contributed by Julie Robst.
Russell
Calkins was born in Vermont in 1798 and moved to Montreal at
an early age with his father, where they remained for two years. They moved
to Coburg, the north side of the lake where they remained until the summer
of 1812. The inhabitants along the north shore of Lake Ontario were
principally refugees from our Revolutionary War and consequently were what
were then called Tories.
A short
time before the War of 1812 and while differences were rising in the political
horizon between Britian and the United States, a proclamation was issued
by the Crown for all the people in Canada. Take the oath of allegiance
to the British Crown or leave the realm.
Soloman
Calkins, father of Russell was a well to do man in Coburg. He had a farm
of 160 acres at a nominal rent made under a perpetual lease, a span of
horses, yoke of oxen, several cows and other property on the farm.
The Calkins,
of which there were Samuel, Seth, Soloman, Asahel, a younger brother and
a brother-in-law by the name of Benedict. Unwilling to take the oath of
allegiance, they bought a small boat and built another to convey their
belongings to America. Their personal property had become almost valueless
by reason of the uncertainty whether war would be declared or not. Soloman
sold one horse for $30 and another horse for a good piece of cloth, a yoke
of cattle for three barrels of flour and sheep with fleeces for $1.50 each.
Their flight was as it were from a burning building. Their most valuable
effects which could be taken away were on the boats.
With an
Indian as a pilot who had said he had been to Oswego, they all and what
they could carry, five families, got in the boats and set out for their
destined port, Oswego, in their frail and open boats. They started with
fair prospects, but the night before a fierce storm arose and they were
driven back to Canada near the Bay of Quinte. There they first learned
war had been declared between the two governments.
The following
day they started again and as they came down by the islands, they saw a
British vessel. They put all hands to the oars, women and all, and pulled
for the American shore. A gun was fired across their bow for them to stop.
They pulled on till three shots were fired. At that instant another vessel
hove in sight from the American shore and which came down to their relief.
It proved to be an American revenuer cutter. The Captain kindly offered
to take them to their port.
On their way,
they stopped at Big Sandy, at Salmon River and at Mexico Point where they
found several vacant homes, the owners of them having not long before gone
out on the lake and had all been drowned. They were invited to go
up to one Robert's place to help raise a barn. Help being scarce, they
did so, then continues on their journey.
They went
up the Oswego River and finally landed at Whitesboro, where they remained
until 1815, when they all came to Richland and settled in the south part
of town. They all bought 500 acres of land, which was divided among them.
The almost innumerable hosts of Calkins in this town are their descendants.
Russell
remained with his father, clearing up the farm until of age. He then hired
out to Colonel Rufus Price at $11 per month. Price then resided between
Pulaski and Port Ontario on the south side of the river, on the farm where
his son Isaac afterwards resided. Col. Price who had been an officer in
the Revolutionary War had moved to the town in 1807. He was a well to do
man of great influence. His wife was a cousin of the father of General
U. S. Grant.
Our young
Russell Calkins, while working for Col. Price, carried on a little conspiracy
with the Colonel's daughter, which resulted in the capture and carrying
away of the young lady, who is now before you the mother of five boys and
five girls, all living and all healthy. She and her husband are the ancestors
of some 78 descendants, living, and if she lives till tomorrow, August
16, 1884, she will have lived with her husband for 66 years, their ages
being 86 and 84 respectively. |
Many thanks to Julie Robst, who has generously shared
with us a number of articles, obituaries, marriage records, and many others
items on her family history, including the Daysville Cemetery. Julie is
researching the following surnames, and would love to hear from anyone
about them:Ball, Calkins, Cates, Litts, Manwarren,
Pond, Price, Robst, Tollerton.
She can be contacted at: KeeperOfTheTree@aol.com
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