Before there was Inlet II: James Galvin and the Fulton Chain Club
PART ONE
For us and many other property owners in Inlet, the abstract of title invariably lists James and Jennie Galvin as early, if not the first, owners.
But until I performed the research for this narrative, I believed as have other Inlet landowners and early 20th century newspapers that the Galvins were sole owners of the 6000 acres surrounding the Head of Fourth Lake.
I learned that he was an agent for the Fulton Chain Club and it was through his efforts that the land was sold for hotels and camps, and ultimately to the first residents of Inlet.
James Galvin, the son of an Irish immigrant, was born on March 6, 1835 in the town of Wilna, Jefferson County.
His father, Edward, was a successful farmer and also managed a prosperous charcoal production trade. Edward was also a founding trustee of Carthage’s St. James Church.
James is listed as a farmhand and a farmer on the 1850 and 1860 censuses, respectively.
But from the age of fifteen, he dealt in horses and cattle and became successful in buying stock both in New York and Canada.
He commanded large credit.
To be continued..
