Dutchess county

wws /\ Vlpy ^ lw^-' ,/"\ '•*

-0*

i*"

A

$

. -ft

**Vk,. ^ <,«.

v .

DUTCHESS COUNTY.

TARRYTOWN Pi:ES3-RKCOKD PRINT,

Tnrrytown, N. Y.

P.

13Mr'0i

. . . DUTCHESS COUNTY. . . .

*£ <£• PAPER BY ^ o3*

HON. ALFRED T. ACKERT.

READ BEFORE
The Dutchess County Society, in the City of
New York at its Third Annual Banquet, held
at Delmonico's, Borough of Manhattan.

FRIDAY EVENING, FEB. 24. 1899,

Mr. President and Gentlemen :

Another year has passed into history
since onr last banquet — a year fraught
with wonderful achievements in the ad-
vancement of our national prowess on land
and sea.

The world has no record of a like success.
From a Nation but little known to the
people of the world, outside of the most
enlightened, to-day we are the subject of
consideration among all nations and
peoples.

The very thoughts that press upon the
mind in realization of what is our duty at
this time, are bewildering in comprehension
of the responsibilities resting upon us as a
Nation.

Dutcbcss County.

" God works in a mysterious way his
wonders to perform."

The ignorance, superstition and barbar- [
ism of this world I believe will yet be
dissipated by the onward march of truth and
justice, carried forward by us as a people to
every land and over every sea beneath that
emblem that personifies all that is good
and brave and true — the flag of our
Republic — and wherever that flag shall be
raised there may it continue to wave, until
another Republic, with a flag of its own,
representing the same principles of liberty
and truth, justice and mercy, shall take its
place.

L will not trespass on what may be the
thought and expression of others who are
our guests. My province is to read a
paper relative to the history of our native
county.

The paper I had the honor and pleasure
to read at our last banquet was a summary
of provincial legislation during our ! Jolonial
period. To-night 1 desire to extend the
same so as to cover a period under our
Constitutional government.

The first and second sessions of the
Legislature were not all that were held at
Poughkeepsie. I tinl that the Legislature

Dutchess gotutty.

convened there in 1780, 1781, 1782, 1788,
1789, and in 1795.

Poughkeepsie was then only a settlement
within the town of that name. The village
was formed March 27, 1799, and a special
charter granted by the Legislature April
8, 1801. '

In my paper of last year I referred to a
statement made by Stone, in his History
of New York, that rioting existed in
Dutchess Comity in 1766, as having been
started by some Indians, who were joined
by worthless whites, and which extended
to Albany County (now Columbia). That
the Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty's
forces in America, Gren. Gage, ordered up
the 2>-th Regiment, lately arrived from
England, to meet the insurgents, who were
brought to reason, and the ring-leaders
brought to New York.

I find in the NTew York Mercury, of the
issue of Monday, July 28, 1766, this state-
ment :

"The 19th inst. a company of the 26th
"Regiment, now quartered here, with a
"detachment of the train of artillery and
"three field pieces, embarked at the North
"River and sailed directly for Claverick, in
"order, as 'tis reported, to settle some

Dutcbm County.

"affairs there between some tenants and
"their landlords."

"Friday morning last Hon. Daniel
"Horl'manster and Robert R. Livingston,
"Esqrs., two of the Judges of the Supreme
"Court of this Province, with some of bis
"Majesty's Council and several gentlemen
"of the law, sailed from hence for Pough-
"keepsie, in order to try sundry people that
"delivered themselves up there on account
"of the late troubles in that county, and
"Mr. Prendergrass, who delivered himself
"up also on the same account, and was
"lately brought to our goal, is gone up
"likewise to take his trial for some rnis-
"demeanor« laid to his charge."

(From the New York Mercury of the issue of
Monday, August 18, 1766.)

"Letters from Dutchess County dated
"one day last week advise that at the
"special Court then sitting there, William
"Pendergrass was found guilty of High
"Treason after a trial of twenty-four hours,
"and received sentence accordingly."

(From the New York Mercury of the issue of
Monday. August 25. 1766.)

" From Dutchess County we learn that
"Pindergast has been condemned for High

DutcSiess County.

"Treason, and was sentenced to suffer
"death for the same in six weeks. 'Tis said
"it was proved to the jury that the said
"Pindergast before the misdemeanor hap-
pened for which he was tried, was always
"esteemed a sober, honest, and industrious
"farmer, much beloved by his neighbors,
"but stirred up to act as he did by one
"Monro, who is absconded."

(From the New York Mercury of the issue of
September 15, 1766.)

" On Monday, the first inst., his Excell-
ency, Sir Henry Moore, Bart., left Albany
"for Crown Point, having before he set
"out been pleased to send a reprieve to the
"Sheriff of Dutchess County respecting the
"execution of Wra. Pendergast until his
"Majesty's pleasure1 should be known."

From these statements, published at the
time, I am of the belief that these white
persons and Indians, who were em^aged in
rioting, were not so worthless as some
historians characterize them. They were,
doubtless, honest, laborious farmers, goaded
to revolt by the sy-tem of rent oppression,
and these Indians claimed, no doubt, some
rights to the soil also. Looking back
nearly a century and a half, and consider-

Dutchess County.

stage
Cbrousb

the
County.

ing the history and surroundings of these
people, and the land system in vogue, do
we wonder that so little opposition was
made in the apparent attempt to drive the
Indian from the homes of his ancestors
and in oppressively taxing the new settler
for the right to cultivate the earth.

The Legislature by an Act passed April
4, 1785, granted unto Isaac Van Wyck,
Tilmage Hall and John Kenney, the ex-
clusive right of keeping stage wagons on
the east side of Hudson's River, between
the cities of New York and Albany, for the
term of ten years from June 1, 1785. The
Act states that they were to provide at
least two good and sufficient covered stage
wagons to be drawn by four able horses,
and the price for each passenger was not to
exceed four pence per mile, with the privil-
ege of carrying fourteen pounds weight of
baggage, and a like sum of four pence per
mile for one hundred and fifty pounds
weight, and a like proportion for any
greater or less quantity — they were to start
at least once a week from each city unless
prevented by the badness of the road or
some uncommon accident Xo other per-
son or persons were allowed to erect, set
up, carry on, or drive any stage wagon or

Dutcbess County.

wagons, or any other carriage or carriages,
for the like purpose, from said cities
respectively, under a penalty of two
hundred pounds, to be recovered by any
person who shall prosecute the same, be-
sides cost.

The Legislature on March 7, 1788, passed
an Act dividing the State into sixteen
counties. Dutchess was bounded as fol-
lows :

"All that part of this State bounded
"easterly by the State of Connecticut,
"southerly by the County of Westchester,
"westerly partly by the County of Orange
"and partly by the County of Ulster, and
"northerly by the Manor of Livingston,
"including the whole of the oblong to the
"northward of the County of Westchester."

On the same day an Act was passed
dividing the counties of the State into
towns. The towns in Dutchess were named
as follows :

Philips Town, Frederick Town, South-
east Town, Fishkill, Beekman, Pawling,
Poughkeepsie, Clinton, Rhinebeck, Wash-
ington, Amenia, and North East Town.

" Another Act was passed April 3t 1801,
dividing the State into thirty counties, the
County of Dutchess to contain all that part

Division
of State

and
Counties.

JO

Dutc&m County.

of this State bounded easterly by the east
bounds of this State, southerly by the
County of Westchester, westerly by the
counties of Orange and Ulster, and norther-
ly by a due east line drawn from the south
bank of Sawyer's Kill on the west side of
Hudson's River, continued due east till
it meets with a line settled and established
between Robert R. Livingston and
Zachariah Hoffman, deceased, and others,
as their mutual boundary, so far as it runs,
and thence the same course continued to
the southermost bend of Roeluff Janseu's
Kill, and thence along the south and
east liue of the Manor of Livingston to the
division line between the State and the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including
the whole of the oblong to the northward
of the County of Westchester "

By an Act passed the same day Dutchess
County was divided into fifteen towns, the
boundaries of which are practically the
same as in the Act of 1788. And it will be
noticed in this Act that the westerly bound-
aries of the towns of Philips Town, now in
Putnam County, Fishkill, Poughkeepsie,
Clinton, now Hyde Park, Rhinebeck and

j what is now Red Hook, is to the middle of

i Hudson's River.

Dutchess County.

The Town of Stanford was created March
12, 1793.

The Town of Dover was taken from
Pawling and created a town Feb. 20, 1807.

The Town of Red Hook was taken from
Rhinebeck and created a town June 2, 1812.

The Town of Milan was taken from
Northeast and created a town March 6,
1821.

The Town of Pleasant Valley was taken
frorn Clinton and created a town January
2G, 1821.

The Town of Hyde Park was taken from
Clinton and created a town January 26,
1821.

The Town of Pine Plains was taken from
Northeast and created a town March 26,
1823.

The Town of Freedom was taken from
Beekman and Fishkill Feb. 9, 1821.

The Town of Union Vale was taken
from Beekman and Freedom and created a
town March 1, 1827.

The name of Freedom was changed to
Lagrange in 1828.

The Town of East Fishkill was taken
from Fishkill and created a town Nov. 29,
1849.

12

Dutcbm County.

measure
of Cand in
Dutchess

The Town of Patterson, organized as
Franklin, now in Putnam County, was
taken from Southeast and created a town
March 17, 1795.

The Town of Carmel, now in Putnam
County, was taken from Frederickstown
and created a town March 17, 1795.

The Town of Kent, now in Putnam
County, was taken from Frederickstown
and created a town March 7, 1788.

The Town of Philips Town, now in
Putnam County, was enlarged from Fish-
kill in 1806.

The Town of Southeast, now in Putnam
County, was taken from Frederickstown
and Southeast Town March 17, 1788.

The County of Putnam was created and
taken from Dutchess June 12th, 1812.

An Act for ascertaining the measure of
land was passed by the Legislature Fob.
7th, 1788, which required " that an acre of
land shall contain one hundred and sixty
square perches or rods, each rod being in
length five yards and one half of one yard,
each yard three feet, and each foot twelve
inches, so that when an acre of land shall
be sixteen rods in length it shall be ten
rods in breadth.

Oufcbess County.

13

The Revolution had not driven wolves
and panthers from the County, for by an
Act par sed April 3, 1790, the Supervisors
were required to pay to any person who shall
kill a wolf or panther the sum of three
pounds, and for a wolf or panther under one
year old thirty shillings, and if killed by an
ludian, free negro, or mulatto or slave, the
same compensation was directed, but the
master or mistress of the slave received the
reward. While the lawmakers had en-
larged their liberality by making the
reward the same in all cases, it is, never-
theless, curious that they had not yet
advanced far enough in their conception
of mankind to regard an Indian, free negro,
mulatto or slave as a person, or it would
not have been thought necessary to distin-
guish them in the Act.

A general law was passed Feb. 22d, 1799,
giving to the Boards of Supervisors of the
respective counties authority to give
rewards for the killing of wolves or
panthers, but the award was not to exceed
the sum of ten dollars.

On Feb. 9, 1822, an Act was passed
repealing all former laws respecting
awards for the killing of wolves,

Wolves

and

Panthers.

j4 Dutchess County,

panthers and bears, and a bounty of ten
dollars was authorized for killing a full
grown wolf, and five dollars for each wolf's
whelp, to be paid by the County Treasurer
out of any moneys not otherwise appropri-
ated. To obtain such bounty the person
killing such wolf or whelp shall take the
same or the head thereof, the skin and ears
entire thereon, to a Justice of the Peace
of the town in which such wolf was taken,
and make oath and submit to an examin-
ation, and if the Justice was satisfied, the
said Justice shall thereupon cut off and
burn the ears and scalp of said wolf or
whelp, and give a certificate without fee or
reward.

And further, there shall be associated
with such justice in all the duties required
by the Act one of the Assessors or Over-
seers of the Poor, or Commissioner of
Highways of said town, whose duty it shall
be to attend when called on for that pur-
pose, who shall also subscribe the certificate.
But no bounty shall be paid to any person
for taking such wolf or whelps, unless it
shall appear on such examination that the
mother of such whelp was not taken before
she brought forth such whelp. The State
was to pay half the bounty. It will be

9ufcfce$$ County.

15

observed that in this Act of 1822 the word
person covers the killing by any one — at
this date an Indian, free negro, mulatto or
slave had become persons.

By Act of March 31, 1817, every negro, slavery
mulatto oi* mustee within this State, who is Abolished
now a slave, shall continue such, unless
manumitted according to law. Every
child born of a slave within this State after
the fourth day of July, 1799, shall be free,
but remain the servant of the owner of his
or her mother, and the executors, adminis-
trators and assigns of such owner in such
manner as if such child had been bound to
service by the Overseers of the Poor, and
shall continue in such service, if a male,
until the age of twenty-eight years, and if
a female, until the age of twenty- five years.
And every child born of a slave within this
State after the passage of this Act shall
remain a servant as aforesaid until the age
of twenty-one years, and no longer.

Public roads or highways in a new foiglways
country is a matter of great importance to
the new settler. By a general Act passed
May 4, 1784, Commissioners and Overseers
of Highways were authorized to be chosen
by the freeholders and inhabitants of the

16

Dutcbess County.

towns, and I believe that the present rules
and regulations respecting highways have
their foundation from this Act — the laying
out of roads whereby several roads which
had been used as public highways had
been closed — it was enacted May 16, 1785,
"that all public highways which have been
"used as such for the space of twenty years
"last past, shall be taken, deemed, and
"adjudged in law to be public highways."

Ciirnpikc
Road?.

The first turnpike corporation in the
county was created by Act of March 30,
1802, for improving and making a road
called " the Quaker Hill turnpike road,"
from Quaker Hill, at the end of Connecti-
cut, near the house of Jeptha Sabins to the
foot of the mountain called Fishkill, near
where the old road crossed, and from
thence by the most convenient route to
Peter Brills, in the Town of Beekman.

On April 2, 1802, another turnpike cor-
poration was created for improving and
making a road from the west line of the
Town of Salesbury, in the State of Con-
necticut to the Susquehannah River; at or
near the Town of Jericho — to commence
near the house of Alexander Spencer,
deceased, in the Town of Northeast ; thence

Dutchess County.

by the Pine Plains to the ferry of John
Radcliff and Moses Con tine over the
Hudson's River to the Village of Kingston,
and by the nearest route to the Susque-
hannah River near said Town of Jericho.
The legal title of this road was "The
President, Directors and Company of the
Ulster and Delaware Turnpike Road."

From reading the title of the Act it
would not be conceived that it created a
road through the present towns of Rhine-
beck, Milan, Pine Plains and North East,
but such, however, was the fact. Market
street, in the Village of Rhinebeck, is a
part of said turnpike road. The ferry
mentioned ran from the present ice docks
of the Consolidated Ice Company, called
the Rhinebeck Long Dock and Kingston
Point,

" The Dutchess County Turnpike Com-
pany" was created by Act passed April 5,
1802, for the purpose of making a road
from the Court House in the Village of
Poughkeepsie, to or near the house of
Timothy Beadle, in the Town of Clinton,
to pass through Pleasant Valley settlement,
to be continued on easterly by the most
convenient and direct route to the bound-
ary line between the State of New York

is Dutches* £oumy.

and the State of Connecticut, to terminate
in vicinity of the Town of Sharon or
Salesbury, also to branch out from the
most convenient part of said road to pursue
generally as near as may be judged most
conducive to the public good the then
route, by Plymouth Hill to the Dover
Road leadiug north and south at or near
the house of Laurence Belding, to pass
through the settlement known by the name
of Mechanic.

The capital stock was to be two thousand
shares of the value of thirty dollars per
share, and in case more was required to
build the road an assessment of fifteen
dollars on each share was to be made.

The road was to be at least four rods
wide, except where valuable buildings
might interfere. Twenty-eight feet, at
least, was to be bedded with stone gravel
or other hard substance, at least one foot,
thick, and to be faced with gravel or stone
pounded or other small, hard substance.
An even surface rising towards the middle
by a gradual arch, and not so steep as that
a wagon or other carriage loaded with hay
would be overturned by moving on any
part thereof. The water ways on each side
were to be constructed as that in times of

Dutcbe$$ County.

J9

sdow they would form a good path for
sleds, and not so deep as to endanger the
overthrowing of sleds going off said arched
way into said water ways, and they were to
be kept in good and perfect order.

Complaints were to be made to the Judge
of Common Pleas, who had authority to
appoint Commissioners to report on the
condition of the road, and in case the road
was out of repairs, the gates were to be
opened, and not shut or toll collected until
such repairs were made.

The westerly gate or turnpike on said
road was to be fixed immediately below the
road from Swego, which crosses the Wap-
penger's creek, near the house of Solomon
Southerland, with said turnpike road. Two
gates or turnpikes were to be between
Ponghkeepsie and Timothy Beadles, and
two between Timothy Beadles and the
town of Sharon or Salsbury, and one on
that b ranch which would lead from the
route before mentioned to Dover road.

The Company was authorized to appoint
toll gatherers to collect and receive the toll
from all and every person or persons using
said road for any number of miles not less
than ten, the following sums, and so in
proportion for any gi eater or less distance :

20

Dutcftcss County.

For every score of sheep or hogs, 6 cents ;
and so in proportion for a greater or less
number.

For every score of cattle 12£ cents ; and
so in proportion as aforesaid.

For every horse and rider, or led or
drawn horse, 4 cents.

For every sulkey, chair, or chaise, with
one horse and two wheels, 12 £ cents.

For every chariot, coach, coaches or
phaeton, 25 cents.

For every stage wagon or other four
wheeled carriage drawn by two horses, and
for every cart or wagon drawn by two
oxen, 12£ cents ; and three cents for every
additional horse or ox.

For every sleigh or sled drawn by two
horses or two oxen, 6 cents : and two
cents for every additional horse or ox.

For every sleigh or sled drawn by one
horse (commonly called a pung) 4 cents.

For every cart drawn by one horse, six
cents ; and for every additional horse three
cents.

And it was lawful for the toll gatherer to
stop any person or persons riding, leading
or driving any horse, cattle, sheep, or hogs,
sulkey, chaise, phaeton, chair,coach, wagon,
cart, sleigh, sled, or other carriage of

Dutchess County.

2J

burthen or pleasure, from passing through
the said gates or turnpikes until such toll
had been paid.

But said corporation or their toll gather-
ers were not entitled to ask or receive or
take any toll from any person whatsoever
from passing said gates, or either of them,
who are going to or from a funeral or
election, or who may have occasion to pass
a gate for the common business of a farm,
or who may be going to or from public
worship on Sunday, or who may go to or
return from mill with grain or flour for his
family use ; and wagons or carts, the
wheels of which shall be made with felloes
of the width of eight inches on the face or
outside of them, could use said road and
pass said gates free from any toll or expense
whatever for five years after the gates were
erected.

(I assume this was done to encourage a
substitute for rollers for packing the road-
way).

Mile stones were to be erected, one for

each and every mile on said road from the

Court House in Poughkeepsie to the eastern

extreme thereof, and on each stone was to

! be legibly marked the distance the said

22 Dutcftess County.

stone was from the Court House in Pough-
keepsie.

A public list of rates of toll was fixed
in a conspicuous place at each gate or turn-
pike.

Persons were to take the right hand part
of the road, and in case of sleigh or sleds
the right hand waterway. Any persons who
should break, throw down, or deface any
of the mile stones so erected for the inform-
ation Of " THE GOOD PEOPLE OF THIS STATE,"

were subject to a fine of fifty dollars, and
not less than one dollar ; and for turning-
out to pass the gates on adjacent ground to
evade the toll, were to pay ten times the
amount due for toll, to be recovered by
suit, besides costs.

By Act of July 1, 1851, this Company
was authorized to plank their road or part
thereof. The road from the steel works in
thf town of Amenia on the Dutchess turn-
pike road to Hibernia mills, in the town of
Clinton, authorized April 4, 1804, was by
Act of April 11, 1808, declared to be a
public highway.

" The Deep Hollow Branch Turnpike
Road Company " was incorporated by the
Legislature April 27, 1829. They were

L.ofC.

Buecbess gownty. 23

authorized to make a turnpike road com-
mencing at or near the store of Northrup
and Merritt on the Dutchess turnpike road,
iu the town of Washington, about twenty
miles east of Poughkeepsie, and to run
through that part of the county called
Deep Hollow, and to end at or near the
store and furnace of Reed, Griffin and Com-
pany in the town of Amenia.

The New U am burgh Turnpike Road was
declared a public highway April 16, 1830.

The Highland Turnpike Road was de-
clared a public highway April 8, 1833.

The Dutchess Union Turnpike Company
was incorporated April 9, 1813. The road
to commence at a line dividing the States
of Connecticut and New York, at the ter-
mination of a turnpike in said State of
Connecticut, near Bull's Bridge, in the town
of Kent, from thence to the house of Brice
Shove, in the town of Dover; thence to or
near the house of Jackson Wing, said town
of Dover; thence to or near the house of
Caleb Simpson, town of Beekman ; thence
to or near the house of Adam Crons, said
town — thence to or near the house of
Thomas Potter.

The Fishkill Mountain Turnpike Com-
pany was authorized by Act passed March

24 Dutcbm County.

31, 1817, to run from the corner of the road
near the house of Jonathan Squires, of the
town of Patterson, Putnam County ; thence
westerly crossing the Philipstown turnpike
near the house of Hezekiali Pecks, and
thence to the house of Jacob I. Adreance,
of the town of Fishkill, Dutchess County.

The Pawling and Beekman Turnpike
Company was incorporated April 3, 1818,
to commence at or near the house of Joseph
Arnold, town of Pawling ; thence westerly
across the mountain to or near the house
of Nathan Miller, Jr., town of Beekman.

The Dover and Union Vale Turnpike
Road was incorporated April 19, 1828, to
run from the State line between Connecti-
cut and New York, near Bulls Bridge, in
Dover, and thence through said town
westerly to the Poughkeepsie market road,
near the lands of Ephraim Duncan, in town
of Union Vale.

The Dover and Union Vale Turnpike
Road Company was incorporated April
23, 1835, the road to run from or near the
house of Edward Ward, in the town of
Dover, to or near the house of Caleb Simp-
son ; thence to the clove road at or near
the house of Andrew J. Skidmore, in the
town of Union Vale. On April 26, 1836,

Dutchess County.

25

the law was amended extending the road
from the house of said Skidmore to the
corner of the r^ad east of the meeting
house near the dwelling house of William
R. Potter, in the town of Union Vale.

On May 8th, 1835, an Act was passed ap-
pointing Commissioners to lay out a public
highway of three rods wide from Main
street, in the Village of Poughkeepsie; to
the Village of Pine Plains. The expenses
of the Commissioners were to be appor-
tioned upon the towns through which said
highway should pass. This Act was repealed
April 5,* 1836.

Th^ Legislature on Feb. 17, 1848, author-
ized the Board of Supervisors to appoint
inspectors of turnpike roads.

A society was authorized by an Act fjorse
passed April 5, 1828, whereby a Farmers' Racing.
and Citizens' Association could be organ-
ize! for the purpose of improving the
breed of horses, and to establish a market
for their sale, the Society to have courses
for trial of speed. Six days only, between
the 10th of May and 10th of June, and be-
tween the 10th of October and 10th of
November were allowed in each year.

No races were to take place on public

26

SMcftess County.

roads or highways, nor unless under the
control and direction and upon the courses
of said Society or Association.

No cards, dice, gambling tables or devices
were to be suffered or permitted within two
miles of said courses.

The Sheriff was directed by the Act to
be in attendance, and to be paid by the
Society three dollars per day for each day's
attendance.

All races and matches in the county,
other than authorized by said Act, were
prohibited in said county.

The Act was amended April 20, 1829,
and racing was limited to six days in each
year.

The annual County Fair, which was held
at Washington Hollow, Town of Washing-
ton, for many years, doubtless originated
from this Act.

Klftal*
Tiding.

Two companies were created by Legis-
lative Act for the purpose of engaging in
the whale fishing in the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans and elsewhere, and in the
manufacture of oil and spermaceti candles.

The first passed April 20, 1832, called the
" Poughkeepsie Whaling Company " to be
located in the Village of Poughkeepsie.

Dutchess County.

27

The other passed April 30, 1833, called the
" Dutchess WhaliDg Company," to be
located in the Village of Poughkeepsie.

One provision of the law in each Act was
that no foreigner should ever be a stock-
holder or in any way interested therein.

On May 13, 1845, Robert G. Eankin,
Charles Bartlett, Henry Gr. Ludlow, Abra-
ham Bockee, Robert Wilkinson, John
Johnston, Henry A. Livingston, John W.
Knevels and Freeborn Garrettson and
others, were created a body corporate by
the name of the " Dutchess County His-
torical Society," for the purpose of collect-
ing and preserving all matters and things
in any way connected with or relating to
the natural, civil, literary or ecclesiastical
history of Dutchess County. I have not
been able to learn when this corporation
began to live or when it died. It certainly
is not now in existence.

The growth in population has been slow
and at times decreased.

In 1790 it was 45,266.

In 1800 it was 47,775.

In 1810 it was 51,434.

In 1820 it was 46,615, of whom 52 were
law vers. (Putnam County was not now

historical
Society.

Popula-
tion.

28

Dutcbm County.

included).

In 1835 it was 50,704.

In 1840 it was 52,398, of whom 42 were
lawyers, a decrease of ten in twenty years.

In 1845 it was 55,124.

In 1850 it was 58,992.

In 1855 it was 60,635.

In 1860 it was 64,194.

In 1865 it was 65,192.

In 1870 it was 74,041.

In 1875 it was 76,334.

In 1880 it was 79,184.

In 1890 it was 77,879.

In ancient and modern times were pre-
served in various ways by inscriptions on
marble or bronze the names of those who
were noted in the service of their State
and country, and so in our own times do
we recall from History the services of those
who from our own native county have in
many instances rendered conspicuous ser
vices to our State and Nation.

Men who represented ! >utchess County
in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, in
the Continental Congress, in the Congress
of the United States, who have represented
us abroad, and who occupied other eminent
station were the peers of any in the land.

We can recall the names <>f

Prominent
men.

Dutchess County. 29

Robert R. Livingston, Chancellor

Edward Livingston, Codifier of Laws.

Gilbert Benson, Attorney General.

Peter R. Livingston, Speaker.

Melancton Smith, Congressman.

Gilbert Livingston, Surrogate.

Morgan Lewis, Governor.

Philip Schuyer, General.

Ephriam Paine, Continental Congress.

Richard Montgomery, General.

Jacob Radcliff, Judge.

Zephaniah Piatt, Constitutional Convention.

James Kent, Jurist.

John Armstrong, Secretary of War.

Abraham Bockee, Senator.

Charles H. Ruggels, Court of Appeals.

James Tallmadge, Lieutenant Governor.

Thomas Tillotson, Secretary of State.

James Emott, Judge.

John A. Quitman, General.

Samuel F. B. Morse, Philosopher.

Dr. Federal Vanderberg, Physician.

Benson J. Lossing, Historian.

Rev. Dr. Frederick H. Quitman, Lutheran Divine.

Rev. Dr. Horatio Potter, Bishop.

Rev. Dr. Alonzo Potter, Bishop.

Rear-Admiral John R. Worden, Hero.

What a galaxy of names made famous by
greal deeds and brilliant services.

Id statesmanship— in the Judiciary— in
war — in diplomacy — in the church — in
medicine — they were unrivalled in their
several vocations.

Tkev were wise men. They helped to

30

Dutchess County.

shape and mould the government under
which we live. They interpreted it when
established.

They were conspicuous actors on the
stage of life, in war and peace. Many of
them are already commemorated in marble
and bronze. Their epitaphs aie inscribed
on the pages of the world's history.

To properly present the life and charac-
ter of each and every one T have named
would require more evenings than I have
mentioned names.

They are dead and yet live.

Let us honor their memory and strive to
emulate their virtues,
and so live " that when thy summons comes
"to join the innumera^caravan that moves
"to that mysterious realm — where each
"shall take his chamber in the silent halls
"of death, thou go not like the^^Cslave
"at night scourged to his dungeon, but
"sustained and soothed by an unfaltering
"trust — approach thy grave like one who
"wraps the drapery of his couch about him
"and lies down to pleasant dreams."

<.-r>-

W9~£

' . . • v> <\»

■• ^o< •

«f> "co" ^

\** ..- V •-'" >°

oV*

vv

^ <T *%*

£• «v ^ •VSte-* ^ ** •VcvV^!- «v <£ *<

• o

4.0 "7*.

^•^,

jo>^»-

?/V».A.W/\;ff

«5 °<*

vv

r V '«E' . ♦*' *♦ --5TO-* .«#"V -.UK" **

4o.

^ *' vvv* v^

V ..

>0^

:«r.- ,/X

« .<«.*