Newspaper Clippings

MADE FIRST OFFICIAL WEATHER FORECAST

Interesting phases of the life of Increase A. Lapham, pioneer citizen.

Now proposed to name park in his honor

Distinguished services rendered his country in the development of the resources of the northwest are recounted.

Now that the city owns Schlitz park, the question uppermost in the minds of its owners - the people - is what shall we call it?
A few weeks ago while the subject was under consideration by the common council, the Free Press called for expressions of opinion from its readers, and about 100 names were suggested, prominent among which was that of Dr. Increase A. Lapham.
Sentiment seems to be crystalizing around the name of this talented pioneer, and for that reason the Free Press presents herewith a sketch of his life and a portrait. The photograph from which the picture is made is one in a highly-prized collection owned by Thomas J. [Pereles?].

Among the illustrations in Americana for September is one of Mt. Cumorah, near Palmyra, N.Y. On the north side of the elevation nearly 100 years ago was born the fifth child in a family of thirteen children.
Thoroughly American children they were, too, as both father and mother traced their ancestry in this country back to the middle of the seventeenth century. The name Increase Allen Lapham was given this boy for his maternal grandfather. This name can be traced back to the first Allen who settled in this country.
In later years it was said the name seemed a "prophecy of his full life - a life spent that his fellow men might be helped over many a hard point in life."
Not far from this old one was the, then, wonderful piece of engineering, the Erie canal.
The parents of these children were born and brought up in the Quaker faith, and knew no better law for their daily life or for training their children than the chief doctrine of that faith - "Love Christ and do His bidding, help others and love your neighbor."
It early became the duty of this boy to aid in the support of the family, and when his father's work as contractor on the Erie canal called him to Rochester, he, with an older brother, was left to work on the farm until the family was settled in that city. Then the boys walked to Rochester, driving the family cow. There the younger brother found work in a grocery and remained until, the father's work being finished in that city, the family moved to Lockport and were settled there.

Became Interested in Geology.
Dr. Lapham's first work on arriving at Lockport was cutting stone for the locks, and the wonderful fossils he found in that stone aroused an interest in geology that that lasted during his life time, and there he collected the first specimens of his large collection that was destroyed by fire in 1884 in Madison, when Science hall was burned.
When 14 years old, Lapham commenced work as rodman on the Erie canal under Nathan S. Roberts, chief, and Alfred Barrett, residents engineers, and continued in that service until the canal was completed.
Dr. Lapham was naturally an expert with his pencil and his drawings of the "combined and double locks" at Lockport were in great demand by strangers who were attracted from all parts of the country to inspect this new "wonder of the world."
When the canal was completed cannon were placed at intervals the whole distance from Buffalo to New York, and when the first boat left Lake Erie for the Atlantic these cannon were fired, one [black and white illustration] after another, announcing the fact. Dr. Lapham well remembered the roar of these cannon. Following the completion of the Erie canal. Dr. Lapham acted as rodman for his brother and Alfred Berrett, who planned, laid out, and estimated a road to be built on the British side of Niagara just below the falls.
After a short time spent on the Welland canal, connecting Lakes Erie and Ontario, Lapham in 1827 went to the Miami canal in Ohio under Byron Kilbourn, where their life long friendship began.