Asa Danforth Jr.

Asa Danforth Jr.
Born (1768-06-29)June 29, 1768
Brookfield, Massachusetts, United States
Died c. 1821
Occupation Early settler, land speculator, highway engineer
Spouse(s) Olive Langdon
Parent(s) Asa Danforth Sr. and Hannah Wheeler

Asa Danforth Jr. (June 29, 1768 – c. 1821) was one of the first citizens of Onondaga County, New York, when he arrived there with his father, Asa Danforth in 1788.[1] Danforth incurred heavy debts speculating in land in New York State. Hoping to reverse his fortunes, he invested in the especially risky land titles of nearby Upper Canada and later was a highway engineer.

In Toronto, Ontario; Danforth Road, Danforth Village and Danforth Avenue (built by the Danforth Plank Road Company), which is a major east-end thoroughfare in Toronto are named for him.[2]

Biography

Early years

Danforth was born in Brookfield, Massachusetts, to Asa Danforth Sr. (1746–1818) and Hannah Wheeler. His father was considered by John Graves Simcoe, Upper Canada’s first lieutenant governor, as an enemy of Great Britain, as he was an American Revolutionary War veteran. Danforth Sr. moved his family to Onondaga County in 1788.[3]

Marriage

Danforth Jr. married Olive Langdon in 1789 and had three daughters. After his marriage, he began a salt business in at Salt Point (later Salina), near Syracuse, New York.[1]

Danforth and his wife were the parents of the first white child born in the county on October 14, 1789.[4]

Onondaga county

Danforth came to Onondaga County in the spring of 1788 after his father, Asa Danforth Sr. settled there and built his home and barn on the highway leading from Onondaga Castle to LaFayette, New York, in Salt Point (later named Salina). Danforth Sr. was enticed to relocate to Onondaga by Ephraim Webster who stopped at his house in Mayfield, New York, located in Montgomery County, in February, 1788, while on a hunting trip. Webster persuaded Danforth to come to Onondaga to settle, offering to ask permission of the United States Government.[1]

When this was secured in May 1788, Asa Danforth Jr., along with Comfort Tyler, drove across the country with the families stock while Danforth Sr., with his wife, farming implements, and tools came up the Mohawk River in two flat bottomed boats (bateaux) through the portage at Rome, New York proceeding through Oneida Lake and Oneida River around by the Seneca River until they reached Onondaga Lake landing at the mouth of Onondaga Creek.[1] Danforth Sr. met up with Ephraim Webster, Comfort Tyler and his son, Asa Danforth Jr., who had arrived with the stock in advance of the boats. Passing up the creek they made the first settlement south of Onondaga Hollow on May 23, 1788.[1]

Land speculation

As a young man, during the 1790s, Asa Danforth Jr. incurred heavy debts speculating in land in New York State. Hoping to reverse his fortunes, he played double or nothing by investing in the especially risky land titles of nearby Upper Canada.[2]

Canadian townships

In 1792, Upper Canada's lieutenant governor John Graves Simcoe, initiated a policy granting exclusive control of townships to the colonizers in hopes of promoting settlement. Danforth arrived with an array of speculators, most from New York State. They were known as "nominees" and were supposed to recruit groups of settlers to accelerate the development of the under populated county which had only 14,000 inhabitants by 1791.[2]

Simcoe naively assumed that the United States still contained a large, closeted population of loyalists who would "flock to Upper Canada if promised cheap land and if guided and assisted by the nominees." He also believed that the nominees were spokesman for egalitarian groups of farmers who wished to settle together to sustain a common church.[2]

In fact, most nominees, like Danforth, were American land speculators "looking for a bargain." They had nothing to lose because Simcoe demanded no down payments and only modest fees, about five cents per acre, for lands "once patented" meaning they were in the final stage of securing a complete land title.[2]

Each family would receive 200 acres (0.81 km2), a generous size farm, for ten dollars in patent fees. In reward for their exertions in recruiting and provisioning, the nominees expected at "least a bonus of 1,000 acres per family which they could patent at the same minimal rate." The nominees planned on "making a killing" by retailing lots at higher prices to subsequent settlers.[2]

There was apparently a misunderstanding as to the eventual outcome and the benefits to township promoters who thought they had been promised an outright grant of their townships if they succeeded in establishing a certain number of new settlers. However, the actual "deal" stipulated they were only entitled to 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) and the "right to settle people where they pleased."[3]

Simcoe land grants

Making money in frontier land speculation required several years of patience and Simcoe became disillusioned with his township program. He was also shocked to discover that nominees were land speculators rather than "selfless promoters of colonial development and British loyalism."[2]

The nominees had treated their land grants as property rather than as a provisional trust and had bought and sold shares, drawing in new investors who had "never been vetted by Simcoe and his executive council". This included Asa Danforth Jr., Timothy Green (a New York City merchant), and his close business associate, Aaron Burr who were all active with the politics of New York State. Burr was a prominent officeholder and Green was his political manager. Danforth was a useful "gofer."[2] The three appeared to be the exact opposite of the British loyalists that the Canadian government was trying to attract. Upon discovering Burr's investment, the British minister to the United States, Robert Liston, warned that such men "of high-flying democratick sentiments would rejoice to see an independent Republick [sic], established in Canada."[2]

Simcoe was not impressed with the nominees' exertions to settle their townships and felt that most "minimized" their costs by waiting for settlers to move at their own expense to the colony. When they did sponsor settlers, many proved to be poor transients who made scant improvements before moving on.[2] The colony's chief justice, John Elmsley, denounced the settlers as a "few, wretched vagrants hastily collected from among the dregs of the neighboring states." It was also felt that the nominees were recruiting settlers who already had their own land and were anxious to acquire more. This practice violated the goal of drawing immigrants to the colony. In 1797, a comprehensive investigation by the surveyor general found that only six of the thirty-two townships had obtained the forty settler minimum, and only one of the six consisted of fully qualified settlers.[2]

On the other side, the settlers had their own complaints. They believed Simcoe's directives to be "vague and inconsistent" and his land surveying office as "slow and inefficient" which frustrated sincere efforts to locate settlers on particular lots in the proper townships.[2]

Grants forfeited

In May 1796, Simcoe proclaimed many of the townships "forfeited" for lack of settlement and declared that those who had settled townships must submit their proof to the Executive Council before June 2, 1797.[3]

A year later, Simcoe returned to England, leaving the "land mess" and the government in the hands of his administrator, Peter Russell. In July 1797, Russell and the executive council abolished the remaining township grants.[2]

Danforth had been connected in "settling" the townships of Haldimand, Hamiton, Percy and Cramahe. To demonstrate the proprietors' obligations had been met, he appeared before the council in 1797 to request that 205 settlers be confirmed in possession of their lots.[3]

Simcoe's successor, Peter Russell, had a more "conciliatory approach" to the landowners than Simcoe. The council made an offer an allowed four leading nominees per township personally receive 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) each, hardly a fair return for those few who had made a significant effort at considerable cost to "recruit bona fide" settlers.[2]

Adding insult to injury, the executive council regranted much of the revoked land to themselves or their friends and relatives.[2] In July 1797, the unforfeited townships were "reopened" to more settlers, but the original proprietors, Danforth included, were granted 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) each if they became residents of the province.[3]

This caused a great deal of discontent and under the leadership of William Berczy, one of the most disappointed settlers, caveats were filed contesting the council's right to grant lands previously entrusted to the proprietors. To protect the claims of the four townships, Danforth and his associates directed their attorney, William Weekes, to join in filing the caveats. The council was outraged and dismissed this action as "most improper and unfounded" and rescinded its recommendation that Danforth be granted 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) personally.[3]

Early in 1799, Danforth apologized, explaining that he was bound to people in the United States "to use every exertion that might be made" and that no disrespect had been intended. His apology was accepted and the council restored his personal grants.[3]

Danforth's problems, however, did not end. In 1798, two settlers who had been part of the colonization of the four townships complained to the council that Danforth's name, rather than their own, had been entered against the lots which they themselves had settled and improved. The council ordered an investigation and on the basis of the subsequent report in 1799, Danforth and his associated were accused of "fraud and duplicity."[3]

As a result, all previous confirmations of lots in these townships were suspended and no new warrants for land were issued until July 1, 1800, and then only upon proof of actual improvement.[3]

Road builder

In the spring of 1798, Danforth entered a potentially lucrative contract with administrator Peter Russell to construct a badly needed road from the outskirts of the provincial capital York (now Toronto, Ontario), eastward 106 miles (171 km) to the Bay of Quinte through Prince Edward County, then the main center of the colony's settlement.[3]

The proposed road must run through a dense forest cut by many streams and swamps. The road was an "arduous and complex" project, however, vital to breaking the capital's winter isolation and "integrating the dispersed settlements."[2]

The executive council agreed to pay Danforth ninety dollars per mile. To help recruit labourers, who were rare in the area and could only be found in New York State, the council authorized Danforth to recommend as many as forty men for grants of 200 acres (0.81 km2), paying the usual small patent fees. Although he had been frustrated as a nominee, Danforth was pleased with the position he was placed in by the Canadian government and he hoped to recover and prosper as a road-builder.[2]

There was a "catch" and Danforth was only allowed to collect his money in instalments, and only as he completed (and officials inspected), sections of the road. Given his heavy debts and the high costs of importing, provisioning, and paying forty labourers, Danforth needed to make rapid progress and receive steady payments in order to keep the creditors at bay.[2]

By December 1799, Danforth had completed 63 miles (101 km) of road, however, received mixed reviews from the official inspector, who noted "great exertions" and much progress but found a few flawed bridges and slopes. The newspapers were favourable to Danforth, but Chief Justice Elmsley, read the report in the "harshest light for he despised Americans in general and felt that Danforth was a cunning cheat."[2]

Following Elmsley's lead, the executive council delivered only half of what they owed Danforth for 63 miles (101 km), reserving the other half "pending repairs in the spring."[2]

That left Danforth with too little cash to pay his creditors, principally, Timothy Green. In March 1800, Danforth returned to New York State to recruit labourers for renewed road building in the spring. Green's lawyer promptly had Danforth arrested and jailed for debt. In prison, he faced perpetual ruin and knew that unless he was released, he could not complete the road and would forfeit all further payments from the government of Upper Canada. Trapped, Danforth had to accept Green's harsh terms and signed a confession of judgment and a bond for $6,000 which was about twice what he believed he owed to Green.[2]

By "heroic effort" Danforth completed all 106 miles (171 km) of the road by mid-December 1799. The official surveyor found the road "generally sound" but noted a few problems that would need correction in the spring at a "probable cost" of only $125. Again taking a hard line, the executive council withheld $1,935 from Danforth's payment, pending the spring repairs. The government also refused to grant the 8,000 acres (32 km2) that had been promised the labourers, who had all sold their rights to Danforth who would pay the patent fees.[2]

Three weeks later, Chief Justice Elmsley travelled the road and privately praised its "safety and convenience." Certain that Americans were "tricksters," the Canadian colonial officials "protected" themselves by defrauding Danforth.[2]

Northern revolution

Once again, Danforth was forced to serve another stint in an American debtors' prison for want of sufficient funds to satisfy Timothy Green. At this point, Danforth felt doubly betrayed both as a land nominee and later as a road-builder. He enlisted friends and correspondents to meet him in Albany, New York in February, 1800 to plan a revolution to overthrow the provincial government.[2]

Like Danforth, most of the men were ambitious Americans of "middling" means who had been drawn to Upper Canada during the early 1790s by Simcoe's promises and later frustrated at the end of the decade by the official "reaction" against the township program.[2]

From the official perspective, Danforth and his "ilk" were classic "Yankees", unscrupulous speculators grasping for wealth "beyond their lowly station and shifty morals." The men saw themselves differently; as able and enterprising men, however, frustrated by a corrupt and oppressive elite of British-born officials.[2]

Unfortunately, many "suspects" identified by "government informants" included the likes of Ebenezer Allan who had sold his mills and land in Western New York in 1794 to accept Simcoe's offer of 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) in the Thames Valley where Allan built a gristmill, sawmill and distillery.[2] He was accused by a government surveyor of "attempted bribery and forging settler certificates" which led to his indictment in January 1801. The charge was later dropped for lack of evidence.[2]

Government informants also identified Asa Danforth Jr., Joseph Brant and Silvester Tiffany as participators in the revolt. The group met several times but nothing came of the plan.[2]

Later years

Danforth's Road was extended in 1802 from Trenton to reach the Bay of Quinte at Stone Mills (now Glenora).[5] From there, a primitive ferry crossing to Adolphustown[6] provided access to an early Loyalist colonisation road, the Bath Road, built in 1784 from Bath to Kingston.

Danforth had left Upper Canada around 1800 and returned in 1801 to demand repayment. Unsatisfied with his payment, however, Danforth left in 1802 never to return.[7] As late as 1805, Danforth was still working on a plan to recover his land and money. He spent some years at Salina, New York, working his salt leases and established a profitable salt-making business, however, he was "constantly hampered by lack of capital and forced to borrow to finance necessary improvements."[2]

He was plagued with debt the remainder of his life, as a result of never receiving complete payment from the Canadian government for building Danforth's Road. In 1811, he leased his salt privileges and equipment to his principal creditor, Timothy Green, who eventually acquired complete ownership of the property and he shifted in and out of debtors' prison "depending on Timothy Green's whims."[2]

In 1817, the York Road (Kingston Road) bypassed through traffic between Trenton and Kingston away from Danforth's 1802 Bay of Quinte extension onto an inland route through Belleville and Napanee, eliminating a ferry crossing.

By 1821, Danforth moved to New York City, where he was last documented, on the "lam" from another arrest for debt. In the end it was American creditors rather than British officials who hounded Danforth.[2]

He died in or after 1821.[2]

Recognition and memorials

The 22-foot-wide (6.7 m) road that Danforth built was originally named Dundas Street after the secretary of state, however, it was commonly known as Danforth's Road and is still in use in metropolitan Toronto.[8]

Within a few years after Danforth built the road, it had deteriorated and was largely unused. Almost immediately after its completion complaints were raised about the roads construction. Bridges collapsed and many sections were impassable due to overgrowth of vegetation and fallen trees.[8]

To be sure, many of the complaints were due to problems caused by lack of normal road maintenance and had nothing to do with the actual construction of the roadway.

Twenty years later the road was improved upon, and diverted in spots to become the Kingston Road. The road was later officially named The Dundas Road (also Kingston Road) after a prominent British colonial official. Danforth's Road diverges from the later Kingston Road (York Road) at Trenton.

Besides this road, Danforth was also responsible for the design on Lot Street (later as Queen Street).

Colonel Danforth Park in Toronto is also named after Asa Danforth Jr. for his contribution to the "expansion of the Toronto road network."

In Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Danforth Road, Danforth Village and Danforth Avenue (built by the Danforth Plank Road Company after his death in 1855 and named as it connected to Danforth Road) are named for Asa Danforth, Jr.

Danforth Avenue, a major east-end thoroughfare in Toronto, in turn lends its name to the main east-west TTC Bloor-Danforth subway line (1966).

In one final irony, a Glenora Road which closely follows Danforth's 1802 path to Trenton was designated part of the Loyalist Parkway (1984). Asa Danforth Sr. didn't raise any Loyalists, but the road connects by ferry to an established 1784 Loyalist colonisation road through Bath to Kingston.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Plan to Place More Tablets To Mark Spot Where First White Settler Lived". Syracuse Herald (Syracuse, New York). September 12, 1915.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 James P. P. Horn, Jan Lewis, Peter S. Onuf. The revolution of 1800: democracy, race, and the new republic. University of Virginia Press, 2002. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Gates, Lillian F. "Asa Danforth". University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2000. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  4. ↑ Joshua Victor Hopkins Clark. Onondaga, or, Reminiscences of earlier and later times, Volume 2. Stoddard and Babcock, Syracuse, NY, 1849. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  5. ↑ William Canniff, Great Britain. Army. King's Royal Regiment, 2nd Battalion (1869). History of the settlement of upper Canada (Ontario): with special reference to the bay Quinté. Dudley & Burns.
  6. ↑ Ron Brown (2010). From Queenston to Kingston: The Hidden Heritage of Lake Ontario's Shoreline. Dundurn Press.
  7. ↑ "Biographies". Tippecanoe County, IN Biographies Project, 2002-2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
  8. 1 2 "Toronto Parks". City of Toronto: Department of Parks and Recreation, 2010.

Notes

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