Volume 2, Issue 27

Orleans County boasts a long an impressive lineage of entrepreneurs, inventors, and local celebrities so it should be no surprise that this week’s column features yet another area native who developed an illustrious career for himself.

The child of John Babbage and Fanny Wescott, Edward Frederick Babbage was born along the Oak Orchard River in Carlton around 1841. His mother was an English immigrant arriving in the United States in 1837 and marrying her husband the following year.

After spending their earliest years in Orleans County, the Babbage family relocated to Rochester where the father worked as a fruit peddler. It is said that Edward was always on the “large” side, being exceptionally big at the age of six and weighing in at 200 pounds at the age of 14. His interests were varied, so much of his early working career was spent experimenting in various vocations; first as a hotel porter, then as a hotel manager, a traveling salesman, museum manager, and eventually a glassblower.

At the conclusion of the Civil War, Babbage was enlisted as the road agent for a minstrel troupe operated by veterans of the 15th Engineer Corps. After a three-year stint with the troupe, his services were sought by the well-known minstrel troupe operated by “Happy Cal” Wagner. As the story goes, Wagner was unaware of Edward’s initials sent the letter addressed to “Phat Boy” Babbage; from that point forward, the name stuck like glue.

“Phat Boy” Babbage became a celebrity thanks to his large size, amiable personality, striking looks, and sense of humor. During his years as a road agent, he claimed to have visited every city and town that boasted more than 5,000 inhabitants. He became a popular public spectacle and a larger-than-life personality, which conveniently matched his physical stature. As a result, newspapers remarked “he was the fattest of the fat” and “was as broad as he was wide”

Babbage’s rise to fame occurred during the time in which the country’s wealthiest and most famous capitalists were scarfing up land throughout the St. Lawrence River region. Venturing northward, Babbage was enlisted by the steamboat operators of the Thousand Islands to act as a tour guide for the region. He often sat aboard the bow of the boats equipped with his signature felt hat and diamond lapel pin, sharing colorful stories of the area’s rich and famous inhabitants.

“Phat Boy” was an astute guide and spent much of his time brushing up on the history of the region, authoring several books which are still viewable today. Babbage’s book entitled “The Phat Boy’s 15 Years on the St. Lawrence River” highlights his career on the river as well as stories of celebrities he met along the way including President Ulysses S. Grant and George M. Pullman.

Humorous anecdotes fill the pages often discouraging readers from attaining a mass equivalent to his own, remarking that such extreme weights were far from enjoyable. Pushing 330 pounds by 1890, Babbage’s wife had died several years prior largely due to her excessive weight and his own twin brother, Dr. Edwin F. Babbage lagged behind at a mere 300 pounds.

On June 23, 1891, Babbage felt ill and meandered up the stairs of the Marsden House at Alexandria Bay. Whistling his usual joyful melody as he ascended, he collapsed at the head of the stairs and died at the age of 51; 340 pounds his final weight.

Return to top

Volume 2, Issue 26

ALBION – Over two hundred years ago as the pioneer settlers first established themselves in the wilderness that was once Genesee County, education and religion became fundamental pieces in daily life.

It’s no surprise that the first church constructed in this region was situated along the heavily traveled Ridge Road in the town of Gaines. A partnership between Baptists and Congregationalists led to the erection of a church edifice to the west of the old Gaines Road.

Upon the opening of the Erie Canal, traffic, industry, and eventually wealth transitioned southward into the Village of Albion and of course so did the demand for schools and churches.

The Baptists, once practicing their faith in their shared sanctuary at Gaines, pushed to split the congregation in order to establish themselves within the village. With pressure from many prominent citizens, the First Baptist Church of Albion was organized on April 17, 1830 at the Court House; Phineas Briggs and Barnuel Farr were selected as deacons.

After the succession of Rev. Hervey Blood to the pastorate of the congregation at Gaines, the Rev. Arab Irons was petitioned to serve in Albion as the first pastor of the newly formed congregation. With no place to meet, the churchgoers worshiped in the Court House for nearly two years before the group was able to purchase a parcel of land on North Main Street from Sydney Barrell at a cost of $400.

In 1832, the beautiful edifice pictured here was built adjacent to the Burrows Mansion (the old Swan Library) at a cost of $7,000. Constructed in the Federal style, the building is representative of an iconic architectural style that places emphasis on balance, symmetry, and elegance. For nearly 28 years the structure served the faithful worshippers until the congregation outgrew its physical space.

Under the pastorate of Rev. Almond C. Barrell the congregation purchased a lot on the corner of Liberty and West Park Street from the Presbyterian Church and erected a new building at the cost of $22,107 in 1860; approximately $588,000 today.

Upon relocation of the congregation, the old church was transferred to Roswell S. Burrows who used the space as a concert hall. The building continued to serve in that capacity until it was left vacant and razed in the early 1890s.

The “Concert Hall Lot,” as it was called, remained under the ownership of the Burrows Estate until the remaining real property was liquidated in 1906. The Albion Lodge Independent Order of Odd Fellows purchased the lot and constructed a meeting house, which remains today with some additions and modifications added over the last 109 years.

Return to top

By Al Capurso
Town of Gaines Historian

Volume 2, Issue 25

When you pick up your mail in the next few days, you might want to remember that it was 200 years ago this July 1st that a pioneer settler on the Ridge Road in Gaines became the first postmaster in Orleans County. William Jenks Babbitt ran that post office out of his log cabin home starting in 1816.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island on September 15, 1786, he learned the trade of blacksmith in his father’s shop. In 1810, Babbitt came to the unbroken wilderness of “the Genesee Country” and began clearing land and building his log cabin near the corner of Crandall Road and Route 104.

After the dangers of the War of 1812 subsided, he moved his wife and children to what was to become Gaines and became the area’s first blacksmith. He also established the first brickyard in the town, supplying the bricks for many early buildings we still see standing today. He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1815 and served in this capacity for 23 years. His “Marriage Day Book” with its first entry of June 2, 1815 is in the possession of the Town of Gaines Historian. It can be seen in the display case at the town hall next to his original daguerreotype portrait you see here.

In 1816, Wm. Babbitt was successful in getting the Ridge Road declared “The Post Road” by New York State, and his application as first postmaster of Gaines was granted; an office he held for five years. Babbitt was also working hard to get the town of Gaines organized. It was his suggestion that General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, hero of the War of 1812, be honored with its naming.

His 1816 Valentines Day gift to his wife Eunice was the announcement that Gaines was set off from Ridgeway and contained most of the present day Carlton and Barre. In 1831 he became Town of Gaines Supervisor and soon after represented this area in the New York State Assembly.

Perhaps the most enduring legacy of William Babbitt was the construction of Gaines District #5 Cobblestone Schoolhouse on the Ridge Road just east of Childs. It was built in 1849 and the work was superintended by Babbitt. It is most unusual in that it has a sloping floor and its facade of lake washed cobblestones are set on a hewn wooden framework, rather than a rubble stone wall.

Further, Mr. Babbitt gave the school district a gift of the bell pictured above, costing $20 in 1849. The building was used as a schoolhouse until 1952. Currently, plans are underway to restore the bell to working order, so once again visitors to the Cobblestone Museum in Childs, Town of Gaines, will be delighted by the chiming of Babbitt’s bell.

One last note about the photo of Mr. Babbitt with a stern look on his face: The story handed down is that his wife had arranged for this sitting, but Mr. Babbitt was upset since he was still in his work clothes. The photographer painted in the suit and collar we see here. Mr. Babbitt was a remarkable man and those of us in Gaines and Orleans County are indebted to his industry and vision.

Return to top