MAIN STREET ADAMS NY

Below:

The float entered by OD Green Builder is prominent in this 1915 photo of a Labor Day Parade
in Adams. The OD Green lumber company has served the community for many years located on
the banks of Sandy Creek. Years ago the Machinery was water-powered. Some water power was
used until 10 years ago. The company is operated Now by Barrett Hayes supervisor of Adams and
husband of the former Helen Ann Wait an ancestor of the Green family. Gerald Green of Adams
Center has served as cabinet maker at the Mill for 50 years. He is a master Craftsman in woodworking.

Adams Main Street before it was paved... This old photo taken before highway was paved shows Model T near the
dummy used before traffic lights were installed and which was frequently proved a hazard for traffic

BELOW: Image from the 2005 Jefferson Co Journal Commemorative Publication:

1900 East Side of Main Street

BELOW: Image from the 2005 Jefferson Co Journal Commemorative Publication:

1900 West Side of Main Street:

BELOW: Image from the 2005 Jefferson Co Journal Commemorative Publication:

1907 East side of Main St

BELOW: Image from the 1909 Firemens' Souvenier Book:

BELOW: Image from the 1909 Firemens' Souvenier Book:

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street. It took about an hour to get it really blazing

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

.

BELOW:

Laundromat on Main Street.

The former laundromat building on main Street which was demolished a few weeks ago, housed thriving businesses back at the beginning of the century. This old postcard shows the structure when Scott & Whittier ( Funeral Directors - Furniture and Carpets) and C B Grimshaw were headquartered there. The building which had served as the Adams Village Baptist Curch in the earlier 1800's was moved to the downtown site from East Church Street.

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

BELOW:

Laundromat on Main Street. This sagging laundromat was C B Grinshaw & Scott & Whittier,
funeral directors. They also dealt in furniture.

The former Jay-Kay Laundromat was sagging and there was much concern for collapse and
cause damage to the adjacent buildings over the North Sandy Creek. The roof had buckled
several feet and the interior walls buckled. The building was owned by John Babitskas.

September 10 1980: The Jefferson County Journal published:

"By late Friday afternoon all that remained of the former Jay-Kay Laundromat Building,
Main Street, Adams, was a pile of rubble. Demolition began Thursday when the storefront gave
way to the jaws of a crane the following day it ended the fears that the collapsing building
would damage adjacent structures. The roof of the building began to settle several weeks ago after
a portion of the foundation crumbled along the creek bed. The Village of Adams accepted the low
bid of Wesley Alcombrack, $5000, for the demolition only a few days earlier. The building, which had
housed the Adams Village Baptist Church in the mid-1800's was moved to the downtown
location when the present church was constructed."

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

BELOW:

September 21 1980..Controlled burn of the Laundromat on Main Street

Belloff's Store got a facelift...look under that old siding. What does it say???

Belloff's was established by Aaron Belloff in 1914. He was originally a
traveling salesman in a way. A persistent Jewish businessman, who packed his
wares on his back, he eventually used horse and wagons. Mr Belloff was known
for his generosity - every Christmas he gave equal sums to churched even in
nearby towns

Finally!

Below in 1980:

The EAST Side of Main street.
From left to right:

Montgomery Ward
Adams Pastry Shop

Below in 1980:

The EAST Side of Main street.

The Cleveland Block housed:

• Dr Silver, Optometrist
• Lucy's, a ladies' clothing store
• Montgomery Wards

The next block housed Adams pastry Shop

The next building housed Gray's Florist

The next building housed Ramblewood Beauty Shop

The last store is the K & M Variety store owned by Mike Stoner of Pierrepont Manor.

There used to be another store after that but it burned in the 1960's. Other businesses that have been on the East side
are: A drugstore; Edwards & Clark (they sold ice cream and sodas); Bob's Auto Parts and many others

Below in 1980:

The West Side of Main street.
From left to right:

• Kinneys Drug Store (yellow with orange sign)
• Marty's Restaurant
• McIlvenie & Brown Insurance
• Jeffersion County Journal
• and finally, the Dwight Block, conatining Ring's Department Store, owner Fred Ring
  
  In the back part of the building on the West Church side was a Barber Shop run by Jerome Nutting
  and Frank Carpenter
  

Below in 1980:

The West Side of Main street.
From left to right:

Jefferson County Journal

The Dwight Block, where Rings was located.

The Dwight Block

The Dwight Block was built in 1885 on the corner of Main Street and Railroad Street (now W. Church St.) and has been a prominent building site for 120 years. On July 11, 2005 the site will be torn down due to structural problems from neglect for the last 12 years.

The history of the block follows:
On August 28, 1884 most of the west side of Main Street, in the village of Adams, burned to the ground. This included the Cooper House Block which occupied the corner of Main and Railroad Streets. Businessman DeAlton A. Dwight, the owner of the property, hired master builders, William H. Wheeler and David Gaylord, of Adams, to build a new block on the same site. The Dwight Block was a three stroy brick building, measuring 53'x64' and was completed in October 1885. The first floor has three stores with full plate glass windows and a stairway to the upper floors. The first businesses to occupy the building were: Lucy Bullock's Millinery Shop (1885-1913), which had a corner store. The next store to the south was Sewell Barney's Jewelry Store (1885-1902), followed by E.C. Bersie's Grocery Store. On the second floor was J.W. Penny's Insurance Office in the southwest corner, Clara Andrus' Dressmaking Shop, Dr. R.T. Kirkland's Dental Office was in the northeast corner and there were two apartments. On the third floor was the Photo Studio of Adelaide Johnson.
Other businesses to occupy space in the block over the years had been:
Dwight & Eddy Bookstore (1890-1894)
Dr. Marquis Manville, DDS (1901-1910), followed by Dr. Harry Tyler, DDS (1910-1934)
Dr. Ross A. Clark, DDS (1906-1917)
Dr. Harry L. Richmond, DDS (1918-?1920's)
William E. Wright's Grocery Store (1907-08), followed by Daniel F. Griggs (1908-1910), followed by Percy Thornton (3/1910-10/1910).
The Rock Bottom Grocery Store (1890-1895)
Frank J. Garvin's Grocery Store (1907-1914)
'Babcock & Potter' Grocery Store (1897-1903), continued by Henry Babcock (1903-1912).
A&P Grocery Store (1928-1929)
Frank J. Williams Jewelry Store (1906-1929)
Wiliam Scott Jewelry Store (1930-1935)
Herbert I. Pierce's Dry Goods Store (1894-1911)
Huested Photo Studio (c.1890-1923)
Mark Flansburg's General Store (1924-1938), followed by Ring's Department Store (1938-1986), in 1946 Alan & Fred Ring expanded the store to cover the entire first floor of the block. Ring's Department Store was followed by the Blue Merlin Department Store (1986-1989). This was followed by Fassett's Market (1989-1990).

The building had been vacant ever since 1993. The ravages of time coupled with no repairs on the roof for over a decade, have caused the building to deteriorate to the point that it was structurally unsound and was a hazard to the public. After 120 years the building had to come down.

W J Parlow's hardware Store is another business of the past that was on the west side of
Main Street.

Below in 1980:

The West Side of Main street.
From left to right:

• Gould's
• Belloffs
• Sinclair Insurance (red building)
• Kinney's Drug Store
• Marty's Restaurant
• McIlvenie & Brown Insuranc

BELOW:

Harness maker the late Fred L Cooper was a master harness maker
and many area Farmers depended on Fred to make and repair harnesses
in the days before the tractor. Fred pictured on the left learn the trade
in his native England. The store was located where the Gary Sweet
Barbershop is now. Mrs. Cooper continued the shoe business on Main Street.

Below in 1980:

The West Side of Main street.
From left to right:

• Jay-Kay Laundromat
• Adams Ale - in the past called Duggan's Bar. At one time Adams Ale was a parking lot which proved to be dangerous
  when a woman accidentally drove off into the creek in her car and was killed
• Small white building was Cooper's Shoe Store established by George Cooper from England and sold in 1980 to Cal Thompson
• the last building is Gould's Bar and Grill
  

BELOW:

"Mill and Carriage Firm in 1869 - This view of the East Side of Main Street, Adams, in 1869 shows the Red Mill
which was located adjacent to the creek, present site of South Jefferson Rescue Squad facilities, and the G S Dodge
carriage manufacturing firm on the corner of Spring Street.

The mill was believed to have originally been built in 1828 and was operated for many years
by E J Seeber and later was owned by W A Mather. The mill was torn down and a gas station erected
at that site in the early 1900's."

Also, located at one time here:

ADAMS FLOURING MILL

Adams flouring mill was built by Willard Smith, on the site of the old David Smith mill, about 1825. In 1860 it was purchased by George Frasier, and in the spring of 1863 S. H. Pitcher became half owner. In 1879 Mr. Pitcher became sole proprietor. The mill has four runs of stones and grinds 60,000 bushels of grain annually.

Just beyond the white building which is the current site of the South Jefferson Rescue Squad is Spring
Street. On the southern side of the corner of Spring Street and Main Street was a drug store.
Also on that same side, only further out Spring Street by a few yards was the site of
School House No 6 on the 1864 map. It is most likely the same site as where the Larkins
Building was in 1980.

Below in 1980:

Below in 1980:

Cleveland Block which had three businesses: H & R Block, William McCluskey, attorney. The original
Light & Power Company was orginally established March 28 1889 and was located where
William McCluskey's office was

Below:

Main Street Looking North in 1907. A view of the Frasier and Pitcher Building as it looked before the fire. Note corner door, the same
design as it is today only then it was a clapboard structure. Note the Lamson Market in the right foreground. it was here that Mr Rafferty
started up his business again after the fire. The presence of hydrants is surprising at this early date. See excavation at the corner of Grange
and Main. You can be assured that is is not the sewer project,

BELOW from the Jefferson County Journal:

Bank before 1920 - The Citizen's National Bank, Adams, is shown as it appeared prior to alterations in 1919 or 1920 in this old photo from the South
Jefferson Historical Association. At that time, the bank occupied one store's width next to the Dwight Block on the West side of Main Street. It was
remodeled to include the adjacent store to the south and during alterations banking continued in the brick building on the Northwest corner of Main Street.
At the start of business each day the money and books were carried by the clerks from the vault across the road to the temporary quarters and back each
night. Marion Steel recalls watching them walk single file -- each with a load of books or cash box -- her father, Rufus W Ripley, at the end of the line
with a pistol in hand to discourage any robbers.

Note: The Citizen's national bank organized August 7 1889 was where the Jefferson County Journal was

BELOW:

Adams Journal building... Formerly the Citizens Trust Company then citizens and Farmers trust company and then
Northern New York trust company and then Marine Midland bank is now owned by the Journal. This photo shows
the structure in the last stages of construction around 1916.
Adams weekly paper has had a continuous publication since 1844 when it was started as the Jefferson County
Democrat by Josephus C Hatch. His successor was Justus Eddy who changed the name to Jefferson County News.
It was under Justus Eddy December 19th 1864 that William J Allen a native a Pierrepont Manor became a printer's
Apprentice receiving $60 per year with board and laundry in the Eddy home.
In 1871 Mr. Alan purchased his first interest in the paper then called Jefferson County Journal and formed a
partnership first with a Mr. Dillon and later that same year with SW hatch the new firm being known as Hatch
and Allen. In 1879 Mr. Allen bought out Mr. hatch's interest and remain the sole proprietor until his death January 21st 1926.
In 1921 his daughter Edna F Allen left her teaching in Bernardsville New Jersey to assist her father in the journal office as his
health had been impaired by a serious operation. She remained as his assistant until his death in 1926 and then formed
a partnership with her stepmother Mrs. Clara Cooper Allen known as EF Allen & Company which continued the
publication of the journal.

Mrs. Allen was able to give valuable contribution to the journal through her contacts local and state organizations and her
interest in church and civic affairs. Her ability as a writer and speaker was a distinct asset to the journal during the 46 years
she was identified with it as wife and partner. Miss Allen looked after the business interests of the publication.
Following her mother's death in 1941 Miss Allen continued to publish the paper long past the usual retirement age.
Miss Allen sold the paper upon her retirement April 1st 1956 to Robert S Rhodes Junior a former employee of the
Watertown Daily Times. Mr. Rhodes operated the journal in the wooden frame building on the east side of North
Main Street until June 8th 1969 when the company purchased the former Marine Midland Bank building at 7 Main
Street. On April 1st 1971 the journal publishing company inc purchase the Sandy Creek news from the Corse press
and has continued to operate that newspaper established April 1871 since that time.

1980, below:

looking at Main Street

Ivory & Carter was a store much like Ring's where Ring's was located in 1980 (now a public area)

Below in 1980:

Car lot belonging to Kenneth Wade of Wade Buick Pontiac.

This same lot - the corner of Main & Spring on the Creek side was the location of G S Dodge,
carriage manufacturer

Below in 1980 there was an ARCO gas Station at the foot of South main Street

There was a hotel there owned by S Goodrich at one time.

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